Benefits Count for Community College Faculty

Benefits matter when it comes to job satisfaction among part-time faculty at community colleges. That’s the conclusion of a study co-authored by Dr. Paul D. Umbach, associate professor of education, who presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting.

Umbach and Dr. Ryan Wells of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst evaluated national survey data from 5,700 faculty at 300 community colleges. Results showed adjunct faculty members shoulder significant teaching loads at community colleges and rely on their teaching income to varying degrees.

About a third of part-timers received benefits, which were positively related to job satisfaction.