Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

8-2024

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Bill Flora

Committee Members

Stephanie Barham, Don Good, Pamela Scott

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of adjunct faculty. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unparalleled disruption around the globe. Challenges that were faced in higher education included health and safety protocols, social distancing, emergency remote teaching, and closing campuses while trying to maintain quality of the education and perceived value for the student.

Adjunct faculty play a significant role in higher education, teaching and supporting academic programs. Given the reliance on the use of adjunct faculty and recognizing the link between job satisfaction and performance, the experiences of adjunct faculty should be taken under consideration by higher education policymakers. The purpose of this narrative analysis study was to understand how the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the experiences of adjunct faculty related to institutional supports and student relationships, as well as desire to persist teaching as adjunct faculty.

The findings of the study revealed the following themes: adjunct faculty as trusted professionals, prior experience and technical support, disinclination to integrate technology into teaching, lacking student interactions during the pandemic, student camera usage, fair compensation for adjunct faculty, adjunct faculty commitment and dedication, and teaching practices adopted following the pandemic.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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