What Matters Most: A Phenomenological Study on the Experiences of Engagement and Inclusion of Online Part-Time Faculty in Christian Higher Education

Higher education institutions significantly rely on part-time faculty members to meet course demands. The growth of part-time faculty has grown over 250% since the 1970s. Part-time faculty are now seen as the majority over tenured and tenure-track faculty. Due to the changes in higher education and the crucial role online part-time faculty play in higher education institutions, online bachelor-level program deans must learn to support and engage these faculty members more effectively. The leadership problem identified for this study is that online bachelor-level program deans are being challenged to deliver the support needed to online part-time faculty members to ensure their engagement and inclusion in an online learning setting and the organization as a whole (Weber et al., 2022; Thacker, 2020; Hoyt et al., 2008). This phenomenological qualitative study aims to discover leaders’ strategies that program deans of online undergraduate programs utilize to increase engagement and inclusion among online part-time faculty at Baptist/Southern Baptist-affiliated, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). From the interviews and data analysis of the current study seven themes to support the research questions were developed: sense of belonging, authentic leader/follower relationship, autonomy and empowerment, consistent communication and support, recognition, passion for teaching, leadership strategies representative of institutional culture. These seven themes contributed to the study's major findings surrounding three components: intrinsic motivations, positive and supportive leader/follower relationships, and institutional culture, which seem to impact online part-time faculty members’ overall engagement and inclusion in their roles, leading to their overall sense of belonging within their organization. The implications of practice from the findings of the current study to engage and include online part-time faculty included (1) for the institution and senior leadership to offer more opportunities for online part-time faculty to participate and integrate with the institutional community, (2) for updated policies, procedures, and faculty models, and (3) streamline institutional-level communication directed toward part-time faculty to increase clarity and a sense of belonging. The implications of leadership from the findings of the current study to engage and include online part-time faculty included (1) improving leader education on effective leadership styles with online part-time faculty, (2) Increasing leader awareness of the needs and desires of online part-time faculty.