Attend this session to learn about the results and implications of a recent dissertation study focused on the practices of 17 higher education administrators who intentionally foster a sense of community among online adjunct faculty. The findings provide a framework for creating an inclusive working environment for online adjunct faculty.
Topic Justification (Dissertation Abstract):
Higher education institutions are increasingly turning to adjunct faculty to teach online courses to accommodate online course enrollment growth. While many adjunct faculty are attracted to the flexibility of online teaching, they also face several challenges, such as feelings of isolation and disengagement, negative stereotypes, and lack of professional development opportunities. These challenges can be detrimental to their instructional performance and, therefore, the student learning experience. Thus, fully integrating online adjunct faculty into an institution’s community and creating an environment in which they feel supported is critical to the success of an institution’s online programs.
Research suggests that higher education administrators are responsible for fostering a sense of community among online adjunct faculty, yet their approaches to fulfilling this responsibility remain largely unknown. As such, the purpose of this dissertation study was to learn more about the strategies higher education administrators use to cultivate community among online adjunct faculty. Data were generated and analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach to understand the practices, influences, and challenges of 17 higher education administrators from different four-year public and private institutions who reported fostering a sense of community among online adjunct faculty.
Results indicated that the participants fostered a sense of community through intentional inclusion, operationalized by four interconnected processes: socialization, communication, participation, and recognition. Multiple contextual factors and challenges influenced participants’ community-building practices. The findings from this study provide a framework for creating inclusive working environments for online adjunct faculty and recommendations for further research to explore their nature and efficacy.
Session Outline:
During the first 30-35 minutes of the session, the researcher will provide an overview of the dissertation study described above, including:- a brief review of relevant literature to frame the focus of the study,
- the research design and methods,
- the key research findings,
- a discussion of the key findings,
- implications for educational leaders, and
- recommendations for future research.
The majority of the presentation will focus on the research findings and implications. Participants will learn about four key processes and related practices for fostering a sense of community among online adjunct faculty through intentional inclusion.
As the researcher presents, participants will be able to ask questions through a backchannel created by the researcher. The researcher will address questions during and following the presentation.
The last 10-15 minutes of the session will be open for Q&A. At the end of the session, participants will be asked to reflect on the following question: What is one thing you could implement in the next 1-3 months at your institution to foster a sense of community among online adjunct faculty?
Participants will be encouraged to share their ideas through social media using the hashtags: #OLCInnovate #engageonlineadjuncts