A recent case from Maine shows why public officials must resist the urge to retaliate against employees who voice criticism. Employers must be able to prove they would have made the same adverse personnel decision, documented with detailed and credible explanations for the action, no matter what the employee said. (MLF)

In this study, the authors used expectancy theory to examine key factors that motivate business faculty to conduct research. The survey results, from 320 faculty members at 10 business schools, showed that faculty members who assign higher importance ratings to both the extrinsic and the intrinsic rewards of research exhibit higher research…

This brochure deals with issues concerning tenure in the form of contrasting "myths" and "realities." Some of these include the "myth" that tenure is a lifetime job guarantee whereas "in reality" tenure is a right to due process; the "myth" that tenured faculty do not work very hard though "in reality" surveys clearly show that tenured faculty…

A new director of composition at Arkansas State University explains how she has had to mentor herself, write and revise herself, read herself into her new bewildering environment, and in short, make her job as easy as possible. Reading the new environment and understanding how faculty members fit into it may be one of the hardest aspects of a new…

This report addresses the unionization of part-time (or adjunct) faculty and sets forth certain demographic data pertaining to them. Included are sections from national faculty organizations' status reports on part-time faculty. The first part of the report lists factors contributing to the growth of adjunct faculty collective bargaining. Tables…

Discusses outplacement counseling, pointing out that concerned, careful, and thoughtful dismissal of teachers can improve faculty morale, save litigation expense, and reduce stress levels for the people involved. (EL)

Surveyed part-time faculty and full-time, nontenure track faculty (N=119) at Montana State University and found a pool of experienced individuals generally dissatisfied with their work situation, particularly appropriateness of compensation and policies. Gender differences were noted in dependence upon the income from part-time teaching,…

The psychological effects of involuntary job loss on untenured professors are documented. Theoretical models, clinical observation, personal letters, and interviews point up the existence of a widespread mourning phenomenon among abruptly terminated academics, a pervasive response that has only been significantly measurable over the last decade.…

A strategy for assisting candidates for promotion is outlined. Teaching, research, and service remain the key criteria for faculty evaluation. Untenured faculty must devote time to research and teaching: developing manuscripts for publication, writing proposals for extramural funding, conceptualizing a program of research, formulating new courses,…

A 5-year (still ongoing) study of new faculty (originally 54) has found such changes as declining amount of time spent on teaching preparation; teaching increasingly perceived as more satisfying and less stressful than research; increasing time spent on research; increased stress about research productivity; and increased perception of work…

A study used available data to develop a profile of non-tenure-track college faculty (n=132) and compare it with a similarly derived profile of untenured but tenure-track faculty (n=587). The research explored the relationship between employment status and selected demographic, career orientation, career circumstance, and work environment…

Although it does not offer tenure or tenure-track appointments, the newly established Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has not had difficulty attracting qualified faculty. The creation of the institution, recruitment of faculty, characteristics of new faculty hires, characteristics of the interview pool for new positions, faculty reasons for…

A study used the "met-expectations" framework to examine effects of postgraduate work experience on tenure acquisition. Pretenure faculty with academic postdoctoral experience had better time management skills, were clearer about work priorities, experienced less work stress than inexperienced faculty. Early work stress was associated with lower…

Faculty at nonprofit colleges and universities are concerned about the quality of faculty at the for-profit University of Phoenix, and about the personnel policies that support them. This institution's faculty lacks tenure, and most teach part time. Ninety percent are fully employed elsewhere. The fast-paced courses and regimented curriculum are…

By last spring, most faculty members at public institutions of higher education were justifiably pessimistic about their likely salary increases for the 2003-04 academic year. Many states were running large budget deficits for the second or third year in a row and no longer had reserves to draw upon to balance their budgets. These shortfalls…