Two Generations of Instructional Faculty and Staff

EdInfo 01-03
March 2001
ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges

According to the 1993 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, of the instructional faculty and staff at public two-year colleges, 7 percent were under the age of 35, 26 percent were 35-44 years of age, 42 percent were 45-54 years of age, 21 percent were 55-64 years of age and 3 percent were 65 or older. Prompted by increasing concerns about the impending retirement of a gradually aging faculty, the study examined differences among instructional faculty and staff by age. In comparison to the 55-64 age group, instructors under the age of 35:

• Included a greater proportion of women (48 percent versus 30 percent, respectively);
• Comprised a greater proportion of those reporting the baccalaureate as their highest earned degree (32 percent versus 14 percent, respectively);
• Included a smaller proportion of Ph.D. or first professional degree holders (8 percent versus 21 percent, respectively);
• Were less likely to indicate their present position as the first and only job they held since earning their highest degree (18 versus 42 percent, respectively);
• Held part-time positions immediately prior to their current job in greater proportions (21 versus 15 percent, respectively);
• Were less likely to rule out the possibility of taking a full-time job in the next three years (61 versus 81 percent, respectively, reported that they were "not at all likely" to move on to a full-time nonpostsecondary position, and 47 versus 81 percent, respectively, indicated that they were "not at all likely" to accept a full-time postsecondary position within three years).

This information was reported in ED 442 518, "Instructional Faculty and Staff in Public 2-year Colleges", by James C. Palmer and Linda J. Zimbler. A full-text copy of this document may be obtained by contacting ERIC Document Reproduction Services (EDRS), 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852; or by calling (800) 443-ERIC.

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