Publish and Perish: Research Universities in the 1990s

Abstract

Mission statements of American research universities typically embrace three areas off acuity activity: teaching, research, and public service. Yet, in most of these institutions, the emphasis is primarily on research, and this is reflected, as well, in the faculty reward system. This article develops a historical perspective for the status quo, calls for self-examination and reaffirmation of the tripartite mission, and concludes with some recommendations for change, both at the level of the institution and the federal government. These include a greater emphasis on diversity, not only with regard to individuals but also in terms of institutional mission. Mission diversity is of particular importance among the nation's two hundred engineering doctoral institutions.