ABSTRACT
This chapter explores significance of the doctorate in relation to the use of reference groups, instructional practice and professional involvement in particular. Just over one-quarter of community college faculty have served as instructors for fewer than five years, while the remainder have been instructors for five years or more. Of course, a survey of administrators would likely show that a far higher percentage had experience as faculty, because of hiring patterns that usually lead from faculty service to administrative positions, rather than vice-versa. The ratio of full-timers to part-timers is nearly the inverse of that in the national body of community college faculty. As the literature demonstrates, the distinction between full- and part-time faculties has of much interest to both researchers and practitioners. Future studies could over-sample members of racial/ethnic minority groups to allow for analysis according to ethnic/racial characteristics.
