In spring 1986, a national study was conducted to assess the status of part-time faculty in private two-year colleges. Questionnaires were mailed to 142 institutions in 37 states, including 68 independent non-profit colleges, 64 church-related colleges, and 10 independent for-profit colleges. Study findings, based on an overall usable response rate of 60%, included the following: (1) 98.82% of the 85 responding colleges employed part-time faculty; (2) the independent for-profit colleges employed the highest percentage of part-time faculty (76%), while the church-related colleges employed the lowest percentage (38%); (3) 35% of the colleges reported an increase in the number of part-time faculty employed, 16% reported a decrease, and 49% indicated that the number had remained the same as the previous year; (4) 47% of the colleges reported that one course per semester or quarter was the average teaching load of part-time faculty; (5) 40% reported that part-time faculty were paid more than $1000 per course taught; (6) 72% provided some office space for most part-time faculty; (7) 62% indicated that part-time faculty were not required to hold office hours; (8) in only 5 of the 84 colleges responding to this item did part-time faculty receive the same fringe benefits as full-time faculty; (9) most institutions indicated that their part-time faculty had the same amount of formal education and teaching experience as their full-time faculty; (10) 74% of the colleges reported that a majority of their part-time faculty were employed elsewhere, either full- or part-time; and (11) the reason given most frequently for employing part-time faculty was to accommodate enrollments which did not justify full-time faculty. (EJV)