The impact of external and internal factors on the professional lives of lecturers in two schools at the Western Australian Institute of Technology was studied in 1979. The study sought to determine the effects of social, economic, and political factors affecting higher education, including declining funds, and fluctuating student demand for higher education. Lecturers from the Schools of Applied Science, and Business, and Administration were interviewed. Almost all respondents indicated that their workload had increased over the past several years, resulting from increased class sizes, continuous assessment, postgraduate teaching, and other factors. The majority indicated that there had been a progressive deterioration in the provision of resources necessary to support the teaching process, particularly in the library. All respondents but one reported increased involvement in administration, often without compensatory time allowances. Almost half of the respondents perceived staff morale to be lower in late 1979 than for the previous five years, due to such factors as workload, confusion over institutional reward systems, and openness of communication at various levels. All respondents perceived virtually no prospects for promotion in the near future and favored the introduction of a new career progression scheme, with clear, consistent, and public criteria for progression. Despite the increasing emphasis on research, all respondents indicated that they lacked time for research pursuits. There was strong view that a three to five year contract period should be available. (SW)