Pressure to Please: Adjunct Faculty Experiences with Grade Inflation

Abstract

This research explores adjunct faculty experiences navigating student and institutional pressures and lack of training regarding grade inflation. Given the increasing use of non-tenure-track faculty in higher education, there is a need to understand the experiences of adjunct faculty. Utilizing phenomenological methodology, twenty-three adjunct faculty members across the United States detail the challenges from the administration, students, parents, and even themselves when the issue of students’ satisfaction with grades. Agency theory is a theoretical framework used to analyze the various pressures to help understand the relationship between adjunct faculty and their respective institutions. Data collected pointed to various types of pressures and responses to those pressures by the participants. Participants demonstrate agency when it comes to grade contestation but also express concern over reprimand and/or future employment. Findings suggest adjunct faculty need more training and support from their administration to ensure grade inflation pressures are not felt by adjunct faculty.

Keywords

• adjunct faculty
• grade inflation
• agency theory
• higher education
• training
• phenomenology