Re-envisioned Contributions: Experiences of Faculty Employed at Institutional Types that Differ from their Original Aspirations

Guided by the theory of figured worlds, this qualitative study focuses on 18 faculty members employed at community colleges, broad access liberal arts, comprehensives, and regional research universities, who have constructed professionally and personally meaningful careers at institutions that differ from their original aspirations and/or their graduate training. We offer two key findings that highlight how these professors re-envision their careers and contributions by advancing the learning of others and engaging in inquiry for purposes other than publication. In highlighting these two key themes, we expose tensions that participants experienced and navigated as they reenvisioned their careers.