FALL 2007 VOL. 9, NO. 4

Emerging trends and key debates in undergraduate education

Faculty Development Finding Balance in Changing Roles

A publication of the Association of American Colleges and Universities

Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities FALL 2007 VOL. 9, NO. 4

Emerging trends and key debates in undergraduate education From the Editor ...... 3 Published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities © 2007 ANALYSIS 1818 R Street, NW · Washington, DC 20009 Tel. 202.387.3760 · www.aacu.org Faculty Development: The Challenge Going Forward ...... 4 ISSN: 1541-1389 Mary Deane Sorcinelli Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs PRACTICE Debra Humphreys Does Your College Really Support Teaching and Learning? ...... 9 Editor Michael Reder Shelley Johnson Carey Associate Editor Faculty Work in a Changing World ...... 14 Laura Donnelly Richard C. Turner and Sharon Hamilton Design & Production Faculty Collaboration as Faculty Development ...... 17 Darbi Bossman Lott Hill, Soo La Kim, and Robert Lagueux Editorial Advisory Board “The Times They Are A-Changing:” Faculty Support James A. Anderson Mechanisms in a Shifting Academic Landscape ...... 20 University of Albany, SUNY Barbara Hornum and Antonis Asprakis Randy Bass Georgetown University Professional Development Issues for Community Colleges ...... 23 David A. Berry Community College Humanities Association Althea Smith Norman Coombs Rochester Institute of Technology Peter Ewell RESEARCH National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Collaborating to Learn, Learning to Collaborate ...... 26 Ann S. Ferren Roger G. Baldwin and Deborah A. Chang American University in Bulgaria Mildred García California State University–Dominguez Hills RESOURCES Richard Guarasci Wagner College AAC&U Calendar ...... 25 Elise B. Jorgens College of Charleston Adrianna J. Kezar REALITY CHECK University of Southern California Ann Leffler Dreaming of a New Semester ...... 31 University of Maine Michael Bérubé Donna Maeda Occidental College David E. Maxwell Drake University Catherine Hurt Middlecamp University of Wisconsin–Madison Chandra Talpade Mohanty Hamilton College John P. Nichols Saint Joseph’s College G. Roger Sell Missouri State University Annual subscription rates are $35 for individuals and $45 for libraries. Joan Straumanis Metropolitan College of New York Single issues are $8/$10; bulk discounts are available. Beverly Daniel Tatum Spelman College For additional information or to place an order, visit us online or call 1.800.297.3775. www.aacu.org/peerreview Cover Illustration by Dave Cutler for peerReview. 2 AAC&U Fall 2007 peerReview

Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities recently had the chance to chat with James presentations at the end of each semester. My office phone I Miller, one of my former communications pro- almost never rings. Now it’s e-mail, 24/7. fessors, who still teaches at my alma mater, Students these days, most people seem to agree, come to Hampshire College. Jim’s thoughtful guidance was college less prepared—or maybe less ready in different ways — invaluable throughout my undergraduate career. The than students in the past. The serious challenges we all face are basic and persistent ones: students who arrive lacking the skill following are Jim’s reflections on the rich experi- and discipline to read thoroughly and write analytically, and who ences of his more than thirty years in the academic don’t possess reasonably sophisticated general knowledge. trenches. In concert with the articles in this issue of Maybe, too, much of youth culture is anti-intellectual, and that Peer Review, his comments speak to the necessity can breed a bad attitude toward academic expectations. and challenges of supporting faculty as their roles My advice to new professors requires reflecting on one’s evolve in the twenty-first-century academy. own career, and that in turn makes it clear how, like the rest of —SHELLEY JOHNSON CAREY life, work trajectories have developmental patterns. When you start teaching, you’re only a few years older than your students. When Hampshire offered me a job, I held the contract long Now, after more than 30 years, I’m teaching the kids of enough so I could sign it on my birthday. This was a big deal, Hampshire graduates, and some of my earliest students are in becoming a professor. Full-time, regular, tenured faculty—the the middle of work lives marked by extraordinary accomplish- New York Times recently reported we are a minority in the ment. The conditions of your personal life change, too, over the academy—lead a charmed life. True, most of us are not getting decades, sometimes unpredictably, or in ways that make your rich, but we have phenomenal independence to pursue what work harder than it should be. interests us. And student interest often spurs us to explore new The big question is whether to advise someone to become subjects. To do this sort of creative exploration as a job is a an academic at all. The emerging higher ed world is filled with unique and profound privilege. challenges: online instruction and part-time faculty are becom- My own work has meandered over time, starting with a focus ing the norm to cut expenses; the culture at large often lacks an on media policy and technology and the work of journalists to set- appreciation for the value of the liberal arts, instead favoring tling now more on questions of political culture. Along the way, narrow occupational training; and faculty compensation often I’ve been involved in Canadian and European studies, which have falls far short of what business pays and what a PhD deserves. made my work comparative and internationally oriented. That These are tough working conditions. Maybe the academy that really pushed back my horizons. I’ve been able to lecture, collabo- we baby boomers knew as students and experienced as mem- rate, and conduct fieldwork all over Europe. bers of the professoriate will turn out to have had a short but New technologies have definitely changed the way I work. historically significant life. For the sake of our future students, It’s common to use the Web in class instruction. All my courses let’s hope not. have Web sites where most of the readings are available in PDF —James Miller form and students put together digital video and PowerPoint

