Who is My Professor?

A Content Analysis of Online Faculty Profiles to Inform Graduate Student Choice

Authors

  • Danielle Zaragoza The University of Texas at Austin
  • Z W Taylor The University of Texas at Austin
  • Jimmy Huynh University of Vermont
  • Kevin Lema Miami University (OH)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jimphe.v4i1.955

Keywords:

graduate students, faculty, technology, Internet, faculty profiles

Abstract

As technology has advanced, faculty members have many ways to connect with current and prospective students. Yet, no extant research has examined online faculty profiles on institutional (.edu) websites. To inform graduate student choice literature, we examined a random sample of 1,500 online faculty profiles across 500 U.S. graduate programs. Findings suggest assistant and associate professors publish the most informative online profiles, whereas private for-profit professors and lecturers publish the least informative profiles. In addition, zero faculty members self-identified their pronouns, race and ethnicity, or their first-generation college student status in their biographical statement. Implications for research and practice in U.S. and international contexts are addressed.

Author Biographies

  • Danielle Zaragoza, The University of Texas at Austin

    Danielle Zaragoza is a postsecondary associate with HCM Strategists. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Z W Taylor, The University of Texas at Austin

    Z.W. Taylor is a PhD candidate studying Higher Education at The University of Texas at Austin. His scholarly work focuses on linguistics and technology in education, in addition to mentoring and disability studies. His publications can be found in Teachers College Record, Higher Education Quarterly, and the Journal of International Students, among others.

  • Jimmy Huynh, University of Vermont

    Jimmy Huynh is an institutional research analyst at the University of Vermont. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of Connecticut and is pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Vermont. He is passionate about making higher education more accessible to all and using assessment to advance social justice work.

  • Kevin Lema, Miami University (OH)

    Kevin Lema is a Graduate Assistant of the Rinella Learning Center at Miami University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Neuroscience from Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) and is pursuing a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University.

The International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education (Print ISSN 2474-2546 & Online ISSN 2474-2554) is a double-blind peer-reviewed scholarly journal that seeks to create conversations about education—especially the policy, practice, and research on teaching and learning—among scholars across the academic disciplines and across national and cultural borders. www.ojed.org/jimphe

Additional Files

Published

2019-12-26

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2019): International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Who is My Professor? : A Content Analysis of Online Faculty Profiles to Inform Graduate Student Choice. (2019). International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education, 4(1), 36-54. https://doi.org/10.32674/jimphe.v4i1.955