Faculty in Developmental Education

Higher education, in its interest in improving overall student outcomes, has increased its attention to developmental programs, essentially the “gatekeeper courses” to the core college curricula (Fike & Fike, 2007). Developmental education is rarely an end in itself. Students do not enroll in college to improve their basic academic skills. However, faculty in developmental education are responsible for many varying types of instruction. How faculty view their roles as professional educators in relation to developmental education is vital to the ultimate success of the developmental learners (Farmer & Barham, 2001).

Often faculty in a wide range of disciplines who have little or no background in working with underprepared students are required to teach students who lack the reading, writing, and mathematical skills they need to succeed at the college level. Developmental programs are not confined to limited numbers of courses. Both trained developmental instructors and content instructors with no training in working with students with limited academic preparation and skills would benefit from organizational and instructional models that synthesize the benefits of department-based and centralized developmental education (Kozeracki & Brooks, 2006).

Faculty teaching developmental students must have sufficient subject-area knowledge, and they must possess knowledge of effective strategies to meet the myriad needs of developmental students – many of which go far beyond those of the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics. Faculty must be comprised of strongly committed, well-prepared professionals. They must possess the qualifications and skills that extend beyond simply understanding instruction, assessment, and placement (McCabe, 2003). Faculty in developmental programs need to be knowledgeable of the special needs of this population of students. Though adjunct faculty may be financially necessary at many institutions, efforts should be made to have full-time professional developmental faculty, accessible to adjunct developmental faculty and reflective of the institution’s commitment to developmental student retention and success (Seefchak, 2008).