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Are There Instructional Differences Between Fulltime And Parttime Faculty?, R. Eric Landrum

R. Eric Landrum

Using data from 8 academic departments and 361 courses taught during a semester, I examined differences between fulltime and parttime faculty in the areas of general demographic variables, student evaluation of teaching outcomes, and the distribution of grades earned. I expected fulltime faculty to exhibit higher teaching evaluations and less lenient grade distributions, yet neither hypothesis was supported. However, substantial differences exist in the support mechanisms provided to parttime and fulltime faculty. These results are discussed in the context of a growing national reliance on parttime faculty, and the potential implications of this trend.