By analyzing contemporary literature, this paper posits a federal role in what is seen as a trend toward "normalizing" college faculty positions and shifting control away from state and local jurisdictions. Three factors are seen as contributing to this shift. The first is the government's role in funding the hard sciences which has, in turn, created a culture of scholarship that rewards research and publication activities over more traditional faculty roles such as student moral development. Another change agent comes from court decisions that have held that faculty do not have an intrinsic right to be involved in institutional decision-making. In three cases--Minnesota State Board for Community Colleges v Leon Knight, Connick v Myers, and Ballard v Blount--administrators have successfully challenged concepts of academic freedom and tenure. Another shift has occurred in vocational education. While recent administrations have emphasized state responsibility for higher education, the strong federal presence in vocational education puts pressure on the performance and behavior of two-year college faculty. The paper concludes that federal money is creating a McDonald's hamburger-like sameness in higher education institutions and urges vigilance to protect variety and local flavor. (CH)