Development in Comprehensive Onboarding Training and Professional Development for Online Adjunct Faculty

Hiring online adjunct faculty in higher education continues to grow, encompassing nearly half of the overall faculty population. As four-year institutions rely on the benefits of adjunct faculty, they must also invest in their orientation and continuous development. Existing literature confirms the varied approaches to supporting adjunct faculty, deficiency in coordinated programming, and reveals a lack of understanding in adjunct faculty's perception of training delivered. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, this study explored the gap between the onboarding and professional development an institution provides and the online adjunct faculty’s perception of its effectiveness. The research questions explored the lived experiences of adjunct faculty receiving and administrators managing the training. To better understand the barriers to developing comprehensive training, both perspectives contributed to the body of literature on this topic. The study was conducted with participants from two small liberal arts universities in the Midwest by conducting direct interviews with three administrators and 25 online adjunct faculty. The findings revealed eight themes about the phenomena of adjunct faculty onboarding and professional development, indicating that diverse perceptions among adjunct faculty highlight the challenge of creating effective training programs. However, leaders can overcome this by listening to adjuncts and improving processes. Adjuncts reported that receiving clear expectations, a thorough orientation to the LMS, and connecting with support staff can boost satisfaction and readiness. Results suggest a structured approach to assessing training needs and effectiveness provides valuable insights into the most effective training program design.