Poster: From Professionals to Professors

More and more contingent faculty are coming to academia after years as successful professionals. Although second-career faculty are a growing trend in higher education, there is a paucity of research on second-career contingent faculty. A recent Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study of six second-career adjuncts at four-year public universities in the Northeast addressed this gap by exploring the career adaptability of these accomplished professionals to teaching in the academy. A metaphor of an Experienced Tour Guide highlighted participants’ experiences and career adaptabilities. Participants faced several unexpected impediments that affected their adaptability to their second careers including a lack of support, status, respect, power, and job security. These findings suggested there may be a pattern of disregard for second-career contingent faculty and their professional experience in higher education. Implications for practice include meaningful ways universities and department chairs can facilitate the transformation from professionals to professors by building inclusive cultures