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Faculty Development: The Challenge Going Forward

By Mary Deane Sorcinelli, associate provost for faculty development; associate professor in the department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration; and founding director of the Center for Teaching; University of Massachusetts–Amherst

A midcareer faculty member in the sciences stopped at their programs and practices, and what services are cur- my office to ask for assistance in designing a short rently offered and the importance of those services. Acourse that he will be teaching to colleagues at an inter- Perhaps most important, our survey was the first to ask national program in Mexico. Next, two early-career developers to identify the key challenges and pressures women faculty called, seeking a small grant to create a facing faculty members and their institutions, and what peer writing group to support their scholarship and they see as potential new directions for the field of fac- teaching. That afternoon, a department chair in the ulty development. social sciences made an appointment to brainstorm how The individuals we asked were members of the to develop a mentoring program for his six new faculty, Professional and Organizational Development (POD) four of whom are women and/or faculty of color. Then Network in Higher Education, the oldest and largest a new faculty member arrived for a consultation on professional association of faculty development scholars ways to assess student learning in the art studio—with and practitioners in higher education. Five hundred her four-month-old son in her arms. Her child care had directors of teaching and learning centers, faculty cancelled, so I bounced the baby while we talked. members, department chairs, academic deans, and This is a snapshot of the day-to-day work of a “fac- other senior administrators completed our survey. They ulty developer” as she partners with faculty to support came from research and doctoral universities, compre- and enrich their work. What will be the future chal- hensive universities, liberal arts colleges, community lenges facing these faculty members and their institu- colleges, Canadian universities, and other institutions tions? What will be the issues around which faculty are such as medical and professional schools (Sorcinelli et likely to need support over the next few years? What al. 2006). future directions will be important for campuses to con- What, then, are the issues that faculty development sider when they make decisions about faculty develop- programs, services, and resources will likely need to ment? These questions are significant, especially in address in the next five or ten years? Faculty develop- light of the changing context of faculty roles and ers in our study identified a constellation of issues that responsibilities. coalesced around three primary challenges and forces To find out some answers, my colleagues and I of change: conducted a major study of the field of faculty develop-  The changing professoriate ment in higher education (Sorcinelli, Austin, Eddy, and  The changing nature of the student body Beach 2006). We asked developers what goals and pur-  The changing nature of teaching, learning, and poses guide their programs, what are the influences on scholarship

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities The Changing Professoriate fied balancing and finding time for multiple Non-tenure-track and Part-time Professors today are facing a growing array work responsibilities as a significant issue of Faculty of changing roles and responsibilities that concern for faculty at all career stages. New Addressing the needs of part-time and will require them to engage in ongoing faculty, especially, find it a daunting chal- adjunct faculty was identified as a critically professional growth. Faculty developers in lenge to simultaneously achieve distinction needed new direction for faculty develop- our study described faculty members as as a scholar, teacher, and campus citizen. ment. Many institutions are hiring more being in the midst of transformational Faculty members also are concerned about non-tenure track or part-time faculty to changes to their traditional roles and tasks, how to achieve balance as they handle per- achieve fiscal savings, respond to changing and identified several fundamental chal- sonal as well as professional commitments. student interests, or help students connect lenges facing faculty and their campuses. Not surprisingly, concerns about balancing their academic studies to the workplace. As work and family are especially intense the faculty ranks become more diverse in Expanding Faculty Roles among women faculty who often face the terms of appointment types, faculty devel- Faculty developers at liberal arts colleges press of biological clocks for childbearing at opment should ensure that each faculty and research and comprehensive universi- the same time as they are trying to start member, regardless of appointment type, ties identified expanding faculty roles as one their careers and, in many instances, earn feels supported. Initiatives might include of the most important issues facing faculty tenure. Faculty development services would orientations or seminars for part-time fac- on their campuses. The set of tasks expected be well served to include programming and ulty in which departmental colleagues of faculty is intensifying under increasing coaching for managing time and work–fam- address common teaching issues (e.g., pressure to keep up with new directions in ily issues as well as the more traditional preparing a syllabus, understanding who teaching and research. Thus, for example, emphasis on teaching and learning. their students are, testing and grading new faculty members may need to develop guidelines) and department policies and skills in grant-writing or in designing and Needs of New Faculty practices. offering online courses. Seasoned faculty Significant numbers of experienced fac- members may need to keep up with emerg- ulty will retire in the coming decade, and The Changing Nature of the Student ing specialties in their fields as well as to our study identified new faculty develop- Body engage in more interdisciplinary work. All ment as a critically important area to With each year, the student body has faculty will continuously need to learn new address. Faculty developers reported a become larger and more diverse across skills in the face of an increasingly techno- number of “roadblocks” to the profes- several variables —educational back- logical workplace. Providing opportunities sional success and well-being of new fac- ground, gender, race and ethnicity, class, for faculty to consider new ways to organize ulty: getting oriented to the institution, age, and preparation. This growing diver- their courses and learning materials and excelling at teaching and research, navi- sity of students is an admired aspect of work collaboratively across disciplinary gating the tenure track, developing pro- American higher education; at the same fields will be essential. fessional networks, and creating work–life time, it places considerable demands on balance. More opportunities to participate faculty members. Faculty developers in Finding Balance in new faculty orientations, mentoring our study highlighted two key challenges: Closely related to the challenge of managing programs, individual teaching consulta- the challenge presented by increased new and expanding faculty roles is the chal- tion, “learning communities” and writing multiculturalism and diversity and the lenge of achieving balance in work and life. groups can only enhance newcomers’ challenge presented by underprepared In our research, faculty developers identi- skills and satisfactions. students.

