| Contingent faculty hiring on campuses across the United States is increasing (AAUP, 2003; Bradley, 2004; Curtis & Jacobe, 2006; Kezar & Eckel, 2004). This increase in hiring can be attributed to institutions of higher education needing to respond to schedule demands of students, the development of on-line curriculum, the requirement to staff the on-line programs, and the expansion of evening divisions aimed at educating the adult student (AAUP, 2003). The ability for institutions of higher education to respond to staffing fluctuations in course offerings and to reduce payroll to be more financially effective and efficient are two of the most cited reasons for hiring contingent faculty (AAUP, 2003; Bradley, 2004).; This growing body of campus faculty, however, are grossly underrepresented in the governance process in institutions of higher education. The philosophy of the "New American College" (Boyer, 1994), does not call for a decrease in hiring contingent faculty but rather a governance model to include this disenfranchised group into the governance process with those full-time tenured and tenure track faculty who have a stake in the university.; The purpose of this study was to examine the participation of contingent faculty in institutional governance at independent four year colleges and universities. Sixty eight member institutions in the Council of Independent Colleges in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were selected as participants in the study. Two sets of participants, contingent faculty and institutional leaders, exhibited variances in their responses based upon the positions held in the institution. Institutional leaders were identified based on their association with decisions to hire and retain contingent faculty. A quantitative survey was developed and implemented to determine the current status of contingent faculty inclusion in institutional governance. Three open ended questions were included with the survey to provide a balance to the statistically analyzed survey statements.; The study concludes that (1) contingent faculty serve a valuable role in institutions of higher education, (2) contingent faculty desire participation in institutional governance where they are employed, (3) part-time contingent faculty are not included in institutional governance and full-time contingent faculty are only marginally included in institutional governance, (4) contingent faculty and institutional leaders have opposing perceptions regarding the incorporation of contingent faculty at the surveyed institutions and, (5) if contingent faculty are included in institutional governance, they are not compensated for their participation.; The findings of this study will contribute to research that recognizes the value contingent faculty add to the professoriate. The results of this study suggest a dialogue between all institutional constituents regarding the opposing perceptions in the inclusion of contingent faculty participation in governance, development of a means in which to include contingent faculty in governance, and actual implementation of such a means to include contingent faculty in institutional governance. |
