Part-time instructors constitute a growing proportion of community college instructors. They receive no fringe benefits or office space, they are not assigned to faculty committees, and they sign quarter-to-quarter contracts which contain no stipulation of job security, even for the quarter contracted. There are three reasons for hiring part-time instructors: (1) Part-time instructors increase the curricular and scheduling flexibility of an institution, (2) Part-time faculty can be employed to teach at one-third or less the cost of full-time faculty, (3) Factionalization of the faculty discourages faculty collective bargaining efforts. However, there are numerous problems inherent in part-time staffing policies: (1) Lack of formal hiring procedures leads to affirmative action inequities and arbitrary firing, (2) Part-time faculty do not often display a long-term commitment to the institution, and do not maintain professional ties, (3) Lack of evaluation and provision for student contact leads to unresponsive teaching, (4) There can be an unhealthy administrative/faculty balance in college governance and low faculty morale. Part-time faculty should be issued some kind of binding contract, should be evaluated and participate in staff development efforts, and should receive pro-rata pay and health and welfare benefits. (Author/NHM)