Executive-search consultants are being hired to help fill posts in higher education from college presidents to development positions and deanships. Consultants perform a variety of services, from identifying and screening candidates to arranging flight schedules for campus visits. (MLW)

The Duke University academic council restored tough language to a resolution of a faculty panel charged with finding ways to improve recruiting of Black professors, also urging Duke to double its number of Black doctoral candidates, set up a postdoctoral program, and support graduate training for Black undergraduates. (MLW)

Administrators who have been successful in recruiting minority faculty members suggest that institutions develop innovative, goal-oriented affirmative action plans, challenge entrenched campus attitudes, find new ways of seeking out qualified applicants, and prevent unwritten campus rules from hindering the process. (MSE)

Topnotch scholars, academic couples, and emphasis on new theories are transforming the English department at Duke University. Professors lured to Duke say joint appointments and interdisciplinary responsibilities are a big part of the attraction. Several members describe their work as left-leaning or Marxist. (MLW)