CORRECTIONAL POST‐SECONDARY EDUCATION: THE EXPANDING ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES

More than 75 percent of post‐secondary institutions offering education programs in prisons are community and vocational/ technical colleges. The predominance of community colleges among correctional education providers is a major change from the early 1970's when two‐thirds of such programs were provided by four‐year institutions.

Over 260 community colleges provide programs and services to the 26,000 inmates participating in higher education. Results of a survey on correctional post‐secondary education indicate that these programs are in many ways different from those educational institutions provide on their own campuses. For example, they generally, have different admission standards, are administered by part‐time staff, and rely upon part‐time and adjunct faculty.

Community and junior college administrators are urged to closely examine the operation and quality of their correctional programs and the need for evaluative research on the long‐term effects of these programs is also stressed.     

Adjunct mentoring,a vital responsibility in a changing educational climate: the Lesley University Adjunct Mentoring Program

Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, has established an adjunct mentoring process in response to its growing number of adjunct faculty. Lesley’s adjunct corps serves in Lesley programs offered both on and off campus. The primary goals of the mentoring program are to support excellence in teaching, and to engage in mentoring that begins at hiring and provides continued professional development to the adjunct faculty member. This article underscores the general need for adjunct mentoring in postsecondary institutions, and describes Lesley University’s Adjunct Mentoring Program – developed specifically in anticipation and response to this need. The article outlines the program’s main elements, the principles that underlie it, and the place of such a program in higher education today. It is precisely because part‐time faculty members in postsecondary institutions often assume a number of roles – teacher assistant, annually hired adjunct, internship supervisor – that adjunct mentoring programs are a responsibility, and not a choice.     

A RESPONSE TO UNCERTAINTY: THE INCREASED UTILIZATION OF PART‐TIME INSTRUCTORS IN AMERICAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Financial uncertainty and projections of changing enrollment patterns of students are forcing community colleges into positions of maximum flexibility. As a result, they continue a trend of increased reliance on part‐time instructors to deliver their services. This trend is noted by full‐time faculty as cause for alarm. Allegations of poorer quality instruction provided by part‐time instructors cannot be documented. However, it is clear that part‐time employee practices in the areas of selection, orientation, evaluation, and development need dramatic improvement. Implications of this research point to the need for college administrators to reexamine management procedures with regard to part‐time faculty.     

The Scholar Must also Teach

Classroom incivility is a major concern in higher education today. Yet little study has been done of student perceptions of behavior in the classroom. Based on a survey of 3,616 students at a Midwestern public university, the present study provides useful information to faculty members and administrators about the behaviors students find most uncivil and how frequently they are experiencing these behaviors. In general, it appears that students are experiencing a fair amount of at least moderately uncivil behavior in their classes. These results have implications for how faculty and administrators develop policies designed to guide students toward appropriate behavior.     

DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION OF A FACULTY TIME ANALYSIS SYSTEM ‐AN AID TO ACCOUNTABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

This article describes the development and utility of a time analysis system for higher education faculty members interested in self‐evaluation. Although many higher education institutions employ various student, peer, and administrative evaluations, an analysis of the types of services performed by faculty staff and the amounts of time allotted to these services can provide very useful information to a faculty person interested in self‐evaluation. A model is described herein and an example is provided.     

本科教学工作水平评估对高校教学工作影响的调查研究

对上海水产大学和上海师范大学教学科研人员和教学管理人员进行的问卷调查表明,本科教学工作水平评估对教学工作的影响是积极的,建立评估制度是保障高等教育质量的有效措施。调查揭示了评估对教学工作影响的一些特点:教学管理人员对评估影响的肯定程度高于教学科研人员;评估对教师教学和教学管理的影响大于对学生学习的影响;评估对教学工作的外在影响强于内在影响;评估对教学工作的影响随时间推移会逐渐减弱。     

Butterfly under a pin: Exploring the voices and stories told of faculty who adopt ICT’s for teaching and learning practices

The purpose of this preliminary study was to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of faculty who adopt ICT in a higher education setting for teaching and learning purposes. Respondents represented a wide range of academic positions. The analysis of data identified organizational support, adequate and quality resources, faculty development, and administration, leadership, and change as emerging themes affecting the faculty ability to adopt information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning purposes. Evidence from this study offers insight into how higher education administrators may support their faculty to implement appropriate ICT tools and strategies to improve teaching and learning practices.     

