To Be Black Women and Contingent Faculty: Four Scholarly Personal Narratives

Abstract

This study utilized scholarly personal narratives to explore the experiences and perceptions of four Black women who served as full-time contingent faculty members in higher education and student affairs graduate preparation programs. Authors drew upon Black feminist thought and intersectionality to frame this study. Specifically, authors extended Collin’s outsider-within status to outsider-outsider-within status to describe the unique experiences of Black women in contingent faculty appointments. Specific findings included: (1) marginalization of contingent faculty, (2) intersections of identities inextricably linked to teaching, and (3) devaluation of scholarly pursuits. Implications for institutional policy and practice are discussed.