The right to teach at university is a distinctive philosophical and legal conundrum but a largely unexplored question. Drawing on Humboltdian principles, the legitimacy of the university teacher stems from their continuing engagement in research rather than possession of academic and teaching qualifications alone. This means that the right to…

Presents recommendations of a faculty/administrator committee at Louisiana State University concerning faculty ranks and reviews, especially of nontenured full-time faculty who specialize in either teaching or research. It proposes rolling multiple-year contracts for instructors, new titles for non-teaching research scientists, university…

Statements on faculty evaluation contained in higher education collective bargaining agreements may simply be a new ritual. It is difficult to read the agreement materials without concluding that they do not preclude a wide latitude of interpretation. Statements of standards against which to make uniform or equitable judgments do not exist. In…

The faculty of Curry College in 1974 voted unanimously to replace tenure with a type of term contract. Faculty perceptions of the good and bad aspects of the term contract system are presented. Academic freedom, job security, motivation, promotion criteria, and financial benefits are discussed. (MLW)

A new system instituted by Aquinas College is described. It retains tenure as one possibility for a newly hired faculty member, although each faculty job-opening would on a case-by-case basis be placed either on tenure track or rolling contract track. (MLW)

This newsletter contains two articles of interest to two-year college educators. The first details an examination of 83 public two-year college collective bargaining contracts and 41 public and private four-year college agreements for references to classroom visitations. Such references were found in 24 (29%) of the two-year college contracts and…

Possible administrative policies to defer the tenure decision and slow the addition of tenured faculty are examined, including extended probationary periods, suspension or abolition of the "up-or-out" rule, term contracts, and change in tenure quotas. Examples of current use, strengths and weaknesses of alternatives, and opinions within the…

Colleges are encouraged to find innovative ways to meet institutional needs and the individual needs of faculty approaching retirement by offering such alternatives as phased retirement, part-time teaching, or contract employment within the institution or in the community, according to individual talents, maintenance patterns, and interests. (MSE)

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…

A discussion of the new scrutiny of faculty tenure by legislators and governing boards presents the views of four critics of traditional tenure. Topics addressed include problems associated with tenure, financial and educational perspectives on faculty productivity, possible alternatives to tenure, and implications for academic freedom.…

Analysis of court cases, employment law, and events in higher education yielded information about tenure as a contract, use of credentials as evidence, and due process in orderly tenure procedures. Academic, legal, and ethical perspectives are considered. Guidelines for social work faculty in dealing with these issues are offered. (Author/MSE)

A study investigated the use of teaching portfolios and student evaluations in evaluating 97 college faculty members for contract renewal. Two faculty peers and a dean evaluated the portfolio of each teacher. Student evaluations correlated reasonably well with portfolio evaluations by the deans and one of the peers. (Author/MSE)

How can higher education inspire and reinforce greater faculty involvement in the life of the "whole student" given current constraints on and expectations for faculty work? Research from two recent national surveys of chief academic officers on faculty work sheds light on this question by highlighting current faculty employment conditions and…

Case studies of 10 medical schools identified innovative mechanisms of faculty governance and management to enlist faculty in meeting demands of a competitive marketplace, including appointment letters explicitly specifying roles and responsibilities; annual, objective, performance reviews; salary tied to performance; lengthened pretenure period;…