|
« AAUP Homepage
|
Part-Time Appointments Linked to Dropout Rates
By Gwendolyn Bradley
First-year college students enrolled in introductory level courses taught by part-time faculty are more likely to drop out of college, according to a study conducted by a researcher at North Carolina State University. The study examined four public universities and found that when students were enrolled in “gatekeeper” courses that were taught by part-time faculty, they were 20 to 30 percent more likely to drop out. “Gatekeeper” courses were defined as classes with at least 90 students that were part (usually the first) of a series of courses required for a major or general education program—for example, Biology 101 or English 101. The study also examined gatekeeper courses taught by graduate students and full-time non-tenure-track faculty and found that neither group had a negative effect on student retention. Audrey Jaeger, the study’s author, speculated that part-time faculty “may be less connected to the institution and may also be teaching courses elsewhere, making them less accessible” to students than are graduate student employees and full-time faculty. Jaeger recommended that institutions should provide better support for part-time faculty—for example, office space and computer access.
|