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Effects of Exposure to Part-time Faculty on Community College Transfer

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Abstract

Over the past several decades, one of the most significant changes in the delivery of postsecondary education involves the dramatic increase in the use of contingent or part-time faculty. Although the increased use of part-time faculty within higher education makes sense from an administrative point of view, its use does not come without criticism. With community colleges representing a more convenient, affordable, and flexible educational option for a number of students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, examining how exposure to part-time faculty relates to students’ academic goals represents an important area of inquiry. This study draws from social and human capital frameworks and uses hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) to examine how exposure to part-time faculty relates to community college students’ likelihood of transferring to a four-year college or university. Findings suggest that students tend to be significantly less likely to transfer as their exposure to part-time faculty increases.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the Association for Institutional Research, the Institute of Education Sciences and National Center for Education Statistics, and the National Science Foundation under Association for Institutional Research Grant Number 519. PI – Audrey J. Jaeger. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Association for Institutional Research, the Institute of Education Sciences and National Center for Education Statistics, or the National Science Foundation. This research also was supported by the California Community College Collaborative (C4) at the University of California, Riverside.

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Correspondence to M. Kevin Eagan Jr..

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Kevin Eagan, M., Jaeger, A.J. Effects of Exposure to Part-time Faculty on Community College Transfer. Res High Educ 50, 168–188 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-008-9113-8

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