Montgomery College Selected for Prestigious Delphi Award for Transforming Support for Contingent Faculty

The Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, in partnership with the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) has selected Montgomery College as one of two winners of the Delphi Award for 2022. The other winner is Dominican University (CA). Montgomery College and Dominican will each receive $15,000 cash awards to continue their work to support adjunct, contingent, and/or non-tenure-track faculty (NTTF) in promoting student success.

“From a competitive pool of applicants, we chose this year’s winners for their significant work ensuring that contingent faculty are supported,” stated Professor Adrianna Kezar, Director of the Pullias Center and primary investigator on the Delphi Project. “The two organizations selected have instituted scalable and innovative institutional policies that remove equity barriers for non-tenure-track faculty and are prime examples of the exemplary work occurring across the country.”

As in past years, the Pullias Center identified winners that represent key changes that they believe should be happening across the country. “Montgomery College has created a Part-time Faculty Engagement and Support Institute, led by part-time faculty, dedicated to supporting part-time faculty achieve equity,” noted Kezar.

“At Montgomery College, the engagement of part-time faculty is critical to our mission of empowering our students to change their lives,” said President Jermaine F. Williams. “The Institute for Part-time Faculty Engagement and Support raises the visibility of part-time faculty members’ contributions and assists them in navigating available resources.  Montgomery College is proud that the Institute is being honored with this prestigious recognition.”

In 2015, Montgomery College launched their Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement and Support (IPTFES) with a goal of manifesting their belief that part-time faculty must be supported and have the resources they need for the college to successfully achieve its educational mission. The Institute’s guiding principles are equity, inclusivity and building on best practices, and focus on incorporating the contributions made by part-time faculty into the essence of MC.

The winners of the Delphi Award will be honored for their work at AAC&U’s annual meeting on January 18-20, 2023. “The Delphi Award recognizes that student success is dependent on the engagement of all faculty, and it draws attention to the need for colleges and universities to play a leadership role in advancing equity,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “AAC&U congratulates this year’s winners and finalists — and we thank them for their outstanding work.”

The Delphi Award is supported by the TIAA Institute, which helps advance the ways individuals and institutions plan for financial security and organizational effectiveness. Pullias’ Kezar noted the importance of the partnership with TIAA: “We appreciate the support of the TIAA Institute, which has long demonstrated commitment to building knowledge about the academic workforce.”