Developing Faculty as Mid-level Leaders: Learning about Leadership

Abstract Community colleges enroll 40% of college students, many of whom ultimately transfer to and graduate from four-year universities. These institutions also provide critical workforce development for businesses and contribute to the economic development of their communities. Faculty play an outsized role at community colleges as they interact more often than others on campus with students who are commuters, and adjunct faculty fill upwards of 70% of the faculty ranks. Full-time faculty members must maintain curriculum, engage in institutional planning, and fulfill the administrative needs of academic units. Therefore, faculty leadership in community colleges provides a critical linchpin to student success. The research reported in this article included 24 community college faculty from around the country who participated in a structured professional development program in which they developed programming to offer on their campus. The professional development programming included specific sessions on leadership development and required participants to complete reflective journals after each workshop session as well as a final meta-reflection done at the conclusion of the program. Using a case study methodology, the survey data and analysis of the participants’ reflective journals determined that the faculty members acquired a set of leadership strategies and that their perceptions of leadership changed over the course of the program. They gained confidence in themselves as leaders, their appreciation for collaborative leadership and networks improved, and they understood their role and influence for supporting students in transitions better. Providing faculty with leadership development can increase capacity for change in community colleges.