Faculty Vitality in the Comprehensive University: Changing Context and Concerns. AIR 1993 Annual Forum Paper

Central to the debates surrounding accountability, cost containment, and effectiveness in higher education are issues concerning faculty vitality and productivity. This paper proposes that the nature of faculty vitality and the interactions between individual and institutional vitality are different for comprehensive universities, particularly during a time of changing environment and institutional conditions. It first reviews various conceptual models on faculty vitality. Then, drawing from a longitudinal case study of faculty vitality issues at DePaul University (Illinois), the paper discusses how these findings relate to the existing models and the implications for comprehensive universities. Data are presented from 580 faculty respondents to 2 surveys, one conducted in 1986 and the other in 1992, revealing trends in faculty satisfaction and morale; their understanding and support of the school's mission and identity; and their attitudes regarding compensation, workload, and development. The paper concludes with some thoughts for constructing a faculty vitality model in comprehensive universities. Contains 13 references. (GLR)