Online Faculty and Adjuncts: Strategies for Meeting Current and Future Demands of Online Education Through Online Human Touch Training and Support

Online education has grown exponentially over the past decade. Data collected by the Sloan Consortium reveals that between 2002 and 2009 students enrolled in at least one online course increased from 1.6 million to 5.6 million. It is projected that by 2020 up to 60% of college students will take their courses entirely online. A critical question for higher education administrators is “Who will teach these online courses?” Institutions need to be proactive and develop strategies for hiring and training faculty and adjuncts to meet this shift in educational delivery. Moreover, with online student attrition reported as being higher than traditional student attrition, faculty must also know how to engage and retain students in the online classroom environment. This article examines online faculty recruitment, online faculty training, and ten strategies for integrating Online Human Touch training and support into current and future online programs to increase faculty and student engagement and retention. Institutions that are not evaluating online education delivery options may face crisis or financial exigency. For many colleges and university, online faculty and adjuncts will be a central part of the future of the institution.