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Two Decades of Change: Faculty Discipline Trends in Higher Education

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Title: Two Decades of Change: Faculty Discipline Trends in Higher Education
Language: English
Authors: Brielle Johnson, Melissa Fuesting, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)
Source: College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. 2025.
Availability: College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. 1811 Commons Point Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932. Tel: 877-287-2474; Fax: 865-637-7674; e-mail: research@cupahr.org; Web site: http://www.cupahr.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 2025
Intended Audience: Administrators
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Higher Education, Intellectual Disciplines, Educational Trends, College Faculty, Teacher Salaries, Tenure, COVID-19, Pandemics, Nontenured Faculty, Economic Climate
Abstract: In recent years, higher education institutions have faced pressure to prioritize certain disciplines over others. In particular, there have been heightened pressures to emphasize disciplines that are in greater demand by students or perceived by the public as translating directly from degree to career. This report takes a longitudinal approach to provide insights on how academic disciplines have changed over the past 20 years in terms of faculty salaries, tenure status, and headcount. Trends across and within disciplines were examined to explore how recent historic events (e.g., the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic) and shifting priorities may have impacted the higher education faculty workforce. Data were analysed from the "Faculty in Higher Education Survey" from 2003-04 to 2023-24. This survey is administered annually, providing up-to-date information on recent and historic trends in faculty disciplines. The concluding section of this report synthesizes insights across analyses and provides key takeaways for higher education leadership. Across various indices, the faculty disciplines of Business, Health Professions, Biological/Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, and Legal Professions fared better than other disciplines in terms of salaries, raises, and growth. On the other hand, disciplines including English Language/Literature, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Consumer Sciences, Education, and Theology generally fared worse than other disciplines across the same metrics.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED673299
Database: ERIC
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  Data: College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. 1811 Commons Point Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932. Tel: 877-287-2474; Fax: 865-637-7674; e-mail: research@cupahr.org; Web site: http://www.cupahr.org
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  Data: In recent years, higher education institutions have faced pressure to prioritize certain disciplines over others. In particular, there have been heightened pressures to emphasize disciplines that are in greater demand by students or perceived by the public as translating directly from degree to career. This report takes a longitudinal approach to provide insights on how academic disciplines have changed over the past 20 years in terms of faculty salaries, tenure status, and headcount. Trends across and within disciplines were examined to explore how recent historic events (e.g., the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic) and shifting priorities may have impacted the higher education faculty workforce. Data were analysed from the "Faculty in Higher Education Survey" from 2003-04 to 2023-24. This survey is administered annually, providing up-to-date information on recent and historic trends in faculty disciplines. The concluding section of this report synthesizes insights across analyses and provides key takeaways for higher education leadership. Across various indices, the faculty disciplines of Business, Health Professions, Biological/Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, and Legal Professions fared better than other disciplines in terms of salaries, raises, and growth. On the other hand, disciplines including English Language/Literature, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Consumer Sciences, Education, and Theology generally fared worse than other disciplines across the same metrics.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 23
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
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      – SubjectFull: Intellectual Disciplines
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Trends
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      – SubjectFull: College Faculty
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Salaries
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      – SubjectFull: Tenure
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      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
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      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: Nontenured Faculty
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      – SubjectFull: Economic Climate
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      – TitleFull: Two Decades of Change: Faculty Discipline Trends in Higher Education
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