In a tight job market, visiting professorships can be appealing way stations for new Ph.D.'s while they search for permanent posts. Unlike adjunct positions, which are often renewed semester by semester, visiting professorships are set by annual or even multiyear contracts, with most capped at three years. The visiting jobs often come with health…

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 new generation of young academics, known as gypsy scholars, find themselves hired temporarily, drawing the worst teaching assignments, having the heaviest workloads, and having the lowest pay. Tenure is seen as academia's brass ring. The threat to tenure in Nevada is discussed. (MLW)

On campuses around the country, part-time and temporary instructors are pushing for power, and many see unions as the most likely way to get results. At issue are salaries, benefits, terms of appointment, etc. (MLW)

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 version of the academic flow model analyzed the quantitative effects on faculty composition, compensation, and turnover of implementing seven options. The options were early retirement, change in the probationary period, increased proportions of part-time faculty, unlimited renewable appointments, and nonrenewable fixed-term appointments, and…