To walk on water: Challenges for community college faculty

Recently Published Dissertations on Community and Junior Colleges

Reviewed by: International Reform Efforts and Challenges in Community Colleges. New Directions in Community Colleges, No. 138 Patricia Somers, Associate Professor Edward J. Valeau and Rosalind Latiner Raby (Eds.). International Reform Efforts and Challenges in Community Colleges. New Directions in Community Colleges, No. 138. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007. 112 pp. Paper: $29.00. ISBN: 978-0-470-17688-7. This monograph provides a basic overview of the issues, challenges, and models involved in internationalizing community college education. The editors wrote this book to fill the post-September 11 void about information on international education reform for community colleges. However, 9/11 was a double turning point: Americans understood the need to be more globally connected yet monies were diverted to national safety and security programs rather than educational activities. Eleven chapters form the monograph, with three common threads: (a) the role of new community college leaders in providing leadership for international programs, (b) how some community colleges have embraced globalization, and (c) how international education can become a catalyst for educational revitalization in community colleges (pp. 2–3). The book is aimed at relatively novice practitioners. The first three chapters have a good, but at times redundant, general overview of internationalization in community colleges. Two interesting chapters deal with the globalization of workforce development and technical/occupational programs. Six chapters review specific details of how to internationalize. Two of these chapters discuss consortial efforts. Consortia provide key support for international programs, particularly study-abroad efforts, which need a critical mass of students to be financially viable. Other chapters present examples of on- and off-campus programs and profile international faculty in community colleges. The most useful part of the monograph is two case studies. The first is a cautionary tale about how international education programs can become politicized, especially in a localized setting such as a community college. This case included charges of "pork barrel" trips by administrators for recruiting students and administrators who are junketing on "inspection visits" to colleges abroad. The final chapter is a case study of the successful Asia-Pacific Emphasis at Kapi'olani Community College in Hawai'i. While this volume seeks to help practitioners, it also contains useful research. For example, a study of 700 community college students found that they acknowledged financial barriers to study abroad, yet family and job considerations were even more important in their decision not to study abroad. Further, one of the consortia did a pre- and post-study of intercultural sensitivity, with mixed results depending on the program location. The monograph could be very helpful to community colleges just beginning an international effort. There are some omissions, however. A more detailed description of visa issues for international students and faculty would provide a realistic understanding of the effort involved in bringing international scholars to campus. Additional case studies would be useful. One author mentions that a community college has successfully used local immigrant communities to help develop its international program; a description of this program would be interesting. Further, a case study of a successful program at a "border" college (U.S/Mexico or U.S./Canada) would provide another model for globalizing the community college. On the whole, Valeau, Raby, and associates provide good basic information on internalizing the community college. The addition of a few more case studies would make the volume outstanding. [End Page 521] Patricia Somers, Associate Professor Higher Education and Women's/Gender Studies, University of Texas at Austin, and Fulbright New Century Scholar Copyright © 2008 Association for the Study of Higher Education

Adjunct Faculty in Community Colleges: An Academic Administrator's Guide to Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining Great Teachers Desna L. Wallin (Ed.). Anker Publishing: Bolton, MA. 2005, 227 pages. $39.95, Cloth. ISBN 1-882982-81-9. Reviewed by Clifford P. Harbour.Desna L. Wallin's book, Adjunct Faculty in Community Colleges: An Academic Administrator's Guide to Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining Great Teachers, provides campus leaders with a new resource to improve institutional practice regarding employment of part-time faculty. This work is an edited volume published by Anker in 2005 and is comprised of 13 chapters written by community college presidents, academic administrators, faculty, and university researchers.Community colleges are facing new challenges in the 21st century because of budgetary constraints, looming retirements in the faculty and leadership ranks, demands for new curricula and delivery modalities, and a student population that is becoming increasingly diverse and complex. These developments mean public two-year institutions must become more efficient and effective in providing educational programs and services to their communities. Many institutions have realized new efficiencies through increased use of adjunct faculty. Wallin's goal in publishing Adjunct Faculty in Community Colleges is to explain how campus leaders can now become more effective in selecting, developing, supporting, and retaining this critical human resource.Wallin has organized the volume in three parts. Pan One presents Wallin's excellent overview of the text, and this overview is supplemented by research reported by university scholars. Akroyd and Caison report on their analysis of recent data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty. They describe how adjunct faculty compare with their full-time counterparts on factors such as demographics and job satisfaction. This work is complemented by research findings presented by Phillips and Campbell regarding faculty development at Florida's community colleges. Results from these two studies paint a picture of important similarities and differences concerning adjunct faculty and their full-time colleagues.Akroyd and Caison's comparison of adjunct and full time instructors reveals that the two populations are quite similar regarding (a) age, gender, and academic qualifications, and (b) overall job satisfaction. But there are important differences in how these two populations perceive job security, advancement opportunities, and benefits. Adjunct faculty are significantly less satisfied with these aspects of their employment. To date, these lower levels of satisfaction have not significantly affected community colleges. Institutions have been able to replace departing adjuncts with new ones. However, Akroyd and Caison's research suggests practitioners should not overlook the possibility that a dissatisfied adjunct faculty could have serious implications for institutional stability.Phillips and Campbell report on a statewide survey of mathematics and communications faculty at Florida community colleges regarding the value of certain professional development activities. These authors found that adjunct and full-time faculty agreed that new faculty orientation programs were a very valuable professional development activity. However, they differed, for example, on the importance of (a) travel money, (b) on campus workshops, and (c) access to professional development materials in the college library. The first two items were characterized as very valuable by full-time faculty but less so by adjuncts. Conversely, adjuncts regarded access to on campus professional development materials as more valuable than did their full-time counterparts.These two chapters provide a sound introduction to critical similarities and differences to be considered by campus leaders working to improve the selection, development, support, and retention of adjuncts. …