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Increasing Multiculturalism and increasingly global world. Further, they can substantial mismatch between student and Diversity provide guidance for engaging all students, faculty expectations for academic work, An emphasis on increasing diversity particularly in the classroom, about the especially in terms of time devoted to requires an expanded focus on how we can sensitive issues surrounding gender, reli- study outside of class. As well, faculty may foster learning environments in which gion, race, and ethnicity. Investing in such be unprepared to recalibrate the course or diversity becomes one of the resources that programs offers a means of ensuring that teaching of it for students who may need stimulates learning—and on how to sup- we cultivate teachers and students who additional support in college-level reading, port faculty with students who learn most value diverse ideas, beliefs, and world- writing, and computational work. effectively in different ways. Faculty devel- views, and promote more inclusive student For these reasons, the responsibility opers identified the issue of multicultural- learning. In these contexts, faculty devel- for underprepared students often falls to ism as it relates to teaching and learning as opment programs can help build faculty academic staff in a student learning center one of the most important issues that capacity both for meeting the needs of stu- and may be seen as a burden to individual needs to be addressed through faculty dents and incorporating new disciplinary faculty. Here faculty development pro- development services, but there was great content about issues of diversity across the grams can remind teachers to emphasize disparity between perceptions of the need curriculum. their expectations for students, help famil- to address these issues and the extent of iarize new instructors with student relevant faculty development services The Challenges of the Underprepared resources offered by the college or univer- being offered (Sorcinelli et. al 2006). Student sity (e.g., basic skills courses, tutoring, sup- Traditionally, campuses have tended to The Association of American Colleges and plemental instruction), and highlight the focus diversity efforts in student affairs, Universities (AAC&U) reports that about range of effective strategies available for suggesting that diversity concerns are a stu- half of students entering our colleges and teaching and facilitating the learning of all dent development rather than a faculty universities are academically underpre- students. development issue. Faculty members them- pared — lacking basic skills in at least one selves may be reticent about addressing of the three fundamental areas of reading, The Changing Nature of Teaching, issues of diversity in and outside of the writing, or mathematics (2002). AAC&U’s Learning, and Scholarship classroom because of a lack of training. For Greater Expectations report also notes The changing environment for teaching, faculty members to be able to meet the that students lacking academic prepared- learning, and scholarship was identified as learning needs of a diverse student body, ness also fail to do well in college for a the third pressing challenge for faculty and they will need to stay abreast not only of variety of other reasons, such as lack of institutions, a challenge resonant with new developments in their fields, but also self-confidence, appropriate study behav- implications for faculty development. of the characteristics of their students, the iors, and skill in navigating an institution’s various strategies for teaching to multiple bureaucracy. Our study’s respondents sim- Emphasizing Learner-Centered learning styles, and the possibilities for ilarly identified the underprepared stu- Teaching facilitating learning offered by technology. dent as one of the most important educa- The need to engage in student-centered Faculty development programs can tional problems facing faculty and faculty teaching was identified as one of the top promote teaching methods and strategies development. three challenges confronting faculty mem- that increase students’ capacities for prob- As a faculty member embarks on a bers and the most important issue to lem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration course and the underprepared student address through faculty development serv- —skills required in a rapidly changing and engages in the coursework, there is often a ices and activities.

