Part-time faculty have long been a part of higher education, particularly at community colleges, where they have grown in numbers beginning in the 1970s. They were not commonly represented in large numbers across four-year institutions until the last decade or so. As a result of this change happening slowly over time and academic leaders’ belief that we might return to a largely tenure-track faculty once budgets stabilized, few if any policies and practices were systematically put in place for non-tenure-track faculty. Now campus leaders are realizing that this shift is likely to be permanent and are considering the implications for their institutions and the impact on the teaching and learning environment.
Reciprocity over Hierarchy: Designing and Implementing a Student-Led Reverse Mentoring Program
Many academic leaders, including administrators and faculty members, participate in traditional mentoring programs that prioritize hierarchy. But these programs typically don’t foster engagement and connection between students and faculty or
Marquita Lyons-Smith and Keva Suitte
October 19, 2026
