New Article on Community College Department Chairs & Adjuncts

I recently published a new study in the Community College Review with one of my former doctoral students, Dr. Keith Zoromski (Provost of Mineral Area College). In this study, we explored the experiences of 14 community college department chairs’ relationships with adjuncts at a mid-sized, Midwestern institution. These data help provide a better understanding of the extent and nature of professional relationships between department chairs and their adjunct faculty. Adjuncts compromise the majority of course instructors of record at most junior and community colleges. It was found that relationships are transactional and have limited depth. These relationships are superficial and limited to scheduling or other administrative roles. Adjuncts are merely perceived as scheduling stopgaps and these needs are above relationship building. Implications for practice are provided to humanize the relationships between chairs and adjuncts at community colleges.

The article is entitled “Transactional and Stopgap Relationships Between Community College Department Chairs and Their Adjuncts” and co-authored in the Community College Review.