THE TEACHING THEORIES OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of students who felt they were weak in an academic skill and who took a college assistance program designed to correct that deficiency and to identify the reasons given by students weak in an academic skill for not using a college support service from which they could benefit. Analyses of survey data obtained from 268 instructors and 6,428 of their students enrolled in a cross section of courses in a large multicampus urban community college district showed the following: (1) of those students who did not feel confident in a skill, less than 30% took advantage of a support program designed to assist them in that skill; (2) more than 40% of the faculty felt that the primary reason students did not take advantage of a needed support service was that they were not willing to devote the extra time or effort required to avail themselves of the service; and (3) the main reasons most academically underprepared students gave for not using a support service were that they did not feel a need for the service or had no time for the service. Implications of these findings for educational policy are discussed.     

TEACHING COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS ON THE INTERNET

This article details the experiences of a university professor and former community college president in teaching World Wide Web based graduate courses to faculty members from Florida's community colleges. These courses have provided faculty members from various parts of the state access to advanced educational opportunities. Courses have been particularly relevant to the day-to-day activities of full-time and adjunct teaching faculty members. For those who might be interested in converting traditional courses for Web-based delivery, tips are included on designing course materials and using technical experts. Emphasis is placed on the needs of the learner to maximize the benefits of this type of distance education. The 12 canons for distance learners, which served as guideposts, as community college faculty member-students progressed through the courses are included. Discussion of various course material components provides insight into the need for thoroughness in overall course design. Course evaluation results, which highlight the appreciation of community college faculty member-students for the way in which the courses were conducted, are included. For example, convenience and exibility were ranked highly as positive reasons for taking Web-based courses. Problem areas are also identified. Teaching graduate courses on the Internet to community college personnel has become an important endeavor in Florida. The University of Central Florida has made a commitment to expand the number and types of courses offered in this manner to address the needs of all students. These courses are particularly important to community college faculty members and administrators who may be precluded from taking relevant graduate courses because of geographical or time limitations. Hence, through the magic of the Internet, courses are available at their fingertips.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY JOB SATISFACTION

This paper presents the findings of a 1983 survey of 131 faculty in four postsecondary institutions in a state in the southeastern U.S.A. The purpose of the study was to elicit faculty judgments about their self‐concepts and commitment, stresses, and satisfactions in work and family life. This report presents data only about the respondents and their work: their job and its stressors and job satisfactions and dissatisfaction.

The study revealed that faculty derive high satisfaction from student achievement, their own intellectual growth in a discipline and the world of ideas, working under flexible and relatively autonomous conditions, and association with stimulating peers. Their chief dissatisfactions dealt with job conditions (equipment and facilities, inflexible teaching schedules), personal conditions (lack of recognition, heavy teaching load), salary, red tape, and student and colleague apathy.

A secondary purpose of the study was to test Herzberg's two‐factor theory of job satisfaction. These respondents did verify Herzberg's thesis: generally workers derive satisfaction from the work itself; they are dissatisfied by factors external to their work.     

WOMEN FACULTY: SATISFACTION WITH EMPLOYMENT IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

To ascertain the satisfaction of women full‐time community college faculty with their employment in the community college, an open‐ended questionnaire was sent to over 100 women faculty in the Chicago City Colleges. Although the low response rate precludes much generalizability, the responses indicate that most women in the study found employment in the community college to be ideal for them. The employment enabled them to find professional fulfillment without the pressure to publish and with sufficient time for family responsibilities. Reservations about how “ideal” employment in the community college is for women stemmed from concerns about the institution's negative image. University researchers who decry teaching in the community college as marginalization of women as faculty are diminishing the achievements of the many women who find teaching in the community college to be ideal employment.     

COMMUNITY SERVICES: COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND PARTICIPATION

This study determined full‐time faculty members’ perceptions of and involvement in community services at community colleges in Ohio. A total of 249 full‐time faculty responded to the survey instrument representing 83.0% of the total sample. Data were analyzed by either the t test or the one‐way analysis of variance and Scheffe's post hoc analysis.

