ERIC Number: ED328162
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1991
Pages: 19
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Should Every Professor Be a Researcher? Higher Education Series, Topical Paper 9101.
Cardozier, V. R.
The paper argues that a gap exists between institutional policy and practice as it pertains to the relative emphasis placed on teaching and research by university and college professors, and that the teaching-research debate will not be settled until administrators and trustees bring official policies and operating practice into line. Evidence is presented from national surveys showing that many, perhaps most, higher institution faculty do little or no research and publication. Faculty frustration is fostered when they accept the conventional view that all faculty are supposed to be scholars and publishers, but they know they are not. In view of the evidence, it should be possible to persuade institutions of higher education that they can improve teaching performance while simultaneously relieving the feelings of guilt and frustration experienced by many faculty because of the pressure to conduct research and to publish, by establishing policies that recognize that some faculty are productive researchers and some are not. Information is provided about how such a policy would be designed and implemented, with particular attention to the model offered by the land-grant universities and a specific example of such a policy in action, namely, the policy developed by the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, is presented. Finally, a brief analysis summarizes the reasons why universities should implement such policy changes regarding teaching and research requirements. Contains 7 references. (GLR)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A