Perceptions of Community College Adjunct Faculty and Division Chairpersons: Support,Mentoring, and Professional Development to Sustain Academic Quality

The fabric of higher education has changed dramatically in recent years with a sudden increase in the presence of part-time, nontenured faculty. Adjunct faculty have a significant presence in higher education institutions and need opportunities available to them so they feel like an important part of academic culture and are prepared to teach. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the similarities and differences in perceptions between three division chairpersons and 15 adjunct faculty members from three separate departments regarding teaching support, mentoring, and professional development opportunities at one community college. It was found that chairs and mentors appeared to be the most valuable individuals in supporting, acclimating, and retaining adjunct faculty according to the participants in this study. Without the roles chairs and mentors assumed, adjunct faculty could flounder and teaching quality could be hindered.     

Integration of computers and related technologies into deaf education teacher preparation programs

The study examined how computer technology is used, modeled, and taught in programs that prepare future teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Data were collected through two self-reported survey instruments sent to participants from two different groups: (a) deaf education faculty (n = 233) and (b) administrators of programs serving students who are deaf or hard of hearing (n = 100). Among the faculty who responded to the survey, 99% said they used computers and printers for instruction during class, 84% said they used VCRs for instruction during class, and 56% said they used video cameras for instruction during class. The information that was reported on how technology was being used for instruction and how its use was being taught to students in deaf education teacher preparation programs indicates that the need persists for integration of technology into these programs. A need likewise continues for improved instructional strategies relative to computers and technology.     

INSTITUTIONAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE PREPARATION OF COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS

This article looks at the relative usefulness of 12 selected factors in the preparation of college administrators as seen by practicing administrators and faculty in comprehensive community colleges, four‐year liberal arts colleges, and universities.

Three hundred randomly selected faculty and administrators in the state of Iowa were sent survey questionnaires. The returned surveys and research data were then analyzed in order to answer the research question.

The findings suggested that graduates from programs in higher education administration may be more accepted in community colleges than in liberal arts colleges or universities. The findings also showed that university personnel perceived the major research experience as being significantly more useful than the other personnel. Nonclassroom experiences were thought to be the most useful by all personnel, with faculty experience in higher education perceived to be the most useful. This study also showed that both administrators and faculty perceived majoring in higher education administration to be less useful than any of the other 11 preparation variables.

One of the recommendations of this study is that students, graduates, and professors in higher education administration programs attempt to educate the participants in higher education and the public on the strengths and uses of their programs. It was also recommended that further research is needed in the area of administrative task analysis at the different types of institutions.     

STAFF DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND PRACTICES IN U.S. COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The staff development goals and activities of United States community colleges were studied. A total of 1,315 questionnaires were mailed to community college academic deans in the spring of 1979. Of the 687 colleges responding, 413 indicated that their college had an organized staff development program or set of activities, and another 241 colleges indicated no such program at this time.

The results showed that the most frequently mentioned staff development goals of the 31 goals studied related to the improvement of the full‐time teaching faculty as opposed to part‐time faculty and other academic and non‐academic support personnel. Second, the most highly rated and used practices were travel and grants programs for faculty. Some of the least effective of 48 practices investigated were programs for the “faculty evaluation of college administrators” and “lighter than normal teaching loads for first‐year faculty.”

It is recommended that colleges offer a variety of staff development programs for each of their staff development groups and that research be conducted to determine participant perceptions of the usefulness of various staff development practices.     

