A national study of liberal arts academic officers and institutional support of excellence in liberal arts teaching and research was conducted in 1984. Usable questionnaire responses were received from 371 of 738 chief liberal arts academic officers, representing church-related colleges, private colleges, and state colleges. The officers had worked in their current positions for an average of just under 5 years. They held 46 different titles that could be classified as follows: 43 percent were liberal arts deans, 14 percent were arts and sciences deans, and 40 percent were vice-presidents (including provosts). Information is also provided on the administrators' doctoral degree disciplines, self-assessment of their career success, occupational plans, degree of job security, job responsibilities, sources of job satisfaction and frustration, the frequency of department or program evaluation, factors important in the assessment of programs, support categories most and least likely to receive good or excellent funding, the major emphases in the professional activity of liberal arts faculty; and factors that might affect tenure decisions and merit salary increases. (SW)