ABSTRACT
The academic profession has a central place in the academic procession. This chapter looks critically and systematically at the characteristics, patterns, power, and behavior of professors. It includes similarities and differences across fields and disciplines across the varied types of colleges and universities that hire (and fire) faculty. The chapter also provides attention to defining key concepts and charting features in tenure and promotion and hiring. It focuses on discussion of the growing reliance on part-time and adjunct instructors. Coverage then provides an introduction to the principles and practice of "academic freedom", including discussion of connections with the US Constitution, and the roles of scholarly associations for various disciplines along with such national bodies as the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The chapter further sketches a profile of professional career paths, including potholes, detours, and dead-ends. Finally, it analyzes the academic guild in comparison and contrast with other learned professions, such as law, business, and medicine.
