Examining Job Satisfaction for Contingent and Non-Contingent Faculty at a Public 2-Year College District in Texas

Objective: As institutions of higher education experience decline in state funding, researchers have highlighted the significant effect it has had on faculty and students. This study examines differences in job satisfaction between contingent and non-contingent faculty and their demographic and personal characteristics of gender, race/ethnicity, academic discipline, and academic achievement at a large public 2-year college district in Texas. Methods: This study investigates how class (contingent vs. non-contingent faculty), gender, and race/ethnicity interact to predict job satisfaction, indexed by responses on the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Intersectionality served as a theoretical framework in order to explore the complexities of faculty experiences as they relate to broader, overlapping patterns of societal oppression. Results: The findings reveal statistically significant differences between the job satisfaction scores of contingent and non-contingent faculty. Significant differences also exist between the job satisfaction scores of faculty based on academic discipline. Additionally, class and gender interact to predict job satisfaction. Conclusions: Systemic steps should be taken for legislative insight, and executive leadership teams should consistently empower contingent and non-contingent faculty groups to be advocates for themselves and embrace the principles of shared governance. These faculty groups can provide discipline-specific, industry, and operational insight that may not be obvious to leadership teams. Such insight will help students achieve their goals and will allow the State of Texas to compete effectively in the dynamic global economy.