Practicum Prospectus: Accessible Adjunct Faculty Support

BRIEF ABSTRACT:

The ultimate success of any developmental program depends on the quality of its faculty. At colleges where the number of adjunct faculty is very high, it is important that a viable program for support and development of these part-time professionals exists. This practicum will review and evaluate the needs of part-time faculty members and would involve the development of an Adjunct Faculty Support System and Adjunct Faculty Handbook for the College Prep/Developmental Studies Department of Edison State College. The district-wide College Prep/Developmental Studies department for this college is located on three campuses and one center, spanning four counties in Southwest Florida. There are presently between eighty and ninety adjunct faculty members and seventeen full-time faculty, teaching in four developmental disciplines:  Reading, English, Mathematics, and English for Academic Purposes. The adjunct faculty would benefit from increased support and communication. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the program will be assessed before and after the implementation of a support system, which would include the development of an Developmental Studies Adjunct Faculty Handbook and increased support and professional development on all campuses. 

PRACTICUM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

The goals of this practicum include, but are not limited to:

1. An understanding of the specific needs of adjunct faculty at Edison State College. This is to be completed through a needs assessment piece. The piece will be an online, anonymous survey using a Likert Scale as well as open-ended questions.
2. The implementation of a series of adjunct faculty professional developmental workshops.
3. The creation of a “For Adjunct Professionals” link to the newly created website for the Department of Developmental Studies
4. The formation of an Edison State College Adjunct Faculty Handbook. Though available in hard copy, this handbook would be primarily available to all faculty online, on the adjunct link to the department’s website.

The specific objectives of this practicum include:

1. To administer a pre-program survey to all adjunct faculty teaching Developmental Reading, Developmental Writing, Developmental Mathematics, and English for Academic Purposes, at three campuses and one center, in the Developmental Studies Department at Edison State College.
1. The pre-program survey would be an online instrument, which would be introduced during face-to-face meetings with adjunct faculty. A link to the survey will be emailed, with a follow-up invitation to be sent two weeks later.
2. The pre-program survey will serve to provide base-line data for this study.
3. The pre-program survey has been field-tested for validity
4. The survey will contain questions using a Likert Scale, as well as open-ended questions in order to provide both quantitative and qualitative data in order to triangulate the results.
2. To implement a series of professional development workshops targeted at adjunct faculty in developmental education
1. These workshops will cover such things as

                                                               i.      Understanding today’s developmental students,

                                                             ii.      Teaching philosophies for those teaching developmental students,

                                                            iii.      Assessment of developmental students,

                                                           iv.      Instructional design for those teaching developmental students, and

                                                             v.      An exploration of the affective domain in teaching developmental students.

2. Workshops will held monthly, but will be scheduled two to three different times and dates during each month as a way to reach as many adjunct faculty members as possible.
2. To create a Developmental Education Adjunct tab on the newly created website for the Department of Developmental Studies at Edison State College. Under this tab would be:
1. Links to resources specific to adopted textbooks within the Department
2. Links to resources that are specific to teaching developmental students
3. Links to resources specific to the subject areas of

                                                               i.      Developmental Reading,

                                                             ii.      Developmental Writing,

                                                            iii.      Developmental Mathematics

                                                           iv.      English for Academic Purposes

4. To write and design a comprehensive Adjunct Faculty Handbook, which will outline common protocols for the Department of Developmental Studies, specific rules for each of the four disciplines, and will include sections summarizing some of the topics covered in the series of workshops that will be provided for adjunct instructors.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF PRACTICUM:

1.  Adjunct faculty teaching in the Developmental Studies Department at Edison State College will benefit from specific faculty development seminars, to include
1. Understanding today’s developmental students,
2. Teaching philosophies for those teaching developmental students,
3. Assessment of developmental students,
4. Instructional design for those teaching developmental students, and
5. An exploration of the affective domain in teaching developmental students.
2. Adjunct faculty teaching in the Developmental Studies Department at Edison State College will benefit from an Adjunct Faculty Handbook, designed specifically for those teaching developmental students.
3. When completing Adjunct Faculty Portfolios, as required by the College, adjunct faculty teaching in the Developmental Studies Department at Edison State College will have additional resources on which to reflect and will have opportunities for additional professional development, as outlined above.

RESOURCES REQUIRED:

1. The assistance of the College’s Instructional Technology Department to implement the creation of a special section of the Department of Developmental Studies website for Adjunct Resources and Adjunct Faculty handbook will be needed.
2. It has been necessary to collaborate with the Coordinator of the College’s Teaching and Learning Center to schedule the four adjunct seminar workshops.
3. The approval of the College’s Director of Institutional Research will be required before survey instruments may be sent to adjunct faculty.

Selected References

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Bonham, B. S., Boylan, H. R., and Levine-Brown, P. (2010). An evaluation of developmental education at Edison State College.

Boylan, H. R. (2002). What works: Research-based best practices in developmental education. Boone, NC: National Center for Developmental Education.

Boylan, H. (2003). Developmental education: What’s it about? In Stahl, N. A. & Boylan. Teaching developmental reading: Historical, theoretical, and practical background readings. (pp. 1-10). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Boylan, H. R, & Bonham, B. S. (2007). 30 years of developmental education: A retrospective. Journal of Developmental Education, 30(3), 2-4.

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Higbee, J. L. (2005). Developmental education. In Upcraft, M. L., Gardner, J. N., Barefoot, B. O., & Associates. Challenging and supporting the first-year student: A handbook for improving the first year of college. (pp. 292-307). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Higbee, J. L., Arendale, D.R., & Lundell, D. B. (2005). Using theory and research to improve access and retention in developmental education. In Kozeracki, C. A. (Ed.). Responding to the challenges of developmental education. (pp. 5-14). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hofmeister, A., and Lubke, M. (1990). Research into practice: Implementing effective teaching strategies. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Kozeracki, C. A. (2005). Preparing faculty to meet the needs of developmental students. Kozeracki, C. A. (Ed.). Responding to the challenges of developmental education. (pp. 39-49). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lyons, R. E. (2007). Practices for supporting adjunct faculty. Bolton, MA: Anker.

Lyons, R. E. (2004). Success strategies for adjunct faculty. Boston: Pearson.

McCabe, R. H. (2003). Yes we can: A community college guide for developing America’s underprepared. Phoenix: League for Innovation in the Community College.

Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Seefchak, C. (2010). Promoting cognition: Success and self-efficacy in developmental education. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Stahl, N. A., & Boylan, H. (2003). Teaching developmental reading: Historical, theoretical, and practical background readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Upcraft, M. L., Gardner, J. H., & Barefoot, B. O. (2005). Challenging and supporting the first-year college student: A handbook for improving the first year of college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.