| The mission of higher education and the activities of faculty are often described in terms of teaching, research, and service. Additionally, tenure has been the standard model for employment in American college and universities since 1940. The traditional model of faculty earning tenure through high standards of teaching, research, and service is being transformed due to contingent faculty appointments and systems with no tenure. The purpose of this study examines how faculty appointments relate to scholarly activities.;The literature suggests fewer tenure-track positions are available for faculty. Institutions are moving away from the traditional model of tenure. As a result, positions are being filled with contingent faculty. How do tenure and tenure-track faculty compare to contingent faculty in areas of scholarly activities: teaching, research, and service?;This study uses the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty of 2004. It includes a sample of 1,080 public and private not-for-profit degree granting postsecondary institutions with a sample of 35,000 faculty and instructional staff. Three major research questions measure the relationship between faculty appointments and scholarly activities. Analyses are completed by descriptives, frequencies, chi-square, and logistic regression.;Overall, results support more scholarly activity by tenure and tenure-track faculty. They teach more courses utilizing effective strategies and assessment. Their research is more productive with publications, reviews, and conferences. Service includes more participation with committee work, administrative issues, student affairs, campus involvement, and community engagement.;The implication from the study is that the nature of faculty life is changing dramatically. There are concerns about the erosion of the tenure system. If the tenure system is replaced with a contingent workforce, academic quality and academic freedom maybe in jeopardy. This in turn may negatively impact the traditional faculty activities of teaching, research, and service in supporting the mission of institutions of higher education. |
