The Future of the Academy: Who's Looking for Whom?

• In Event: Considering Diversity, Retention and Employment prospects in Criminal Justice Education

Abstract

Individuals seeking academic employment opportunities often do so by exploring hiring announcements that are advertised online through Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Because limited educational resources and budget constraints can impact hiring decisions that are made at institutions of higher learning over time, it is important for candidates to consider exactly what employers are looking for in prospective professionals and to see how they measure up to the demands brought on by academic job searches. Using quantitative content analyses of recent job postings on popular academic job search websites, this study explores recent trends in the hiring of criminology and criminal justice professionals, paying particular attention to exactly which positions are being sought after by colleges and universities and how the presence of online technology has changed hiring trends within our field.

Authors

• Kweilin T. Pikciunas, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Samantha M. Gavin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Jonathon A. Cooper, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Kathleen J. Hanrahan, Indiana University of Pennsylvania