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This research brief examines employment and hiring among full-time minority college faculty over the 10-year period (1981-1991) using data from the biannual faculty surveys of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It compares the number of new full-time faculty hires to the actual employment gains in tenure-track and non-tenure track positions. Finally it discusses some major factors in recruiting and retaining minority faculty and suggests ways to increase the number and retention of minority faculty. Highlights include the following: (1) between 1981 and 1991 the number of full-time minority faculty grew from approximately 43,000 to 64,000, a 49 percent increase compared to the overall increase of 11 percent; (2) minority representation among all full-time faculty grew from 9 percent to just over 12 percent with growth in Asian American faculty accounting for more than half this increase; (3) Asian American faculty now outnumber African-American faculty; (4) the increase in the number of male faculty of color far out-paced the increases for women faculty of color; and (5) a lack of supportive academic environment was found to be an important factor in not retaining faculty of color. The brief also describes 10 key resources and publications for minority faculty. (Contains a 13-item bibliography.) (JB)

This research brief looks at trends and issues in part-time undergraduate enrollment by summarizing the data available and comparing them to data on full-time students. Highlighted findings indicate that from 1970 to 1990 the number of part-time undergraduate students more than doubled and that most of this growth occurred during the 1970s. A profile of part-time students notes that they tend to be older than traditional age college students, that more women than men are part-time students, and that part-time students are most likely to attend public, 2-year institutions. In comparing part-time students to full-time students this review finds that part-time students are more likely to be independent of their parents, and that they are much less likely to receive financial aid than their full-time counterparts. Discussion of this finding points out that this is due in part to federal restrictions on financial aid which distinguish between part-time students who attend less than half time and those who attend more than half time. Included are a special section on part-time students at public 2-year colleges, discussion of implications, 6 end notes, 5 resources, and a 19-item bibliography. (JB)