This paper discusses a study that examined the characteristics of part-time faculty in order to gain a better understanding of their needs so that better decisions might be made in part-time faculty management. Implications for institutional researchers who plan to study part-time faculty were also examined, including the challenges of obtaining responses from part-time faculty and the ethical issues involved in studying this group. The study was conducted during the fall 1988 semester at Fullerton College, a large suburban community college in Southern California. Of the 371 part-time faculty who were surveyed, usable responses were received from 314. The issues addressed were (1) the qualifications of part-time faculty; (2) their frustrations concerning pay and resource allocation, and their general feelings about their status in relation to full-time faculty; and (3) their involvement in the school and with other faculty. Among major findings were: that part-time faculty averaged lower degree attainment but high other professional qualifications; that part-time faculty feel they are treated as second-class citizens; and that few feel involved with the college but that 60 percent want more involvement. Also provided are seven detailed profiles of part-time faculty which were developed through multiple regression analysis. Contains 13 references. (GLR)