"Coming Into a Position, Rather Than Showing Up for Class": Inclusion and Exclusion Among Adjuncts

• In Event: A Continuum of Faculty Experiences: Teaching at Different Ranks

Abstract

This study examined how department climate, policies, and practices create both inclusive and exclusive experiences for contingent faculty. Thirty contingent faculty from across the United States took part in a 60 minute semi-structured qualitative interview about their adjuncting experiences, with a particular focus on ways that they felt included and excluded from department life. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Five themes emerged from our study through which contingent faculty experienced exclusion and inclusion in their departments: a) exclusion on the basis of gender and/or race/ethnicity; b) mentorship; c) correspondence; d) interactions with other faculty; and e) access to resources. Results have implications for how higher educational institutions can create equitable environments for contingent faculty.

Authors

• Yana Kuchirko, Brooklyn College

• Diane Cardenas Elliott, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

• Kadidja Diallo, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development