Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

8-2009

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Terrence A. Tollefson

Committee Members

Carla E. Warner, James H. Lampley, Jasmine R. Renner

Abstract

Based on the premises of "Equity Theory" (Adams, 1963), this study evaluated the Virginia Community College System compensation rates and compared the salaries of similarly ranked and similarly qualified male and female faculty members. A quantitative analysis was conducted of the reported salaries of all full-time instructional faculty members in the Virginia Community College System in the Fall of 2006. The specific areas examined included salary, rank, highest degree earned, and full- or parttime employment status. Using the tenets of Equity Theory as a foundation, this study evaluated any differences in the compensation and rank between male and female faculty members to determine the "fairness" of salary policies.

The population of this study included all instructional faculty members employed during academic year 2006-2007 in the 23 community colleges in the state of Virginia.

Results of this analysis indicated that there were differences based on gender in the mean salaries of faculty members of the Virginia Community College System at the professor faculty rank for VCCS faculty members outside of Northern Virginia Community College and at the associate professor rank at Northern Virginia Community College.

Findings of this study further indicated that faculty members in the Virginia Community College system overall were slightly more likely to be female, hold master's degrees, and hold assistant professor rank. Findings indicated that both males and females were equally likely to be employed as part-time faculty members in the Virginia Community College System and that both education and experience contributed significantly to salary in the Virginia Community College System.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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