Results showed that involvement in planning and teaching within community services seem to be a key factor relative to how full‐time faculty perceive community services activities. Moreover, certain personal and professional characteristics of full‐time faculty members seem to influence their attitudes toward and their involvement in community services.     

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM

In a time of declining resources and restricted faculty mobility, faculty mobility, faculty development has become increasingly important. This study addressed faculty development activities, their evaluation, and their perceived impact on the improvement of instruction in the community colleges of Illinois. Data gathered through the use of a questionnaire mailed to the chief academic officer of each of the state's community colleges were analyzed and interpreted. It was found that a wide variety of activities — orientation, inservice, professional, individual, and group — are available to faculty members. Orientation activities were viewed as being moderately useful for the improvement of instruction. Respondents saw professional activities as somewhat more useful than inservice activities. With some qualifications, group activities were perceived as being more useful than individual activities. Evaluation efforts, for the most part, are as yet sporadic and unsophisticated.

The results of this study suggest that perhaps the traditional inservice‐type activities may not be the “one best way” to deliver quality faculty development aimed at the improvement of instruction. Faculty‐development planners may want to examine more closely the needs of their faculty in relation to the activities available. In addition to continuing the most useful of the group and inservice activities, attention should be directed toward those individual and professional activities not frequently offered but rated as highly effective in improving instruction.     

JOB SATISFACTION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

Community college faculty (_n = 390) completed the Job Satisfaction Inventory. Areas of greatest satisfaction included relationships with supervisors and colleagues as well as satisfaction with the actual task of teaching. Faculty were least satisfied with opportunities for professional development, time allocation, and somewhat less satisfied with the preparation and motivation of their students. Differences between men and women faculty are noted.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY INVOLVEMENT IN INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE

The current study provided an investigation of 110 faculty who were very involved, moderately involved, and not involved in governance activities in community colleges. No differences were found between the three groups on characteristics of an ideal governance process or the roles faculty have in shared governance. Differences were found in responses to general perceptions toward faculty involvement in governance.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT: BRINGING TECHNOLOGY INTO INSTRUCTION

Community college faculty development programs assist faculty in the development of quality curricula, using current and expanding teaching technologies. The first step in helping faculty reach their respective goals is to help them articulate their instructional needs. Eighteen faculty members participated in this study, using a personal in-depth interview as the research method. Several implications for community college faculty and administration resulted from this study including: the need to emphasize information literacy, the faculty as lecturers who want to use technology as a means of enhancing that lecture, the need for more time to accomplish their instructional ideas, the need for help to incorporate technology in the classroom themselves, and the desire for training classes that fit their time schedules and location.     

PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY ABOUT THE NEED FOR GERONTOLOGY TRAINING

America is aging, and quickly. Among the educational institutions that could address this critical issue, none are better suited than community colleges. Community colleges not only educate students but also respond to the emerging needs of the communities they serve. Previous studies have shown that few community colleges have developed an agenda for addressing the impact of aging on our society and that faculty and administrators may not be aware of the potential for expanding aging‐related programs. This study reports the responses of 703 community college faculty representing a broad variety of disciplines and educational backgrounds. As expected, the majority of faculty had little previous training in aging, included no aging content in existing courses, and were uncertain as to whether to include aging content in other courses that they taught. This uncertainty, however, must be tempered by the fact that 61% of the responding faculty were interested in attending a basic training program in aging. Such community college faculty interest and participation could enhance the introduction of aging materials into existing curricula and expand their other educational activities that would ultimately benefit older persons in the community.     

PERSPECTIVES ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP: TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING

Findings from a national study of community college administrative careers, examining issues of position, gender, and race / ethnicity are reported. Career path data also are compared with an earlier national study, showing that paths to the presidency have changed since 1985. Implications for recruitment into senior positions and leadership diversity are discussed.     

