Unintended consequences: examining the effect of part-time faculty members on associate's degree completion.(Report)

Employment of part-time faculty members by community colleges has become an increasingly common approach to reducing institutional costs, which may have unintended consequences for student outcomes. This study examines the relationship between part-time faculty members and the associate's degree completion of community college students. The authors use hierarchical generalized linear modeling to analyze student- and institution-level data from the California community college system to determine how student exposure to part-time faculty members affected the likelihood of earning an associate's degree. Findings indicate that students experienced a significant yet modest negative effect from exposure to part-time faculty members on the probability of completing an associate's degree.

Keywords: associate's degrees; part-time faculty members; hierarchical generalized linear modeling; student outcomes; California

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Examining the effects of the part-time faculty on student outcomes in community colleges is critical given that these institutions educate almost 45% of the country's undergraduates (American Association of Community Colleges, 2006) and employ more part-time faculty members than any other type of institution of higher education. Across 1,052 associate's degree-granting institutions, 65.6% of faculty members were employed in part-time appointments in the fall of 2005, considerably higher than any other category within the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions (American Association of University Professors, 2006). Community colleges have also been the primary institutions of higher education to provide postsecondary education to underserved populations (Levin, 2001; Shaw & London, 2001; Shaw, Rhoads, & Valadez, 1999). The defining elements of community colleges, such as open access, low tuition, a multitude of services, and convenient locations, are especially pertinent to students with low socioeconomic status, to women with children, to minorities, and to those who are underemployed, who are academically unprepared, who are physically and mentally disabled, or who are adults looking for a second chance in education (Cohen & Brawer, 2003; Dougherty, 1994; Phillippe, 2000). Investigating how these students can be successful in their academic pursuits is important for the student and the institution.

Recent research has begun to address the effects of exposure to instruction from part-time faculty members at both 4-year institutions and community colleges. Although part-time faculty members provide institutions some financial flexibility (Gappa, 1984; Schuster & Finkelstein, 2006), their increased use has raised concerns for constituents inside and outside of higher education. Part-time faculty members spend a greater proportion of their overall time teaching, but the initial evidence suggests that these appointees are less accessible to students, have less-frequent interactions with students, are more transient, bring less scholarly authority to their jobs, and are less integrated into the campus culture (Schuster, 2003; Umbach, 2007).

This article examines the relationship between the part-time faculty and student outcomes, focusing on associate's degree completion. Although the conferral of degrees is only one function of community colleges, the completion of an associate's degree often serves as a springboard to further education at 4-year institutions (Quigley & Bailey, 2003). By investing in additional years of education, students have the ability to obtain a more holistic education while simultaneously increasing their earning potential in the labor market (Kane & Rouse, 1999). Considering that higher education is seen as a flexible and convenient avenue for social mobility, particularly for disadvantaged individuals (Bowen, 1996), identifying facilitators of and barriers to completing an associate's degree has important implications.

This study draws from two conceptual frameworks--faculty-student interaction and social capital--to examine the effects of exposure to part-time faculty on associate's degree completion. We use hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) to analyze student- and institution-level data from 107 community colleges across the state of California. This study seeks to determine whether increased exposure to instruction from part-time faculty members significantly affects the likelihood that community college students will complete an associate's degree.