Community college student mental health is a critical topic among community college leaders, faculty, and staff. Mental health concerns among community college students are more prevalent and more pronounced than among students at four-year institutions. The recent pandemic has further amplified students’ mental health concerns. Poor mental health can negatively affect student success outcomes such as persistence within courses, grade point average, and credential completion. Even though the research in this area is growing, additional work is necessary to fully grasp the scope and details of the issue. Within this book, Latz outlines the contours of the issue by explaining what is already known. She then uses data from a study involving interviews with community college faculty to further explain the issue from their unique and important vantage points. Readers will learn about both the professional lives of community college faculty and their experiences with and perspectives of their students, many of whom navigate mental health issues. The book is concluded with robust recommendations for community college leaders who are seeking ways to better support their students.

Community college student mental health is a critical topic among community college leaders, faculty, and staff. Mental health concerns among community college students are more prevalent and more pronounced than among students at four-year institutions. The recent pandemic has further amplified students’ mental health concerns. Poor mental health can negatively affect student success outcomes such as persistence within courses, grade point average, and credential completion. Even though the research in this area is growing, additional work is necessary to fully grasp the scope and details of the issue. Within this book, Latz outlines the contours of the issue by explaining what is already known. She then uses data from a study involving interviews with community college faculty to further explain the issue from their unique and important vantage points. Readers will learn about both the professional lives of community college faculty and their experiences with and perspectives of their students, many of whom navigate mental health issues. The book is concluded with robust recommendations for community college leaders who are seeking ways to better support their students.

This qualitative descriptive study explored what community college administrators and faculty described as being effective recruitment and retention methods for faculty at community colleges in the Northeastern United States. This study answered two research questions: what recruitment methods do administrators and American faculty at community colleges describe as being effective in the recruitment of American faculty? Also, what retention methods do administrators and American faculty at community colleges describe as being effective in the retention of American faculty? The researcher applied critical race theory to form a framework for best practices in recruiting and retaining American faculty. Data were obtained by interviewing six American faculty and surveying seven community college administrators employed at Massachusetts community colleges who were selected using purposive sampling and community college online staff directories. Using MAXQDA data analysis software, the researcher initiated data analysis using thematic analysis. Data were organized and analyzed to identify codes, categories, and themes. Data analysis resulted in six themes: hiring processes, faculty diversity, recruitment strategies, work environment, student and faculty relationships, and retention strategies. The findings of this study can benefit community college personnel by recommending recruitment and retention strategies to effectively recruit and retain American faculty. There was limited research and data available related to the recruitment and retention of African American male faculty at community colleges. The faculty and administrator participants of this study provided rich data on effective recruitment and retention methods for African American male faculty at community colleges. The critical race theory theoretical framework was summarized. Theoretical and practical implications emerged. Based on the data and new insights, implications for future research were discussed.

An analysis is presented of the position of American community colleges in the nation's educational system. First, background is provided on the historical development of the community colleges. This section examines: (1) the forces contributing to the rise of higher education and the emergence of junior colleges; (2) the expansion of the two-year college role to include community services and remedial education, as well as transfer, occupational, and postsecondary terminal programs; and (3) influences on community college growth over the past four decades, including increased educational access, the student consumerism movement, the increasing enrollment of part-time students, and the absorption by community colleges of the educational functions of other agencies. The next section provides information on community college faculty, focusing on their educational background and professional involvement in contrast to that of their four-year college counterparts; the faculty union movement; and factors, such as long working hours and underprepared students, which erode faculty job satisfaction. Curriculum and instruction in the community college are discussed next, with particular focus on transfer, occupational, and community service curricula. The article concludes with an examination of the dilemma faced by college leaders attempting to maintain their institution's place in graded education, while providing a variety of educative services to their constituents on an open-door basis.

