In his preface to this volume, William Plater, Dean of the Faculties and Executive Vice-Chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University, notes that nearly half the faculty hired at his institution are not considered for tenure six years later. "While the experience at colleges and comprehensive universities is somewhat different, the attrition rate is still surprisingly large...Not only is the practice inefficient and costly, it is inconsistent with the values of community and collegiality we claim as special privileges of the academy."

Through their research and personal experiences, Bensimon, et al. have identified what they believe is a key variable contributing to this problem: Colleges and universities lack the structures necessary to facilitate the assimilation of new faculty. The authors attribute this problem to the decentralization of processes for faculty hiring, development and evaluation. These processes typically reside within individual academic departments; but department chairs often lack training in the techniques that will promote the successful maturation of a newcomer. This book is designed as a "training manual" to assist chairs with development of sound procedures for educating, mentoring and evaluating new faculty.

Organized into sections on recruitment and development/evaluation, Bensimon, et al. can be read in a few hours and filled with practical tools. It is clear that these authors see the recruitment process as a stepping stone to successful development: Almost 25% of the book focuses on the faculty search and hiring process. There are sample protocols for telephone interviews of references, lists of questions to address when interviewing a candidate or extending a job offer, and even a sample letter of appointment. Surprisingly, there is brief coverage of affirmative action issues but no list of questions barred by affirmative action legislation (e. g., marital status) and little guidance as to ways to approach potentially job-relevant issues (e. g., pregnancy status) in legally sanctioned ways.

The remaining two sections on development/evaluation are somewhat more comprehensive. There is discussion of the roles of formal and informal orientations both to the department and the institution with an emphasis on clear communication about expectations at both levels. Of particular note is a list of practical questions to be covered about resources and resource people, and the sections on fostering collegiality and helping new faculty cope with stress. The authors clearly lean toward a brief, initial orientation that is embedded within a year-long orientation process. They note that presenting too much information initially overwhelms new faculty and that much of the information may not be relevant until the first semester unfolds. The book ends with a single chapter on faculty evaluation focusing on probationary and tenure reviews. Little guidance is provided for handling the requisite annual reviews of faculty performance.

Although experienced department chairs might find little new within the book, Bensimon, et al. could be a valuable resource for new department chairs. In fact, it could form the basis of an institutional program for training new department chairs. The authors are correct in noting that most faculty become department chairs without any instruction in administration. For those individuals, Bensimon et al. could serve as a text for a critical independent study course in chairmanship.

Lisa Friedenberg,
UNC Asheville