Using data with detailed instructor employment information from a state college system, this study examines disciplinary variations in the characteristics and effects of non-tenure-track faculty hired through temporary and long-term employment. We identify substantial differences in demographic and employment characteristics between the two types…

This article presents new quasi-experimental evidence regarding the effectiveness of teaching-oriented faculty with tenure-track appointment, a model pioneered at the University of California (UC) system. Using data from six cohorts of students at a UC campus, we examine the impact of initial course-taking with three distinct types of…

Based on a dataset on two- and four-year college students and instructors from an anonymous state that includes detailed instructor employment information, this paper classifies faculty into four types--tenured instructors, tenure-track instructors, long-term adjuncts, and short-term adjuncts--to examine whether adjunct faculty have different…