Part-Time Faculty Focus Groups
(Spring 2022)
Population = 1,250
Received email from the SSRC to gauge interest and availability on scheduled dates/times.
Sample = 210
Indicated interest and availability on one of three scheduled dates/times.
Sample = 37
Part-time faculty recruited based on five key characteristics
Sample Description
Population | Sample | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | |||
Female | 654 | 52.3 | 20 | 54.1 | |||
Male | 586 | 46.9 | 16 | 43.2 | |||
Non-Binary | 10 | 0.8 | 1 | 2.7 | |||
Ethnicity/Race | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | |||
White | 708 | 56.1 | 12 | 32.4 | |||
Asian | 231 | 18.5 | 7 | 18.9 | |||
Black/African American | 41 | 3.3 | 5 | 13.5 | |||
Hispanic/Latinx | 188 | 15 | 12 | 32.4 | |||
American Indian/Native American | 3 | 0.2 | 1 | 2.7 | |||
Two or more ethnicities/races | 19 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | |||
Not Specified | 67 | 5.4 | 0 | 0 | |||
College | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | |||
Arts | 139 | 11.1 | 4 | 10.8 | |||
Business and Economics | 208 | 16.6 | 5 | 13.5 | |||
Communications | 80 | 6.4 | 6 | 16.2 | |||
Education | 117 | 9.4 | 4 | 10.8 | |||
Engineering and Computer Science | 70 | 5.6 | 2 | 5.4 | |||
Health and Human Development | 219 | 17.4 | 5 | 13.5 | |||
Humanities and Social Sciences | 298 | 23.8 | 7 | 18.9 | |||
Natural Sciences and Mathematics | 111 | 8.9 | 4 | 10.8 | |||
Student Success | 9 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | |||
Three-Year Contract | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | |||
Yes | 599 | 47.9 | 19 | 51.4 | |||
No | 651 | 52.1 | 18 | 48.6 | |||
Six Units or More | Count | Percentage | Count | Percentage | |||
Yes | 737 | 59 | 19 | 51.4 | |||
No | 513 | 41 | 18 | 48.6 |
Procedures
Four focus groups during May 3-June 2, 2022
Semi-structured discussion guide
- developed by the SSRC
- input by the Academic Senators, CFA Representatives
Zoom meetings audio-recorded and transcribed
Thematic analysis using a manual process
Summary of Findings
Faculty are more satisfied when...
- Having mentors in the department and university
- Engagement in campus activities through various roles
- Clear expectation ("knowing what to expect")
- Having autonomy over the course content
- Access to benefits, i.e. teaching more classes, which led to receiving health insurance
The FDC is a source of valuable and tangible institutional support
Quotes
"I have had a very supportive mentor and mentors in my ten years working as a part-time lecturer. Although I do wonder what the experience would be like if I had not had such involved mentors because I have recognized over time that there has been difficulty accessing information or even understanding information that would go out to all faculty that did not necessarily apply to lectures and not really knowing what to do in those cases…" (1: 4-5)
Challenges...
- Lack of (equitable) resources for Part-Time Faculty
- Lack of connection with Departments
- Department chair is one of the principal ways that P/T faculty experience their jobs
- Inadequate advance notice of course assignment
- Overall, participants want to teach more classes
- Compensation is inadequate
- A sense of disposable nature of their job
- Faculty do not feel they are being evaluated in a way that transforms educational experience for students
Quotes
“I’ve been doing this for 12 years and I still feel disposable ... Part-time people are kind of treated like stepchildren. It’s like fill that class, do your job, don’t ask any questions, don’t bother us, we’re the important people over here, … And then you might ask, well, why do you keep doing this for 12 years? It’s because of the connection with the students. That’s what keeps me going.” (1:5)
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SUMMARY REPORT
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FULL REPORT
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