Higher education in NM is in a teaching crisis
Many faculty being paid what equates to less than minimum wage
Higher education in New Mexico is in state of crisis. Student enrollment is booming thanks to transformative programs like the Opportunity Scholarship. But there are fewer faculty to teach these students because significant numbers of faculty are leaving higher education for better paying positions.
This crisis is not unique to New Mexico. Nationwide, institutions of higher education have become overly reliant on temporary and adjunct instructors who receive low pay, meager benefits, and poor job security.
Forty years ago, 70% of academic employees were tenured or on the tenure track, but today that number has dropped to 32%, while 68% percent of the faculty hold positions that are not eligible for tenure.
In New Mexico, our institutions of higher education rely on non-tenure track and temporary faculty to deliver most entry-level courses. This is especially true at our 2-year institutions, where 67% of faculty are temporary, compared to 27% at our 4-year institutions.
Many New Mexico higher education faculty members are paid what equates to less than minimum wage. For example, our lowest paid temporary faculty are paid as little as $595 per credit hour, which translates to a full-time 9-month salary of $17,850.
Many instructors in New Mexico higher education are suffering from food and housing insecurity, as documented by a 2023 survey by UNM’s Basic Needs Project, in collaboration with New Mexico’s Higher Education Department.
The survey asked students, faculty and staff at 27 public institutions of higher education about their well-being. 23% percent of faculty and staff surveyed reported “very low food security.” In addition, 43% of faculty reported they were “housing insecure” within the last 12 months, and 15% reported that they experienced homelessness within the last 12 months.
Many instructors take on second and third jobs to make ends meet. Those who hold temporary positions, such as adjuncts, are also faced with the constant uncertainty of whether they will have a job after the semester ends.
As a result, many experienced and talented faculty members are leaving higher education to pursue better paying jobs, including jobs in our K-12 education system.
Across New Mexico, our universities and colleges are suffering from short-staffing and churning employee turn-over. New Mexico college students ultimately bear the brunt of this dysfunction.
We must act now to ensure student success by stabilizing our academic workforce. Our higher education institutions must be given tools, funding, and a pathway for action. New Mexico higher education faculty and their students deserve no less.