Research on variables that may bias student ratings of faculty have found them generally insignificant, but students do rate differently by academic field. The real problem arises from not knowing why this occurs. Institutions and individuals should decide how they will take these differences into consideration when interpreting student ratings.…

Barriers to tenure for women faculty are examined, including different role perceptions for men and women, lack of mentors or professional support, lack of access to prestigious journals for publishing, and male expectations that all faculty will have similar formative experiences and training. (MSE)

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…

A guide to faculty evaluation is presented for use as the content for an institutional workshop or for use by individual faculty or administrators for their professional development in the area of evaluation. Purposes of evaluation include: providing a basis to recognize superior performance and to offer faculty development activities, providing…

The use of arbitration to resolve faculty appointment, retention, promotion, and tenure disputes is addressed, based on a review of specific university arbitration decisions. The arbitration literature reveals that faculty employment status decisions are made almost exclusively with reference to academic judgment. Attributes that are frequently…

The University of Queensland's use of organizational theory to incorporate student evaluations of instruction into annual faculty evaluations and tenure and promotion decisions as a means of planned institutional change is discussed. (MSE)

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)

Six major areas of part-time college faculty employment practices are discussed that illustrate how current practice can be detrimental to part-time faculty performance. Attention is directed to appointment, support services, communication with peers, participation in governance, compensation, and job security. The following areas that require…

New Mexico State University addressed the trend toward employing non-tenure-track faculty (NTTs) by capping the proportion of NTTs; acceptance of a two-tiered faculty with differentiated responsibilities; extension of professional rights to NTTs; full and regular NTT evaluation, participation in merit pay, and promotion opportunities; and…

This report provides the revised faculty compensation, evaluation, and advancement plan for Pueblo Community College (PCC) in Colorado. Section 1 contains the PCC three-level salary plan and discusses guidelines for initial appointment and level placement of faculty, initial salary computations, and minimum initial employment requirements. Section…

The use of college staffing strategies to reduce staffing expenditures, to reallocate staffing resources, or to limit the time commitment of resources to a position is discussed, based on the literature and data from the Project on Reallocation in Higher Education. Control of the decision to create a position or hire replacements for departing…

Multidimensional rating forms used for college student evaluation of faculty elicit information that can be used to evaluate the dimensions of instruction either separately or globally. Portions of the information may be useful for formative evaluation, but global items are best for making personnel decisions. (MSE)

A report of a study of faculty personnel practices, including tenure, in Florida's state universities and community colleges is presented. The objective was to determine the impact of the practices on a college's ability to attract and retain faculty and to respond to changing enrollment patterns. Background information is presented on: tenure…

A discussion of the new scrutiny of faculty tenure by legislators and governing boards presents the views of four critics of traditional tenure. Topics addressed include problems associated with tenure, financial and educational perspectives on faculty productivity, possible alternatives to tenure, and implications for academic freedom.…

The collective bargaining agreement between Desert Community College District Board of Trustees and the College of the Desert Faculty Association/California Teachers Association/National Education Association is presented. This contract, covering the period from November 17, 1989 through June 30, 1992, deals with the following topics: bargaining…