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…

Norms of undergraduate teaching behavior were examined in a survey of 302 biology, history, mathematics, and psychology faculty in 2 institution types, research universities and comprehensive colleges. The study investigated the perceived impropriety of specific planning, in-class, interpersonal, curricular, and testing practices. The survey…

Syracuse University (New York) is working to change the publish-or-perish ethos in higher education through better organized courses, more vigorous teaching evaluation policies, and merit raises and grants for strong teachers. More ambitious changes may follow. The modest plan has become the most comprehensive such effort to date. (MSE)

A study investigated the response of faculty and administrators at four United Kingdom universities to implementation of faculty performance appraisal. Overall, staff felt the appraisal had little tangible benefit. Ambiguity over the objective of performance appraisal, as a management tool or for faculty development purposes, is seen as a concern.…

A survey of 300 college faculty across disciplines suggested that many faculty encounter conditions that hinder collegiality concerning undergraduate teaching issues. These difficulties include faculty isolation and fragmented communication, constrained resources, and inappropriate evaluation and reward systems. Results also suggest ways in which…

A study in one private university classified four academic disciplines as hard or soft and pure or applied, then compared student evaluations of courses for organization, breadth of coverage, group interaction, enthusiasm, grading, and individual rapport. Results suggest a single evaluation form may not be appropriate for all disciplines.…

Eight papers from the 1991 ALISE (Association for Library and Information Science Education) conference are presented. Highlights include the early years of library education, the status of doctoral programs, bibliographic instruction and the library school curriculum, evaluation of faculty, recruitment of international students, and gender-based…

A portfolio model, using student evaluations and faculty publishing records, designed for classifying faculty at Ball State University (Indiana) is described, policy alternatives arising from the new method are examined, and a more general portfolio model using a variety of measures of teaching effectiveness and research activities is suggested.…

Contends that the Supreme Court decision in "Penn" that ruled the university must disclose confidential tenure files to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) strengthens, rather than threatens, academic freedom and valid academic decision making. Analyzes a number of issues related to academic freedom and discrimination…

Eliminating mandatory retirement for tenured professors will force institutions to reassess their relationships with older faculty. Institutions should not abolish or modify existing tenure policies, which might erode academic freedom, but should instead adopt and consistently apply performance review procedures. (Author/MSE)

A survey of 697 pharmacy school found faculty not willing to either agree/disagree with 19 statements concerning student evaluation of classroom teaching. Most respondents reported making changes to 1 or more of 22 instructional activities as a result of student evaluations, suggesting that despite faculty's noncommittal attitude toward student…

Examines perceptions of librarian and teaching faculty in universities to see if administrator acceptance of their Web projects is on the rise. Findings indicate respondents generally are satisfied with the recognition granted to their Web projects, and institutional factors largely influence satisfaction levels. Faculty can improve acceptance of…

In the context of the movement in the United Kingdom toward competency-based certification for teachers, it is argued that the qualification of postsecondary teachers be based on an interactive model of competence, and that teacher trainers be involved in development of competency statements that reflect occupational roles without prescribing them…

This study sought to identify major factors of teaching evaluation as related to professors' overall teaching effectiveness. Undergraduate and graduate students at a university in the southeastern United States were asked to rate 126 business faculty through anonymous course evaluations. Students rated faculty on 12 specific items related to…

Focusing on issues and practices related to professional development at two- and four-year colleges, selected articles in the four issues of this volume include the following: "Empowering Faculty: An Alternative Method for Allocating Funds" (B. Dangerfield, D. Stover, and C. Byers); "Research Portfolios: Connecting Projects to Products" (L.…