The 2026 Contingent Faculty Survey is Open!
The AFT Higher Education 2026 Contingent Faculty Survey has launched! The AAUP/AFT “A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education”, our campaign policy platform, lays out our union’s vision for fighting for job security and dignity in the workplace for all higher education workers. Ending contingent employment and ensuring all higher ed workers have meaningful job security are essential to achieving this goal.
This is a comprehensive survey, our first in four years, and it will collect information on contingent faculty workload, health insurance benefits, artificial intelligence, professional development support, job security protections and a number of other issues. The results will be used to help us move legislation, contract language and campus-level policy to increase job security for adjunct faculty, with the goal of ending contingency—part of Pillar IV of the blueprint.
The survey focuses on six key areas:
- Wages: Compensation and financial stability.
- Working Conditions: Workload, job security and institutional support.
- Artificial Intelligence: The impact of AI on teaching and faculty responsibilities.
- Student Loans: Educational debt and financial challenges.
- Healthcare: Access to affordable coverage and benefits.
- Job Satisfaction: Faculty experiences, professional support and career sustainability.
Why participate?
Your participation is essential! Participation in this survey helps our union develop model legislation, contract language, trainings and other resources to support our affiliates and our members. It also provides us with much-needed data to better tell the story of how contingent employment affects workers’ workplace experiences and day-to-day lives.
Why is this survey so long?
This comprehensive survey covers multiple important topics affecting contingent faculty, including wages, working conditions, AI, student loans, healthcare and job satisfaction. As our first survey in four years, we want to capture a fuller picture of faculty experiences and emerging challenges to strengthen our advocacy efforts.
Do I have to answer every question on the survey?
We encourage you to answer as many questions as possible to help us gather meaningful data. However, you may skip questions that do not apply to you or that you are uncomfortable answering.
How is this survey being shared with members?
We are sharing the survey through AFT Higher Education emails, member networks and digital outreach. We also encourage members and local leaders to share it with contingent faculty colleagues to help us reach as many eligible participants as possible.
How long will the survey be open?
The survey will be open Oct. 13 to Dec. 15.
Take the survey today: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AFTHigherEdContingentSurvey2026
And please share the survey with contingent faculty colleagues and within your networks.
Your voice. Your experience. Our collective power.
Together, we can strengthen our advocacy for contingent faculty and build a better future for higher education.
In solidarity,
Kat Kielar
UUP Buffalo Center Chapter President