Abstract
Contribution: This article explores issues of respect and inclusion among full-time non-tenure-track (NTT) electrical engineering faculty. Background: NTT faculty members are an important and growing part of electrical engineering programs in the USA. This article complements prior research on NTT faculty member career satisfaction and effectiveness, providing perspectives from the NTT faculty members themselves on their experiences with respect and inclusion. Research Question: The research question for this article is: How do NTT faculty members experience respect and inclusion in electrical engineering departmental cultures? Methodology: Using a qualitative design and semi-structured interview protocol, data were collected via 45-min interviews with 13 full-time NTT engineering faculty. The analysis used thematic coding. Findings: Most participants in this article work in departmental cultures that diminish their effectiveness. They are keenly aware of whether they feel respected and included in their department and these factors significantly affect their career satisfaction. Many of the participants have been specifically excluded from departmental discussion affecting their work, have suffered the effects of policies that are biased against them, and have been told directly or indirectly that their appointments are not valued by their administration or other faculty.
Highlights
A SIGNIFICANT and growing portion of faculty members teaching in United States (U.S.) universities are in appointments that do not offer tenure
Gappa et al [10] recognized the changing nature of academic work, especially as the number of NTT faculty increases. Their analysis identified a set of six job attributes that contribute to the job satisfaction of faculty members: 1) employment equity; 2) academic freedom and autonomy; 3) flexibility; 4) professional growth; 5) collegiality; and 6) respect. They defined respect as a basic human valuing of people for who they are and for what they uniquely contribute to the organization
The economic and structural factors that have led to the growth of NTT appointments are likely to remain, so it is reasonable to expect that NTT faculty will be a significant part of engineering programs for the foreseeable future
Summary
A SIGNIFICANT and growing portion of faculty members teaching in United States (U.S.) universities are in appointments that do not offer tenure. These appointments are sometimes referred to as contingent or non-tenuretrack (NTT). When considering only those faculty members with fulltime positions, NTT faculty accounted for 34% of all four-year university faculty. NTT faculty members are an important and growing part of electrical engineering programs in the USA. Research Question: The research question for this article is: How do NTT faculty members experience respect and inclusion in electrical engineering departmental cultures? This article complements prior research on NTT faculty member career satisfaction and effectiveness, providing perspectives from the NTT faculty members themselves on their experiences with respect and inclusion.
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