Surveying the Ongoing History Crisis: Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence from Across the Midwest

Abstract

Surveying the Ongoing History CrisisQuantitative and Qualitative Evidence from Across the Midwest Kevin Mason (bio) Following the alarm bells sounded by Middle West Review editor-in-chief Jon Lauck in the Fall 2022 issue editorial titled "The Ongoing History Crisis," the need for a more robust and comprehensive data set to gauge the current trends related to faculty jobs across the region stood out. With added data from a more comprehensive survey a stark reality emerged: across the 104 institutions surveyed as of December 31, 2022—out of 629 Higher Learning Commission-accredited institutions that were identified and contacted—a reduction of 290 full-time jobs in the field of history occurred within responding institutions over the past fifteen years across the twelve-state region. Twenty-eight responding institutions did not experience a reduction in full-time staffing over the past fifteen years, while seventy-one respondents lost positions. Meant to provide comprehensive representation of all institutions throughout the region, the survey focused on several meaningful data points considered in Lauck's original editorial: current full-time faculty (tenure and non-tenure), current adjunct faculty, institutional trend in full-time staffing numbers, presence of a major in history, presence of a graduate program in history, and an opportunity to offer qualitative evidence and comments. Institutions surveyed ranged from small liberal arts colleges and community colleges to the largest R1 universities throughout the region. Although many other indicators of program health, especially individual program enrollment data, would help to further illuminate the crisis, the design of the survey instrument favored the ability to respond quickly and easily in the hopes of increasing the number of respondents. Pairing Lauck's initial data set with responses received from eighty-one additional colleges and universities across the region, a clearer depiction of the crisis emerged. [End Page 183] Small institutions with five or fewer faculty members represent fiftyseven survey respondents. Constituted primarily of private liberal colleges, small state institutions, and community colleges, this group currently employs 145 full-time faculty members in history. These schools also rely most heavily (per capita) on adjunct instructors, with 105 such positions currently included in offerings at the responding institutions. The small-school group also represents the greatest balance between programs who experienced a reduction in full-time positions over the past fifteen years and those who did not, with thirty-one respondents indicating a reduction while twenty-two did not lose any positions. Thirty-five of the programs surveyed currently offer a major in history, eleven represent community colleges, and one program does not offer a history-oriented major. Two of the respondents provide graduate offerings in or related to history. Nineteen respondents were institutions employing between six and ten full-time faculty in history. Consisting primarily of small state institutions, two private liberal arts colleges, and one public city university, the grouping currently employs 141 full-time faculty members in history, as well as thirty-seven adjunct positions. Fourteen of the respondent institutions reported a reduction in full-time faculty over the past fifteen years for a total of sixty-three jobs lost, while four indicated stable staffing (one respondent did not include trend information). Each of the surveyed schools currently offers a major in history, and ten provide graduate offerings in or related to history. Eight respondents were institutions employing between eleven and fifteen full-time faculty in history. Consisting of seven state institutions and one private university, the grouping currently employs 105.5 full-time faculty members in history, as well as ten adjunct positions. Virtually all schools in the category reported a reduction in full-time faculty over the past fifteen years, totaling forty-one jobs lost. Each of the surveyed schools currently offers a major in history and graduate offerings in or related to history. Eighteen respondents were institutions employing more than sixteen full-time faculty in history. Consisting of fifteen state universities and three private liberal arts colleges, the grouping currently employs 522.5 full-time faculty in history, as well as twenty-five adjunct positions. Sixteen of the respondent institutions reported a reduction in full-time faculty over the past fifteen years, totaling 119 jobs lost. Each of the...