Academic Turbulence and the Crisis of Professional Satisfaction / John J. Broesamle.

Problems affecting the profession of college teaching are considered, along with the reasons for the persistence of faculty in academia. In some fields, practically no mobility remains today. Many faculty end up teaching at a college that they would not have chosen to attend. While teaching and research may focus on important national and world problems, few faculty have power to influence them. The same lack of individual influence prevails within the campus. During the 1970s and 1980s, higher education has stagnated. Liberal arts schools and the humanities have come under attack by the new emphasis on career training. Rewards, recognition, and status have been less frequent for faculty, and lagging salaries have undermined the reward system. Some departments are not hiring, and the full professor has no sense of apprenticing colleagues. Many part-time faculty are being used, with little compensation, recognition, and few benefits. Reasons for staying in the academic profession include the internal reward of intellectual pursuits, interest in teaching and students, and the relatively high public opinion of college teachers, who often are considered experts in their fields. Faculty members are free to express their ideas in class, to be eccentric, to have flexible work hours, and to enjoy a pleasant, park-like campus environment. (SW)

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