As defined by Austin, Sorcinelli, and McDaniels, early career faculty are those within the first seven years of appointment to a faculty position or those who have not yet been awarded tenure (in institutional contexts where tenure is a possibility), acknowledging that, in some cases, faculty members are awarded tenure prior to the seventh year. New faculty may be individuals in their 20s or individuals older in age, having had other professional posts prior to moving into the professoriate. New faculty may work either full- or part-time.

Several issues are germane to new faculty: 1) the demographics of today’s early career faculty (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity); 2) the preparation they receive and the gaps in their graduate and post-doctoral backgrounds; 3) the abilities and skills they need to succeed in higher education; 4) expectations they have for their careers and the challenges experienced in their new roles; 5) strategies individual early career faculty and employing institutions can employ to enhance their professional growth; and 6) directions for future research.

Alternate terms:  early career faculty member, new faculty member.