Short-term commitment, long-term impact: Reflections on teaching as contingent faculty

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 further consideration by institutions relying on contingent faculty labor. This essay centers upon the experience of one faculty member and some of the ways being contingent affects building relationships with students, mentoring and teaching effectively, and developing courses and programs. I argue that, even when contingent faculty strive to do their best, the limited nature of their employment creates a barrier to their own flourishing and the contributions they can make to the students and institutions they serve. See companion essays published in this issue of the journal by Hoon J. Lee, Adam Wirrig, Bradley Burroughs, and Charles Harrell.