Higher Education Workforce Trends

Employee retention has become an institutional priority as the Great Resignation takes root in higher education.

Most of the time, when we talk about how faculty are recruited, appointed, retained and promoted, we are discussing a problem.

Short-term appointments in the academic workforce account for roughly two thirds of all faculty positions. Yet little is known about this segment’s financial needs, experiences and professional stability.

As colleges and universities search for viable paths to continue operating in the face of COVID-19, higher education employees have been affected in many ways, including financial.

Since the onset of COVID-19, 22% of the full-time higher education workforce have become less confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement. At the same time, 9% have become more confident.

How will COVID-19 affect retirement patterns among senior faculty and how can institutions respond?

The ranks of adjunct faculty have increased rapidly in recent decades. How are these individuals faring financially?

Adjuncts are commonly perceived as recent Ph.D. graduates teaching multiple classes while pursuing a tenure-track position. This is hardly the norm.

Has increased use of contingent faculty led to real improvements in institutional performance? This report explores the strategic payoffs of a well-documented trend in academia.