This first report covering faculty characteristics in the annual series published by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education is based on data gathered through the Arkansas Higher Educational Information System. Faculty salary data are derived from federal survey information. Data are presented on tables and some graphs with some narration. They cover: headcount of full-time and part-time tenured and nontenured instruction and research employees, by age, discipline division, institution type, sex, and academic rank; average salaries of full-time faculty by institution type, rank, and sex; percentage distribution of faculty by tenure, age, closeness to retirement age, institution type, discipline division, sex, and rank; and total fringe benefits salary outlay, and fringe benefits as a percentage of salary outlay for nine-month faculty contracts. Most tables are displayed according to institution. Faculty salaries are found to be 21 percent below national averages and 10 percent below regional averages. Average four-year faculty age is 39 to 45, according to institution; two-year faculty, 33 to 45. Tenure has been granted to 55 percent of all full-time public institution faculty, with institutional percentages ranging from 37 to 74 percent. Most state institutions should not face total enrollment declines much greater than anticipated faculty retirements, but there is some variation by discipline and institution, posing some possible overstaffing difficulties. (MSE)