University faculty in graduate education are emphasizing research over teaching, the president of the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C. said.

Jules B. LaPidus, in his lecture "The Profession of Scholarship" at the Keller Conference Center yesterday, said universities should stress teaching and research equally.

"Universities are hiring professional scholars but are putting down teaching and encouraging research because they can get credit for it," LaPidus said.

LaPidus talked about some employment opportunities for doctorate holders.

"The largest employers of professional scholars as teachers are still universities," LaPidus said.

But the percentage of professors with doctorates choosing to teach at universities is declining as they choose research instead, LaPidus said. In the last 20 years science and engineering research and administrative positions have drawn from the teaching force, LaPidus said.

"The number of individuals with immediate employment opportunities has doubled, but they choose to go into advanced study," LaPidus said.

Some graduate students say that research enhances graduate education and does not take away from teaching.

"In our department, faculty only commit one-third of their time to teaching -- that's the way the contract is set up. But they're very effective teachers," Linda LaSalle (graduate-higher education) said.

Harlan Berger, science editor for the University's graduate school, agreed that "research supports graduate education."

"I don't think you can do up-to-date teaching unless you have a strong research background," Berger said. "The 9,000 plus graduate students wouldn't be here without the research because it's research funding that supports their thesis studies."

Karen Paulson (graduate-higher education), who is working toward her doctorate, said research and teaching work together.

"I think the faculty is very good at integrating research into scholastic teaching. These faculty are very committed to teaching and producing Ph.D.s who can do research," Paulson said.

LaPidus was on the faculty in medicinal chemistry at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, for 26 years and served as dean of the Ohio State's graduate school and vice provost for research for 10 years. In 1984, he left Ohio State to assume the presidency of the Council of Graduate Schools.