Today's young academics need to lower their expectations, especially in light of the country's current economic woes. But judging from the author's experience, that mental adjustment could lead to rich opportunities. In this article, the author relates his struggle to establish a career in philosophy and provides his thoughts on the necessary…

The "Millennial Generation" has grown up with prosperity, working parents, the Internet, divorce, and Columbine. They are fundamentally different in outlook and ambition from preceding generations and have their own ideas about how they want to live and work. (JOW)

Discusses changing attitudes toward work and how they affect guidance counselors. (JOW)

Campus activities programmers are encouraged to balance roles by: remembering their time is valuable; accepting their own imperfection; saying "no" when necessary; taking care of themselves; learning to request help and delegate; giving best time and energy to what matters most; focusing on life's positives; developing support systems; keeping a…

When the author saw the job ad for Metropolitan State University, she thought she had found a new way to be a librarian. In her new position, frustration and occasional terror sometimes grip her: when she's teaching, or speaking in front of other faculty members, or trying to figure out how to be a "professional." In other words, her…

Changing attitudes and life styles have made today's workers less dedicated to work values, says the president of the Work in America Institute. The author discusses the implications of these changes, workers' demands for participation in decision making, and the need for employers to show concern for human values. (MF)

The views of 24 Australian university faculty interviewed about the way higher education's recession has affected their work reveals a widening gap between academic ideals and institutional realities. Comments focus on: teaching, students, research, colleagues, career prospects, the university, and the quality of academic life. (MSE)

Sociocultural, economic, and philosophical trends involving the "baby boom" generation of the 1940s are discussed in relation to both educational relevance and the growing interest in vocational education in nontraditional settings. (LH)

Insights into the social and cultural experiences of Hispanic people can be gleaned from both the social sciences and literature, and it is probably accurate to state that values are the most important shared dimension of a culture. There are not many value differentiations that separate the Hispanic from the Anglo. In examining the first national…

Nonwage characteristics of jobs play a role in employment decisions. Workers often trade wages for job security, status, and other job attributes. (JOW)

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of being a full-time lecturer in a foreign language department. Lecturers like the emphasis on teaching, the ability to affect student learning, and freedom from the pressures of publishing. Drawbacks include lack of time, money, and job security. Frustration, caused by a lack of empowerment, comes from an…

The important role of academic department secretaries at institutions of higher education is considered in the context of a survey of 121 academic department support staff. Possible strategies for retaining these valuable employees are offered, including accurate position descriptions, appropriate compensation, team-building programs, and special…

Technological innovation affects the structure and content of jobs. Research indicates that there is a need for a theory of technological innovation and strategic human resource management considering several factors, such as an employee's beliefs about the effect of technological innovations on the quality of work life and work content.…

This collection of essays and personal reflections stems from the author's experiences as an educator and sailor. He attempts to draw parallels between the schoolhouse and the sailboat to glean lessons on how to perform in the workplace. Through anecdotes and sketches, the author furnishes two sets of "rules" on how to be a good team…

Interview data from a study investigating perceptions and attitudes of teachers toward their work provides the basis for this article which examines the metaphorical language teachers use to describe their experience and sketches an outline of the meaning of work as perceived by teachers, school systems and society. (IAH)