Dissertation

The Fractured Faculty: Contingent Academic Labor and the Transformation of American Higher Education

Klainot-Hess, Elizabeth

2020

Overview

Over the last several decades we have seen a fundamental transformation of higher education. Fifty years ago, 75% of faculty were in highly paid and secure tenure-track jobs, but today 75% are in non-tenure-track, or contingent positions. University administrators argue that this shift, and the low wages that accompany these positions, are necessary to reduce costs in response to cuts in state funding. However, this shift has created divisions among faculty. Many scholars who study contingent faculty and the transformation of higher education argue that this transformation has divided faculty into two very different groups: a highly paid, high-status and very secure tenure-track group, and a low paid, low-status and insecure non-tenure-track group. However, most research has ignored divisions among non-tenure-track, or contingent faculty themselves. These divisions are important to recognize because they create inequality among contingent faculty and create barriers to solidarity and collective action.Drawing on in-depth interviews with one hundred contingent faculty at two large public research-intensive universities, this dissertation uncovers the divisions among contingent faculty and explores the consequences of these divisions. I argue that there are two important dimensions that divide contingent faculty: class location and job pathway. I develop a typology of contingent faculty based on these two dimensions, which creates four very different groups of contingent faculty. The academy has always needed some flexible faculty, and those types of positions were well suited to a particular group of contingent faculty -- those who see teaching as a hobby or side job, who have no desire to do research, and who do not rely on the income from this job as their primary source of income. However, the increase in contingent positions means that many of these positions are being filled by people who do not desire this type of position and who do rely on this job as their primary source of income. The contingent faculty who see this as a hobby or side job, who I refer to as Privileged Teachers, are the only contingent faculty who experience high job satisfaction. For the other three groups, these positions lead to dissatisfaction and often a poor quality of life. One group, the Privileged Frustrated Scholars, sought a tenure-track position or other permanent, well-paid job, but had to accept a non-tenure-track position after failing to secure a tenure-track position or other permanent professional job. They are unhappy in teaching-focused positions that provide insufficient opportunities or support for research and that they perceive as low-status. The other two groups, Struggling Teachers and Struggling Frustrated Scholars, rely on the income from these jobs and have a difficult time meeting the needs of themselves and their families. Their love of teaching or lack of other options is exploited by universities, who pay them wages that are difficult to live on without significant personal sacrifice. The divisions among contingent faculty create inequality among contingent faculty because only one group, the Privileged Teachers, are able to experience high job satisfaction and a high quality of life. For this group, these actually are good jobs, but for everyone else they are less than ideal. These divisions also create barriers to solidarity and collective action, as contingent faculty are unable to create a common narrative or identify shared grievances.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Academic Freedom / Accountability / Adjunct Faculty / Behavioral Sciences / Business Schools / Censorship / Computer Assisted Instruction / Computers / Department Heads / Educational administration / Educational Facilities Improvement / Employers / Faculty Promotion / Fringe Benefits / Governance / Government (Administrative Body) / Grievance Procedures / Higher education / Instructional Materials / Internship Programs / Job Satisfaction / Job Security / Labor Force / Labor Market / Labor relations / Liberal Arts / Sociology / Universities
• ISBN: 9798379523015