The faculty composition in U.S. higher education has changed significantly over recent decades (AAUP, 2020; Hurlburt & McGarrah, 2016b; Schuster & Finkelstein, 2006). What was once a faculty model dominated by tenured and tenure-track faculty has shifted to majority contingent. As of 2020, contingent faculty composed nearly 70% of the…

As colleges confront challenging circumstances, the prospect of small, private college closures remains pertinent. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of displaced employees due to college closure. For this study, Schlossberg's (1981) transition theory was used as a foundational lens. Although there…

Decades of research indicate that formative assessment promotes achievement (Black & Wiliam, 1998a; Hattie & Timperley, 2007) and that we must learn more about how to implement formative assessment effectively in higher education settings (Bennett, 2011; Kingston & Nash, 2011; Morris et al., 2021) where most instructors deliver…

The problem with retention has led researchers to study the causes of attrition and ways to improve successful outcomes. Students define having positive faculty-student relationships that are therapeutic as a way to enhance successful academic outcomes. The problem that was addressed in this study is that there is a limited understanding of…

This quantitative study sought to identify faculty perceptions about job satisfaction at one small, private university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and the connection to intent to stay at the same institution. This study was a conceptual replication study, patterned off Rhone's 2010 doctoral dissertation study, "Faculty…

The researcher investigated how university faculty in graduate education programs incorporated multiple intelligences (MI) theory into their teaching strategies and acknowledged the interconnectedness of andragogy and MI theory. The researcher addressed the significant shift in teaching paradigms from traditional methods to approaches that foster…

This dissertation investigates the influence of leadership on faculty morale and intent to leave at small colleges. An examination of the topic occurs through two distinct, but related studies with the findings represented in three separate thematically connected articles. The first paper entitled "The Faculty Voice: Factors that Affect…

Historically, college and university professors have been known as experts in their respective disciplines but lack training in pedagogy or andragogy. This problem can be particularly impactful at very small colleges where resources for faculty professional development are scarce. Faculty development which creates learning communities encourages…

Two qualitative studies, 2015 and 2020, on seniors' satisfaction with faculty interactions provided the background for this 2023 qualitative study. This present study explored the characteristics and development of the faculty, staff, and student interactions that influenced college student satisfaction. Even though quantitative research showed…

Nontraditional scholars with online Ph.D. (NSOP) credentials may encounter skepticism about their credentials, which can be problematic if they opted for the flexibility and accessibility of online graduate education. Faculty members question NSOP motivations, program rigor, and institutional reputation. This study investigates the influence of…

Women now comprise the majority of the higher education workforce; yet they still experience workplace aggression at alarming rates. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate workplace aggression among women colleagues at a small, rural community college. The study also sought to create a more supportive work environment for…

The COVID-19 pandemic had caused major changes in many aspects of our lives when it spread worldwide at the beginning of 2020. Hence, higher education was affected when the face-to-face classes were suspended and moved completely online. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on faculty perspectives about online teaching…

This study investigated the relationship between faculty practices and student engagement at a small, Christian liberal arts university using survey responses from 158 undergraduate students and 47 faculty members. Student engagement was measured by academic involvement (AI), extracurricular involvement (EI), and sense of belonging (SB) [Student…

This qualitative study examined the informal mentoring relationships between faculty and students at two small, faith-based, liberal arts campuses. Perceptions of both faculty and students' views of informal mentoring were studied. The research questions further explored the factors that encouraged or discouraged faculty-student informal mentoring…

A small college in the Midwestern United States has a prior learning assessment (PLA) program that has never been evaluated from the perspective of the faculty and staff. The problem is that campus leaders have a limited understanding of faculty and staff knowledge and their role in the PLA program. The study was approached from an appreciative…