Reaching the Masses

1. Reaching the Masses Multi-Dimensional Training and Orientation Programs for New Adjunct Faculty Cheryl Doll, Director of Faculty Development & Student Retention Lehigh Carbon Community College

2. Agenda…for the Next 55 Minutes • Who am I? • Why am I here? • Why am I talking about this? • How does it work? • Was it a success? • What makes it successful? • What are the next steps?

3. Who am I? • Cheryl Doll • Director of what? • Student, Instructor, Researcher, Partner, Advocate

4. Why am I here? Student retention as it relates to faculty should actually be referred to as enhancing student education. “If faculty attend to that task (professional development), increased student retention will follow of its own accord.” – Tinto, 2006

5. Why am I talking about this? • “When the market is demanding students who can write well, Part Time Faculty are 50% less likely to use an essay exam when compared to FTF” – Brewster, 2000 • “Grade inflation is more evident in PT Faculty” – Brewster, 2000 • PT Faculty employment across all institutions rose 79% “from 1981 to 1999” - Wallin, 2004 • “67% of Faculty at Community Colleges are PT” - Gappa, 2007

6. Even more reasons… • “Part Time Faculty are largely unrecognizable, under-rewarded and an invisible part of the Academy.” – Gappa & Leslie, 2002 • “Colleges must assume a fair portion of the responsibility for inducting new teachers.” – Cox, 1995 • “Given the problems adjunct faculty face with poor training…an effective plan to support them in bolstering student learning in and out of the classroom should be an integral part of the approach of every community college” – Christensen, 2008

7. State of Adjunct Faculty at LCCC • Adjunct and PT faculty make up 81% of the faculty employed by LCCC in Fall 2013 • Largest employee group with the least amount of institutional knowledge • Evaluation data: • Not learning names • Don’t know about LCCC • Don’t know services offered • Grant initiatives requiring even more adjunct faculty!

8. In an Ideal World… • Create a welcoming culture • Have one point person for questions/concerns • Include adjuncts in all campus events and communications • Develop faculty = increased student retention

9. So how does it work? The multi-dimensional plan: • In-person Orientation • The Web • Excellence in Instruction Workshop Series • LCCC-Produced Video Workshops • Professional Development Calendar/Events • Webinar Subscriptions

10. 1. In-Person Orientation • Face-to-Face importance • Tour of campus • Orientation manual • Logistics and instructional materials • Q&A Individual or Small Group Setting

11. 2. On The Web • Professional Development Intranet Site • YouTube • LinkedIn

12. 3. Excellence in Instruction • In-Person Workshops • Topics include: • Syllabus Design • Grading • Assessment • Conduct • First Day of Class • Student Services Supplemented with Video Workshops

13. 4. LCCC-Produced Video Workshops • Statistics and Demographics for LCCC • General School Information • Needs of Students • Teaching specific videos • Rubrics • Presentation skills • Teaching to diverse populations (Summer 2014)

14. 5. Professional Development Events • Semester-based calendar • In-person workshops • Varied topics, delivery methods, • Lunch hour and afternoons • Includes personal development • Includes Instructional Technology/LMS training

15. 6. Webinar Series • Magna Commons • Workshops for faculty and administrators • Expanding expertise and access

16. Was it a Success? Excellence In Instruction Surveys: • 62.5% attendees report most information was new to them • 32.5% attendees report some information was new • 25% attendees report information presented was extremely useful • 50% report very useful • 25% report somewhat useful Student Evaluations: • 65% of adjuncts that participated in EII received higher evaluation scores than the faculty average Success & Completion: • 85% of students in adjunct-taught courses completed courses in SP 13 • 86% of students were successful (A, B, or C)

17. What made it successful? Was it… • Accessibility of Information? • Combination of Face-to-Face and Virtual Training? • Variety of Events, Workshops, and Activities? • One Point Person For Initial Communication? What are your thoughts?

18. The Next Steps… • Revise Orientation Manual (Summer 2014) • Create Additional Video Workshops (Summer 2014) • Combine FT and Adjunct Convocation (Spring 2014)

19. Thoughts, Comments, Questions?

20. References • Brewster, D. “The Use of Part-Time Faculty in the Community College.” Inquiry, 2000, 5(1), 66–76. • Christensen, C. “The Employment of Part-Time Faculty at Community Colleges.” New Directions For Higher Education, 2008, (143), 29-36. • Cox, M. “The Development of New and Junior Faculty.” In W. Wright (ed.), Teaching Improvement Practices. Bolton, Mass.: Anker, 1995. • Gappa, J. M., Austin, A. E., and Trice, A. G. Rethinking Faculty Work and Workplaces: Higher Education’s Strategic Imperative. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007. • Leslie, D. W., and Gappa, J. M. “Part-Time Faculty: Competent and Committed.” Community College Faculty: Characteristics, Practices, and Challenges.” New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 118. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2002. • Tinto, V. “Research and practice of student retention: What next?” Journal of College Student Retention, 2007, 8(1), 1-19. • Wallin, D. L. “Valuing Professional Colleagues: Adjunct Faculty in Community and Technical Colleges.” Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 2004, 28, 373–391.