Community College Faculty Identities.

Abstract

Although often overlooked, community college faculty teach nearly half of all undergraduates in the country. Because community college students overwhelmingly commute to campus and many are employed off-campus, it frequently is the case that the individuals at their colleges with whom they most consistently interact are their instructors. Indeed, student-faculty interactions are associated with several positive student outcomes. The goal of this dissertation is to gain a better understanding of the professional identities of community college faculty members so as to enhance ways to support and encourage community college faculty and the work they do. Framed using the definition of identity from the symbolic interactionism perspective—namely, “what it means to be who one is”—this dissertation is a study of the faculty identities of fifteen (15) community college faculty (including both part-time and full-time faculty) who teach English or math at a suburban community college located in the United States. Three analytical chapters are presented. In Chapter 3, participants described four common meanings that they ascribe to their community college faculty identities: (1) being a passionate and expert teacher, (2) providing students with the support they need, (3) caring about students, and (4) serving their communities. Chapter 4 closely analyzes metaphors that participants used to describe their faculty identities. A common grouping of metaphors was faculty as trusted guides to their students, including “priests” and “shamans” who point the way to success in college and life. Guided by identity frameworks and Positive Organizational Scholarship concepts, Chapter 5 is a case study revealing that collegial interactions had a strong positive influence on the way in which participants viewed their professional identities. This dissertation has potential implications for several stages of the community college faculty career lifespan. It equips colleges with empirically based ways to effectively hire and support both part-time and full-time faculty. It also implies innovative ways of relating faculty development and assessment. This dissertation suggests that if we aim to better support community college students and enhance their academic outcomes, we also must aim to better support community college faculty and encourage the development of their faculty identities.