Effectively and Affordably Debbie Bouton, Central Piedmont Community - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Developing Adjunct Faculty Effectively and Affordably

Debbie Bouton, Central Piedmont Community College Richard Lyons, NCSPOD President and Consultant 2011 AACC Conference, New Orleans

Benefits Part-timers Provide

 Cost savings  Scheduling flexibility  Expertise in critical fields  Passion for sharing their wisdom  Connections to the community  Fresh perspectives  Diversification of faculty  Source of potential full-time faculty

Costs of Inadequate Support

 Suboptimal teaching performance  Faulty communications with students  More “fires” for leaders to extinguish  Suboptimal student retention rates

Common Needs of Part-timers

 Grounded orientation to institution  Basic teaching toolkit  Sense of belonging  Continuing development of skills  Recognition for quality teaching

Myth Busters: Lessons Learned

 Won’t come for training unless paid  Won’t come for training, schedule conflicts  Don’t have time to work on teaching skills  Can’t find a full-time teaching position

Continuous Outreach: Fosters Sense of Belonging

 Orientation  Part-time Faculty Website  Semester Community Meeting  Teaching Commons  Certification Program  Evening and Saturday sessions

Orientation

 Provide “Welcome Goodie Bag”  Offer multiple times, multiple locations  Introduce college administrators  Include icebreakers  Model good teaching practices  Offer online option

24/7 Support: PTF Website

http://www.cpcc.edu/parttime

Semester Community Meetings

 Response to survey data  Provides opportunity to “build community”  Selected focused topics:  Building community in the classroom  Effective use of technology

Evening & Saturday Sessions

 Meet needs and schedules of part-time faculty  Monthly Sessions:  Becoming a Student Advocate  Blackboard  Team play  Active learning strategies

Teaching Commons

 Workspace to share ideas and content, develop methodologies, stimulate innovation  Promotes and supports:  Collaboration, sharing and collegiality  Innovation  Individual development

Resources for Adjunct Faculty

 Email for all part-time faculty  Touch-down stations at each campus  Assistance from instructional developers  Representation on College Senate  Professional development opportunities

Certification Program

Teaching for Significant Learning

 25-hour, hybrid program  Participants recommended by departments  Stipend paid upon completion of program  Getting Results is primary curriculum  AdjunctSuccess.net webinar series

Certification Program

Teaching for Significant Learning Topics

 Creating a Community of Learners  Planning for Outcomes  Active Teaching and Learning  Assessing Teaching and Learning  Teaching with Technology

Certification Program

Teaching for Significant Learning Evaluation

 Instructor Self Assessment (pre and post)  Follow-up Instructor Self Assessment (6 mo)  Survey of Students  Student Success Rates (pre and post)  Student Retention Rates (pre and post)

Positive Effects & Sustainability

 Increased:  PTF completing orientation  Retention of PTF  Students’ grades  Doubled professional development participation  Adopted model for use with Developmental Education Initiative

Follow Up Survey Feedback

 80% agree: “I feel valued in my department in my roles as a part-time instructor.”  “Professional development classes and seminars I have attended have really helped me to evaluate my own teaching.”  “I love working for CPCC. I currently adjunct for multiple institutions, and CPCC is the one that really makes me feel well-supported and in touch.”

Results of Certification

Summer 2008 Group Terms ABCS % ABCS AS - UF % AS-UF DFIWU %DFIWU Total Pre-Cert 2007-2008 3062 66.6% 3753 81.6% 1538 33.4% 4600 Post-Cert 2008-2008 6384 71.7% 7793 87.5% 2524 28.3% 8908 Summer 2009 Group Terms ABCS %ABC AS - UF % AS-UF DFIWU %DFIWU Total Pre-Cert 2008-2009 4087 70.2% 5398 92.7% 1734 29.8% 5821 Post-Cert Fall 2009 2849 71.9% 3648 92.1% 1111 28.1% 3960

Retention of Participants

Taught in 2007/2008 Taught in Fall 2008 Not Retained Taught in Fall 2009 Not Retained Participants in Summer 2008 43 43 (100%) 40 (93%) 3 (7%) Participants in Summer 2009 60 56 (93%) 4 (7%)

93-100% retention versus 65% for entire part-time faculty group over same periods.

Model Options

 Institutionally-developed initiatives  Externally-sourced approaches  Hybrid approaches

Why Online Aligns Well

 Geographical dispersal of adjuncts  Just-in-time availability  Cost savings: institution and instructor  Can foster low-risk mentoring  Reduced management time required

Program Commonalities

 Requires a persistent champion  Constrained by institutional culture  Strategically designed, implemented  Sustainability requires forethought  Challenging to schedule f2f sessions

Assessment Findings

 Adjuncts must be incentivized  Content must be engaging, relevant  Programs require active marketing and management  Requires designated point person  Blended surpasses f2f achievements  Recognition improves commitment

Benefits of Systematic Program

 Deeper student learning  Improved accountability outcomes  Enhanced ongoing coordination  Increased synergies with community  Fewer crises for instructional leaders  Improved retention of best adjuncts

Bibliography

Gappa, J. and Leslie, D. [1993], The Invisible Faculty, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Leslie, D. and Gappa, J. [2002]. “Part-time Faculty: Competent and Committed,” in Community College Faculty: Characteristics, Practices, and Challenges, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lyons, R.. Editor [2007], Best Practices for Supporting Adjunct Faculty, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lyons, R. [2003]. Success Strategies for Adjunct Faculty, Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Lyons, R., Kysilka, M. and Pawlas, G. [1999], The Adjunct Professor’s Guide to Success, Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Questions and Answers

As time allows Afterwards: Debbie.Bouton@cpcc.edu Richard.Lyons@ncspod.org