The support of teaching in the liberal arts is examined using data from a random sample of chief liberal arts academic officers of American colleges and universities. Information is presented on 15 categories of faculty support for teaching and research, basic teaching conditions, tenure decisions, and merit salary increases. Differences in support among institutions that vary in size, location, sponsorship, and degree level are identified. The liberal arts are defined as the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Of 738 questionnaires, 371 usable responses were received. Characteristics of the responding colleges include: 17% offer doctorates, 44% offer master's and bachelor's degrees, 39% are undergraduate colleges, 25% are church-related, 41% are private, and 34% are public. More than half of the respondents rated the availability of funds as good or excellent for just 6 of the 15 categories of support: library books, graduate courses, library journals, computer purchases, and sabbaticals for knowledge acquisition and research. These findings indicate that liberal arts teaching is in less than excellent health on most campuses. In addition, numerous inconsistencies were found among resources, standards, and rewards in institutions of higher learning. (Author/SW)