Abstract
This article explores the benefits and challenges associated with part time faculty positions in higher education, emphasizing the structural inequities that shape adjunct employment and its consequences for morale, instructional quality, and institutional life. While acknowledging intrinsic rewards such as teaching fulfillment, personal development, and professional exposure, the discussion underscores the material and symbolic disadvantages that accompany contingent appointments. Core concerns include low pay, limited access to benefits, absence of advancement incentives, exclusion from departmental governance, and insufficient orientation and logistical support. The analysis highlights how these conditions contribute to disillusionment, weakened commitment, and diminished teaching motivation. Proposed strategies for improvement include recognition systems, equitable compensation efforts, opportunities for promotion consideration, formal orientation, mentorship structures, and access to essential resources such as office space and clerical assistance. The article positions the treatment of part time faculty as a reflection of institutional values and argues that addressing inequities is necessary to avoid marginalization, preserve teaching quality, and sustain faculty engagement within the academic community.
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Wendy L.
(1986)
"The Use and Abuse of Part-Time Faculty,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 55, Article 25.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol55/iss1/25
