The world of the modern academy relies heavily upon contingent faculty in the teaching and training of students. Theological studies readily evidences this practice in innumerable ways. While the contingent faculty member is intrinsic to the mission of many modern schools, this piece ponders whether or not a trade-off exists in the quality of…

Reflecting upon the author's experiences as an assistant professor and an adjunct instructor, this essay considers two characteristics of adjunct teaching that threaten adjuncts themselves and the educational effectiveness of the institutions at which they teach. First, adjuncts routinely experience a sense of disenfranchisement in determining the…

Many colleges and universities employ contingent faculty to meet various needs. Utilizing contingent teachers as single-course adjuncts or full-time faculty members can be beneficial to institutions and teachers alike. While acknowledging the positive, long-term impact on current students, short-term teaching faculty face challenges that warrant…

In this essay I review the advantages and challenges of contingent faculty service from a perspective which crosses programs, but chiefly from within one academic institution, a church-related but independent theological seminary. I anecdotally relate certain "value-added" potentialities which accrue for students and instruction when an…

Contingent teaching has become the norm in most institutions. While the use of adjuncts and other non-tenure track professors shows no sign of slowing down, the nature of contingent teaching is less known. This article examines how contingent teaching directly impacts the professor's teaching. My experience teaching religious studies courses from…

This essay describes a transformation in my experience as an adjunct teaching underprepared students from one of shame toward a desire to assert the value of this work. Insights from my feminist theological training helped me to affirm the importance of encouraging transformative learning in teaching the academically marginalized and prompted my…