ABSTRACT

Numerous observers and critics of higher education, including some policymakers, have suggested that hiring and maintaining faculty on tenure lines is a primary source of inefficiency in colleges and universities. These “disrupters” argue that reducing commitments to tenure will lead to cost savings and more effective adaptations to changing markets for various degrees. Does increasing hiring of “contingent” (non-tenure-line) faculty indeed bring financial benefits? In this analysis, we use longitudinal data to examine that hypothesis in financially stressed public master’s and doctoral institutions over the period 2003 to 2014. The analysis provides no support for the hypothesis. The implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.

摘要

许多高等教育的观察家和批评家，包括一些政策制定者，都认为聘用和维持终身任职的教职员工是大学和学院效率低下的主要根源。这些“颠覆者”认为减少对土地使用权的承诺将导致成本节省，并在不同程度上更有效地适应不断变化的市场。增加“特遣队”（非终身制）教职员工的招聘确实会带来经济利益吗？在此分析中，我们使用纵向数据来检验在2003年至2014年期间财务压力很大的公共硕士和博士学位机构中的假设。该分析不支持该假设。讨论了这些结果对研究和实践的意义。