Community colleges accommodate nearly half of all United States college students. Increased reliance upon community colleges is driven by the current economic downturn, rising costs of higher education, and changing expectations for today's workforce requiring advanced skill sets. Community colleges offer more affordable options for broader spectrums of students including traditional and nontraditional college students and dual-enrolled high school students. Community college faculty facilitate student learning and program completion. A shortage of community college faculty will likely emerge as numerous faculty retire. Community college administrators need strategies for retaining and recruiting faculty amid increasing retirements. One effective strategy is to offer a work environment that cultivates positive work-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction). This study examines the ability of select human capital investments, intrinsic rewards, extrinsic rewards, and sociodemographics to predict overall job satisfaction for full-time community college faculty. A cross-sectional predictive design was used with secondary analysis of the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) dataset. Logistic Regression was utilized to determine predictive ability of the independent variables on overall job satisfaction. Results indicated that faculty were more likely to be satisfied with their work if they were satisfied with their salary, benefits and workload; were satisfied with the teaching support they received from their institutions; and if they perceived that females and minorities were treated fairly by the organization. Conversely, minority faculty were less likely to be satisfied, as were faculty who indicated they would again choose a career in academe if given the choice.

This qualitative research study, using interviews and narrative analysis collected from community college faculty members, describes how student engagement is built through the presence of multicultural education. The study gathered the experiences of community college faculty, beginning with their backgrounds and teaching philosophy. As commonalities emerged, This study identified how community college faculty define multicultural education and the five dimensions defined by Banks (1995). Furthermore, how those five dimensions are present in those community college faculties classrooms. Multicultural education was the lens used in this research. The main research questions directing this study were: How do faculty describe their approach to engaging students in the community college classroom? and How can community college faculty implement multicultural education strategies in their classroom delivery? Findings indicated that community college faculty place tremendous value in getting to know who their students are. The opportunity to learn about the person beyond the individuals sitting in the classroom allows community college faculty to incorporate customized learning opportunities that successfully enhance classroom instruction. Multicultural education can be pivotal in the customization of the learning experiences for students in the community college environment. Overall, the main implications of this study are that faculty must intentionally make students the center of their teaching positionality and become proficient with Banks' five dimensions of multicultural education. Faculty must seek to consistently create intersections between curriculum, lecture delivery, and multicultural education. Those intersections can produce positive outcomes for both faculty and community college students' experiences. Keywords: classroom instruction, culture, culturally competent, multicultural education --Author's abstract

The principal investigator of a National Science Foundation project, “Economics at Community Colleges,” surveyed community college economics faculty and organized workshops, webinars, and regional meetings to address community college faculty isolation from new ideas in economics and economics instruction. Survey results, combined with National Study of Postsecondary Faculty data, help fill a lacuna in information about community college faculty. A key finding is the reliance in community college economic instruction on part-time faculty, including many who do not hold a graduate degree in economics. The project's webinars reached the most community college faculty, while the workshops were most effective in improving economics instruction. Areas for future research are identified.

Help wanted: Preparing community college leaders in a new century (New Directions for Community Colleges Series, no. 123) by William E. Piland and David B. Wolf. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2003. 114 pages. ISBN 0194-3081. Reviewed by Leila Gonzalez Sullivan.In response to a nationwide sense of crisis in community college leadership, authors William Piland and David Wolf have called upon noted current leaders in the field to describe the causes of this crisis, to examine the ways leaders have traditionally been prepared, and to suggest other means for creating new leaders to guide these institutions effectively in the face of dramatically different conditions and challenges.Chapter 1, Leadership Blues, outlines the dimensions of the problem. Those who are brave enough to take on a presidency frequently find their good work blocked by political machinations, legislative intrusions, and fiscal disasters, as well as suffering capricious cruelty (p. 6) and politics of personal destruction (p. 8), according to authors James March and Stephen Weiner. Listing a series of cases that ended or nearly ended a presidency, they note that campus culture and a lack of civility often contribute to a leader's downfall. And once employees lose confidence in the leader or the emotions surrounding an issue rise to an intolerable level, there is little hope of rescuing the presidency or restoring good relations. To avoid what the authors refer to as poisonous (p. 13), leaders should take every opportunity to build trust, to encourage civility, to develop conflict management mechanisms, and to emphasize continually that the community college is a social system in which all members are working toward a shared vision of student learning. This chapter speaks eloquently to the realities of presidential leadership in higher education these days; however, some readers may find the content discouraging enough to set aside the book and perhaps even their aspirations to leadership. This chapter might have served the purpose just as well at a later point in the book.In Chapter 2, Leadership Context for the Twenty-First Century, George Boggs, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, summarizes research conducted by AACC which sounded the alarm regarding the growing leadership vacuum. Not only are nearly half of the current community college presidents planning to retire in the next five years, but their potential successors, upper level administrators, also expect to retire in even greater numbers. Yet community colleges will continue to be in the forefront of higher education as the primary providers of career preparation and lifelong learning, and the rewards of leading these institutions far outweigh the challenges ahead. Looking at the coming leadership turnover as an opportunity for new energy and greater diversity, the AACC board and its staff have identified essential skills and qualities of leaders, have established a web-based resource list of degree and professional development programs, and have begun to offer training for aspiring new leaders. Although little of this material is new or unknown, the chapter does set the stage for much of what follows in the text.Joanne Cooper and Louise Pagotto, the authors of Chapter 3, Developing Community College Faculty as Leaders, base their discussion in a literature review and see a pool of potential leaders already on campuses-the faculty. However, many faculty members are reluctant to step forward, preferring to wait until they receive a clear invitation to move into administrative leadership roles. Still others refuse the invitation entirely. Whatever the means by which faculty are drawn into administration, they generally have little preparation, formal or informal, for their new roles, and they may be apprehensive about making the move because their teacher colleagues will see them as having sold out (p. 30). To make the transition from teaching to administration easier, there must be formal training either through degrees or through workshops such as the model programs in Hawaii that are outlined in the chapter. …