Student faculty evaluation (SFE) at Jordanian universities: a student perspective

This study is the first to address student evaluation of faculty members (SFE) from a student perspective at a major Jordanian public university using a comprehensive (71-item) questionnaire administered to 620 undergraduates. Addressed are students’ perceptions of the SFE process in terms of: (a) their paper-based vs. online-format preferences; (b) their beliefs about the process; (c) the standards they adopt in the evaluation; (d) the fruitfulness of SFE outcomes; and (e) their opinions about the evaluation instruments currently used at their institutions. It also explores whether students’ beliefs vary according to their gender, GPA and college (Educational Sciences vs. Sciences). The results reveal that most students prefer online evaluation, adopt academic rather than interpersonal criteria in their evaluation, have a low level of satisfaction with the impact of previous evaluations on faculty teaching behaviours and the evaluation instruments used at their institution. Additionally, the findings suggest that gender has a less influential role in shaping students’ beliefs about the SFE process compared to their college or GPA. The findings of this study and their implications are very useful pointers for faculty and higher education administrators, faculty members and students towards further improvement at higher education institutions.     

Implementing transfer and articulation: A case study of community colleges and state universities

This study examined the cultural aspects of a transfer articulation policy between public community colleges and state universities enacted by a newly consolidated state governing board for higher education in a northeastern state. A qualitative multisite case study design explored how key stakeholders, faculty, administrators and staff viewed the transfer policy from their unique perspectives. Tierney’s (2008) cultural analysis of governance was used to examine the effectiveness of communication and decision-making on the part of the board. The study also applied Handel’s (2011) theory of a transfer affirming culture along with Jain, Herrera, Bernal, and Solorzano’s (2011) research on the requisite services for pretransfer and posttransfer success of nontraditional students. The use of several theoretical frameworks provides “a more powerful lens than when using only one in helping to interpret and understand culture” (Kezar &; Eckel, 2002, p. 440). The study was guided by the following question: How do community college and state university faculty, administrators and staff perceive the Transfer Mobility Policy in relation to their campus cultures? The findings identified difficulties with community college curricula and student transfer advising as well as a cultural gap between the community colleges and the state university. They underscored the politics that surrounds higher education governance reform and resultant clash between political and academic cultures. This study may help policy makers promote statewide transfer and articulation initiatives and be instructive for faculty, administrators, and staff as they seek to improve the success of students who transfer from community colleges to four-year colleges and universities.     

Group work experiences: Domestic MBA student experiences and outcomes when working with international students

This article forms part of an exploration into the results of a single-case, embedded study that was conducted to explore how domestic part-time graduate business students in the United States experience group work for summative assessment. Multiple information collection methods were utilised, including open-ended and semi-structured interviews, case study documents and student journals. The aim of this larger study was to understand the unique experiential factors that contribute to a student's perceptions of positive group work outcomes within a graduate-level context. However, this article will detail only one of the more unexpected findings of this study, which involves how international students affect the perception of positive group work for domestic part-time students. Since key informants of this study included only domestic part-time MBA students, the limitations and ethical implications surrounding this finding will also be addressed. This article suggests noteworthy implications in the area of professional and organisational development for faculty and administrators in higher education with regard to the use of group work in the graduate classroom. This includes the importance of utilising existing institutional resources and structures to prepare and develop administrators, faculty and staff to make more informed decisions regarding group work within a graduate context.     

STUDENT EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTION: PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS,FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATORS

The purpose of this study was to compare the opinions of students, teachers, and administrators relative to student evaluation of instruction in selected community colleges. While important educational decisions in community colleges are made on the basis of students’ evaluations (as in retention, promotion, tenure, and pay), little has been accomplished in testing the assumptions behind student evaluation of instruction. The student evaluation process assumes that students are honest, serious, and evaluate instruction, not some incidental activity.

