In an Era of Increasing Fiscal Constraints, An Inexplicable Shift in Hiring Patterns in Higher Education
In this past week’s issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, there is a very revealing graph representing the changes in employment in colleges and universities from 1976 to 2011. The graph is based on an analysis of IPEDs data by AAUP’s John Curtis.
Full-Time Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty
1976 – 353,681
2011 – 436,293
Increase – 23%
Graduate Student Employees
1976 – 160.086
2011 – 358,743
Increase – 123%
Full-Time Executives
1976 – 97,003
2011 – 233,368
Increase 141%
Full-Time Non-Tenure Track Faculty
1976 – 80,883
2011 – 290,238
Increase – 259%
Part-Time Faculty
1976 – 199,139
2011 – 768,071
Increase – 286%
Full-Time Non-Faculty Professional Staff
1976 – 150,319
2011 – 704,505
Increase – 369%
If we simply could not afford to maintain a level of faculty on tenure tracks proportionate to student enrollment, that would be one thing.