Another interesting post on Inside Higher Ed. (I wrote most recently about another Inside Higher Ed piece on when to make a career change.) This one describes the results of an American Federation of Teachers study that details the relative decline in tenure-track teaching positions in American colleges and universities.
The overall number of faculty and instructor slots grew from 1997 to 2007, but nearly two-thirds of that growth was in “contingent” positions — meaning those off of the tenure track. Over all, those jobs increased from two-thirds to nearly three-quarters of instructional positions.
The growth in these jobs — and the decline in tenure-track positions — was found in all sectors of higher education, but was most apparent at community colleges. However, one of the most notable shifts was at public four-year colleges and universities, where over the period studied, tenured and tenure-track faculty members went from being a slight majority to less than 40 percent of faculty members.
Read the American Federation of Teachers study itself for all the details.
As I’ve described in other posts, I was adjunct faculty for several years at two community colleges. My frustration over pay and lack of advancement eventually prompted me to leave teaching, as much as I loved the profession, and put my primary focus on making money writing college textbook supplements.
What’s your view of this study? Does it correspond with what you’ve seen at colleges where you teach or have taught?
