Working Conditions and Welfare of Adjunct Faculty in Liberian Universities: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study examines the working conditions of adjunct faculty in selected Liberian universities, focusing on employment security, remuneration, institutional resources, and opportunities for professional and scholarly development. The study was guided by Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory (Hobfoll, 1989) and Precarity Theory (Standing, 2011), which provide complementary perspectives for understanding resource constraints and employment insecurity among adjunct faculty. A qualitative research design was employed, and data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 60 adjunct faculty members purposively selected from four Liberian universities: the University of Liberia, Cuttington University, African Methodist Episcopal Zion University, and African Methodist Episcopal University. Fifteen participants were selected from each institution based on predefined eligibility criteria. Data collection and analysis proceeded iteratively, with attention to emerging codes and themes, and continued until additional interviews yielded no substantively new information. Findings indicate that adjunct faculty commonly experience semester-based appointments, uncertain course assignments, low and delayed remuneration, inadequate workspace and institutional resources, limited career advancement opportunities, and constrained opportunities for research and professional development. Participants also described reliance on multiple academic appointments as a strategy for managing financial and employment insecurity. COR Theory highlights threats to financial, material, temporal, and professional resources, while Precarity Theory illuminates the insecurity associated with temporary employment and limited pathways to full-time academic positions. The study recommends transparent pathways to full-time employment, appropriate national standards for adjunct faculty compensation and utilization, timely payment, improved institutional resources, and expanded professional development opportunities.