Coefficient estimates from a model of faculty retirement decision making are used to simulate the impact of financial incentives for early retirement. The results suggest that plans can be designed to induce relatively large numbers of faculty members to retire prior to the mandatory retirement age. (Author/MLW)

The validity of the Biglan clusters, guides in classifying or categorizing academic departments among a wide range of colleges and universities, is discussed. Evidence supports the validity by showing how faculty salaries and instructional staffing patterns differ among departments along the dimensions described by Biglan. (Author/MLW)

The formulation of institutional goals in higher education often involves input from various campus constituencies including faculty. The uniform nature of the faculty's goal orientations are reported. Major differences among groups were found for goals involving university service, off-campus instruction, accountability, intercollegiate…

The utility of raw gain analysis for validation of college placement tests is demonstrated with scores from the Descriptive Test of Mathematics Skills. Gains during one semester for students in various freshman level mathematics courses were evaluated. Results suggest that gain analysis is a useful tool for placement test validation. (Author/MLW)

Ten departments with high grade inflation rates during a seven-year period were compared with 10 departments within the same university displaying lower grade inflation rates. Higher grade inflation rates were related to perceived increases in the demands placed upon the academicians' role. (Author/MLW)

The 1978 Amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act establishes the mandatory retirement age at 70. The implications for higher education are discussed, a steady-state model is examined, and an alternative is offered. (Author/MLW)

A number of citation studies have supported the view that the "graying" of the academic profession will have no impact on the quality of work produced in various scientific disciplines. This conclusion is challenged and it is argued that citations may not indicate the most innovative and creative work. (Author/MLW)

The performance of 43 library work groups was assessed by means of supervisor's ratings. Characteristics of the groups' tasks, membership, leadership, structure, and process were measured by averaging their members' responses to factor of the Work Group Survey. The implications for both organization theorists and change agents are discussed.…

The relationship between the frequency of college students' informal nonclassroom contact with faculty for each of six purposes and their generalized perceptions of instructional quality were assessed. The frequency of contacts for discussing intellectual or course-related matters made statistically significant contributions in predicting…

Faculty perceptions of student evaluative information collected by three methods (objective questionnaire items, open-ended questions, and group interviews) were investigated. Faculty regarded the evaluative information to be more credible, useful, and accurate for their own self-improvement than for promotion purposes. (Author/MLW)

The extent to which styles of research could account for academic ideologies among academic researchers in sociology, psychology, political science, and education are discussed. The hypothesis maintains that researchers who favor styles of research that compete successfully are likely to take a conservative attitude toward student and faculty…

The consistency of ratings between different sections of a course taught in a given semester by the same instructor is examined, and the performance of global and attribute-type instructor rating items are compared. Five samples of physics instructors were rated by their students. (Author/MLW)

Mentor professors were surveyed with respect to their most successful "proteges" regarding scholarly production, the mentorship role, and their careers. Mentors overwhelmingly nominated as their most successful proteges those whose careers were essentially identical to their own. (Author/MLW)

Multiple group discriminant analysis was employed to determine the utility of preenrollment traits and academic performance in identifying freshman students who persisted, stopped out, or withdrew early. After first-quarter academic performance, relatively clear distinctions can be made between students who persist and those who do not.…

The performance of minority and nonminority students in four successive entering classes at a highly selective college were compared. Graduation rates were comparable, but the two groups were found to be sharply differentiated with respect to cumulative grade point average. (Author/MLW)