Following World War II, fear rooted in Communist paranoia gripped America. This distress seeped into all aspects of American culture, including education. The American people became increasingly worried that Communist influences would infiltrate the schools and pervert the minds of children. At the forefront of this quagmire was Dr. Earl James…

In 2005 the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, the central organisation of unions in New Zealand, initiated a Learning Representatives Project based on the British model. The Government approved an eight-month programme to be funded through its Tertiary Education Commission to "scope the project". Work began not just on scoping, but on…

Affirmative action as a form of regulatory policy may produce a productive cultural mosaic but cannot in itself achieve healthy diversity. A college wishing to diminish discrimination, create a safe and secure work and educational environment, and provide support for family life must institutionalize diversity programs to succeed. (MSE)

Flexible tenure contracts are proposed as an alternative to the current college faculty tenure system. Such a contract would make more explicit, and potentially more varied, the contributions expected of the candidate, but avoid the tenure-track/non-tenure-track distinction. It could also help resolve conflicts over the relative weights to be…

A tenured teacher at the University of Minnesota at Duluth examines institutional policy of hiring non-tenure-track faculty for its writing program. He argues that underfunding and understaffing created a backlog that was then passed on to full-time "temporary" teachers, at the same time administrative costs were increasing. (MSE)

The typical affirmative-action-mandated procedure for filling new tenure-track openings in humanities departments, together with the typical organization of service-course programs, puts women faculty members at a disadvantage. It often draws new faculty from outside the institution, generally passing over women already within the institution.…

Summarizes data concerning personality measurements as predictors of job performance, and offers responses to frequently raised questions about these measurements in the employment process. It is suggested that measures of personality are valid predictors of performance in all occupations, that they do not adversely impact minority group job…

Three myths about tenure are discussed: (1) that tenure is responsible for the increasing cost of education; (2) that the solution to increasing costs is to run a college like a business; and (3) that university presidents and administrators need flexibility to hire and fire professionals to achieve both cost containment and their new vision of…

Issues of early retirement of college and university faculty are examined as they relate to Australia's aging faculty population, and the conditions necessary to promote early retirement successfully in this context are considered. (MSE)

Responds to the article by Fix and Bean in this issue on the General Accounting Office (GAO) report on discrimination related to provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). Questions interpretation of the GAO report and an Urban Institute-sponsored study. Endorses IRCA and recommends stronger employer sanctions. (AF)

A national survey of 53 dental schools found most were not interested in developing a separate division or department of dental anesthesiology. Of those with a dentist anesthesiologist responsible for teaching pain control, all have or favor such a division. Less than one-third employ professionals limiting their practice to anesthesiology. (MSE)

Because of the influx of immigrants, colleges and universities are increasingly burdened with policy and administrative issues concerning employment of foreign nationals. University attorneys must develop a basic understanding of institutional responsibilities and liabilities in employment of aliens, including employment of students, faculty, and…

Focuses on the employment of women administrators by the New York City Board of Education from 1972 to 1981. Analyzes the influence of numerous difficulties--political, legislative, and administrative--on the effectiveness of Title IX. Concludes that, without revisions in policy design and management, the law is condemned to ineffectuality. (KH)

The impact on college tenure and promotion practices of a Supreme Court decision, "University of Pennsylvania versus the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission," is discussed. The decision required the university to disclose confidential tenure files to the EEOC in the investigation of employment discrimination charges. (MSE)

In light of public opinion concerning tenure, academic freedom, and role of college faculty, a new approach is proposed, incorporating these principles: return to concept of tenure as a lifelong contract awarded in the thirties, education of public concerning tenure, and active support for limited teaching contracts to replace tenure awards to…