Start-up packages are a tool for a successful transition to an academic career. This institutional case study examined the faculty experience with start-up packages at one public university in the Southeastern United States, including gender differences, content, negotiation, and perceived outcomes. A mixed-method research design was utilized to…

Although it seems reasonable to assume that start-up packages are important for faculty success, the contribution of start-up packages to faculty professional development is understudied. The aim of this study was to explore how the number of benefits obtained in start-up package agreements (number of benefits), faculty satisfaction with the…

Fixed-term contracts are a relatively recent, yet growing category of employment for teachers in the public school system in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In this article, we draw on quantitative and qualitative data from a large state-wide survey (N = 18,234) of members of the public-school teacher union, the NSW Teachers' Federation, in…

The aim this qualitative study is to determine current situation of policy on teacher employment model in Turkey from the perspectives of contracted teachers. The sample of the study consisted of 24 forms and branch teachers who were determined with the method of convenience sampling. The inclusion criterion for the sample was being contracted…

A year ago at ASBO International's Annual Meeting and Expo in Seattle, Washington, school business officials from four states presented a powerful double-session panel on the status of changes in teacher contracts and educational funding in their regions of the country. The presenters have since updated their comments with new information and…

This case presents a costly lesson for teachers and for districts that include a liquidated, or stipulated, damages clause in their teacher employment contracts. Although the court enforced the clause in this case, in this well-reasoned recent decision and in most of the much older, canvassed case law from other jurisdictions, the answer to the…

The Term Contract Nonrenewal Act, passed by the Texas Legislature in August 1981, provides term contract teachers with the option of a due process hearing before nonrenewal. Specific aspects of this act, dealing with teacher evaluation, notice of nonrenewal, hearings, and decisions and appeals, are reveiwed. (CJ)

A revamping of the operation of the current academic labor market by drawing upon the system found in professional sports is suggested. To stimulate thought, it is proposed that rules governing free agency, professor reservation, first refusal, trading, and salary arbitration be applied to higher education to replace current, outdated procedures.…

This publication summarizes the history of cost-of-living (COL) adjustment clauses in salary contracts in private industry and the teaching profession, and then discusses the pros and cons of including COL clauses in teacher contracts. The merits of COL clauses are examined from the viewpoints of both employees and employers. Included are a number…

A study of Massachusetts teacher contracts and interviews with educators in four districts indicated several factors that can affect the impact of applying seniority agreements when laying off teachers. These factors include the size of the layoff unit, bumping rights, prerequisites for teaching in a second field, and reassignment prerogatives.…

The current controversy over age-based mandatory retirement in academia is causing a review of tenure and salary policies. In this article, two alternative explanations for the institution of tenure are discussed. Five alternative policy responses available to university administrators are described and analyzed. (Author/SA)

Although it is widely believed that unionization in higher education is incompatible with traditional academic practices involving collegial self-governance, the University of Connecticut Chapter of the American Association of University Professors found that unionization can augment the faculty's role in peer self-governance. (JMD)

Recognition clauses of negotiated faculty contracts from 139 two-year colleges were analyzed to determine the extent to which part-time faculty are included in the bargaining unit, and to examine contract references to part-time faculty. Approximately one-half (71) of the contracts did not include part-time faculty as members. Exclusion was either…

A 1976 court opinion that federal court is not an appropriate forum for reviewing public agency employment is undermined in a 1983 ruling that a teacher employment contract creates a property right sufficient to raise a claim. This conflicts with established doctrine and creats new uncertainty in public employment contract disputes. (Author/MSE)

This article examines the role of athletic coaches and notes their unique backgrounds and needs that set them apart from other college faculty. Alternative definitions of the coach's role include offering tenure to coaches, treating the coach like an ordinary contractual employee, and fashioning special nonsalary benefits. (Author/DB)