Environmental differences for speech departments at large and small colleges are not simply of scale; there are qualitative as well as quantitative differences. At small colleges, faculty are hired as teachers, rather than as researchers. Because speech teachers at small colleges must be generalists, and because it is often difficult to replace departing faculty members, speech programs are often in danger of being cut. In terms of administration, channels are informal and contacts are personal for department chairs, a situation that has both advantages and disadvantages. Small colleges also demand a palpable loyalty, although such loyalty is very time consuming. However, teachers at small colleges tend to see themselves more as members of a unified faculty and less as members of individual departments. While the elements of multiple roles and responsibilities, informal channels, loyalty, and emphasis on teaching may exist at larger institutions, their presence characterizes the small college. It is thus within this context that the small college department administrator must operate. (HTH)