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Institutions of higher learning are expanding their academic reach by offering distance education courses and degree programs. Student demand for distance education continues to grow and so does the need for qualified faculty. The literature presents numerous approaches and best practices regarding new faculty orientation and professional development. Yet, a gap exists regarding the professional development and engagement of adjunct faculty who may be geographically isolated from institutional support and teach in distance education programs. An online orientation and engagement program (OEP) was developed and implemented with the goal of promoting the role of key stakeholder among adjunct faculty in an online graduate nursing degree program.
AGROWING NUMBER of colleges and universities have opted to expand their academic footprint by offering distance education courses and fully online degree programs. Distance education provides an opportunity for students to pursue higher education outside of the traditional classroom regardless of time and location. The U. S. Department of Education (DOE, 2016) reported in the Digest of Education Statistics 2014 that of the 20.4 million students enrolled in fall 2013, some 5.5 million took at least one distance education course as part of their program.
Student demand for distance education continues to grow and so does the need for academically and experientially qualified faculty to provide all types of instruction in colleges and universities across the country. The American Association of University Professors (2014) provides statistics that indicate from 1975/76 to 2011 the number of parttime faculty rose from 199,139 (25.1%) to 768,430 (41.5%) representing 16.4% growth. Furthermore, the DOE in The Condition of Education 2016 reported that 49% of instructional faculty at colleges and universities serve as adjuncts. Offering faculty development that engages this growing cadre of part-time or adjunct faculty as key stakeholders in distance education programs encompasses both challenges and opportunities.
Background
Academic leaders continue to face the challenge of ensuring a balanced portfolio of academic programs with the appropriate number and type of faculty (Johnson & Turner, 2009). As higher education institutions continue to experience the shift in hiring part-time or adjunct faculty it is imperative to allocate resources that support comprehensive recruitment and hiring processes, provide structured and consistent orientation experiences, and promote engagement opportunities for adjunct faculty to participate as decision makers...