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities For many faculty members who are lem-solving skills, participate in learning develop a better understanding of the accustomed to lecturing while students lis- communities, and use digital information learning process in their own classrooms ten, learner-centered teaching may require sources. and assess the impact of their teaching on new and unfamiliar teaching skills and When considering technology in it. They feature classroom assessment tech- raise fears about lack of coverage of con- teaching and learning, one immediate issue niques and advice on how to adapt and tent or less control over assessment activi- faculty members face is what tools — administer these techniques, analyze the ties. Learner-centered teaching, however, PowerPoint, e-mail, the Internet, course data, and implement improvements in allows students to do more of the learning management systems —might best serve teaching and learning practices (Angelo tasks, such as organizing content or sum- their student-learning goals. But the suc- and Cross 1993). marizing discussions, and encourages them cessful integration of technology is more to learn more from and with each other. complex, entailing the careful considera- Expanding Definitions of Scholarship Teachers, on the other hand, can do more tion of course content, the capabilities of In his seminal work Scholarship of the design work and provide more fre- various technology tools, student access to Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate quent feedback to students (Weimer 2000). and comfort with technology, and the (1990), Boyer argued that it was time to There is a large repertoire of active instructor’s view of his or her role in the move beyond the “teaching versus learning strategies from which faculty can teaching and learning process (Zhu and research” debate and to redefine and draw, including student-led discussions, Kaplan 2006). Faculty development pro- broaden the concept of scholarship to team learning, peer learning, oral presenta- grams can offer the kinds of support and include four distinct but interrelated tions, writing-to-learn activities, case stud- training required to thoughtfully integrate dimensions: the scholarship of discovery, ies, and study groups. Faculty development technology into the classroom. the scholarship of teaching, the scholarship programs can convene successful teachers of integration, and the scholarship of appli- to share these approaches with their col- Emphasizing Assessment of Student cation. In our study, developers from all leagues through campus-wide seminars or Learning Outcomes types of institutions agreed that expanding forums. They can also provide course Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at the definition of scholarship to include the development funds to recognize faculty understanding and improving student scholarship of teaching is an important members who develop learner-centered learning. It involves deciding what students issue to address through faculty develop- activities. should be learning, making expectations ment services. for learning explicit, systematically gather- In recent years, the Carnegie Integrating Technology into Teaching ing and analyzing student assignments to Foundation for the Advancement of and Learning determine what students actually are learn- Teaching has greatly advanced this form of Participants in our study from liberal arts, ing, and using the resulting evidence to scholarship through work with faculty, research, and comprehensive institutions decide what to do to improve learning. In campuses, and disciplinary associations. named the integration of technology into our findings, assessing student learning Several lines of work at Carnegie have con- traditional teaching and learning settings as outcomes was perceived as one of the top tributed to the understanding of the schol- one of the top three challenges facing their three challenges facing faculty and their arship of teaching, notably projects explor- faculty colleagues. Respondents expressed institutions, and important to address ing the peer review of teaching, the use of a strong desire that institutions focus on through faculty development. teaching and course portfolios, and how ways to use technology to help students to There are a number of teaching teaching and learning differ among the dis- acquire content knowledge, develop prob- resources that can help faculty members ciplines. Faculty development programs

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities have been part of this conversation by, for newcomers, midcareer, senior, and part- References example, offering seed grants, and campus timers —as faculty roles change? A sec- Angelo, T., and Cross, K. P. 1993. Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for col- conversations about course-focused ond factor is the increasingly diverse stu- lege teachers (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: research projects centered on teaching and dent body. How can we invest in faculty Jossey-Bass. learning. development as a means of ensuring that Association of American Colleges and Universities. 2002. Greater expectations: A we cultivate more inclusive student learn- new vision for learning as a nation goes to Building Interdisciplinary Collaborations ing environments and provide our best college. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. “Building interdisciplinary connections educational practices to all students, Boyer, E. L. 1990. Scholarship reconsidered: and communities of practice” was indi- including those traditionally underserved Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the cated as an important new direction to by higher education? The third shaping Advancement of Teaching. address through faculty development. influence is the impact of a changing par- Sorcinelli, M. D., A. E. Austin, P. L. Eddy, and Interdisciplinary collaboration may adigm for teaching, learning, and schol- A. L. Beach. 2006. Creating the future of faculty development: Learning from the involve a variety of types of connections, arly pursuits. Faculty development will past, understanding the present. San such as working on a research or teaching require a larger investment of imagina- Francisco: Jossey-Bass. project from a multidisciplinary perspec- tion and resources in order to strategi- Weimer, M. 2002. Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. San tive or incorporating service learning into cally plan for and address new develop- Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. academic experiences. ments (e.g., teaching for student-centered Zhu, E., and Kaplan, M. 2006. Technology and teaching. In W. J. McKeachie (Ed.), Interdisciplinary work is often the learning, retention, learning technologies, Teaching tips: Strategies, research and the- result of individual faculty members assessment) while not losing sight of our ory for college and university teachers (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin deciding to engage in team teaching core values and priorities.  across departments or to pursue new areas in the course of their research. Faculty development programs, then, can As faculty and campus leadership set Assessment in Cycles of Improvement goals, plan instruction and curricula by Ross Miller support interdisciplinary connections by to achieve those goals, assess student Globalizing Knowledge: Connecting encouraging team-teaching, the develop- accomplishment, and revise and International and Intercultural Studies ment of interdisciplinary courses, and the improve the learning/teaching cycle, the following AAC&U publications can by Grant Cornwell and Eve Stoddard development of learning communities for serve as effective assessment and Integrative Learning: Mapping the Terrain students. They can also host campus-wide faculty development resources. by Julie Thompson Klein cross-disciplinary learning communities Making Diversity Work on Campus: A Academic Freedom and Educational around teaching and scholarship. Research-Based Perspective Responsibility by Jeffrey F. Milem, Mitchell J. Chang, and AAC&U Board of Directors Statement Conclusion Anthony Lising Antonio Advancing Liberal Education: As we enter the twenty-first century, fac- Purposeful Pathways: Helping Students Assessment Practices on Campus Achieve Key Learning Outcomes ulty developers have identified three by Michael Ferguson by Andrea Leskes and Ross Miller areas that are driving change and shaping The Art and Science of Assessing Shared Futures: Global Learning and Liberal

