Faculty at two-year colleges have found their professional identities shaped by conflicting perceptions. Because the community college culture has traditionally emphasized the role of faculty member as teacher and devalued the role of faculty member as scholar, it is not uncommon for faculty who spend their careers teaching in a two-year college to feel a growing sense of estrangement from their discipline. This essay examines the internal and external challenges two-year college English faculty face in gaining recognition and attaining professional parity for the work they do in the field of composition. (Contains 4 notes.)