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 faculty identity on perceptions of NSOP. This study theorizes that a faculty member's professional, experiential, and demographic identity characteristics influence faculty perceptions of NSOP. To test this theory, tenured and tenure-track faculty at small, private colleges and universities were invited to complete an online survey. Study participants reported their identity characteristics and their perceptions of NSOP expressed as metaphors, and provided optional comments. Metaphorical responses were coded and tested for statistically significant association with identity characteristics using chi-square analysis. Effect sizes were reported. Textual analysis was used to identify themes in participant-provided comments, and semistructured interviews were conducted with a small group of NSOP. The tests of association revealed a small, statistically significant association of perception and identity characteristics, such as the study participants' doctoral type, prior online teaching experience, and prior hybrid teaching experience. The effect sizes for these tests were small. Textual analysis of comments revealed five central themes: the appropriateness of an online Ph.D. for certain academic disciplines, lack of mentoring from faculty, lack of collaboration with peers, suspicion of the level of rigor, and acquiring teaching experience. Interview subjects indicated that they benefited from the ability to conduct quantitative research, enhanced career opportunities, and the diversity of their Ph.D. program peers. This study's results suggest that faculty perceptions of NSOP remain largely negative, but that their perceptions are in flux. The changes may have been influenced by the abrupt transition to online teaching and learning during spring 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but understanding the direction and magnitude of the change will require additional study. Barriers for NSOP may have been lowered because more faculty experienced online teaching, but they still exist. The themes identified in participant comments, which exemplify faculty resistance, can serve as a framework for future studies. [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.]