Page 35 - Crisis in Higher Education

10 • Crisis in Higher Education

are granted tenure typically at their seventh year of employment. They
progress through the ranks from assistant professor, which they are
granted at the time of hiring, to associate professor when they earn ten-
ure, and to full professor when they have met the standard, which is
typically five or six years beyond earning tenure.
2. Full-time contractual faculty: Contracts with these faculty members
can vary significantly, but generally speaking, they are divided into
two groups: instructional faculty and professional faculty.
a. Instructional faculty, which often holds the rank of instructor
or lecturer, may have some experience in the field in which they
teach. They usually have one-year contracts with renewability
based on the needs of institutions. Most of their teaching is done
at community and technical colleges or in undergraduate pro-
grams. They earn substantial less than tenured faculty—half as
much or even less, plus they have teaching loads that are twice
as high as tenured faculty because they have no or very limited
research and service commitments. Lower wages and higher
teaching loads make them doubly attractive.
b. Professional faculty members typically have many years of high-
level work experience. A well-known musician, former vice presi-
dent of marketing, or founder of a computer technology company
may be selected. Although they may have one-year contracts and
hold the rank of instructor or lecturer, it is also possible that they
have three- to five-year contracts and are called professors of prac-
tice or adjunct professors. They often teach upper-level under-
graduate courses and masters-level courses in their professional
specialty. Their compensation could be much higher than instruc-
tional faculty and their teaching load much lower. They may be
involved in research and are likely to have a very active role in
working with organizations that hire graduates of the program.
3. Part-time contractual faculty: This faculty type has course-by-course
contracts, and their sole responsibility is to teach. They typically
make a few thousand dollars per course and receive no or very lim-
ited fringe benefits, so they are the cheapest source of teaching labor.
4. Graduate teaching assistants: Colleges and universities with graduate
programs often use these students to teach undergraduate courses.
Most PhD programs require their graduate assistants to teach as
preparation for careers as tenured faculty. These students typically
receive free or reduced tuition and a stipend.