Community College Faculty, Overlooked and Undervalued


Book Description

Public community colleges in the United States enroll approximately 6 million students, about 45 percent of all undergraduates. These students are taught by nearly four hundred thousand full- and part-time faculty members, about whom little is known. The community college professoriate is truly overlooked in the research on postsecondary faculty. When community college faculty are studied, they are often examined through lenses more appropriate for four-year faculty. This volume provides a broad overview of community college faculty: who they are, what they do, and what factors affect their career and work. The authors also analyze community college teaching as a profession in an effort to take a fresh look at community college faculty and their work. The goal is to make all readers come to view community college faculty members as colleague making a distinct contribution to their students and to faculty work. Such an understanding is critical in the current policy environment that values postsecondary education for everyone and sees the community college as a major venue for providing that education. This is the 6th issue of the 32nd volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.




Assessing Job Satisfaction Among Alabama's Community College Faculty


Book Description

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between selected demographic and educational variables of faculty members employed in the Alabama Community College System and their impact on job satisfaction. The variables included in the study are the demographic variables of age, gender, ethnicity, salary, and degree status, along with the institutional variables of academic ability of students, advancement in technology, faculty workload, tenure, co-worker relationship, administrative governance and support, and professional growth opportunities. This study was conducted to educate college administrators regarding faculty morale and to provide a means of communication between administrators and faculty to address faculty concerns, thus leading to a more stable learning environment for students. A survey research design was used to collect and analyze the data from faculty members at 10 community colleges within the state of Alabama. An instrument designed by the researcher entitled the Howton Community College Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey was used to collect the data using SurveyGizmo.com. The instrument was validated by a panel of experts and a pilot study determined the reliability coefficient to be .786. The data were analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics, factoral analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings of the study indicated a four scale structure for the created instrument which consisted of the following components: 1) administrative support and its affect on the personal life of faculty members; 2) obtaining tenure and the evaluation process; 3) technology in the classroom and training through professional development activities; and 4) relationship among colleagues. Results from ANOVA show that there were no between or within group differences among mean scores with regard to age, sex, ethnicity, salary, tenure status, or degree status. Examining measures of central tendencies revealed that over 20% of faculty members responded negatively with regard to satisfaction in the areas of academic ability of students, administrative support, professional development opportunities, and advancements in technology. However, 87% of faculty members responded favorably regarding their overall job satisfaction.










Salary, Promotion, and Tenure Status of Minority and Women Faculty in U.S. Colleges and Universities


Book Description

This report, using data from the 1992-93 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, examines differences among postsecondary faculty by gender and by race/ethnicity. Comparisons were made on several human capital variables (education/experience) and structural variables (academic discipline/institution type), as well as for faculty outcomes (salary/tenure/rank). A multivariate analysis of factors associated with salary was also conducted. The study found differences between male and female faculty members in salary and rank, with female full-time faculty averaging lower salaries than males. Age, education, and experience also differed by gender, with female full-time faculty having lower educational levels and less experience than male faculty. Differences among racial/ethnic groups were also noted: white faculty generally had higher salaries and were more likely to be tenured and to be full professors than black faculty; and Black, non-Hispanic full-time faculty were less likely than white, non-Hispanic faculty to have higher salaries, tenure, and full professorships. Sections include an introduction, which notes prior research on the determinants of faculty salary, tenure, and rank, and methodology; sections examining representation of faculty by gender and by race/ethnicity; a section on the multivariate analysis; and a conclusion. Appended are technical notes, standard error tables, and additional data. (Contains 44 references.) (CH)










The Relationship Between Stress Levels and Job Satisfaction Among Community College Faculty in East Tennessee


Book Description

Data pertaining to stress and job satisfaction of faculty at five Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges in east Tennessee were collected and analyzed in this study. Questionnaires were distributed to all full-time faculty at the colleges, with 51.3% returned. Questionnaires consisted of a socio-demographic survey, the Faculty Stress Index (FSI) to measure stress levels, and the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) to measure job satisfaction. Of those responding, 92.4% were white, 76.5% were married, 61.2% were female, 58.9% were tenured, and 81.3% were 40 or older, with 52.2% over 50. Only 1.9% were 30 or younger, but 51.1% had been in their current positions for six years or less. A total of 72.4% were assistant (22.9%) or associate (49.5%) professors, with 19.2% ranking as instructors and 8.4% as professors. Previous factor analysis of FSI items determined the dimensions Reward/Recognition, Time Constraints, Departmental Influence, and Student Interaction. In this study, faculty FSI scores implied low stress levels in Reward/Recognition and Departmental Influence, with moderate levels in Time Constraints and Student Interaction. Those in position for less than three years, non-whites, and non-tenured faculty reported significantly less stress in Student Interaction. Tenured faculty and associate professors were significantly more pressured by Time Constraints than non-tenured or other-ranked faculty. The JDI consisted of six sub-scales: Work on Job, Pay, Opportunities for Promotion, Supervision, People on Job, and Job in General. Respondents indicated high satisfaction in Work, Supervision, People, and Job in General but showed dissatisfaction with Pay. Negative feelings were measured in Opportunities for Promotion, with significantly less satisfaction for older, more experienced, tenured faculty, and associate professors. Non- tenured faculty members were significantly more satisfied in Work and Supervision than were tenured respondents. Correlation analysis showed significant inverse relationships among all FSI dimensions and JDI sub-scales. In hierarchical multiple regression analyses, FSI dimensions were significant predictors of satisfaction in all JDI sub-scales, whereas the socio-demographic variables were significant predictors only for Opportunities for Promotion. Recommended were longitudinal studies of stress and satisfaction among specific groups and/or colleges. Encouraged were stress management programs and improved systems of reward and recognition for faculty.