More than 70 per cent were satisfied with their working conditions and with the competency of their colleagues. Nearly 50 per cent were happy with their salaries. But almost 34 per cent had considered leaving academe in the past two years, and 31 per cent had considered early retirement. Professors seemed increasingly committed to tenure. Untenured professors typically express the most skepticism about tenure, but even they seemed to be more protective of it in the most recent survey.
Most professors say they are publishing in their fields.
But almost 57 per cent had never written a book, and 26 per cent had never published an article in an academic journal. While professors said they were satisfied professionally, nearly 86 per cent were anxious about time pressures, up from 83.5 per cent in 1989. The aging of the professoriate was underscored by the extent to which some other sources of frustration were cited on the survey. Nearly 48 per cent of the faculty members cited their physical health, compared with 38 per cent in 1989. When asked whether hiring star professors was a high priority, only a quarter of those at all types of institutions agreed.