Discusses how sociobiology (the study of the biological bases of animal and human social behavior) can help education adapt to social change and provide students with a more relevant world view. (DB)

This case study of three university departments was designed to generate substantive theory about decision-making in academic departments. Homans' social systems theory was used as a framework, and it is shown that the rate of interaction affects the crystallization of norm structures and processes of influence and decision-making. (Author/LBH)

If the political science discipline is to succeed in conveying sound intelligence to the policy process and in providing training for students in nonacademic careers, major curriculum reforms will be needed. A policy science track with emphasis on applied policy analysis research skills and nonacademic career orientation should supplement the…

Sociological models of professionalization are applied to recent events in program evaluation to study the development of the field and to predict future events. The focus is on problems that might arise and the necessity of ameliorating them. Available from: Pergamon Press, Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, New York 10523. (Author/ GDC)

Disciplinary groups of faculty in small liberal arts colleges hold significantly different perspectives on teaching-learning goals and approaches for achieving them. The pattern of differences identified seems more complex than attitudinal dichotomies previously advanced by researchers studying faculty views across diverse types of institutions.…

The ingredients of an academic program development plan, with special attention to the processes and criteria supporting decisions on program priorities, are delineated. External and internal inputs to decision-making are discussed and three case examples are given. Major considerations involved in integrating budgetary decisions are identified.…

Describes and evaluates a graduate history program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which prepares students for careers in local and state government. Feedback from students, government agencies, and corporations participating in the program has been generally positive. (Author/DB)

A radical innovation in an academic department is described that involves student-centered, problem-focused organization, with project work replacing courses and students using self-evaluation. Implications are discussed. (Author/LBH)

The New Jersey Project: Integrating the Scholarship on Gender seeks to change fundamentally what and how students learn by incorporating issues of gender into college courses. University of Arizona students are required to complete a course that deals with issues of gender, race, or class. (MLW)

A report by the Commission on Academic Freedom and Pre-College Education is presented. The resistence to censorship in the schools must be of concern to educators at all levels. (MLW)

Reports results of surveys received from universities concerning aspects of departmental operation which include type of institution, numbers of faculty with academic appointments, salaries, budgets and graduate program stipends, sources of support and areas of study/research. Some data are represented by tables and graphs. (RT)

Describes a study that examined the information seeking behavior of undergraduate students in Nigeria. The factors examined include the main sources of references to the literature used by students, and the effects of class standing and intellectual disciplines on choices of reference sources. (8 references) (CLB)

This article examines how the academic backgrounds of four new history teachers (anthropology, political science, American studies, and history) influence their lesson planning and teaching styles. The implications of this research for teacher education and research on teaching are considered. (JL)

Despite expectations of a mass retirement of faculty and the movement of scholars into business, the academic job market has changed little from previous years. The potential for a decline in student enrollment or an increased reliance on part-time faculty could continue to put pressure on the job market. (MLW)

Average faculty salaries in 47 disciplines are presented by rank for public and private institutions. Salaries for new assistant professors are displayed separately in addition to those for all assistant professors. (MSE)