Exited: Terminated from Higher Education considers the experiences of academic workers who find themselves abruptly expelled, terminated or exited from their contracts and workplaces. This is an increasingly common occurrence for academic workers with middle or senior management roles, and one that needs exposure and discussion. While there is extensive coverage of the precarity of early-career, teaching and research staff, the experience of longer-tenured staff is less explored.

This collection of papers and anonymised case studies highlights the lived experience of individuals who have been ‘exited’ from their roles. Academic chapters explore the legal and human resources practices in higher education. Case studies detail those in ascending career positions, established professionals and those nearing the end of their professional careers. Further drivers of sexism, racism and ageism are addressed. The ‘exiting’ phenomenon is contextualised within the broader literature on professional identity and roles in higher education, and on higher education leadership and management, providing insights into these practices, the impact on individuals and the cultures that fuel such behaviours.