Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride: Contingent Faculty's Experiences in the Academic Job Market.
Saved in:
| Title: | Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride: Contingent Faculty's Experiences in the Academic Job Market. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Elliott, Diane Cardenas1, Kuchirko, Yana2, Diallo, Kadidja M.3 |
| Source: | Journal of Education Human Resources. Jan2026, Vol. 44 Issue 1, p151-177. 27p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Adjunct faculty, *Higher education, *Employability, *Qualitative research, *Academic employment, *Academic tenure, Contingent employment |
| Geographic Terms: | United States |
| Abstract: | The "adjunctification" of higher education represents one of the most significant changes in U.S. postsecondary education. A growing number of part-time faculty increasingly seek full-time, permanent employment in an academic job market characterized by a surplus of qualified candidates competing for a shrinking number of tenure-track and permanent lecturer positions. While prior research provides a thorough understanding of the inequities in working conditions adjuncts face in their universities, further investigation is necessary to understand the factors influencing contingent faculty's prospects for obtaining full-time positions within the academic job market. In this study, the authors employ a qualitative approach to examine how U.S. contingent faculty navigated the labor market in higher education and whether and how they perceived their adjunct experiences to hinder or augment their ability to secure permanent, full-time positions. Using semistructured, qualitative interviews with 30 contingent faculty across the United States, they discovered three themes. First, some contingent faculty believed adjuncting helped them garner employability tools necessary for navigating the academic job market. Second, most contingent faculty felt that adjuncting yielded diminishing returns in terms of securing full-time employment. Third, many expressed having experienced a bias against them for being an adjunct that rendered them less competitive than newly minted, younger PhDs or external candidates. The authors discuss the implications of their research for higher education institutions seeking to support and promote the advancement of contingent faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | The "adjunctification" of higher education represents one of the most significant changes in U.S. postsecondary education. A growing number of part-time faculty increasingly seek full-time, permanent employment in an academic job market characterized by a surplus of qualified candidates competing for a shrinking number of tenure-track and permanent lecturer positions. While prior research provides a thorough understanding of the inequities in working conditions adjuncts face in their universities, further investigation is necessary to understand the factors influencing contingent faculty's prospects for obtaining full-time positions within the academic job market. In this study, the authors employ a qualitative approach to examine how U.S. contingent faculty navigated the labor market in higher education and whether and how they perceived their adjunct experiences to hinder or augment their ability to secure permanent, full-time positions. Using semistructured, qualitative interviews with 30 contingent faculty across the United States, they discovered three themes. First, some contingent faculty believed adjuncting helped them garner employability tools necessary for navigating the academic job market. Second, most contingent faculty felt that adjuncting yielded diminishing returns in terms of securing full-time employment. Third, many expressed having experienced a bias against them for being an adjunct that rendered them less competitive than newly minted, younger PhDs or external candidates. The authors discuss the implications of their research for higher education institutions seeking to support and promote the advancement of contingent faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2562783X |
| DOI: | 10.3138/jehr-2023-0070 |
