Over the past 2 decades the role of part-time faculty in U.S. higher education has grown dramatically. Today, contingent instructors—most of them part-time—make up over half of the instructional workforce at American colleges and universities, and at community colleges they often account for 60-70% of the teaching staff (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2014; Jaeger Stes et al., 2010). Yet, institutional investments in faculty development often prioritize full-time, tenure-track faculty, leaving part-time instructors with fewer resources, fewer pathways to pedagogical innovation, and limited opportunities to reflect on their teaching practice in community with peers (Kezar, 2013; Schuster Kuh & O’Donnell, 2013), their adaptation for faculty development represents an innovative and underexplored approach to improving college teaching, particularly for instructors working under contingent conditions. This article examines the design, implementation, and outcomes of the Fellowship over its first 2 years. Drawing on program documents, participant reflections, and capstone presentations, we argue that the Fellowship offers a promising, replicable model for supporting contingent faculty through sustained, high-impact professional development. In doing so, it not only strengthens individual teaching practice but also builds a more inclusive and learning-centered academic culture.
Miller et al. (Fri,) studied this question.