Abstract
Adjunct faculty at colleges and universities in the U.S. are quickly outnumbering full-time faculty. This new faculty majority often struggles with low pay and sub-par working conditions. Recognizing this issue has a number of negative impacts for higher education, researchers at a comprehensive university in the southeastern United States explored the lived experience of department chairs, deans, and program leaders to examine their relationships with part-time faculty and their potential role in improving the adjunct condition. During the focus groups nearly all participants voiced concern over the status quo while sharing ways to reform the current system.
