National and international statistics show that across disciplines there are many more PhD graduates than academic positions. In fact, more than half of graduates find their careers outside the academy--though the kinds of positions they accept, their work satisfaction, and the relevance of their PhDs is much less clear. As regards scholarly…

As increasing numbers of adults return to school for advanced degrees, more non-traditional-aged new faculty are appearing in our institutions. These older adults, most of whom have had a distinct career before moving into teaching, face additional challenges above those of a new faculty member related to their age and prior professional…

This brief paper summarizes a full length report of the same title on the faculty job satisfaction of women and minorities. In light of probable faculty shortages in the coming decades and the need for increasingly diverse college faculty, institutions must make faculty positions attractive to women and minorities. Current trends, low faculty…

A study found few gender differences in young college faculty's (n=115) reasons for acceptance, rejection, or resignation of academic positions. Results imply academic recruiting should focus on quality of academic life in the department or institution, accommodating family members' needs, and job security in the form of longer, tenure-track…

At a time when some are critical of higher education's increasing reliance on part-time and adjunct faculty, many of those faculty do not seek tenure or full-time teaching positions. While they would like better pay and benefits, they prefer part-time work so they can pursue other jobs or interests and enjoy the teaching they do. (MSE)

Examined the status of African Americans in the U.S. professorate and its relationship to this group's access and success. Faculty surveys compared the characteristics, experiences, and achievements of African American professors on six predominantly white campuses to those of their white peers. African American faculty members were systematically…

A study compared employment patterns, working conditions, and workload among college and university faculty in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, England, Japan, and the United States, based on data from an international faculty survey. Results indicate considerable differences across academic rank, particularly in the European countries. However,…

This article utilizes relative deprivation theory to examine the careers of non-tenure-track instructors and research associates. Demographic status, motivations for accepting contingent employment, and standards of comparison used to assess the quality of the job were all related to the degree of relative deprivation experienced by adjunct…

A study explored the perceptions of 13 female Korean professors in 3 Korean universities concerning the careers of Korean academic women. Analysis focused on the experience of Western-trained women in securing faculty positions in Korean universities, workload and responsibilities of women faculty, and impact of personal lives and social roles on…

A survey of 20,000 college and university faculty in 14 countries, particularly in large teaching and research institutions, investigated the extent of international mobility within this group. Issues examined in relation to mobility include gender differences, distribution among disciplines, patterns of employment (full- vs. part-time,…

Issues concerning faculty career vitality, including institutional policy options and demographic and external pressures, are addressed in 12 chapters. In the first chapter, Shirley M. Clark, Carol M. Boyer, and Mary Corcoran review theoretical and conceptual issues concerning institutional and faculty vitality. The following chapters and authors…