ORIENTATION PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONS FOR NEW COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

The roles and expectations of community college faculty members have grown more complex as their institutions change to meet the needs of their respective communities. Whereas faculty development programs have assisted in the creation of programs and strategies to help faculty cope with change, the initial orientation of faculty to their college proves to be vital to their performance, success, and length of tenure. This study was designed to supply an understanding of community college faculty perceptions of the objectives for faculty orientation programs, using a revision of the Council for the Advancement of Standards student orientation program objectives. The primary rationale for faculty orientation was found to be the assistance of new faculty in understanding the mission of their specific institution. General responses indicated high expectations for faculty orientation programs, and responses also indicated that programs were not intended to serve as retention activities.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY OPINIONS OF TECH PREP

According to D. Hull and D. Parnell (1991), technical preparation, commonly referred to as Tech Prep, is essentially an innovative approach to vocational education. It is designed to integrate academic subjects (i.e., mathematics and science) with vocational-technical education subjects (i.e., engineering technology, applied science) and mechanical, industrial, or vocational subjects (i.e., agriculture, health, and business). This study focused on community college presidents' knowledge of attitudes toward Tech Prep in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). Four research questions were addressed in the research that are essential to the success of Tech Prep initiatives in the NCCCS. These questions were (1) to what extent are the 58 community colleges in North Carolina actively engaged in Tech Prep programs?; (2) how many of the colleges have been actively involved in Tech Prep programs for four or more years?; (3) to what extent do senior administrators, faculty, and administrative support staff differ in their opinions of Tech Prep programs in their respective colleges?; and (4) what are the differences in opinions of Tech Prep among community college presidents, faculty, and administrative support staff on issues such as recruiting better-prepared students, retention, and graduation rates?     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY GOVERNANCE LEADERS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY

Faculty governance units are widely used in community colleges to provide a sounding board for policy formation and decision making. Typically based on a representative democracy, these units must be both responsive to peer faculty members as well as the college's central administration. As a result of being structurally in the middle of the decision-making process, effective communication is paramount to faculty governance unit leader success. This study profiles individuals in the faculty governance leadership position, including their written and oral communication apprehension levels, and the relationship of this apprehension to job-related stressors.     

DEMOGRAPHIC AND JOB SATISFACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

The demographic and job satisfaction characteristics of Florida community college faculty were studied in Florida's 28 community colleges. A total of 1,116 faculty responded in the fall of 1977 to an instrument developed to measure faculty characteristics and attitudes.

The results showed that the Florida faculty is a satisfied faculty with over 95% reporting that they were satisfied with community college work as a career and with 72% stating that they plan to stay in the community college field until they retire. Second, it was found that faculty participation in in‐service training programs had increased significantly since 1968. In 1977‐1978, 69% of the faculty reported participation in one or more in‐service programs while the 1968 percentage was 37%.

It is concluded that periodic surveys in other community colleges and states similar to this one should provide useful information for the further development and improvement of community colleges.     

TURNOVER INTENT IN AN URBAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE: STRATEGIES FOR FACULTY RETENTION

High rates of faculty turnover can be costly to the reputation of an institution and to the quality of instruction. Community colleges may expect high rates of faculty turnover as an aging workforce retires. Other sources of attrition, however, can be attributed to organizational characteristics and the structural properties of faculty work. This study examined non-retirement turnover intent in an urban community college. Specifically, the study utilized an expectancy theory framework to explore the relationship between turnover intent and faculty perceptions of autonomy, organizational support for innovation, and collegial communication. The study population included all full-time faculty members employed by an urban community college in the southeastern U.S. Survey responses from 66% (N = 149) of the invited population revealed that organizational support for innovation had the strongest effect on turnover intent. Faculty who reported higher levels of support for innovation were less likely to indicate intentions to leave. Findings suggest that community colleges can target innovation and organizational change as vehicles for enhancing faculty retention rates. Change initiatives related to curriculum, governance, and faculty development can be designed in ways that facilitate faculty commitment to the institution.     

BURNOUT AND HUMOR USAGE AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING FACULTY MEMBERS

This study assessed the correlation of burnout among community college nursing faculty members and their use of humor to mediate academic stress related to burnout. Sixty-three community college nursing faculty members were studied using an academic profile survey, the Coping Humor Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Forty percent of community college nursing faculty members surveyed reported high to moderate levels of emotional exhaustion, with 73 % experiencing low feelings of personal accomplishment. Differences in burnout between high versus low humor usage respondents showed a higher sense of personal accomplishment with high humor usage. Of those with low humor usage, workload was related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.     

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.