Faculty Professionalism: An Opportunity for Catholic Higher Education to Vitalize the Academic Profession's Social Contract

Abstract:     
This essay's thesis is that the academic profession's continuing failure to renew the profession's social contract by acculturating new faculty members regarding their responsibilities is leading to a continuing erosion of the profession's autonomy in work. The essay explains the concept of the social contract of the peer-review professions and how it protects a professor's autonomy in teaching and research. It also explores the foundational importance for the health of the social contract of high faculty professionalism in the performance of faculty responsibilities, both individually and as a collegial group. The essay's concluding section analyzes how Catholic higher education could provide leadership to vitalize faculty professionalism and the profession's social contract.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 21

Keywords: higher education, Catholic education, Catholic higher education, Catholic colleges and universities, faculty, academic profession

Accepted Paper Series