Disconnects in Archaeology Higher Education: Insights from SAA Faculty, Professionals, and Students

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The impending growth of the cultural resource management field (Altschul and Klein 2022) has brought the demand for well-trained archaeology graduates in the United States into sharp focus. In this qualitative study, we explored the relationships and disconnects between archaeology practitioners’ stated needs and desires in new graduates to the resources and priorities of instructors in higher education. While practitioners desired practical skills and stronger connections with indigenous and professional communities, faculty members reported low institutional support and difficulty convincing students of the viability of archaeology as a career path. Interviewed students also reported confusion on professional pathways and frustration in graduate school mentorship. This disconnect in archaeological training implies a crisis in both the cultural resource management field and higher education if not addressed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40399.0