Building Faculty Capacity through High-Impact Practices: The Eric Grosse Memorial Fellowship for Part-Time Faculty Development

Over the past 2 decades the role of part-time faculty in U.S. higher education has grown dramatically. Today, contingent instructors—most of them part-time—make up over half of the instructional workforce at American colleges and universities, and at community colleges they often account for 60-70% of the teaching staff (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2014; Jaeger & Eagan, 2009). Despite their essential contributions to student learning, part-time faculty are frequently excluded from campus professional development programs, lack adequate institutional support, and are rarely integrated into the broader academic community (Kezar & Maxey, 2014). This gap not only undermines the professional growth and satisfaction of contingent faculty, but it also risks compromising student success, particularly for historically underserved student populations who disproportionately enroll in community colleges (Eagan & Jaeger, 2008). Numerous studies have underscored the relationship between faculty development and improvements in student learning outcomes, engagement, and retention (Condon et al., 2016; Stes et al., 2010). Yet, institutional investments in faculty development often prioritize full-time, tenure-track faculty, leaving part-time instructors with fewer resources, fewer pathways to pedagogical innovation, and limited opportunities to reflect on their teaching practice in community with peers (Kezar, 2013; Schuster & Finkelstein, 2006). As Kezar and Sam (2013) argue, creating inclusive, meaningful professional development for contingent faculty is not simply a matter of equity but of institutional effectiveness. The Eric Grosse Memorial Fellowship (Fellowship) at Montgomery College addresses this urgent need by providing a structured, reflective, and evidence-informed professional development program specifically for part-time faculty. Now entering its third year, the Fellowship leverages the 7 principles for good practice in undergraduate education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987) and intentionally applies high-impact practices (HIPs)—including collaborative learning, reflective writing, and capstone projects—to the development of teaching practice. While HIPs are most often used to enhance undergraduate learning (Kuh, 2008; Kuh & O’Donnell, 2013), their adaptation for faculty development represents an innovative and underexplored approach to improving college teaching, particularly for instructors working under contingent conditions. This article examines the design, implementation, and outcomes of the Fellowship over its first 2 years. Drawing on program documents, participant reflections, and capstone presentations, we argue that the Fellowship offers a promising, replicable model for supporting contingent faculty through sustained, high-impact professional development. In doing so, it not only strengthens individual teaching practice but also builds a more inclusive and learning-centered academic culture.