Dear Adjunct Faculty,
The Graduate School of Business and Management at DoctorateHub is conducting this research survey to better understand the motivations and challenges adjunct faculty face when considering doctoral education. Led by Dr Ana Faria, DoctorateHub’s cofounder, and Dr Jenny Vidrine, DoctorateHub’s Affiliated Faculty Member, this study will inform the design of programs that align with the evolving professional and academic needs of adjunct instructors.
Why Your Participation Matters
The number of adjuncts has been rising steadily. In the U.S., adjunct faculty now represent more than 40% of higher education instructors. Just like in the U.S., adjunct/contingent teaching is a major part of the European academic workforce. Across Europe, between 40–60% of faculty in many systems work on non-permanent, part-time, or adjunct-like contracts. The exact percentage varies country by country.
Yet, fewer than half hold a doctorate, despite growing interest in advanced qualifications to enhance teaching opportunities, research involvement, and long-term career stability, showing their career trajectories and access to professional development often differ significantly from tenure-track faculty.
Existing research highlights both the opportunities, structural and systemic barriers adjunct instructors encounter when pursuing advanced degrees. However, little is known about the specific factors and barriers that motivate or hinder adjunct faculty to consider doctoral studies.
Your participation will help fill this gap. By sharing your experiences, aspirations, and challenges, you will:
- Contribute to evidence-based program design tailored for adjunct faculty.
- Help identify key challenges — from financial barriers to work-life balance.
- Influence future support initiatives and resource allocation across institutions.
- And ultimately, strengthening the professional trajectory of adjunct faculty within higher education.
As one recent doctoral graduate and former adjunct faculty member explained:
“Completing my doctorate as an adjunct was a significant personal and professional achievement. In retrospect, knowing which resources and steps could directly support my doctorate and a transition to a full-time or more secure position would have been invaluable in achieving my desired career outcomes.”
Survey Details
- Time Commitment: 10–15 minutes
- Confidentiality: Responses are strictly confidential and analised only in aggregate form. No identifying information will be shared.
- Voluntary Participation: Participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any point.
- Ethics: This research adheres to academic ethical guidelines and will be reviewed according to institutional standards.
How to Participate
All adjunct faculty members are welcome to contribute their thoughts. You can either complete the survey at the end of this post or, alternatively, click the “Take the survey!” button to open the survey in a new tab in order to participate.
Stay Connected
Respondents will have the opportunity to request a summary of findings at the end of the survey. Results will also be shared with the broader academic community contributing to ongoing discussions about adjunct faculty development and doctoral education. If you wish to learn more about our Doctoral Programmes please visit our website.
Thank You
We deeply appreciate your time and contribution to this important study. By participating, you are helping advance research that has the potential to improve opportunities for adjunct faculty across higher education.
Graduate School of Business and Management, DoctorateHub
For questions, please contact: research@doctoratehub.com.
👉 Take the survey here:
Or, alternatively, click the button below to open the survey in a new tab.
Sources:
AAUP (2023). “Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2022–23.” American Association of University Professors.
Available at: https://www.aaup.org/report/annual-report-economic-status-profession-2022-23
European Commission (2021). “Report on the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel in Europe.”
Available at: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/f7f68e2b-50b1-11eb-b59f-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
Eurydice / European University Association (EUA) (2019–2022 reports)
Available at https://eua.eu/resources/publications.html
Education International (EI), 2020 – “The Precarious Situation of Higher Education Teaching Personnel in Europe”
Available at: https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/23473:the-precarious-situation-of-higher-education-teaching-personnel-in-europe
EBSCO Research Starters, “Adjunct Teaching”
Available at: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/education/adjunct-teaching