The current increase in demand for post-secondary educators, coupled with other labor issues, is exasperating faculty shortages. Noting a gap within current research, it was not known how intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics influence commitment of full and part-time faculty. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to…

Learning about curriculum development is critical for middle managers of technical vocational institutions in order to assume curriculum leadership in maintaining and enhancing the quality and relevance of their educational programs. This case study reports on the design and effects of a professional development arrangement (PDA), with such a…

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirmed that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The…

Women who move into and work within administration in higher education face many struggles. Both the traits that are specific to most females and their leadership style can impede their rise into and within administrative ranks. In addition, higher education has traditionally been a hierarchical and patriarchal system that makes it more difficult…

Community colleges today are experiencing monumental shifts in their operating environments. Some of these changes are known, but many of them are not. They include shifts in curriculum, funding, and societal expectation to name a few. Through the constructs of high quality work environment and organizational fluidity theory, this research…

This dissertation is an examination of the state of the liberal arts curriculum in community colleges in three geographic regions of the United States. From a constructivist paradigm and using globalization theory as a theoretical framework, this multiple case study examined faculty work life and administrative processes related to curriculum…

This case study at a community college serving a small city and surrounding rural area was undertaken to examine how a diverse staff experiences the work place. Interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of one-half of the student affairs group staff; half of the respondent group were people of color, and four out of five were…