Characteristics of Today's Applied Engineering College-Level Educator

Abstract

Higher education is constantly changing and evolving. Many contend that the recent changes have not always been positive and that current changes have greatly affected applied engineering programs. The purpose of this article is to investigate and collect information regarding current issues and the current state of educators in postsecondary, applied engineering/technology programs. It is a broad overarching approach with the intent of identifying the current state, potential research needs, and concerns within the discipline. Two hundred and twelve faculty members within the United States responded to a national survey to help fellow faculty determine the current and evolving characteristics of today’s applied engineering college-level educator. Previous literature and data identifies changes related to financial challenges, salaries, technological advancement, professional experience, course load and class size, globalization, and lack of advancement opportunities. The survey sought to determine the current status of the field in those areas and found that the mean salary of $73,567 for the respondents was above the mean national higher education salaries but had a high standard deviation. Of the faculty, 74% are teaching in the classroom followed by 13% hybrid, and 13% online. The mean number of years of service outside of academia was 12.34. Regarding positional status and opportunities for advancement, the respondents were 21% contract only, 19% tenure track, and 60% tenured faculty. The data collected points out some areas that have potentially changed over time and areas that need further investigation. Long-term data is needed to establish a change in trends.