Earlier this year, a NTT instructor and I compiled and presented on some data about faculty status and teaching at Elon. I think it's worth sharing again.
These are the numbers of faculty on each line. It's unclear if PT/semester-term adjunct faculty are included.
These are the numbers of faculty on each line. It's unclear if PT/semester-term adjunct faculty are included.
We found it important to talk about permanent & non-permanent faculty rather than tenure-stream and non-tenure-stream. Permanence affords things to faculty who may not want/be eligible for tenure-stream and its intense focus on terminal degree &/or scholarship rather than service
As for teaching-focused, which is usually the distinguishing feature of lines? It's hard to make that distinction at an institution with a culture of research-informed teaching (and teaching-informed scholarship). The two are inextricable.
We chose to look closely at the rank of fac teaching 1st-year courses in our Core Curriculum: These are the 1st teachers & mentors students connect to--and the 1st to learn about our new students. This transitory space is "high-touch" and fac usually have high number of students.
Here you see numbers of faculty by job status and numbers of sections taught by job status. This does include, to the best of our knowledge (see footnote) adjunct faculty who teach on semester contracts.
Here you see number of students taught by job status.
This number has increased in recently as we've enrolled more students but slowed hiring of permanent faculty. The "enrollment bubble" hits the 1st-year Core first. Hence, one reason to focus here.
This number has increased in recently as we've enrolled more students but slowed hiring of permanent faculty. The "enrollment bubble" hits the 1st-year Core first. Hence, one reason to focus here.
Note: Regardless of status, ALL of these faculty are highly qualified, experienced, dedicated teachers. There is no problem with the people who hold the designated status. That's why we made some recommendations for new hiring practices.
Unfortunately, status/rank/degree snobbery if not outright prejudice and discrimination is real, so we also made some recommendations for inclusive practices.
And we recommend some resources that explore the changing faculty across higher education.
The NTT instructor I collaborated with is no longer employed. She maxed out her three-year term.
Another note: This is offered as an honest assessment and hopeful belief in the ability to enact positive change of the institution where I have chosen to make a career. It's neither complaint nor expose.