The objectives of this study were 1) to ascertain the methods currently employed by language and literature faculty in Virginia's community colleges for keeping abreast of new developments in their fields; 2) to determine the perceived effectiveness of these methods; and 3) to recommend steps that the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), state universities, and faculty might take to increase professional development participation and to improve the efficacy of current approaches to professional development. A series of personal interviews with community college language and literature faculty confirmed previous findings in the literature suggesting that community college faculty tend to identify themselves as teachers, not researchers, and therefore tend to engage in professional development activities designed to enhance teaching, not scholarship. Faculty interviewed during this study were largely uninvolved in professional development activities that would contribute to increased knowledge in the d...

This book explores the rich history of community college math with a specific focus on gatekeeper math classes. Gatekeeper math classes include courses such as college algebra, introduction to statistics, and all developmental math classes. For community colleges, successful completion of these classes is imperative for student retention. This book presents a decade-by-decade analysis of the history of community college mathematics. The author employs a mix of conceptual, empirical, and quantitative research. The empirical research stems from interviews with 30 community college faculty members from seven community colleges. From the 1970s to the pandemic in the early 2020s, the book explores math curricula as well as trends, initiatives, teaching practices, and mandates that have impacted community college math. The positives and negatives of such trends, initiatives, and mandates are presented along with suggestions on how to apply such knowledge going forward. The author addresses the key questions: How can we build a future model for community college gatekeeper math classes that is both successful and sustainable? Additionally, how can we learn from the past and the present to build such a model? This book will be ideal for students in graduate programs focusing on community college leadership or developmental education leadership as well as all those hoping to improve success rates in community college mathematics programs.

The importance of understanding the community college as a vital aspect of the higher education landscape has never been more needed, nor more difficult. The American community college is a unique higher education institution greatly influenced by many internal and external forces. Community colleges are open-access institutions drawing a diversity of students including those who are first-generation and underprepared, face socioeconomic challenges, have personal immigrant histories, seek employment or transfer pathways, and/or are nontraditional learners with complex work and family demands. Many community college faculty members are not doctorally prepared, are part-time faculty, and possess fewer pedagogical tools than university faculty. Externally, community colleges are considered responsible for the health and economic stability of their area and for regional efforts to remediate existing educational achievement gaps. The complex nature of community colleges and their students have a direct impact on the successful persistence and completion of students (Cohen and Brawer 2008). In this chapter, we suggest that service-learning can be leveraged within this dynamic setting and we focus on practices that students and faculty use to help navigate the complexity of the nontraditional student experience specifically.KeywordsCommunity CollegeService ExperienceCommunity College StudentStudent IdentityAdult StudentThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

An interview study at a community college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States reveals factors in the persistence of English language learners (ELLs) starting from their courses in English as a second language (ESL) through to their graduation or transfer to 4-year institutions. The results form a narrative of a day in the life of a mature ELL woman and continue by reporting the primary reasons that ELLs either remained in or left the community college. Students talked about 3 main obstacles to remaining enrolled: full-time jobs, family obligations, and lack of finances, all of which are common factors for community college students. But particular to ELLs were their feelings of marginalization at the college because of their multilingual identities and linguistic struggles in their ESL and subject classes. The study closes with suggestions on ways for everyone at the college to assist ELLs in succeeding along their college trajectories. Community college faculty and administrators can work together to create a more welcoming atmosphere for ELLs with an emphasis on imparting the curriculum and college procedures that ELLs need to know in order to complete their college goals.