This study addressed the link between policies and practices related to teaching staff and sustaining and improving standards in higher education in the United Kingdom. Evidence from the literature has indicated that teaching is increasingly being given less priority in comparison with research in higher education. It is clear from the data of this study, collected from stakeholder interviews at 15 organizations, 6 case studies in higher education institutions, and an e-mail survey completed by 35 Heads of Human Resources in higher education institutions, there is no panacea to cope with the diversity of staffing required in higher education. Some institutions are more seriously affected than others by factors outside the higher education sector, such as location and competition in terms of pay and alternative conditions. The higher education sector frequently has few appraisal, mentoring, or career guidance schemes that are helpful to teaching staff. A number of tensions were identified in relation to teaching staff in higher education. The main report summarizes the evidence and emerging issues concerning recruitment, retention, and promotion of teaching staff in higher education. Five appendixes contain more detail about the research questions, the context of the study, views of stakeholders, a survey of human resource managers in higher education institutions, and case studies of policies and practices related to teaching staff in six higher education institutions. (SLD)