There is a widening gap between administrators' and faculty members' attitudes towards online education. This post-positivist grounded theory study explored features of the experiences that shaped sixteen faculty members' attitudes towards online education. Two features are identified: (a) they strived to express subject matter of personal significance, and (b) they strived to take on various social roles. The degree to which these efforts were facilitated--or thwarted--shaped their attitudes towards online education. This analytical focus recognizes that online education changes not only how faculty members teach; it also introduces new activities that affect the meaning of teaching for faculty members.