the future of faculty development. The RESOURCES AAC&U General Education Outcomes: A Education Practical Guide impact of the changing professoriate is a by Kevin Hovland by Andrea Leskes and Barbara Wright major influence. How do we develop and sustain the vitality of our entire faculty —

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Does Your College Really Support Teaching and Learning?

By Michael Reder, director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, Connecticut College

I believe that although small liberal arts colleges universities. I focus on such small colleges because as claim to care about teaching, the majority only give institutions they make special claims about their focus lip service to the idea. Small liberal arts colleges, for on the education of undergraduate students. Iinstance, have a reputation for being student-cen- Another way of stating my point is this: Good tered and focused on teaching as core to their mis- teaching does not happen naturally—and when I say sion. They emphasize the centrality of undergraduate good teaching I mean effective teaching: the types of education. They boast of small class sizes that allow intentional pedagogical practices that lead to signifi- for interactive learning. They go out of their way to cant and deep student learning. In the past decade or hire faculty who “know” how to teach and are inter- so, higher education as a whole has spent a great deal ested in working with our students. Good teaching is of time and energy thinking about student learning taken for granted at such institutions. I mean taken and, in the case of the ever-growing pressure for for granted in two senses, both good and bad: good accountability, how to measure the effect of the edu- teaching is assumed to be the norm (which is good). cation we offer our students. Most of the recent However, because it is assumed, there is often the movements in higher education are centered on collective illusion that good teaching happens “natu- improving student learning: the use of technology rally” (which is bad) (Reder and Gallagher 2007.) The inside and outside of the classroom, experiential false logic goes something like this: “We all value learning, information fluency, learner-centered teaching; that is why we are here; therefore, we must teaching, community learning. The Association of be good at it.” Not surprisingly, most administrators American College and Universities’ focus on liberal are complicit with the idea that good teaching always learning outcomes, civic learning, diversity, global happens on their campuses, without the need for sup- education, residential learning, general education, port or intervention. And, as a whole, faculty mem- and critical thinking echo this current trend of con- bers do care about their teaching and improving stu- centrating on student learning. dent learning, but caring is not enough. Too many The shortcoming of too many of these discussions institutions are failing miserably when it comes to focused on student learning, however, is that faculty— actually supporting faculty to become the most effec- and the role that faculty play—is often an afterthought. tive teachers possible. While the integration of the diverse aspects of a stu- Although my remarks are focused on small liberal dent’s educational experience can only be a good thing, arts colleges, my argument is certainly applicable to a we cannot lose sight of the fact that at most of our insti- range of institutional types that claim to be focused tutions, learning is “classroom-centered”: the majority on undergraduate teaching—which includes larger of student learning either takes place in or is directed

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities through classroom activities. In order to learners themselves. As Trudy Banta and participation in the Professional and affect any kind of widespread change in asserts in a recent issue of Peer Review, Organizational Development (POD) student learning, we need to offer specific “Most current faculty are not trained as Network, the professional organization for pedagogical support to faculty who will teachers, so extensive faculty development faculty and administrators running faculty play an essential role in that change. is needed to raise awareness of good prac- development programs and centers for tice in enhancing teaching” (2007). The teaching and learning. Once mostly the From Faculty Teaching to Student programs that I and my colleagues at other domain of large research universities, cen- Learning faculty teaching centers coordinate ask fac- ters for teaching are also being estab- Over the past ten years there has been a ulty to connect across disciplines and ranks lished at small “teaching” colleges all over fundamental shift away from teaching in order to think critically about something the country, as such schools have realized (which views knowledge as central, some- they all share in common: teaching. Our that teaching deserves attention, and that thing that is objective and simply passed work provides faculty with the opportunity for professionals to do something well, on from teacher to student) to learning to overcome what Lee Shulman, the presi- they need to practice their craft publicly (and the idea that knowledge is something dent of the Carnegie Foundation for the and critically. that is constructed and relational, a Advancement of Teaching, terms “peda- There are several widespread miscon- process in which the learner is central). It gogical solitude.” Faculty from different ceptions about the work of faculty teach- is a mistake, however, to think that this departments, some on the opposite ends of ing programs, and I would like to address shift in focus away from what is being our campus, many with differing levels of three that I encounter most often when taught to who is learning de-emphasizes teaching experience, work together and working with faculty and administrators: the importance of the teacher. If anything, learn from each other. By providing occa- Misconception One—Programs for the role of the teacher is even more sions during which faculty may talk about faculty teaching and learning are demanding and complex, as she is forced their teaching, we create the opportunities about remediation. In reality, programs to negotiate not only a body of knowledge, for them to learn: from each other, from that focus on faculty teaching are about but also an ever-changing and diverse the literature about teaching and learning, intentionality and critical practice. People group of learners. As Robert Barr and from reflective practice. who do things well are constantly reflect- John Tagg note, this new learning para- ing upon what they do, gathering informa- digm views faculty as designers of learning From Student Learning to Faculty tion, and making it better. Our program- environments who work in consort with Learning ming allows faculty to become more learners (and other support mechanisms Many at liberal arts colleges are quickly intentional, and therefore more effective, on campus) to “develop every student’s becoming aware of the reality that favorable teachers. At Connecticut College, for competencies and talents.” They argue conditions for good teaching are not the example, the faculty regularly involved in that, far from the traditional notion that same as truly supporting teaching in a visi- the Center for Teaching and Learning “any expert can teach,” “empowering ble and intentional manner. This new (CTL) programming are not only excep- learning is challenging and complex” emphasis on effective teaching explains the tional teachers, they are also well-known (1995). In other words, although the tremendous growth over the past five years scholars and campus leaders. Our most learner may be at the center, the teacher’s in faculty development programs at such engaged faculty—in terms of research, role is more varied and demanding. institutions (Mooney and Reder 2008). One teaching, and service—participate in and This relatively new role provides an strong indicator of this trend is the signifi- help lead our programming. Especially at excellent opportunity for faculty to become cant increase in small-college membership a small liberal arts college, there is a sym-

