The Non-Tenure-Track Academic
Workforce
Myths, Facts, Resources
© 2015 by The Modern Language Association of America
All rights reserved.
Rosemary G. Feal
Execdirector@mla.org
Data sources:
The US Department of Education Fall Staff Survey (1995,
2003, and 2011)
The 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty
Myth #1
Most professors in colleges and universities in the
United States are in tenured or tenure-track positions.
2
Number of Faculty Members, by Tenure Status
and Employment Status, 1995, 2003, 2011
1,600,000
1,517,600
1,400,000
1,173,600
1,200,000
757,700
Part-time
1,000,000
929,700
543,100
Full-time non-tenure-track
800,000
379,700
600,000
329,300
Full-time tenure-track
Full-time tenured
219,400
156,500
400,000
109,800
128,600
127,400
283,700
282,400
303,200
1995
2003
2011
200,000
0
3
Percentage of Faculty Members, by Tenure Status and
Employment Status, 1995, 2003, 2011
100.0
90.0
80.0
40.8
46.3
49.9
70.0
60.0
50.0
Part-time
Full-time non-tenure-track
16.8
18.7
40.0
11.8
30.0
Full-time tenure-track
21.7
11.0
Full-time tenured
8.4
20.0
30.5
24.1
10.0
20.0
0.0
1995
2003
2011
4
Number of Faculty Members in Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Positions, Full-Time
Tenured and Tenure-Track Positions, and Part-Time Positions, 1995, 2003, 2011
800,000
757,700
700,000
600,000
543,100
500,000
393,500
400,000
430,600
411,000
379,700
329,300
300,000
219,400
200,000
156,500
100,000
0
1995
2003
Full-time non-tenure-track
Full-time tenured and tenure-track
2011
Part-time
5
Number of Faculty Members in Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Positions, Full-Time
Tenured and Tenure-Track Positions, and Part-Time Positions, 1995, 2003, 2011
Two-Year Institutions
300,000
281,100
250,000
239,800
200,000
178,600
150,000
100,000
59,800
50,000
54,900
64,300
65,400
59,700
40,900
0
1995
2003
Full-time non-tenure-track
Full-time tenured and tenure-track
2011
Part-time
6
Myth #2
Academic institutions generally provide students
with professors who hold the highest degrees in
their fields.
7
Highest Degree Held by Faculty Members Teaching on and off
the Tenure-Track, by Type of Institution
All Fields of Study
100.0
90.0
80.0
Holds other degree
70.0
60.0
50.0
Holds master's degree
40.0
30.0
Holds doctorate
20.0
10.0
0.0
Tenured and
tenure-track
Non-tenuretrack
Four-Year Institutions
Tenured and
tenure-track
Non-tenuretrack
Two-Year Institutions
8
Highest Degree Held by Humanities Faculty Members
Teaching on and off the Tenure-Track, by Type of Institution
100.0
90.0
80.0
Other
70.0
60.0
50.0
Master's
40.0
30.0
20.0
Doctorate
10.0
0.0
Tenured and
tenure-track
Non-tenuretrack
Four-Year Institutions
Tenured and
tenure-track
Non-tenuretrack
Two-Year Institutions
9
Myth #3
Most part-time faculty members are either
recent PhD recipients searching for permanent
positions, graduate students gaining experience
while they complete their degrees, or
professionals with jobs outside of academia
bringing their practical experience to the
students in the courses they teach.
10
Part-Time Faculty Members with and without Other Part- or FullTime Employment, by Discipline
100.0
90.0
35.0
80.0
47.0
41.5
48.9
70.0
Part-time at this institution,
full-time at other job
60.0
27.8
50.0
40.0
24.2
17.5
Part-time this institution,
part-time at other job
26.1
Part-time at this institution,
no other employment
30.0
20.0
41.0
37.1
28.8
25.0
10.0
0.0
All fields
Humanities
Social sciences
Natural sciences
11
Years Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Members Have Held
their Current Job, by Discipline
Ten or More Years
Humanities (85,500)
Six to Nine Years
Social sciences (109,600)
Natural sciences (47,100)
Three to Five Years
All fields (617,700)
One or Two Years
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
12
Resources
Use the reports and materials collected in the MLA Academic
Workforce Advocacy Kit
www.mla.org/advocacy_kit
Consult the institution-level information available at the MLA
Academic Workforce Data Center
www.mla.org/acad_work_search
Use the reports collected by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce
www.academicworkforce.org
13
adjunct.chronicle.com
Part-time faculty members
can add to the institutionlevel information about
salaries and working
conditions by contributing to
the Adjunct Project, hosted
by the Chronicle of Higher
Education.
14
The Delphi Project on the Changing Faculty
and Student Success
Project Web site
www.thechangingfaculty.org
The Imperative for Change
imperative.thechangingfaculty.org
The Path to Change
path.thechangingfaculty.org/
Campus and departmental guides
guides.thechangingfaculty.org/
15