An Army of Temps: AFT 2020 Adjunct Faculty Quality of Work/Life Report

This report exposes the disturbing economic reality faced by millions of contingent and adjunct faculty at the nation’s colleges and universities, with nearly 25 percent relying on public assistance and 40 percent having trouble covering basic household expenses.

It details feedback from 3,076 respondents to a survey of contingent faculty at two-year and four-year institutions—both public and private. The 52-question survey, completed between May 22 and June 30, 2019, is the first nationwide survey of contingent faculty conducted since 2013. Of the AFT’s 240,000 higher education members, 85,000 are contingent and 35,000 are graduate employees—making the AFT the largest union of contingent workers.