Social, economic, and demographic changes that affect the work lives and career patterns of college faculty and possible adaptations to the changing environment by colleges are addressed. In the early twentieth century, the largest American universities were staffed by two distinct types of faculty: those who made a long-term (usually a lifetime) commitment to teaching similar to that of the clergy; and those who entered college teaching from other careers (the professional). With the second type came an an emphasis on practical or clinical work and a connection between college employment conditions and trends in the national labor market. More recently there was been a third type of faculty, the research-minded professors. All three types of faculty emphases (teaching, practice, and research) are important, but the notion that faculty must perform well simultaneously in these disparate areas should be challenged. Rather, tenure and promotion criteria should allow for a variety of roles and for a close match between individual talents and institutional needs. A second step might be to redefine the qualifications for academic positions and to facilitate exchange of qualified professionals between the academic and other labor market sectors. (SW)