A complicated and continuously changing issue for faculty in professional schools is reviewed here: the role of faculty practice in their academic lives in general, and in their peer evaluation in particular. The discussion first considers the roles played by faculty professional practice in various professional fields and identifies the underlying themes and controversies both for the organization and for individual faculty members' evaluation. These complications are illustrated with pertinent philosophical, methodological, and political examples for architecture. The discussion concludes with a overview of questions that research on this issue should pursue, including ways in which practice informs teaching. (Author/KM)