The National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF) was a nationally representative sample of full-and part-time faculty and instructional staff at public and private not-for-profit 2- and 4-year institutions in the United States, designed to provide data about faculty and instructional staff to postsecondary education researchers and policymakers. The study was initially conducted during the 1987-88 school year and was repeated in 1992-93, 1998-99, and 2003-04. There are no plans to repeat the study. Rather, NCES plans to provide technical assistance to state postsecondary data systems and to encourage the development of robust connections between faculty and student data systems so that key questions concerning faculty, instruction, and student outcomes – such as persistence and completion – can be addressed. The study includes three components:

• Institution Survey (1988, 1993, 1999, and 2004): Counts of faculty; faculty hires and departures; tenure of faculty; tenure policies; retirement and other benefits of faculty.

• Department Chairperson Survey (1988 only): Faculty composition in department; tenure of faculty in department; faculty hires and departures in department; hiring practices; activities to assess faculty performance; professional and developmental activities.

• Faculty Survey (1988, 1993, 1999, and 2004): Sociodemographic characteristics; academic and professional background; field of instruction; employment history; current employment status including rank and tenure; workload; courses taught; publications; job satisfaction and attitudes; career and retirement plans; benefits and compensation.