Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Advisor
Peter K. Mills
Committee Member
Linda S. Scheirton
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
Postsecondary Education/Faculty/Retention/Attrition/Recruitment/ Satisfaction
Abstract
The purpose of this applied dissertation was to develop a comprehensive program addressing faculty retention and recruitment issues in optometric education at the 16 schools/colleges of optometry in the United States. The project used the development methodology. The research procedures included information gathering, development, and validation of criteria, survey instruments, a workforce model, and the final program.
This project answered the following five research questions: (a) What is the attrition rate for optometric faculty; does it vary by gender, minority group, tenure track status, rank, type of appointment (full or part-time), type of institution (public or private), and what percentage of the attrition is due to retirement, relocation to other schools/colleges versus leaving optometric education completely? (b) What factors contribute to the attrition of optometric faculty; do they vary by gender, minority status, tenure track status, rank, type of appointment, type of institution, or by length of service, and are the factors different for people who leave to go to another program versus those who leave optometric education completely? (c) What factors contribute to the retention of optometric faculty, and do they vary by gender, minority group, tenure track status, rank, type of appointment (full or part-time), type of institution (public or private), or by length of service? (d) What are the current and projected manpower needs for optometric education for the next 10 years after consideration for retirement and attrition? (e) What program should be developed to improve the retention of current optometric faculty members; how could this program be used to recruit new faculty members, and how should this program be implemented and evaluated?
The overall attrition rate was 5.16% and varied among faculty groups. Factors contributing to attrition included process issues, salary, lack of feedback, conflict, and workload distribution. Factors contributing to retention included intellectual challenge, teaching students, intellectual freedom, flexible schedule, autonomy, and scholarly pursuits. An overall job satisfaction level of 93.7% was determined, but it was lower among younger faculty, females, minorities, and those teaching less than 5 years.
The current workforce supply was 1019 and the demand was 1050 faculty members. The projected demand in 10 years was 1297 faculty members. Using the projection model, a faculty shortage as high as 638.4 persons may occur by 10 years.
The program included three goals for retention and recruitment, plans for implementation and evaluation, and provided an understanding of the issues around why people choose to leave or stay in optometric education.
NSUWorks Citation
Sally M. Dillehay. 2003. Development of a Program for Improving Faculty Retention in Optometric Education With Implications for Faculty Recruitment Efforts. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. (887)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/887.