Strategies for Improving Accuracy of Postsecondary Faculty Lists. Working Paper Series.

In response to the need for data on higher education faculty and instructional staff, the National Center for Education Statistics conducted the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) in 1987-88 and 1992-93. Both cycles of the NSOPF consisted of an institutional component and a faculty component. The earlier study surveyed only faculty with instructional responsibilities, but the later study included all individuals with faculty status. The Institution Questionnaire showed a five percentage point increase in the estimate of part-time instructional faculty between the fall of 1987 and the fall of 1992, but the Faculty Questionnaire did not show this change. Some other discrepancies between the institutional and faculty surveys were noted, and this study was conducted to understand how data about faculty members is kept at institutions and how to improve the NSOPF instruments to gain more accurate and consistent information. Site visits were conducted at five institutions and a telephone interview was held with another. Four focus groups, involving 26 people, were held at educational association meetings with representatives of colleges and universities. Specific suggestions were gathered for improvement in the following areas: (1) the Faculty List collection process; (2) definitions and categories; (3) data requested on the Faculty List Collection Form; (4) improvement of the Faculty List Documentation Form; (5) instructions for preparing machine-readable lists of faculty; and (6) institutional data systems. Six appendixes provide examples of materials used in the study, summaries of site visits and focus groups, and suggested revised NSOPF instructions and forms. (Contains four references.) (SLD)