1. Approximately how many total faculty serve the 2.6 million students in the California community colleges?
A. 1 million faculty
B. 500,000 faculty
C. 200,000 faculty
D. 60,000 faculty
E. 36,000 faculty
2. Approximately how many faculty are tenure track and how many are temporary faculty (temporary faculty include part-time faculty and temporary contract)?
A. 80% full time and 20% temporary
B. 60% full time and 40% temporary
C. 50% full time and 50% temporary
D. 40% full time and 60% temporary
E. 30% full time and 70% temporary
3. Each of these groups represent approximately what percent of the full time equivalent faculty (FTE) in California community colleges?
A. 80% full time and 20% temporary
B. 75% full time and 25% temporary
C. 55% full time and 45% temporary
D. 50% full time and 50% temporary
E. 40% full time and 60% temporary
Why might this information be important?
See below for the answers.
Answers
Question 1 - D
Approximately how many total faculty serve the 2.6 million students in the California community colleges?
A. 1 million faculty
B. 500,000 faculty
C. 200,000 faculty
D. 60,000 faculty
E. 36,000 faculty
According to the latest report by the Chancellor's Office there are 60,789 faculty in the California Community Colleges.
Full-time Tenure Track Faculty Number - 17,840
Tenure Track Faculty Full-Time Equivalents - 19,723
Temporary Faculty Number - 42,949
Temporary Faculty Full Time Equivalents - 16,149
Total faculty in the CCC 's - 60,789
Question 2 - E
Each of these groups represent approximately what percent of the full time equivalent faculty (FTE) in California community colleges?
A. 80% full time and 20% temporary
B. 60% full time and 40% temporary
C. 50% full time and 50% temporary
D. 40% full time and 60% temporary
E. 30% full time and 70% temporary
42,949 are temporary faculty. This represents 71% of the faculty. Tenure track faculty represent 19,723 faculty in the system, only 29% if you are looking at sheer numbers of faculty.
Question 3 - C
Approximately what percent of the full time equivalent faculty (FTE) does each of these groups represent?
A. 80% full time and 20% temporary
B. 75% full time and 25% temporary
C. 55% full time and 45% temporary
D. 50% full time and 50% temporary
E. 40% full time and 60% temporary
The FTE percentage of tenure track and temporary faculty are 55 and 45 percent respectively. These numbers illustrate the very significant and essential contributions of temporary faculty. In addition, a recent study indicates a significantly higher percentage of part time faculty teaching basic skills courses than other courses and this mirrors a nation-wide trend. Take a moment to consider the resources these faculty have. How do they get professional development? How connected are they to our statewide Basic Skills Initiative?
Trained, supported, and informed faculty are essential to student success.
In addition, as we consider the Basic Skills Initiative, SLO Assessment and Accreditation challenges, we need faculty with professional development beyond their discipline fields. At a recent Basic Skills Steering Committee meeting, Dr. Shannon of Chaffey College emphasized the importance of seeing our part time faculty pool as a source of knowledgeable faculty. He underscored the importance of viewing part time faculty training as an investment in our CCC system's future.
ASCCC knows that we cannot achieve our statewide goal of increasing basic skills success without providing resources and training to part time faculty. Some of this training occurred at the August 2008 Basic Skills Institute in Newport Beach. Teams of faculty from 70 California community colleges (made up of one full-time faculty accompanied by up to four part time faculty) came for an update on BSI statistics, goals, resources, and direction. Institute faculty spent a great deal of time on pedagogical tools specific to their disciplines.
When these faculty return to their home colleges, they will have important information and tools to share with their colleagues.
They have become an integral part of the Basic Skills Initiative; a statewide focus to address student success.
We know that the challenges for part time faculty are great. Often they have no email, computer, offices, or professional development! Some have never met another faculty member on their campus in their discipline; contact has been limited to paperwork and administrators. What is your participation quotient in moving our field of part time faculty forward, providing resources and training?
Student success, particularly in basic skills, will depend upon recognizing and including those 42,949 temporary faculty in training and planning.
What is your college doing? Consider how to incorporate part time faculty in your college-wide training. ASCCC believes we cannot move forward without them! And don't forget that you can compensate them with some of your basic skills funding.