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities biotic relationship between effective Misconception Three—Programs as a collaborative practice (something teaching and scholarship (see for faculty teaching and learning done within a larger community that is Misconception Three). force faculty to make a choice open to discussion) and a critical practice Misconception Two—Programs between being scholars and being (something shared with an eye toward dis- for faculty teaching and learning teachers. Teaching well and disciplinary covery, integration, refinement, and advocate one right way to teach. How scholarship require the same habits of improvement), just as faculty do with one teaches is shaped not only by a per- mind: teaching and learning programs their disciplinary scholarship. son’s individual identity (race, gender, ask faculty to become learners them- age, sexuality, experience), but also the selves, in a way that is similar to their Teaching and Learning: What Really nature of the discipline, the difficulty of engaging in their research or creative Makes a Difference the material, the size of the course, and work. As teachers we are asked to learn Recent research suggests that there are the experiences of the learners. about our own teaching, about student specific classroom practices that lead to Successful faculty teaching and learning improved student learning. The prelimi- programs must embrace a diversity of nary results of parts of the Wabash teaching styles in order to accurately National Study of Liberal Arts Education reflect both the variety of disciplinary create direct links between faculty approaches and the individual person- teaching methods and achieving the alities of faculty. Our work acknowl- goals of a liberal arts education. edges this diversity of approaches; such The results indicate that faculty diversity is essential because exposure interest in student development to a range of options is required to (both inside and outside of the class- allow faculty to make informed room), a high level of challenge, and choices about their teaching the overall quality of teaching, are just a practices. The discussions that few of the conditions that correlate posi- the CTL fosters are almost tively with student growth in areas such as always interdisciplinary, motivation, openness to diversity and where scientists might learn change, critical thinking and moral rea- from studio artists, or economists from learning itself, about designing learning soning, attitudes toward literacy, and the humanists. Additionally, when we focus activities, and about improving instruc- desire to contribute to the arts and sci- on the question of who is doing the tion and curricula. Like our research, ences. Having clear goals, requiring drafts learning, the diversity of the learners which is reflected upon, made public, and of papers, incorporating class presenta- themselves becomes central to the edu- therefore improved, our teaching should tions, offering prompt feedback, and uti- cational enterprise. Thus, programs for undergo the same processes. At many lizing higher-order assignments (writing faculty teaching address not only diver- kinds of colleges, faculty are asked to be essays, solving problems not presented in sity related to teaching and content, but both teachers and scholars, and the lines the course, and making and analyzing also diversity related to our students—in between faculty teaching and research are arguments), all contribute to student terms of their abilities, experiences, often blurred, particularly when we growth in areas that many schools identify learning preferences, as well as race, involve our students in our own research. as overall educational goals. Although gender, and class. Above all, teaching needs to be conceived these teaching characteristics may seem

