That is another trend that bothers faculty members, who worry that it signals the erosion of tenure and leaves many in higher education without the protection of academic freedom. Earlier reports showed that 11 percent of full-timers worked off the tenure track in 1992 and just 8 percent in 1987. The report also provides data on what professors do on their campuses. That is about the same proportion as in 1987. Full-time faculty members and instructors reported spending 11 hours per week, on average, in the classroom, about the same number as in 1992 and up from 9.8 hours in 1987.
Faculty members do appear to be spending somewhat less time on research, the report shows.
Full-timers reported spending 15 percent of their time on research in 1998, whereas the 1992 figure was 17.6 percent. The 1998 report says that 85 percent of all full-time faculty members and instructors were white, compared with 86.5 percent in 1992 and 89 percent in 1987. The proportion of women among full-time faculty members increased to 36 percent in 1998, up from 27 percent in 1987.