Hiring, orientation, professional development, and evaluation: The administrative support of adjunct faculty

In North Carolina (NC) there are a total of 58 community colleges, each of which provides a unique approach to handling support for adjunct faculty. The NC Community College System provided a good setting to explore how one state in particular compares to current research on administrative support of adjunct faculty in the areas of hiring, orientation, professional development, and evaluation. This study addressed the following research questions: (1) What adjunct faculty hiring practices have been implemented in North Carolina community colleges? (2) What adjunct faculty orientation practices have been implemented in North Carolina community colleges? (3) What adjunct faculty professional development practices have been implemented in North Carolina community colleges? (4) What adjunct faculty evaluation practices have been implemented in North Carolina community colleges? (5) What is the relationship between adjunct support practices implemented at community colleges and administrators’ perceptions of the quality of their adjunct faculty? A total of 208 mid-level administrators from curriculum programs in 42 of the 58 NC community colleges participated in this descriptive quantitative study, via a newly developed, web-delivered survey (46.4% response rate). The study was based on a conceptual model associated with a Human Resource Management (HRM) theory in order to better address administrative support when dealing with adjunct faculty. Little research has been done to examine these support areas individually, allowing this study to clarify and expound upon details regarding recruitment during hiring, orientation practices, professional development programs, and evaluation practices. The outcomes of this study provided insight into the practices of NC community colleges when examining administrative support for adjunct faculty. Practices within the areas of hiring, orientation, professional development and evaluation were examined through frequency analysis. The mid-level administrator most often associated with supporting adjunct faculty was the department chair. Hiring practices were less formal and orientation programs often had a narrow focus. Professional development programs predominately addressed administrative duties and evaluations most often examined course development and delivery. The final question examined the relationship between administrators’ perception of adjunct faculty quality and support practices. Orientation program support practices with a focus on the institutional mission had a significant relationship to the administrators’ perception of adjunct faculty quality. Overall orientation, professional development and evaluation support practices with a focus on fostering student success had no relationship to administrators’ perception of adjunct faculty quality. The findings of this study suggest support for adjunct faculty exists but more should be done to develop a systematic and cyclic approach of support. The next steps in this area of research would be to take these descriptive findings and explore why and how these support practices are in the shape they are in, as well as to better understand how current support practices influence administrator’s perceptions of their programs.