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities obvious, Charles Blaich, the director of tion to teaching at the institution, and leges in ways different from their col- Wabash’s Center for Inquiry in the some form of ongoing programming open leagues at larger institutions, such as the Liberal Arts, notes that preliminary to faculty of all ranks. distinctive missions of many small col- results show great room for improvement leges (including those with a religious in our classrooms: “... a majority of the stu- Supporting Incoming Faculty affiliation) and their locations, which are dents at our institutions are not getting Doctoral education emphasizes often away from larger metropolitan ‘high enough’ levels of these teaching prac- research, not teaching, and as the vast areas (meaning that dual-career couples tices and conditions, which may explain majority of faculty are trained at may need to commute to find employ- why students, on average, do not seem to research universities, the need for fac- ment, and faculty who are single may grow much in the first year on the out- ulty teaching development is particu- want to commute in from a larger com- comes we measured.” Just as most colleges larly salient at small liberal arts colleges, munity). Connecting incoming faculty to support faculty undertaking their own where the teaching ethos and classroom other early-career faculty across the scholarship, it is equally important for practices contrast considerably. The institution provides them with a network schools to support faculty in their quests to excellent literature on early-career fac- of colleagues who have experience nego- become as effective teachers as possible. ulty (Rice, Sorcinelli, Austin 2000; tiating similar issues. Connecticut Moody 1997; Boice 1992, 2000) clearly College, which uses a peer mentoring Supporting Faculty as Teachers and defines the challenges new faculty face model to connect first-year faculty to Learners across institutional types. However, fac- each other and across cohorts to second- Efforts focused on improving teaching ulty at small liberal arts colleges con- and third-year faculty (Reder and can be coordinated using a variety of front a variety of distinctive challenges Gallagher 2007), and Otterbein College, models, the most common of which that the literature does not directly which employs a single-cohort learning include a faculty development committee, address, including the small cohorts of community (Fayne and Ortquist-Ahrens a dean’s office, a rotating faculty coordi- incoming faculty and the relatively small 2006), are two schools that have success- nator, or a center model with a director. size of departments and the faculty as a ful yearlong programs that are designed At many colleges, faculty learn about whole. In addition, diversity has been to address the issue that small-college teaching in a variety of often-decentral- slow coming to many small liberal arts faculty face. ized locations: first-year experience pro- colleges, and new faculty, often hired to grams, community learning projects, diversify the curriculum or the composi- Continuing Support for Faculty: information fluency initiatives, the writ- tion of the faculty in terms of race or Creating a Community of Learners ing program, instructional technology, gender, can be challenged to find like In addition to orienting new faculty, it is and departmental discussions. Beyond peers. Thus, early-career faculty might essential to support faculty at all stages helping to shape and connect faculty to feel an isolation that their counter parts of their careers. Although there are these many initiatives and opportunities, at larger institutions do not experience, many types of programming for faculty an effective teaching and learning pro- not only in terms of their own research beyond their first year, the programs gram will offer at least two types of pro- and disciplinary interests, but also in that often have the most impact are ones gramming: a yearlong experience terms of pedagogical approaches, in which faculty engage in a yearlong designed specifically to meet the needs of methodological training, and lifestyle. exploration of some aspect of teaching incoming faculty with the primary goal of There are additional issues that can and learning, or programs that offer a helping them make the successful transi- impact early-career faculty at small col- series of standalone events that faculty can

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities attend according to their interests and References The oral communication institute. In S. Chadwick-Blossey and D. R. Robertson needs. Many of these discussions focus on Association of American Colleges and (Eds.), To Improve the Academy: Vol. 23. Universities (AAC&U). 2004. Portfolios curricular objectives to liberal arts values Resources for faculty, instructional, and transform writing assessment at Carleton organizational development (pp. 219- and goals, such as critical thinking or College. AAC&U News 4 Jan. 2005 235). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. www.aacu.org/aacu_news/AACUNews04/ teaching writing or oral communication december04/feature.cfm>. Mooney, K. M., and M. Reder. 2008. Faculty skills. Programs such as Colorado College’s development at small and liberal arts Banta, T. W. 2007. Can assessment for colleges. In D. R. Robertson & L.B. “Thinking Inside and Outside the Block accountability complement assessment Nilson (Eds.), To Improve the Academy: for improvement? Peer Review 9 (2): 9- Vol. 26. Resources for faculty, instruc- Box” series (www.coloradocollege. 12. tional, and organizational development edu/learningcommons/tlc/programs_ Barr, R. B., and J. Tagg. 1995. From teaching (pp. 158-172). San Francisco, CA: to learning: A new paradigm for under- Jossey-Bass. luncheons.asp>) and Connecticut graduate education.” Change Magazine Peters, D., D. Schodt, and M. Walczak. 2008. College’s “Talking Teaching” series (27) 6: 13-25. Supporting the scholarship of teaching (ctl.conncoll.edu/programs.html#talking>) Blaich, C. 2007. Personal correspondence. 23 and learning at liberal arts colleges. In D. November. R. Robertson and L.B. Nilson (Eds.), To offer faculty the opportunity to discuss Improve the Academy: Vol. 26. Resources Boice, R. 2000. Advice for new faculty mem- for faculty, instructional, and organiza- specific teaching issues with colleagues in bers: Nihil nimus. Boston: Allyn and tional development (68-84). San an informal setting. Other successful Bacon. Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. yearlong programs include Allegheny Boice, R. 1992. The new faculty member: Reder, M. and E. V. Gallagher, 2007. Supporting and fostering professional Transforming a teaching culture through College’s Teaching Partners (Holmgren development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- peer mentoring: Connecticut College’s Bass. 2005), Macalester College’s midcareer Johnson Teaching Seminar for incoming Fayne, H., and L. Ortquist-Aherns. (2006) faculty and the Scholarship of Teaching faculty seminar (www.macalester.edu/cst/ Learning communities for first-year fac- and Learning. In D. R. Robertson and L.B. Nilson (Eds.), To Improve the Mid%20Career%20Seminar/Index.htm) ulty: Transition, acculturation, and trans- formation. In S. Chadwick-Blossey and Academy: Vol. 25. Resources for faculty, St. Lawrence University’s Oral D. Reimondo Robertson (Eds.), To instructional, and organizational develop- ment (pp. 327-344). Bolton, MA: Anker Communication Institute (Mooney, improve the academy: Vol. 24. Resources for faculty, instructional, and organiza- Publishing. Fordham, and Lehr 2005), and St. Olaf tional development (pp. 277-290). Bolton, Rice, R. E., M. D. Sorcinelli, and A. E. Austin. MA: Anker Publishing. College’s CILA Associates Program 2000. Heeding new voices: Academic Holmgren, R. A. 2005. Teaching partners: careers for a new generation. New (Peters, Schodt, and Walczak 2008). Improving teaching and learning by cul- Pathways Inquiry #7. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Colleges that support faculty in the tivating a community of practice. In S. Chadwick-Blossey & D. R. Robertson Education. development of their teaching skills recog- (Eds.), To Improve the Academy: Vol. nize the difference between “caring about 23. Resources for faculty, instructional, and organizational development (pp. teaching” and “critically practicing teach- 211-219). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. ing.” They are working to create a faculty Jones, L. F. 2005. Exploring the inner land- community of critical practitioners who scape of teaching: A program for faculty teach in a reflective and intentional man- renewal. In S. Chadwick-Blossey and D. R. Robertson (Eds.), To Improve the ner that leads to better student learning. Academy: Vol 23. Resources for faculty, And this community, composed of col- instructional, and organizational develop- ment. (pp. 130-143). Bolton, MA: Anker leagues from across the disciplines right on Publishing. campus, creates the opportunity for faculty Moody, J. 1997. Demystifying the profession:  Helping junior faculty succeed. [3 to become lifelong learners. papers.] New Haven: U of New Haven P. Mooney, K. M., T. Fordham, and V. Lehr. 2005. A faculty development program to promote engaged classroom dialogue:

