ERIC Number: ED651806
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 150
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3823-0822-7
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Reimagining the Onboarding and Mentoring Needs of California Community College Counseling Faculty: An Ecological Systems Approach Using Narrative Inquiry
Philip Lantz
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Loyola Marymount University
Despite California community college counseling faculty having unique roles on their campuses due to their faculty status and their proximity to students, there is a lack of research related to the experiences of counseling faculty and how they can be supported by local and statewide leaders to best meet the needs of the diverse student populations that are currently being served within the California community college system. This qualitative research study utilized narrative inquiry to examine the current onboarding and mentoring experiences of California community college counseling faculty to evaluate both best practices as well as institutional gaps that negatively impact counseling faculty and the students they serve. Utilizing Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory as a framework, this study intentionally centered counseling faculty development while examining three main questions: (a) how do the onboarding and mentoring of community college counseling faculty reflect an institution's support of diverse student populations, (b) what policies and practices exist, from the counseling faculty perspective, that effectively support the onboarding and mentoring of counseling faculty, and (c) how can an ecological framework assist in identifying recommendations on what supports for counseling faculty are necessary for institutions to be successful in their mission to support diverse students? Five counseling faculty were selected as participants, who provided data through journal responses, artifact submission, and narrative inquiry interviews. Findings indicated that a primary challenge for new counseling faculty was the need to "freeway fly" while working at multiple campuses part-time, leading to inconsistent onboarding support, increased stress, and a lack of sense of belonging on campus. Additionally, onboarding opportunities that intentionally combined technical training with cultural competencies were considered most valuable. Finally, informal mentoring was seen as a key component of onboarding as faculty sought out relationships that helped fill institutional gaps in professional development. The findings point to the need for a reimagined approach to onboarding and mentoring counseling faculty in ways that center faculty perspectives to better align with California's mission to support the diverse needs of community college students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Barriers, Counselor Attitudes, Counselors, Staff Orientation, Employment Practices, Stress Variables, Multicampus Colleges, Professional Isolation, Mentors, Faculty Advisers
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A