| Summary: | In this thoroughly researched book James Fairweather examines the increasingly uncomfortable fit between today's predominant academic environment and the changing societal needs facing America's colleges and universities. He explores the reasons for public skepticism and mistrust about these institutions along with the conflicts created as the goals of teaching, research, and enhancing economic development compete for faculty time and funding. Fairweather offers the most comprehensive empirical information available about faculty work and rewards. Using this data, he examines the socialization processes and reward structures which encourage faculty to think more about research than teaching, to stress publishing volume more than quality, and to treat the publication of research as the principal source of prestige for faculty members and their institutions. It explores realistic ways to enhance the value of teaching in the faculty role, and includes extensive data on the nature, time analysis, and compensation of faculty work, drawing on both large-scale surveys and qualitative case studies.
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