Profile of community college faculty within a neoliberal environment

Espinosa, Yvette Maria (2021) Profile of community college faculty within a neoliberal environment. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

As higher education institutions adopt a neoliberal approach to education (Kater, 2017; Levin, 2007), the changes implemented can disrupt the organization (Christensen & Eyring, 2012; Kezar & Sam, 2012). Yet, the effects of neoliberal policies and practice on traditional faculty roles is not well understood and little research has examined this topic. Examining the role of faculty is timely because the most effective governance models within organizational change evolve as the organization evolves (Kezar et al., 2019). It is essential to identify how faculty understand and experience their role traditionally and within a neoliberal environment. This research study seeks to create a profile of faculty members in a neoliberal environment by outlining how faculty understand and experience their role within a neoliberal community college. The primary research question is: In what ways do community college faculty understand and experience their role within the emergence of neoliberal leadership, policies, and practices? The research question was assessed using Saguaro State Community College’s (SSCC) full-time faculty members as a case study to identify how faculty at neoliberal institutions understand and experience their position. The researcher developed a survey to examine three areas of the traditional role of faculty, neoliberal influences at SSCC, and how/if faculty perceive any changes to their role because of neoliberal influences. The survey results were analyzed using descriptive data, ANOVAs, and a t-test. The results indicate that the understanding and experience of faculty within a neoliberal environment are multifaceted. This research study revealed generalizations that can be made about the profile of community college faculty in a neoliberal environment. It also revealed that faculty differ in their understanding and experience based on the demographic factors examined.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Academic freedom; faculty; Neoliberalism; Shared governance; Social cognition theory; Tenurep; Community college faculty; Saguaro State Community College
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Education > Educational Leadership
Date Deposited:	02 Feb 2022 21:19
Last Modified:	02 Feb 2022 21:19
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/5631

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