Summary

Our examination of survey and case study evidence suggests the following are important factors in explaining faculty-labor market linkages:

• Vocational faculty are more connected to the labor market, other things being equal, largely because their programs depend on enrollments and placements for survival.
• Part-time faculty have weak connections to their institutions and, other things being equal, lower levels of connectivity to the labor market.
• Faculty perceive that they have very little time available for undertaking intensive linking activities.
• Limited institutional resources limit professional development and workplace placement opportunities for faculty.
• Institutions do not formally reward linking behaviors and faculty receive little support from their colleges, with the exception of vocational faculty in career assistance activities.
• Faculty in multi-campus districts have lower levels of connectivity, other things being equal.
• Strong boundaries exist between academic and vocational departments, and between credit and non-credit programs, in most colleges, limiting collaboration and information sharing.
• Local conditions affect the opportunities for faculty to build linkages.