Discusses eight steps to modify the way engineering schools operate. They include hiring some experienced engineers as faculty, incorporating peer and student review of teaching performance in faculty evaluations, reversing the tendency to make curricula increasingly narrow and specialized, and adopting a systems approach to engineering education.…

To identify reasons for peer evaluation of college teaching being more honored in rhetoric than in practice, events that occurred on the campus of a prominent public research university are described and suggestions offered as to why peer evaluation is not often practiced. A Committee on Teaching Effectiveness was appointed in response to…

Noting that librarians are integral to the library's performance of its educational function, this report argues that faculty status should be extended to academic librarians. This argument is supported by an excerpt from the "Joint Statement on Faculty Status of College and University Librarians," which was developed by the Association…

Six major areas of part-time college faculty employment practices are discussed that illustrate how current practice can be detrimental to part-time faculty performance. Attention is directed to appointment, support services, communication with peers, participation in governance, compensation, and job security. The following areas that require…

Issues of institutional accountability for colleges and universities are examined in the American and European contexts, particularly as market forces gain importance in Europe. Varying forms of accountability (formal, through accreditation; financial; and academic) and two dimensions of accountability (external vs. internal, legal vs. financial)…

The role of the college athletic coach has changed substantially in recent decades, with the ideal of the coach as an educator obsolescent. Institutions must work with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and coaches' associations for reform, addressing three major issues: need for a better hiring process, provision of meaningful…

This report, sponsored by a coalition of District of Columbia-based higher education associations and public higher education systems, examines a wide range of faculty employment policies. The project was undertaken to encourage a proactive approach to preparing the higher education workforce for the 21st century and to address concerns of…

In higher education's new environment, colleges and universities must re-examine their tenure codes and practices and consider various forms of post-tenure review. Elimination of tenure does not necessarily end academic freedom. However, any new employment policies must emerge through a process of genuine discussion and negotiation among faculty…

This working paper analyzes higher education faculty characteristics in Mexico and the United States. The first section describes and compares Mexican and U.S. faculty characteristics and conditions, including total number of faculty, student-teacher ratios, full- versus part-time status, rank, tenure, average salaries, gender and ethnicity, and…