Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    University Transformation
Sign In
News

Contract Lengths of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Members, Fall 2016

Almanac 2018 August 19, 2018

Close to 45 percent of all non-tenure-track faculty members were both part time and held less-than-annual contracts. Non-tenure-track faculty members at two-year and four-year for-profit institutions and at two-year private nonprofit colleges were more likely than those in other sectors to have multiyear contracts.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Close to 45 percent of all non-tenure-track faculty members were both part time and held less-than-annual contracts. Non-tenure-track faculty members at two-year and four-year for-profit institutions and at two-year private nonprofit colleges were more likely than those in other sectors to have multiyear contracts.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


SectorEmployment statusMultiyear
contract
Percent
multiyear
Annual
contract
Percent
annual
Less-than-annual
contract
Percent
less-than-annual
Not on
tenure track
Percent not on
tenure track
4-year public full-time 52,669 15.3% 101,081 29.3% 7,764 2.2% 161,514 46.8%
4-year public part-time 20,686 6.0% 43,558 12.6% 119,589 34.6% 183,833 53.2%
4-year public total 73,355 21.2% 144,639 41.9% 127,353 36.9% 345,347 100.0%
4-year private nonprofit full-time 46,153 18.2% 60,017 23.6% 3,948 1.6% 110,118 43.3%
4-year private nonprofit part-time 12,668 5.0% 21,103 8.3% 110,176 43.4% 143,947 56.7%
4-year private nonprofit total 58,821 23.2% 81,120 31.9% 114,124 44.9% 254,065 100.0%
4-year for-profit full-time 9,790 14.1% 2,055 3.0% 535 0.8% 12,380 17.9%
4-year for-profit part-time 18,089 26.1% 13,430 19.4% 25,429 36.7% 56,948 82.1%
4-year for-profit total 27,879 40.2% 15,485 22.3% 25,964 37.5% 69,328 100.0%
2-year public full-time 7,992 3.5% 40,547 17.8% 4,832 2.1% 53,371 23.4%
2-year public part-time 10,536 4.6% 14,328 6.3% 149,814 65.7% 174,678 76.6%
2-year public total 18,528 8.1% 54,875 24.1% 154,646 67.8% 228,049 100.0%
2-year private nonprofit full-time 845 35.5% 406 17.1% 50 2.1% 1,301 54.7%
2-year private nonprofit part-time 177 7.4% 57 2.4% 843 35.4% 1,077 45.3%
2-year private nonprofit total 1,022 43.0% 463 19.5% 893 37.6% 2,378 100.0%
2-year for-profit full-time 4,255 35.1% 421 3.5% 550 4.5% 5,226 43.1%
2-year for-profit part-time 3,479 28.7% 123 1.0% 3,295 27.2% 6,897 56.9%
2-year for-profit total 7,734 63.8% 544 4.5% 3,845 31.7% 12,123 100.0%
All institutions full-time 121,704 13.4% 204,527 22.4% 17,679 1.9% 343,910 37.7%
All institutions part-time 65,635 7.2% 92,599 10.2% 409,146 44.9% 567,380 62.3%
All institutions total 187,339 20.6% 297,126 32.6% 426,825 46.8% 911,290 100.0%

Note: The data cover medical and nonmedical staff who perform faculty duties like instruction, research, and/or public service at 4,367 degree-granting institutions in the United States that are eligible to participate in the Title IV federal student-aid program, and who have neither tenured nor tenure-track status, or who work at colleges with no tenure system. Medical schools are counted in the data. Employees with multiyear contracts include those with continuing contracts or indefinite at-will employment agreements. Non-tenure-track faculty members include faculty memnbers at institutions with no tenure system, and adjuncts. Percentage columns show the percentage of faculty members with a particular contract arrangement within the indicated sector. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data</small></p>

A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in The Profession: Almanac 2018.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Finance & Operations Data
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email

More News

Black and white photo of the Morrill Hall building on the University of Minnesota campus with red covering one side.
Finance & operations
U. of Minnesota Tries to Soften the Blow of Tuition Hikes, Budget Cuts With Faculty Benefits
Photo illustration showing a figurine of a football player with a large price tag on it.
Athletics
Loans, Fees, and TV Money: Where Colleges Are Finding the Funds to Pay Athletes
Photo illustration of a donation jar turned on it's side, with coins spilling out.
Access & Affordability
Congressional Republicans Want to End Grad PLUS Loans. How Might It Affect Your Campus?
Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. delivers remarks during the State Board of Education meeting at Winter Park High School, Wednesday, March 27, 2024.
Executive Privilege
In Florida, University Presidents’ Pay Goes Up. Is Politics to Blame?

From The Review

A stack of coins falling over. Motion blur. Falling economy concept. Isolated on white.
The Review | Opinion
Will We Get a More Moderate Endowment Tax?
By Phillip Levine
Photo illustration of a classical column built of paper, with colored wires overtaking it like vines of ivy
The Review | Essay
The Latest Awful EdTech Buzzword: “Learnings”
By Kit Nicholls
William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Review | Interview
William F. Buckley Jr. and the Origins of the Battle Against ‘Woke’
By Evan Goldstein

Upcoming Events

Plain_Acuity_DurableSkills_VF.png
Why Employers Value ‘Durable’ Skills
Warwick_Leadership_Javi.png
University Transformation: A Global Leadership Perspective
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin