Graph: Decline of Tenure-Track Faculty

This week I'm highlighting some of the more important findings in the newly released AAUP annual report on faculty salaries. The following graph illustrates rather starkly the decline in the percentage of tenured and tenure-track faculty in American universities. (Click to enlarge.)



In 1975, 57% of university faculty were tenure or tenure-track, and just 30% were part-time faculty. By 2007, the numbers had reversed: 31% were tenure or tenure-track, and 50% were part-time. That's a remarkable change for just three decades. Even if current trends flatten out, what will this graph look like in another three decades?