Date
9-2021
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Bunnie Claxton
Keywords
Higher Education, Contingent Faculty, Community, Online Education
Disciplines
Education | Educational Administration and Supervision
Recommended Citation
Strafaccia, Heather Lee, "Recommendations for Improving a Sense of Community Between Online Contingent Faculty and Higher Education Administrators" (2021). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 3186.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/3186
Abstract
The purpose of this applied study is to solve the problem of a lack of a sense of community between online contingent faculty and higher education administrators for a private university in the Midwest and to design a solution to address the problem. A multimethod design was developed, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Online contingent faculty participated in individual structured interviews and a focus group to examine the current perception, problem, and preferred solutions to the problem of a lack of a sense of community with the participating institution. Higher education administrators and online contingent faculty participated in a survey to gain clarity in the current perception, problem, and solutions to the problem of a lack of a sense of community between online contingent faculty and higher education administrators. After analyzing the data collected in this study, the most effective solution recommended to solve the central research question was to provide online CF with opportunities for job title advancement. The goal of the solution was to improve an SoC among online CF through increased perceptions of inclusivity, integration, influential value, and connection by providing a process that guided career advancement recognition.
