The American Professoriate: A Status Check of Factors and Perceptions

Abstract

Since the publication of Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate (Boyer, 1990) many changes have
taken place in higher education in America. However, how have faculty perceptions of aspects of the professoriate
such as teaching, research, publishing, administration, quality, and areas of interest, changed in the twenty-plus years
since the initial research on this topic. This project provides an overview and insight in the current concerns of
faculty with respect to promotion and tenure issues. The findings suggest a number of changes have taken place in
the way scholarship is perceived by faculty. Publishing still maintains a significant role in decision-making about
tenure and promotion and there is still a significant difference in the perception of factors in achieving tenure and
promotion between research institutions and liberal arts institutions. There are differences between tenured and
non-tenured faculty in concerning what constitutes appropriate scholarship. The scholarship of teaching is seen as
important by faculty and yet most have indicated they have little formal teacher training. In both research and liberal
arts institutions research and grant writing are seen as important, but there is also a concern that these activities
detract from the primary role as a teacher.