These are my slides for the EARLI 2015 Conference http://www.earli2015.org/programme/ With numerous reasons to pursue doctoral education, methods to accomplish it, and kinds of doctorates to be had, research and practice doctoral degrees are increasingly blurred across institutions and their learners. With global inconsistencies increasing, it appears almost fashionable to try to reconceive what doing a doctorate means (Boud & Tennant, 2006; Chiteng Kot & Hendel, 2012; McAlpine & Norton, 2006). However, many of these studies seek to explore this area from the perspective of the higher education economy, industry, national standards, and disciplinary expectations—sometimes leaving the experiences, needs, and intentions of recent postgraduates to their own devices. This research theorizes the shifting nature of adjunct instructors with research degrees—those alternately known as part-time, contingent, temporary, casual, or non-permanent teachers in higher education—who cannot attain full-time research positions, and proposes a framework to reconceive their roles. This work problematizes what constitutes researcher education and how those who pursue it often do so regardless of realistic future work opportunities in their areas. The notion of Flexible Academics is developed as an identity to allow the role to be talked about as distinctive from an early career researcher, something different not only by the growing period it may last, but also because of its increasingly permanent possibility.

1. Preparing for an Uncertain Future
in Higher Education:
Theoretical Implications for
Researcher Development
Jeffrey M. Keefer
New York University & Pace University
16th Biennial Conference
European Association for Research in Learning and Instruction (EARLI)
August 25-29, 2015
Cyprus University of Technology (CUT)
Limassol, Cyprus
cc: Mr.Tea - https://www.flickr.com/photos/12575062@N00cc: betta design - https://www.flickr.com/photos/65768710@N00

2. With numerous reasons to pursue doctoral
education, methods to accomplish it, and
kinds of doctorates, research and practice
doctoral degrees are increasingly blurred
across institutions and their learners.
cc: neil conway - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30934989@N06cc: Sprengben [why not get a friend] - https://www.flickr.com/photos/37010090@N04

3. Global inconsistencies almost invite us to
reconceive what doing a doctorate means
(Boud & Tennant, 2006; Chiteng Kot &
Hendel, 2012; McAlpine & Norton, 2006).
cc: Valentina_A - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8418112@N04

4. This is often explored from the perspective
of the higher education economy, industry,
national standards, and disciplinary
expectations, sometimes excluding the
experiences, needs, and intentions of
recent postgraduates often left alone in
research career development.
cc: CarbonNYC [in SF!] - https://www.flickr.com/photos/15923063@N00

5. Shifts in doctoral programs and coursework typically
avoid the growing population of adjunct instructors who
often cannot get the anticipated full-time academic
positions upon completion.
cc: pennstatenews - https://www.flickr.com/photos/53130103@N05

6. Adjunct, part-time, contingent, temporary,
casual, visiting, or non-permanent
instructors across higher education
in the U.S. account for
76% of all university teaching
(American Association of University Professors, n.d.).
cc: MTSOfan - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8628862@N05

7. This research theorizes the shifting nature
of adjunct instructors who cannot attain
full-time university research positions,
and proposes a framework to reconceive
their roles.
cc: Glenn Waters ぐれんin Japan. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/23893265@N08

8. While 76% of those teaching in higher
education have temporary,
or adjunct, teaching status,
55% of them have PhDs
(House Committee on Education
and the Workforce Democratic Staff, 2014).

9. With this population continuing to expand, it is increasingly
unclear to what extent a research doctorate prepares
graduates to engage in permanent, research-intensive
careers (Mays & Smith, 2009; Rasanen & Korpiaho, 2011;
Turner & McAlpine, 2011).
cc: matthileo - https://www.flickr.com/photos/38383999@N06

10. Individuals whose unexpected liminal periods of career
uncertainty challenge them in ways not customarily prepared
for in academic programs (Flaherty, 2013; McAlpine &
Emmioğlu, 2014; McAlpine & Turner, 2012).
cc: Arbron - https://www.flickr.com/photos/91281489@N00

11. Career trajectories are problematized for those
unable to assume a university position they
prepared for (Goldstene, n.d.).
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12. How can higher educational systems remain
intact when up to 75% of their products, early
career researchers, do not locate permanent
positions in their areas?
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13. Those who pursue researcher education
increasingly do so regardless of realistic
future work opportunities in their areas.
cc: Gideon Tsang - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34323101@N00

14. The rules for engaging in doctoral
studies have changed, yet the new
rulebook has not yet been written.cc: photosteve101 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/42931449@N07

15. Those who work in adjunct, contingent roles
bring scholarship to their tasks, though without
having stable university positions, are not readily
considered researchers.
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16. Likewise, the academic specialization that comes
as a result of this same training focuses one to
remain outside the regular knowledge economy.
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17. The situation is such that for many,
“Contingency has become permanent, a
rite of passage to nowhere”
(Kendzior, 2013).
cc: Justin Balog - https://www.flickr.com/photos/41008285@N06

18. They hold part-time positions in higher education as
full-time positions are eliminated to reduce costs, so
are liminal because they cannot work as they were
prepared to do.
cc: Wonderlane - https://www.flickr.com/photos/71401718@N00

19. These are not early career researchers, as
there is little evidence they will ever reach
those careers.
cc: EssjayNZ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/19387816@N00

20. This research proposes the term
“Flexible Scholars” for this population,
too overeducated and overqualified to
work only casually part-time, though
who remain within the higher
education machinery
that will not fully employ them.

21. Scholarship speaks to their work, while Flexible as the
majority of their time is spent across various capacities
without a central research “home” in which to work and
advance (House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Democratic Staff, 2014).
cc: quinn.anya - https://www.flickr.com/photos/53326337@N00

22. While Flexible Scholars increase, without articulating it as a
growing, distinct identity with roles to play within academic
discourses, it means that for many people it does not even
exist (Goffman, 1959).
cc: C-Monster - https://www.flickr.com/photos/23835356@N00

23. Previous Expectations for Early
Career Researchers:
No Longer the Reality
Doctoral Learners
Early Career
Researchers

24. A Rise in Flexible Scholars
Doctoral Learners
Flexible Scholars
(75% PT Academics)
Early Career
Researchers
(25% FT Academics)

25. It is beyond the scope of this theorizing to
change higher education funding, cost
structures, disciplinarity expectations, or
solutions to changing structures.
The intention is to propose language to
describe a reality that is not readily
acknowledged and begin discussions as to
implications and research agendas.
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