"FACTC Focus" is a publication of Faculty Association of Community and Technical Colleges (FACTC) with the purpose of presenting diverse views on faculty issues. Included in this issue are: (1) LOL: The Easy ROUTE TO Critical Thinking (Barbara B. Parsons); (2) Critical Thinking: We Know It When We (Don't) See It (Jared Anthony); (3) Critical…

Fiscal constraints, understaffing, increased enrollments, demand for professional education, and the need for a more flexible workforce account for increases in the employment of part-time faculty in higher education. Part-time faculty tend to teach large, introductory courses for first and second-year students, who are in the "risk…

This study addresses methodological problems surrounding existing research on exposure to contingent instructors and student outcomes. By applying non-aggregated and aggregated measures of exposure to contingent instructors to the same data, this analysis demonstrates that effects of commonly used measures of exposure to contingent instructors…

Challenges associated with the increasing use of contingent faculty appointments in American higher education are mounting. The AAUP and other professional groups have identified several major problems: (1) unacceptable conditions and compensation for contingent faculty members; (2) poor learning outcomes for students; and (3) the potential…

This paper traces the history of the development of programs in ethnomethodology at Boston University and Manchester University by offering comparisons with the ideal type model of "school," The Chicago School of Sociology. It focuses primarily on institutional structures and arrangements rather than shared theoretical or methodological…

Teaching and learning have been a focus of professional development for community college faculty, yet little is known about the impact of professional development on the instructional practices of part-time community college faculty. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the impact of sustained professional development on the…

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…

The older teacher in today's college environment may find the generation gap between him and his younger colleagues wider than the one between him and his students. He may have trouble initiating shoptalk with the younger generation of careerists whose dossier is scrutinized annually by multiple pretenure review committees. When it comes to…

"During the past two decades, two-year and four-year colleges have increased their reliance on part-time faculty" (Antony & Valadez, 2002, p. 41). The hiring of part-time faculty started as a convenient way to meet the demands for instruction while remaining financially responsible during tough budgetary times. Currently…

The use of casual staff, including casual teaching staff, is a common practice in Australian universities and the numbers of casual staff in the sector has increased significantly in the last decade. The traditional profile for casual teachers was that of industry expert and students. Recent research has shown that the casual teacher is now more…

What qualities are the essence of a top-notch university professor? "Enthusiastic." "Fun." "Interesting." "Cares about students." These attributes are listed in student reviews of America's number one professor for 2009, as determined by the Web site ratemyprofessor.com. Other students made these comments about the same instructor: "Very easy A,"…

This study uses panel data to examine the relationship between faculty employment and external R&D expenditures at Research and Doctoral institutions over a 15-year period of time. On average, a 1% increase in the number of full-time faculty is associated with about 0.2% increase in total R&D expenditure. Further, a one percentage point increase…

This reflective essay describes the distinct ways that the scholarship of teaching and university has been integrated into the academic culture at two very different universities with the suggestion that universities who actively study their own relationship and history with [Scholarship of Teaching and Learning] (SoTL) can make some empowering…

It's one of the secrets the glossy college and university catalogs and campus tour guides don't tell applicants: Colleges and universities are investing less and less in the educators who are crucial to a student's success. In fact, at most colleges today, it's more than likely that students will be taught by an instructor who doesn't have a…

Part-time faculty clearly serve a valuable purpose in higher education; however, their increased use raises concerns for administrators, faculty, and policy makers. Part-time faculty members spend a greater proportion of their overall time teaching, but the initial evidence suggests that these instructors are less available to students and are…