This article analyses the obituaries of 100 academics published in the British quality press in 2007 to see what they tell us about the changing nature of contemporary academic work, and how it is presented in this particular genre of writing. It concludes that the influence of Oxbridge and the American higher education system, and the dominance…

Increasingly, the higher education community is witnessing what the author calls the "entrepreneurial adjunct phenomenon": a kind of merchandising of the needs, concerns, and activities of faculty with short-term, often part-time, appointments that depend on factors like enrollment, budget, and program changes. These faculty members are called any…

This study tests propositions regarding idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) in a sample of N = 265 hospital employees using structural equation modeling. Timing and content of idiosyncratic employment arrangements are postulated to have differential consequences for the nature of the employment relationship. Results confirm that i-deals made after hire…

As universities strive to create an inclusive environment and ensure a fair and pleasant working climate for all individuals, new strategies must be developed for tracking and responding to issues that do not rise to the level of discriminatory action but nonetheless impact the university's commitment to diversity. This article examines Cornell…

A qualitative research study was conducted to explore the factors relating to enthusiastic and engaged educational leadership. The methodology included interviews of successful leaders in education at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, as well as a review of related research literature. The information gathered leads to the…

University culture is increasingly being influenced by globalization, competition, the commercialization of research, and external demands for accountability. Corporate managerial practices that value individualism and productivity bump up against more democratic and collaborative practices inherent in the traditional academic culture and…

Considers the current chaotic state of affairs in Russia and the world and advocates a thorough overhaul of the Russian educational system. Articulates this new system in terms of broad objectives and principles. Attempts a reconciliation of Marxist economic analysis and the postindustrial world. (MJP)

For-profit higher education institutions have grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, largely free of federal regulation. That freedom would be significantly curtailed if the gainful employment standard takes effect. Vocational training programs would be judged by the ratio of the debt that graduates assume relative to their current earnings…

The purpose of this study was to determine the physical, psychological and biochemical health status of staff members at a higher educational institution (Institute of Technology). Relative large numbers of subjects were identified with hypertension (18.5%), stress symptoms (32.1%), job stress (36%) and emotional exhaustion (11.4%). Thirty percent…

The authors share principles developed from a Sloan Foundation-sponsored conference where participants considered professional development broadly, from learning from the scholarship of their colleagues to seeking support to attain personal equilibrium.

This author's professional career has varied in leadership experiences. Unlike women who are coming of age today in leadership positions, the author never had a "plan" for her professional career moves. She simply went about selecting the next interesting opportunity. Looking back, this may not have always been in her best interest, but she…

Quality of work life is being recognized more and more as a driving factor in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees. Before Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine began development of its QWL initiative, it surveyed other medical schools across the U.S. to determine benchmarks of best practices in these programs.…

When the author saw the job ad for Metropolitan State University, she thought she had found a new way to be a librarian. In her new position, frustration and occasional terror sometimes grip her: when she's teaching, or speaking in front of other faculty members, or trying to figure out how to be a "professional." In other words, her…

At a time of rising concern for hiring and retaining qualified Jewish educators, this study looked at factors contributing to the decision to enter or remain in the field of Jewish education. If Jewish day school administrators can determine what characteristics attract and retain qualified teachers then perhaps they can mitigate the current…

Non-tenure-track (NTT) research faculty are perhaps the most under-recognized group of academic professionals on the campuses today, despite their increasingly important role within the expanding academic research enterprise. The American Association for the Advancement of Science reports that the amount of federal spending on R&D has more than…