The use of contingent faculty in higher education in the United States has grown tremendously over the past three decades. In 1975, only 30.2 percent of faculty were employed part time; by 2005, according to data compiled by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS),…

The effects of reliance on part-time faculty in higher education have been much discussed of late. Most observers now agree that the increasing reliance on contingent academic labor has worrisome consequences for both students and faculty. The authors recently attempted to provide needed analysis of what drives the current reliance on part-time…

This article reports the findings of a 1999 survey conducted by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce (CAW), a group of higher education and disciplinary associations concerned about the dramatic rise in contingent faculty, to examine the staffing practices across eleven humanities and social science disciplines. The comprehensive report showed…

The typical affirmative-action-mandated procedure for filling new tenure-track openings in humanities departments, together with the typical organization of service-course programs, puts women faculty members at a disadvantage. It often draws new faculty from outside the institution, generally passing over women already within the institution.…

The implications for the careers of junior faculty members of the trend toward creating tenure-track appointments that are tenure-track in name only, without any real security, are examined. (MSE)

Three myths about tenure are discussed: (1) that tenure is responsible for the increasing cost of education; (2) that the solution to increasing costs is to run a college like a business; and (3) that university presidents and administrators need flexibility to hire and fire professionals to achieve both cost containment and their new vision of…

The American Association of University Professors statement concerns policies and practices that open senior academic appointments to persons with reduced workloads and salaries without loss of status. (MSE)

In light of public opinion concerning tenure, academic freedom, and role of college faculty, a new approach is proposed, incorporating these principles: return to concept of tenure as a lifelong contract awarded in the thirties, education of public concerning tenure, and active support for limited teaching contracts to replace tenure awards to…

A growing bulge in the age distribution of California State University faculty and its potential effects on the status and distribution of full-time, part-time, tenured, and probationary appointments in the institution are examined. (MSE)

A junior faculty member reflects on the dilemma of that professional position, noting that its anxieties fall into two categories: "Is this all there is?" and "What if we lose it?" She examines problems with, and prohibitions against, speaking one's mind in that position, sees solutions as being institutional or individual, and examines how…

A discussion of faculty tenure focuses on the system used at Colby College (Maine). Policies and practices are described, with attention given to the four evaluations made before tenure is awarded, efforts to ensure instructional quality and research productivity after the tenure decision, and the balance of teaching and scholarship in the faculty…

The trend toward extending nontenured faculty members' probationary periods beyond the traditional 6 years, is discussed, along with problems faced by faculty at the time of nonrenewal, implications for academic careers, and the issue of multiple standards for faculty evaluation within an institution. (MSE)

A celebrated economist discusses the employment of college faculty in the modern university focusing on two primary issues: (1) tenure and promotion; and (2) recruitment, payment, and retention. Additional issues addressed include the role of faculty, academic authority, democracy in the classroom, and allocation of society's resources for higher…

The report and proposed policy statement of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) concerning tenure among medical school faculty describes some changes occurring in academic medical centers and their implications for faculty status and academic freedom. It then details AAUP policy principles, focusing on academic appointments,…

Examines cognitive processes that distort judgments about men and women thus perpetuating discriminatory practices in the professions and in academe. Cites studies of salary, rank, and tenure discrepancies and notes various unarticulated beliefs about gender that present obstacles to women's advancement. Affirmative action and institutional…