Supporting Non-Tenure-Track Faculty at Four-Year Colleges and Universities: A National Study of Deans’ Values and Decisions

• In Event: Faculty Issues in the Academic Workplace

Abstract

This study examines the values held by 264 academic deans and the decisions they make pertaining to supporting non-tenure track faculty. Multiple analyses are utilized to examine the prevalence of supportive policies for both full and part-time non-tenure-track faculty, as well as the extent to which deans’ values are associated with the existence of these policies on college and university campuses. Findings reveal that deans’ values play a significant role in organizational decisions to support non-tenure-track faculty, and part-time faculty remain under-supported in the academy. Implications for practice are discussed.

Authors

• Sean Gehrke, University of Southern California

• Adrianna Kezar, University of Southern California