Dissertation Abstract

Community college recruitment of radiologic science faculty: The effects of financial and non-financial inducements

Purpose. The nation's workforce will soon be profoundly affected by the aging baby boomer generation due to their approaching retirements and increased demands for available healthcare services. With the graying professorate in health science programs, an unprecedented number of faculty retirements may also be expected within the next five to ten years. My study focused on the identification of effective recruitment strategies that increase applicant interest in faculty positions for community college radiologic science programs. Without the availability of qualified educators to academically prepare the anticipated number of required practitioners, radiologic science healthcare consumers may be at risk of limited services in the near future. Method. Radiologic science practitioners completed a quantitative simulated recruitment survey, consisting of 12 faculty positions with varying hourly wages and signing bonuses, to indicate their level of attraction and stimulus to apply for each. Qualitative data, acquired through the use of two open-ended questions, were triangulated with quantitative data. To conclude the survey, demographic data were collected to determine the potential significance of any relationships within the quantitative data. Findings. Results from this study indicated that radiologic science practitioners were more attracted to community college faculty positions when they were associated with higher wages and monetary bonuses. Practitioners indicated the importance of other financial and non-financial recruitment inducements such as high quality health and retirement benefits, paid time off, educational assistance, flexible work schedules, and a supportive work environment. They further valued the geographic location of the college and characteristics of the community as well as the resources of the radiologic science program associated with the faculty position. Keywords. community college, recruitment, faculty, and radiologic science

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