Twenty-fourth International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in Organizations

Abstract

It is time to consider a radical change in how universities and community colleges hire and promote instructors. Hiring individuals according to standards that are not merit-based and eccentric is a perverse protocol. The fact that the process is non-transparent is also an issue, as is the misguided protocol of these institutions to hire only those who matriculate from other institutions unless a personal relationship is at stake. Furthermore, the constant insecurity of adjunct positions and the fact that neither performance nor experience factors into whether instructors retain their positions creates an environment where employees are needlessly depressed and distressed. This situation feeds into the classroom. Students are affected when their instructors are diminished. Instructors are affected when their jobs are futureless. Furthermore, allowing instructors’ efforts and content to be shaped by a marketplace sensitivity that fails to promote and reward merit, effort, and creativity antagonizes the current notion of celebrating diversity and uniqueness. The value of unique qualities students bring to the educational experience is diminished. The idea of innovation and excellence becomes passe as a result. We explore how this situation creates an emotionally and intellectually crippled culture that harms classroom culture and the educational process on many levels.