Changes in retirement patterns at colleges and universities can be expected because of demographic reasons and because of federal and state legislation uncapping mandatory retirement. Institutional policies that will encourage reluctant older faculty to retire need to address the three fundamental components of successful employee retirement: (1)…

This article explains why college faculty benefit by taking large portions of their compensation in fringe benefits, presents data showing trends in the provision of fringe benefits to college and university employees, and suggests that academic supply and demand conditions during the 1990s may lead to resumption of the upward trend in…

This paper questions whether there is sufficient evidence, as presented in the popular press, to support special action to increase the supply of college and university faculty. The higher education popular press has published several forecasts of faculty shortages due to the mass retirement of expansion era faculty and the forecasted low numbers…

This digest summarizes issues raised in a research report on the academic rank of the emeritus professorship and retirement. Among the questions addressed are: What prompts an interest in the emeritus status? What trends presage its restructuring? What changes in the emeritus rank are likely? How might a new emeritus rank help solve problems of…

This report examines the rank of emeritus professor in higher education and considers such questions as: What trends presage its restructuring? What changes in the emeritus rank are likely? How might a new emeritus rank help solve problems of abolishing compulsory retirement age? and What should colleges and universities do? Recent studies about…

A study of 65 doctoral programs in higher education indicates disturbing trends: (1) mergers into larger academic units; (2) significant decline in student diversity among rather stable populations; and (3) retirement of most tenured faculty within 10 years. Despite continuity and stability overall, these changes suggest a need for unified…