The Challenges of Minoritized Contingent Faculty in Higher Education

“Teaching is sacred, but I agree with Edna Chun and Alvin Evans and the multitude of voices and stories in The Challenges of Minoritized Contingent Faculty in Higher Education that the creation of a two-tiered faculty system has deeply wounded academia and has greatly devalued education and higher education. Chun and Evans explicitly detail how academia got to this point and the dangers of staying here, but they also offer pathways for cultural change.” —Robert S. Nelsen, President, California State University, Sacramento

“From tracing the roots of a two-tiered faculty system and its accompanying structural inequities, and an examination of today’s erosion of tenure as a concept and institution, to detailing the inherent foundational inequalities present in the experiences of minoritized adjunct and contingent faculty of color and other marginalized status, The Challenges of Minoritized Contingent Faculty in Higher Education not only articulates the extant crisis, but importantly sounds both a well-articulated clarion for change and presents a dedicated roadmap for a way forward. It is a must-read for those dedicated to higher education policy and those on the frontlines working to create a just, equitable, and inclusive workplace within higher education.” —Fram Virjee, President, California State University, Fullerton

“Edna Chun and Alvin Evans, two powerful and cogent voices in higher education, have written a compelling and timely book. This excellent book should be read by all parties—administrators, chairs, professors, students, and parents—interested in understanding and addressing the many challenges of contingent faculty. A significant strength of this excellent book is that it does more than merely present the challenges faced by contingent faculty—it offers practical solutions to these challenges.” —The Department Chair

Alvin Evans serves as higher education practice leader with HigherEd Talent. With more than twenty years of executive-level experience in complex local education agencies and doctoral institutions of higher education, he works with organizations seeking to develop strategic and cutting-edge organizational capabilities. His expertise lies in core human resources administrative functions, policy development, organizational design and development, program evaluation, change management, organizational diversity, coaching and mentoring programs, and leveraging qualitative and quantitative data to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness. His publications focus on leadership, organizational development, and DEI.