Recruiting and Retaining New Generations of Community College Faculty

1. Recruiting and Retaining New Generations of Community College Faculty Presented by Terry Stewart Mouchayleh, Ph.D. Director of Professional Development & Evaluation Programs at Austin Community College District

2. The Problem • A 1999 survey reported that 32% of the nation’s full-time faculty were 55 or older, compared with 24% in 1989. (Fleck, 200 • A 1996 Faculty Retirement Survey showed that in 1977, the median age of faculty at four-year institutions was 40; by 1996, it was 48 (Fleck, 2001) • In 1999, 41% of community college faculty were between 45 and 54 years old; 27% were between 55 and 64 years old (Shults, 2001).

3. Average age of California community college faculty is 50.8 (FACCEI, 2008) • Average age of Texas community college nursing faculty is 52 (Yoho, 2006) • Only 3% of all higher ed faculty are aged 34 or younger (DOE, 2003-2004) • Average age of higher ed faculty is 50, with about a third 55 or older (AASCU, 2006)

4. Austin Community College Age Breakdown Of 526 full-time faculty • 3.8% are aged 25-30 • 5.7% are aged 31-35 • 34.2% are aged 36-50 • 48.5% are aged 51-64 • 7.8% are 65 and over

5. The Problem Cont’d • Continued enrollment increases in Texas: THECB’s Closing the Gap initiative Goal #1 is adding 500,000 more college students by 2015 (THECB) • Between 2000 and 2006, two-year college enrollment increased by 16%; four-year increased by 20% (IES, 2008) • 11.5 million students were enrolled in either a two- or four-year college in October 2008 • In October 2007, 3.1 million young adults in two-year schools; October 2008, 3.4 million (Pew Research, 2009)

6. Implications • Inevitable increase in faculty retirements • Expected increase in student enrollments • A need to hire replacements for faculty retiring • A need to hire more faculty to address increase in number of students

7. An Important Question Who are the future faculty in the “hiring pool”?

8. Definitions • Veterans: Also called the Silent Generation, Traditionalists and Seniors, these individuals were born between 1922 and 1943. • Baby Boomers: Born between 1943 and 1960, the generation is also referred to as the Me Generation, and the Sandwich Generation. • Generation X: This group of individuals was born between1960 and 1980 and is sometimes called the Baby Bust Generation. • Millennials:Also referred to as the Echos, the Nexters, and Generation Y, these individuals were born between 1980 and 2000.

9. Generational Employment Characteristics • Veterans characterized by loyalty to employer, hard work, dependability, personal touch approach, obedience over individualism • Baby Boomers characterized by belief in paying dues, sense of duty, belief in sacrifice for success, loyalty to employer • Generation X characterized by technology skills, entrepreneurial spirit, mobility and flexibility at work, interest in professional interests over employer interests, lack of loyalty, want balance of work and home life, need immediate feedback • Millennial characterized by technology skills, expectation of diversity, expectation of rapid results, desire flexible schedules, want balance of work and home life, need for independence in decision-making, need for immediate feedback, desire for challenge and growth

10. Questions • Are there differences between the professional values and motivations of future full-time faculty as compared with those of current faculty? • If there are differences, what methods will need to be used to recruit and retain future faculty?

11. Overview of Research Mixed Methods Approach • Focus groups • Interviews • Two Online surveys

12. Interview Questions for Future Faculty • In what year were you born? • When you begin your search for faculty position, what employment aspects will be important to you? • What will be important for the institution to do for you to stay in the position for an extended period of time? • What would make you decide you needed to look for another institution? • How long do you envision yourself staying at the first position you accept? • How many different teaching positions at different institutions do you think you will have in your career?

13. Interesting Aspects • Interviews mostly done on cell phones • Knew what would make them leave but not what would make them stay • Often had to be aided in their responses • Salary • Technology

14. Q: When you begin your search for a faculty position, what employment aspects will be important to you? • Location • Reputation of the institution • Diversity of colleagues, opportunity to work with “people like me.” • Support for research • Opportunity for professional growth

15. Q:What will be important for the institution to do for you to stay? • Opportunity for tenure • Opportunity for research • Being happy there • Not sure because of getting bored easily • Want to have time off to raise family and be taken back as full-time when kids are in school

16. Q: What would make you decide to look for another position? • No opportunity for tenure • No professional growth • Location • Would probably look even if I were happy there, just to do something different • Reputation of institution • Family issues

17. Q: How long do you envision yourself staying at the first position you accept? • Three years • Five years • Not sure

18. Q: How many different teaching positions at different institutions do you think you will have in your career? • Just one because I will teach after I have worked in the private sector • Two or three • Not sure—several, maybe three to five

19. Survey Sent to Future Faculty • Why have you chosen to pursue a career of teaching in higher education? Please rank the reasons, with #1 being the top reason. • When you begin applying for faculty positions in higher education, which of the following elements will be important to you? Please rank the following in importance to you, with #1 being the most important. • What would be the reasonable amount of time for you to stay at an institution if you were satisfied with your position?

20. Survey Cont’d • What would make you look for another position after 1- 5 years at an institution? Please rank the following reasons for looking for another position, with #1 being the top. • How many different institutions would you expect to teach at in your career as a faculty member?

21. More Important to Future Faculty/Recommendations • Institutional Location • Institutional Climate • Personality of Colleagues • Family Environment • Tenure • Opportunity to do Research • Ethnic Diversity

22. Questions?