Faculty definitions of merit are analyzed through 417 recommendations for merit salary awards. The effects of the recommendation writer's academic characteristics on the case made were examined, and it was found that definitions of merit varied by academic discipline and rank, and teaching was generally less valued than research or service. (MSE)

The way in which faculty reward is linked to faculty evaluation is examined. It is contended that faculty reputations continue to be important to instructional images and professional advancement of the individual and are dominant in many systems of faculty evaluation. The contradiction when faculty are evaluated on the basis of performance and…

The status of women faculty in colleges and universities is considered. While there has been increased hiring of women on college faculties, women faculty members still lag behind men in rank and salary, even when differences in fields, institutions, and postdoctoral experience are considered. Women presently constitute about 24 percent of the…

Financial and educational trends in accredited public institutions of higher education were studied for the period 1976-79 with some data for earlier years and for 1979-80. The study was based on a stratified sample of 135 institutions of which 95 participated. The sample represented all parts of the public sector except autonomous professional…