Over the past three decades, the faculty in US higher education have undergone a structural shift. Where full-time, tenure-line faculty once constituted the majority of college instructors, today non-tenure-track or part-time faculty teach nearly three out of four courses (American Association of University Professors [AAUP], 2022). Institutions often justify their reliance on contingent labor as a pragmatic solution to fiscal pressures and enrollment fluctuations. Adjunct instructors are paid on a per-course basis, generally without health benefits or job security, yielding immediate savings to institutional budgets (TIAA Institute, 2018).
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
