July 2, 2008, 05:58 PM ET
Outside Employment
Most universities have policies that govern outside employment, such as consulting or second jobs. Those policies protect the institution against faculty members who would abuse the flexible work hours that are characteristic of the profession. Occasionally people will overcommit themselves in their off-campus work to the detriment of the university, or will engage in enterprises that may sully the “good name” of the institution.
As a dean I rarely have prospective faculty members ask about our policies on outside employment, but occasionally it does come up in a job interview. I always quote one of my mentors, who once said he gave his approval of outside work “as long as it advances the mission of the university, time-wise and reputation-wise.”
Have you had bad experiences with colleagues who abused the opportunity to secure outside employment?
Read MoreJuly 2, 2008, 12:02 PM ET
2 Former Administrators Accused of Embezzlement
A Massachusetts grand jury has returned an indictment against two former administrators at Tufts University, accusing them of separately stealing from student-activity funds and wrongfully obtaining a total of nearly $1-million, according to a report on The Chronicle’s News Blog.
In other news on the administrative front:
A failed presidential search at Monroe Community College in New York has led to the resignation of a trustee, according to a report on The Chronicle’s News Blog. The trustee has raised questions about whether the next president would be protected from the “political self-interests” of board members. Ray P. Authement, said to be the longest-sitting president of a public university, has officially stepped down as president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Read MoreJuly 1, 2008, 01:54 PM ET
More Grave News for Hiring
In yet another signal that the academic job market will be weaker than usual this fall, a new study shows that state tax collections are at their weakest in five years, The Chronicle’s News Blog reports.
The study follows a similarly grim report by the National Governors Association, which found that an increasing number of states face revenue shortfalls.
On Hiring is The Chronicle's blog about the ins and outs of college hiring, with articles and advice from around the Web.