Faculty Scholarship on Adjunct and Student Perspectives

For Olivet Nazarene University faculty, part of teaching is connecting research with insights on how students and colleagues learn as well as best practices to reach desired outcomes. Two articles published by Olivet professors this past summer in the peer-reviewed journal Christian Higher Education - the leading journal for scholarship on issues and practices related to Christian colleges and universities - illustrate the application of scholarship to deepening the University's learning environment.

Dr. Laurie Hofman, director of graduate programs for Olivet's School of Education, was the lead author on a study examining online adjuncts. Written with three co-authors, including Dr. Kathi Meleskie-Lippert, program coordinator for Olivet's Reading Specialist program; Bethany Nummela-Hanel, who formerly served as a librarian in Benner Library; and Dr. Charlie Rodrigues from Concordia University Irvine, "Perceptions of University Culture and Community Among Online Adjuncts" examines how to support adjunct educators in a university setting.

Recognizing the growing role of adjuncts in online education, Dr. Hofman and her colleagues surveyed adjuncts at two Christian universities to understand how they perceive their connection with each other, their program and their university and to solicit their feedback on ways to increase these connections. They found that university culture is critical for both adjunct and student success.

"For many students," Dr. Hofman points out, "online adjunct instructors are the face of the university."

Dr. Hofman's research shows how creating and maintaining systems of communication, collaboration, recognition and support impact perceptions of university climate and culture in what could otherwise be an isolating adjunct teaching experience. According to Dr. Hofman, when these systems of support exist, "online adjunct instructors are more likely to be invested in the university, leading to more engaged instruction and better student outcomes, including higher rates of retention and persistence to graduation."

The article by Dr. Hofman et al. is freely available online through open access due to generous support by Olivet's Craighton T. and Linda G. Hippenhammer Faculty Scholarship Grant.

The second paper published this past summer in Christian Higher Education by Olivet faculty was "A Hindrance or Help? The Chapel Experience and Student Religiosity at a Christian University" by lead author Dr. Daniel Allen '10, an assistant professor in Olivet's Department of Behavioral Sciences. Along with two co-authors, the work was conducted as part of Dr. Allen's Ph.D. dissertation at Baylor University. Using a survey of 800 students at a large Christian university, Dr. Allen measured how chapel attendance affected feelings toward religion. Chapel has historically been seen as an important indicator of a university's religious identity, as a means of deepening student spirituality, and as a place for student seekers to come to faith. Dr. Allen's work showed that, at the university studied, chapel was not having the desired effect. His research supported a data-driven transition in chapel format that balanced retaining the university's Christian mission while revising its chapel offerings to offer students more choice in chapel style and format.

"Having an ear toward student opinions and relying on data for decisions," Dr. Allen says, "doesn't have to be separate or opposed to a desire for students' religious growth. But we need to know whether it's time to rethink methods - while keeping our content consistent."

The work of both Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Allen exemplifies the Olivet faculty mission of integrating scholarship with the desire to influence student lives for spiritual growth and service. Publishing research on adjunct perceptions of their university environment and student perceptions of the chapel experience allow these faculty scholars to give back to their wider professional community as well as strengthen their own teaching context.

Disclosure: The author of this article is on the editorial board of Christian Higher Education but was not involved in the review or acceptance of these articles.

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