Adjunct Leadership and Job Satisfaction in California Community Colleges

Download or read book Adjunct Leadership and Job Satisfaction in California Community Colleges written by Thea Sweo Alvarado and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigates the conditions by which adjunct faculty are able to participate in leadership activities in their institutions in the hopes that more adjunct faculty involvement can be fostered for the betterment of our higher educational institutions. To this end, the study examines what avenues are available today for adjunct faculty to participate in leadership on campus, the conditions for involvement, whether and to what degree the means are being utilized by adjunct faculty, and how to better incorporate the diverse talents and experiences of adjunct faculty as effective campus leaders. Interviews were completed with 15 current adjunct faculty members during the spring semester of 2011. Six major themes emerged in this study: (1) working conditions (2) unions and union activity (3) adjunct voice and perceptions of adjuncts (4) leadership (5) motivation and (6) budget cuts and the future of adjunct teaching. This grounded theory approach seeks to understand the experiences and perceptions of exceptional adjunct leaders in their own words. The final chapter discusses the climate surrounding recent budget cuts to community colleges in California and discusses the future outlook for a body of growing adjunct faculty members.