As preparation for the rhetoric and composition job market becomes more readily available through multiple sources, some cover letter writers may need clarification on the well-meaning but perhaps conflicting responses to writing given to them by mentors from differing backgrounds, statuses, and epistemes. This article seeks to illuminate the…

The boundaries between universities of applied sciences and universities in the binary higher education system in Germany have begun to blur. This is likely to affect the criteria for hiring professors, too. The article investigates whether or not there is a similarity of the relative weight universities of applied sciences and universities put on…

In this paper we review current practices for developing and promoting academic leadership in universities. We consider the forms of leadership that are appropriate for academic organisations, while exploring the types of leadership favoured by recruitment and promotion committees. Using the Australian higher education context as a case study, we…

Lou Marinoff's article, "Inside a Search," discusses the issues college search committees face in the pursuit of qualified faculty members that will be a good fit for their institutions. More often than not, faculty searches are more complex and challenging than the featured article suggests. The economic downturn facing the nation has resulted in…

Oral interviews in focus groups and written surveys were conducted with 877 men and women, including administrators, faculty members, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students, during one-day site visits to chemistry and chemical engineering departments at 28 Ph.D.-granting institutions. This report is a preliminary review of the perceptions…

The president has just announced her plans to leave the college within the next year. What is the board going to do? At Wilmington College in Delaware, the board relaxed and continued with its business without missing a beat. That's because a succession plan had been in place for several years, and it was just a matter of deciding the details of…

We surveyed directors of departmental search committees (N = 89) to ascertain which criteria have the most value in the faculty applicant selection process. Respondents used several methodological techniques, including rank order, agreement, and importance scale questions. Results indicated that match or fit with department is the most important…

This article suggests that trustees give the same high level of thoughtful consideration to selecting the board chair as they give to filling the presidency. More than the routine filling of a vacancy, the process for naming the board's next chair amounts to the selection of a governance team. The board's most important responsibility is not only…

Problems in the process of selecting new administrators are discussed, including confidentiality, resumes and letters of recommendation, the interview, committee membership, and inside candidates. (MSE)

This report focuses on the critical relationship between the presidents and governing boards of this nation's higher education institutions. At the outset of the 21st century, colleges and universities face an array of daunting challenges. To name a few: intense global competition, rapid technological advancements, changing demographics,…

After participating on a search committee for an academic leader, the authors conduct an empirical and philosophical analysis of factors that influence the work and productivity of women in higher education. The authors query--how can women achieve more balance in educational institutions so they can pursue careers that reflect the complexity and…

A national survey of high school principals was conducted to determine whether they agreed or disagreed with selected practices and procedures used to hire high school physical education teachers. A survey instrument, developed with the help of experts in the field and consisting of 29 items, was sent to 400 randomly selected principals. Useable…

Although advising and mentoring students are important activities for professors in most academic settings, faculty job ads seldom mention these roles. We reviewed issues of the "Monitor on Psychology" from the past three decades in order to discern how frequently advising and mentoring are named as job requirements, and the frequency of requests…

Sunshine laws are designed to make meetings and records of public entities visible so that a state can help ensure accountability of decision making affecting public resources. The laws often pit the news media's desire for greater public disclosure of information on public college and university governance against institutional leaders' desire to…

The selection of faculty in academic institutions is an important process--one that has long-lasting effects on an institution's ability to fulfill its mission. Faculty influence the quality of the education delivered, the effectiveness of the programs and activities offered, and the financial efficiency of the delivery processes. Failed searches…