In this article, I assert that the work of colleges and universities forms a social action system. I array the critical positions represented in this issue according to the four functional imperatives of social action systems: adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and pattern maintenance. I discuss the role of normative structures for these…

This study examined the normative support by college faculty at teaching-oriented colleges (Liberal Arts I and II institutions and community colleges) of six recommendations commonly offered for the improvement of undergraduate education and compared findings to a similar study at Research I and Comprehensive II institutions. Tenured full-time…

The relationship between publication productivity and the performance of scholarly-based course activities was investigated. A moderately strong relationship between research and teaching role performance was demonstrated. (Author/MLW)

A study asked college faculty (n=253) to evaluate six recommendations for college instructional improvement drawn from the literature. Recommendations addressed student-teacher contact, systematic advisement, feedback on student performance, faculty knowledge of students, classroom egalitarianism and tolerance, and demonstrated concern for…

This study examined the behavioral expectations and norms for college and university faculty particularly whether they varied with respect to the level of commitment to teaching at different institutions and in different disciplines. A cluster sampling design was used to select a random sample of the population of faculty in biology, history,…

A study of 250 new teaching assistants and 122 tenure-track faculty investigated their endorsement of 4 norms defining appropriate and inappropriate teaching behavior: (1) interpersonal disregard; (2) particularistic grading; (3) moral turpitude; and (4) inadequate planning. Both groups accorded the norms similar levels of impropriety. Questions…

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…

Empirical research on aspects of teaching role performance in which disciplinary differences have been observed (teaching goals, teaching practices, course examination questions, and the relationship between teaching and research) is summarized, and implications for faculty and development, academic affairs administration, and improvement of…

This book addresses issues of impropriety and misconduct in the postsecondary teaching role. It reports on three surveys of faculty members conducted over 6 years at research universities, liberal arts colleges, and two-year community, junior, and technical colleges. In each survey an equal number of faculty members were selected from each of four…

Academic disciplines with soft paradigmatic development have greater affinity for practices designed to improve undergraduate education than do hard paradigmatic disciplines. A study extends this hypothesis to the seven principles of good practice, garnering empirical support for four principles: encouragement of faculty-student contact;…

A study investigated the influence of academic discipline (biology, mathematics, psychology, history), gender, age, highest degree earned, and administrative experience on the espousal of community college teaching norms held by 265 community college faculty. Results indicate gender, discipline, and professional experience exert statistically…