| Adjunct faculty members have become the dominant faculty demographic in American higher education, as the majority of all new faculty appointments are now part-time. Despite this, there remains a lack of comprehensive data regarding the adjunct experience, particularly in regards to specific subgroups of adjunct faculty. While some adjuncts function as replacements for full-time faculty, adjunct practitioners have a unique value-add in that they bring professional knowledge and field experience into the classroom. For this reason, they play an integral role in practice-based programs. In order to become successful instructors, they must be supported by the administration and integrated into the academic community; however, much about the experience of this group is unknown. Therefore the purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain insight into the experience of adjunct practitioners. Using Kahn's (1990) theory of employee engagement, this study sought to answer the following research question: How do adjunct practitioners experience engagement at a mid-sized private university on the West Coast? Data gathered from interviews and a document review produced four key findings: first, participants feel teaching is personally meaningful, though they lack a sense of community with other faculty and the institution as a whole. Second, participants do not feel entirely secure in their roles and are concerned about their future security with the institution. And third, participants believe they possess the necessary basic resources to perform their role, but would appreciate more accessible development opportunities. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are also discussed. |
