John Soares, author of Writing College Textbook Supplements
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.
Of course, I think adjunct faculty/part-time college instructors should seriously consider moonlighting as a freelance writer of college textbook supplements as a way to augment their income.
What’s your view of this study? Does it correspond with what you’ve seen at colleges where you teach or have taught?
