Learning more about the role of the academic department in LACs may improve faculty selection, development, support, and retention. Knowledge based on research about other institution types cannot be assumed to be generalizable to LACs. We know little about departmental contexts of faculty work in liberal arts colleges (LACs). The purpose of this…

Research on doctoral education has grown over the last 25 years, with interests in socialization, time to degree, attrition, and supervisor relations. This research aims to shift the focus on how cumulative advantage (i.e., the Matthew Effect) operates in doctoral education. This qualitative study of fifteen doctoral students revealed that earning…

This qualitative case study was part of a larger, multi-year National Science Foundation funded project that centered upon a networked improvement community (NIC) of nine institutions seeking to improve racial climate in STEM graduate programs. We were particularly interested in the role of STEM graduate students at two NIC institutions in…

Though understudied, academic structure reflects and shapes the central work--education, research, service--of higher education organizations (HEOs). Academic structure also shapes and illuminates the external environments and internal dynamics of HEOs. Despite the centrality of academic structure to HEOs and their work, our knowledge of it is…

This study examines predictors of perceived work-life balance among women and men faculty of color using data from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). Asian American men faculty report higher perceived work-life balance, while African American women faculty report lower perceived work-life balance as compared to…

This article addresses the identity claims of part-time faculty at three types of higher education institutions. Using culture theory and professional identity theory, the article documents that part-time faculty members across institutions have a divided sense of identity. On the one hand, they perceive themselves as professionals based on their…

Over the last decade, many research universities have adopted policies and support mechanisms to help academic parents balance work and family. This study sought to understand what facilitates faculty agency in making decisions about work and family, including parental leave. We conducted 20 interviews with 5 men and 15 women at a research…

The term "success" in higher education has been used widely to describe multiple outcomes, practices, and variables. In doctoral education, in particular, the study of success is paramount as only 50% of those students who enter doctoral education actually complete the degree. The definition of success, however, remains elusive. This study…

The factors that played a major role in the rapid improvement of academic departments at eight major research universities are explored. Five improvement strategies are identified: departmental hiring practices, funding, leadership, strategic planning, and overall institutional reputation. (Author/MLW)

A grounded theory of chairperson management strategy derived from interviews with outstanding chairpersons at three urban universities is presented. Five interacting factors lead to department leadership effectiveness: leader values, department stages, management strategies, congruence level, and resource control. (Author/MLW)

This paper presents a case study of departmental reorganization. Using journals kept by five faculty members, the study traces the difficulties of establishing an organizational identity for and faculty identification with the new unit. The analysis suggests that reorganizations may not produce anticipated advantages. Many of the new department's…

The Biglan model and its tests are reviewed. While the model has attractive features and may even reinforce popular opinion about differences among departments or subject areas, further investigations are necessary before broad propositions or generalizations can be advanced. (MLW)

Using a feminist poststructuralist perspective, investigated academic feminism as a case of transformation in higher education. Used narrative analysis to examine the transformative role of feminist scholarship in the contexts of disciplines, departments, and the university, illustrated by the life histories of nine diverse feminists and their…

The phrase "community of scholars" contains a contradiction. Actions that strengthen the community weaken the scholarship and actions that strengthen the scholarship weaken the community. Continuing tradeoffs between community and scholarship produce many of the unique organizational properties that universities exhibit. (Author/MLW)

A survey of male Ph.D.s in chemistry and psychology at selective liberal arts colleges showed the publication rate of department colleagues to be positively related to current publication productivity of the focal faculty member. Colleagues influenced research activity of faculty with low prior research levels, but not higher prior levels.…