| This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of eight full-time community college faculty members who taught during the economic crisis of 2008. The study was guided by the central research question, "How do community college faculty members describe their lived experiences regarding the recent economic crisis of 2008 and its impact on the community college setting?" Furthermore, this study examined five additional research questions to gain a better understanding of what it means to teach during an economic crisis. This study used a phenomenological research design to uncover the universal essence of what it means to teach during a period of financial hard times in higher education. Data were collected from eight full-time community college faculty members who taught at a small multi campus community college system in Mississippi. The findings suggested that these faculty members had concerns about their personal finances and the funding of the college. Furthermore, the findings revealed that these eight faculty members experienced an increase in teaching demands, integrated commitment to teaching and learning, community of practice focused on student needs, supportive college administration, communal interaction between faculty and staff, while experiencing an increase in their emotional and empathetic behavior. Despite all of the changes brought on by the economic crisis of 2008, these faculty members expressed nothing changed about their instructional practice, faculty connected more, and the institution as a whole focused on how they could help the students to meet the goals they were there to meet. In essence, the focus of the college during the crisis period was on teaching and learning, in spite of the fiscal challenges brought on by the economic crisis of 2008. |
