most applied courses in uni are run by permanent staff who may not have the expertise but know the broad area well and specialist modules are taught by part timers/contractors. To get a permanent job in a uni you usually need to have a PhD which is not exactly conducive to having industry experience in a new field..
ITs will hire lecturers without PhDs but a key problem for their computer courses at the moment is that student nos are falling and in order to keep permanent staff they need to launch new courses but the permanent staff may not be very experienced in the new areas. And usually there is not the money to hire more part timers..
Very chicken and egg –
now in sociology..it is a different matter – loads of students, not enough staff..
assistant and part time lecturers are not paid that well and lecturers to have to forego salaries for 3-5 years while they do Phds so arguably they deserve to be paid accordingly..I guess it is when we get old and out of date that the real problem arises..
Aphra.