Using data for 638 assistant professors who joined graduate sociology departments between 1975 and 1992, I examine the claim that when the labor market for new doctorates is weak, assistant professors experience less favorable employment outcomes than when that labor market is strong. Surprisingly, I find that those hired during the weak…

A different perspective of the institutional research field was obtained from a content analysis of the employment classified advertising published in the "Chronicle of Higher Education." Using this technique, it was possible to compare and contrast institutional research with the profile of the field obtained from the content analysis.…

New job listings show the market demand for economists between 1975 and 1984 led the supply and was far more volatile than the number of doctorates awarded. Although graduate economic specialties have remained stable and the specialists ranked by employers have been constant, they show no comparative agreement. (Author/MSE)

A study of the increase in numbers of administrative personnel at four regional universities in Kentucky during an 11-year period is described. The growth in number of administrators and administrative staff exceeded that of other indicators of university growth such as number of faculty, students, and graduates. (Author/MLW)

Data from 191 institutions which placed notices in the "Chronicle of Higher Education" revealed that there are qualified minority and female candidates available and members of minority groups are making progress toward employment (females even greater progress) while white males are not being "closed out" of the hiring process. (Editor/JT)

A study of University of Illinois 1976 graduates (n=2,306) in 1977, 1981, 1986, and 1991 examined changes in salary patterns for all degree levels and majors. Results suggest women earn less than men in first full-time jobs, and gaps widen with time. Possible factors include women's breaks in full-time employment, and differences in majors,…

This article proposes that university department prestige can be measured by ability to place its doctoral recipients, as illustrated by analysis of accounting student placements. Resulting rankings of departments were evaluated for stability over time and against other program characteristics to illustrate the validity and uniqueness of the…

A study of income levels of college graduates suggests that income is a function of a complex series of events including student attributes at time of college entry, institutional characteristics, performance and experiences in the institutions, the nature of the organizations in which graduates are employed, and job characteristics. (MSE)

A survey of department heads in 101 research and doctorate-granting universities investigated career movements before becoming the chair, length of tenure, first and second career moves of their predecessors in the chair, and the relationship of variables such as discipline, department size, age, gender, hiring practices, and previous…

A study used available data to develop a profile of non-tenure-track college faculty (n=132) and compare it with a similarly derived profile of untenured but tenure-track faculty (n=587). The research explored the relationship between employment status and selected demographic, career orientation, career circumstance, and work environment…

Data from a survey of 230 college sociology departments revealed patterns of employment and academic rank among African-American faculty. African Americans do not necessarily have many African-American colleagues, numerical influence in departments, or equality in rank. African-American student population, school location, and dependence on…

A study found few gender differences in young college faculty's (n=115) reasons for acceptance, rejection, or resignation of academic positions. Results imply academic recruiting should focus on quality of academic life in the department or institution, accommodating family members' needs, and job security in the form of longer, tenure-track…

A study of employment patterns and starting salary gaps among male and female business graduates during the 1980s found that while both employment conditions and earnings improved for women, the gender gap in starting salaries increased during the decade. Of college-acquired student characteristics, only academic achievement persisted as a…

A survey of respondents and nonrespondents to the Vocational Education Data System's follow-up survey of Massachusetts community college graduates was designed to measure response bias. The survey investigated employment patterns, wages, and degree of job relatedness. Results suggest original data was biased, if at all, toward underestimation, not…

A survey of 243 New England colleges and universities found a strong relationship between institution size and the scope of its institutional research function, reporting relationship, and size and qualifications of the research staff. Size of staff and qualifications of the institutional director were significant predictors of involvement in…