The three facets of a faculty member's job in the modern university are teaching, research, and service. There is general agreement on the meanings of teaching and research, but what the service role involves is much less clear. There are internal and external dimensions to service. Internal service is service to the institution as a way to…

This Digest discusses issues related to full-time, nontenure track, contract college faculty, sometimes called contingent faculty. Recent data from several sources show that the opportunities for tenure are declining, while the numbers of nontenure positions are increasing. Part of the increase in full-time nontenure faculty is due to the decrease…

This digest focuses on coaching certification, its importance, its current status, and types of certification programs currently in existence. The discussion also covers the status of women coaches and the issue of national certification requirements. The list of addresses of certification programs given includes commercial agencies state…

This digest reviews the literature and discusses issues concerning college faculty workload. Trends in the United States which have created interest in faculty workload issues are identified including faltering state economies in the late 1980s and rising costs of higher education especially of personnel. Criticism of higher education by the…

Although consulting has long been recognized as a legitimate faculty role in most colleges, concern has arisen about the appropriateness of "double dipping," and particularly whether consulting and other supplemental income activities result in shirking other university responsibilities. The debate centers on six basic issues: who…

The increasingly complex environment in which colleges and universities now operate has spawned a set of requirements for accountability with which institutions and therefore faculty must comply. Although academic freedom and tenure provide important protections for faculty, they are not unlimited. At the same time, institutions face a myriad of…

Increasingly, many teachers see their roles encompassing not only teaching specific content and mentoring students, but also functioning as front-line social workers. This Digest examines factors that may influence teacher morale and offers suggestions for preserving or restoring morale. Administrative support and leadership, good student…

This digest summarizes a report of a study of the research literature on faculty publication productivity, with special emphasis on gender as a factor in publishing productivity. Major issues addressed by the report include: (1) the existence of significant gender and race differences in publishing productivity, with women and minorities…