Seminar 13P - Online and Blended Program Sustainability: Strategies for Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Exceptional Faculty and Adjuncts

Economic and demographic factors are driving increasing enrollments in online and blended courses. While technology enables colleges and universities to reach new and expanded student markets, full- and part-time faculty are critical to student engagement and retention. This seminar will provide research and data that link long-term program sustainability to hiring, training, and retaining faculty and adjuncts. We will discuss direct, indirect, and opportunity costs related to poor hiring/training processes and faculty/adjunct attrition.

We will introduce a conceptual framework on online human touch that provides strategies for connecting faculty and adjuncts to programs and institutions through engagement, community development, personalized communication, professional development, and data-driven decision making. This session will examine active learning in online and blended environments and facilitate small group discussion. The session will also examine the value of program guidelines, policies, and templates in relation to quality and scaling. You will leave with innovative and effective strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining exceptional faculty and adjuncts that can be seamlessly integrated into current and future online and blended programs.