A 25‐item Student Evaluation Process Scale was completed by 607 students, 130 faculty, and 45 administrators in five Illinois community colleges. Findings revealed little significant differences in the opinions of students regarding evaluation of instruction based on variables of sex, age, school location, student type (transfer or occupational), and class standing. There were little significant differences in faculty opinion and within the administrative groups based on selected variables. There were significant differences when the opinions of students, faculty, and administrators were compared. Students and faculty tended to agree with those items that questioned the objectivity of student evaluation of instruction. Administrators and students tended to agree with items reflecting the seriousness with which students evaluate instruction. Faculty and administrators indicated that student evaluation of instruction impacted faculty members’ instructional performances. Neither students, faculty, nor administrators supported the concept of merit pay tied to student evaluation of instruction.

The role of student evaluation of instruction in a faculty evaluation system must be investigated. A variety of groups should participate in this investigation.     

Faculty Activities and Rewards: views from education administrators in the USA

The heads of education divisions of 245 colleges and universities in the USA were surveyed regarding their opinions about faculty activities and reward procedures. Tenure, which was viewed as having the greatest effect on faculty behavior, received significantly more attention from decision‐making bodies in the colleges, and merit pay received significantly less. Education administrators at top universities and larger universities viewed the desire for reputation as more motivating than did other education administrators. The department chairs believed that internal satisfaction was more of a motivating factor than did deans. The deans rated merit pay, contract renewal, promotion and tenure higher as motivators than did the department heads. Although evaluations of teaching were considered the most important for year‐to‐year contract renewal, article and book publication were the most important considerations in merit pay, promotion and tenure. A factor analysis grouped faculty activities into three factors: teaching, service, and publication.     

Audio‐conferencing in graduate education: A case study

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a study that examined the relationship between distance teaching and the faculty reward system. Using a qualitative approach, the study sought to understand how distance teaching is valued, rewarded, and accommodated within the institutional reward structure. Based on interviews with faculty members, distance education program administrators, and the chief academic officers at four research universities, the study describes a reward culture that is not accommodating to and rewarding of faculty work in distance education. The study finds that: 1) distance education occupies a marginal status, 2) distance teaching is neither highly valued nor well‐rewarded as scholarly activity, 3) distance teaching is not highly related to promotion and tenure decisions, and 4) rewards for distance teaching are dependent on the academic unit's commitment to distance education.     

PART‐TIME COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY: THEIR NEEDS FOR INSTRUCTION‐RELATED ASSISTANCE

An aura of controversy surrounds the proliferation of part‐time faculty members on community college campuses. The related literature provides evidence that part‐timers have fewer advanced degrees and years of teaching experience than their full‐time counterparts. Nevertheless, the increasing trend toward their employment shows no sign of slowing. As part‐timers comprise a growing proportion of community college faculties, and as they are recruited from nonacademic sources, opportunities should be provided for them to hone their pedagogical skills. The findings of a study undertaken at Arizona State University's Department of Higher and Adult Education reveal part‐timers’ needs for assistance and information in instruction‐related areas such as evaluation, handling paperwork, teaching community college students and community college philosophy. An instructional resource manual developed for part‐time faculty was perceived to be a viable method of providing assistance to part‐timers.     

Assessing student exposure to and use of computer technologies through an examination of course syllabi

A syllabus analysis instrument was developed to assist program evaluators, administrators and faculty in the identification of skills that students use as they complete their college coursework. While this instrument can be tailored for use with a variety of learning domains, we used it to assess students' use of and exposure to computer technology skills. The reliability and validity of the instrument was examined through an analysis of 88 syllabi from courses within the teacher education program and the core curriculum at a private Midwest US university. Results indicate that the instrument has good inter‐rater reliability and ratings by and interviews with faculty and students provide evidence of construct validity. The use and limitations of the instrument in educational program evaluation are discussed.     

Faculty and online education as a mechanism of power

This study uses a critical perspective to examine how online education is used in brick-and-mortar institutions as a mechanism through which power is exercised by and against professors who teach online. Based on a larger study of 25 professors and administrators at four institutions, this work focuses on the experiences of 12 professors. Foucault’s conceptualization of power framed our interpretation of interviews conducted with these professors. Our findings suggest online education enhanced faculty autonomy and visibility, but that it was also used to control faculty members, and for some professors, it was used to alter their professional identities.