ABSTRACT
Nontenured faculty play a critical role on campus, yet their often large course loads and lower pay than that of their tenured colleagues are critical reflections of who receives what type of treatment. Success in academia has many measures, but none is more closely attended to by college presidents than the rankings, which are informed by retention and graduation rates. After a 20-year career in the field, half of which included teaching as an adjunct instructor in a graduate student affairs program, the author changed lanes to become a full-time lecturer, then an assistant professor. The triad of nontenured faculty understands the importance academia has had in their lives; despite being part of a system inherently structured to exclude them, they share a passion for education. They are able to pull from their social class of origin to show up with integrity, dedication, and drive to meet the demands placed on them in their positionality for student learning and support.
