Adjuncts, contingent or part-time faculty represent a large portion of the academic workforce in higher education. At all US institutions combined, about 73% of instructional positions are “off the tenure track.”
What motivates this specific group of educators? What challenges do they face? To find out, we surveyed more than 400 adjuncts at 2- and 4-year institutions.
The study reveals a variety of eye-opening insights, including: One-third of adjuncts feel disrespected or less valued than full-time faculty.
Stats like this one shed light on a common thread amongst adjuncts: a feeling of being undervalued, overworked and poorly compensated.
Quotes from those surveyed echo this sentiment. As one adjunct at a 4-year school said:
“The college does not recognize that adjuncts exist. We are not listed as faculty on the departmental websites.”
Despite challenges, adjuncts continually bring valuable perspectives to their classrooms. To learn more, check out our ebook on the full study, complete with data, quotes and more to provide a bigger picture on this important—and overlooked—segment of higher education.
