ABSTRACT

This qualitative study of students in mid- and later-life (MLL; age 40 and older) sought to address the role faculty play in facilitating student success and how institutions support faculty, especially adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty teach a majority of classes at community colleges but are not provided the same professional development opportunities as tenure track faculty and are often not well integrated into the college system. Data were collected in focus groups with faculty (both adjunct and tenured) and students, supplemented by key informant interviews, at multiple community colleges in a Midwestern state. MLL students are a heterogeneous group and often have more demands on their time than do younger students. Our findings on the critical role faculty members play in helping MLL students succeed suggest that providing additional support for faculty is a valuable investment for community colleges.

摘要

这项针对中后期学生（MLL；40 岁及以上）的定性研究旨在探讨教师在促进学生成功方面发挥的作用，以及机构如何支持教师，尤其是兼职教师。兼职教师在社区学院教授大部分课程，但没有提供与终身教授相同的专业发展机会，并且通常没有很好地融入大学系统。数据是在中西部多个社区大学的教师（兼职和终身教授）和学生的焦点小组中收集的，并辅以关键线人访谈。MLL 学生是一个异质群体，通常比年轻学生对时间有更多的要求。