Satisfaction and Hopefulness Among Temporary Part-Time English Faculty Teaching at Minnesota State Community Colleges in the Twin Cities: A Phenomenological Inquiry

Community colleges across the United States have increasingly relied on adjunct faculty. With approximately 77% of community college faculty being part-time instructors (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2014, as cited in Pons et al., 2017, p. 43), understanding their experiences is crucial for employee retention and satisfaction. This phenomenological study aimed to examine the lived experiences of temporary part-time community college English faculty and to see if their hopefulness for future full-time employment has been impacted over time. Using possible selves theory as a theoretical framework, this study sought to reflect on the impact of unsuccessfully seeking full-time employment and its impact on self-perception. To assess this, temporary part-time English community college faculty at campuses within 25 miles of the Twin Cities were asked to participate in a survey that included fifteen questions about their work experience and seven demographic questions. 19 people responded to this survey. In addition to gathering information about their experiences, this survey was used to identify a purposive sample of temporary part-time faculty to participate in the 60-minute focus group, which included two questions related to participants’ connection to campus working conditions, two questions related to participants’ perceptions of work conditions, and three questions related to participants’ hope for future full-time teaching employment. Five people participated in the focus group. The goal of this study was to identify solutions for improving retention and satisfaction among this population to inform future recommendations and employment practices.