Abstract
As part of the post-secondary educational landscape, online programs and courses help institutions reach and enroll more students. To meet the needs of increased enrollments in online education, part-time faculty are often hired to teach online courses. Part-time contingent faculty represent a growing majority across many fields of study in colleges and universities. As Rendahl & Breuch reported, first-year courses, specifically freshman composition, are increasingly taught online. This study uses a mixed-methods design to examine how, and in what ways, writing program administrators (WPAs) approach preparing part-time faculty to teach writing online. The findings reveal that WPAs often encounter workload and funding constraints that limit their ability to help professionalize part-time faculty for online writing instruction; however, participants were mindful of the issues related to contingent employment and the importance of faculty development.
Recommended Citation
Beavers, Melvin E.
(2021)
"Administrative Rhetorical Mindfulness: A Professional Development Framework for Administrators in Higher Education,"
Academic Labor: Research and Artistry: Vol. 5, Article 9.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/alra/vol5/iss1/9
Included in
Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons
Publication-Ready Author Bio
Melvin Beavers is the First-Year Writing Director in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Beavers teaches courses in first-year composition, persuasive writing, and research methods. Additionally, he has presented research at several national conferences, including conferences for the Council of Writing Program Administrators, Popular Culture Association, and the Association of Rhetoric and Writing Studies.