Part-Time Faculty in Engineering Technology

Many engineering technology programs in the United States employ part-time faculty to augment the work of full-time faculty, manage enrollment and employment fluctuations, and provide subject-matter-expertise that may otherwise be lacking in a particular context, among other reasons. The preparation, performance, and impact of part-time faculty is significant, as higher education leaders and external stakeholders press for quality, accountability, and continuous improvement of programs and institutions. Thus, a challenge for engineering technology programs is to make certain that part-time faculty members possess both the academic and professional qualifications for employment, and to ensure that these colleagues are appropriately supported in order to be effective in their role. This paper presents results of a qualitative study of part-time faculty members in engineering technology and other disciplines, notably liberal arts, at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The rationale for employing part-time faculty, institutional types that most heavily rely on part-time faculty, the strengths and challenges associated with part-time faculty, and the relationships between full-time faculty and part-time faculty will be described. Specific attention will be paid to the reasons part-time faculty seek affiliation with the institution, the expectations part-time faculty have concerning their role, and the self-reported satisfaction levels of part-time faculty. Examples of part-time faculty perspectives from engineering technology will be examined, compared, and contrasted with those of other disciplines, and a series of recommendations for key stakeholder groups will be provided. Introduction and Significance Both two-year and four-year higher education institutions employ part-time faculty in large numbers, and this is especially true for engineering/technology disciplines located in urban and metropolitan settings. Two U.S. Department of Education studies conducted in 1992 and 2003 provided statistics that support the fact that the percentage of part-time faculty in higher education is remaining constant 1 . According to the later study, 43.7 % of all faculty and instructional staff were employed on a part-time basis. Higher education institutions employ faculty on a part-time basis for a variety of reasons, which often revolve around cost saving measures 2,3 . Part-time faculty can also be hired quickly when there are unexpected increases in enrollment because there is more flexibility in their hiring process 4,5,6,7 . With nearly half of all faculty employed part-time, research and the need for more information on this group has increased. However, much of that research has emphasized working conditions and portrays part-time faculty as individuals who cannot obtain a full-time teaching position. Thus, there is a gap in the literature as to why part-time faculty choose to teach part-time, their satisfaction and commitment 8 . Wallin 9 said it is important for college administrators to understand what motivates part-time faculty. The large number of part-time faculty and this literature gap regarding part-time faculty satisfaction and the need to understand their motivation led to the desire to discover the motivation of part-time faculty at the large, urban university that is the focus of this study. P ge 22140.2