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Faculty Work in a Changing World

By Richard C. Turner, professor of English, and Sharon J. Hamilton, associate dean of the faculties for integrating learning, both of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis New American Scholar (1996) that each faculty member (IUPUI), like many of its peer institutions, has devoted should be a “complete scholar” by maintaining their con- sustained attention to faculty work during the past two nection to all three traditional areas of faculty work. In sub- Idecades. The commitment to ensuring that faculty can do sequent working papers, Future Work (1995) and Using their work and succeed in their professional aspirations Tenure, Plater (1998) suggested that, in the face of these recognizes that all roads to achieving complex and evolv- pressures, universities needed to reconfigure faculty roles ing university missions go through faculty work and fac- and responsibilities to enable faculty to differentiate ele- ulty success. This commitment has led to four general ini- ments of their work and so manage it better. In various tiatives: (1) formal and informal conversations about fac- ways, IUPUI has tried to pursue both models of faculty ulty work, (2) significant resources invested in faculty work, keeping the “complete scholar” as the ideal of faculty development, (3) a readiness to reconfigure faculty work while supporting operationally differentiated faculty appointments to match faculty work with university mis- work. It has created many options for faculty appointments sions and aspirations, and (4) efforts to restore a sense of and sought to support and recognize faculty whose work cohesion as an academic community. contributes to university missions and aspirations, a path at odds with that of a unified “complete scholar.” Faculty Work through the Years Institutions like IUPUI have operated with some form Regarding faculty work as a problem that must be of differentiated faculty work since the expansion of addressed originated in the work begun by Ernest Boyer American higher education after World War II. Full-time, and Gene Rice at the Carnegie Foundation for the tenure-track faculty have the time to fulfill their responsi- Advancement of Teaching in the 1980s, which culminated bility to pursue research and service responsibilities in Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered (1990). Their surveys because other groups, such as part-time faculty and gradu- revealed that faculty in America felt their work was ate students, have been hired to teach classes. These de becoming fragmented, with disconnected parts compet- facto delegations of traditional faculty teaching responsibili- ing for time and attention in an unhealthy dynamic. ties, which have been expanded at our institution to Addressing this threat, IUPUI engaged actively in the include full-time lecturers, clinical faculty, researchers, sci- national conversations about faculty work ignited by the entists, and public scholars, have created campuses operat- Carnegie Foundation, while concurrently engaging fac- ing through a system of differentiated faculty work. These ulty on campus in reflective dialogue on faculty roles. differentiated faculty roles necessitate the intentional During the mid-1990s, Bill Plater, then dean of the approach to community building that we discuss later. faculties at IUPUI, and Gene Rice conducted a running discussion on how to deal with persistent sense of discon- Responding to Challenges nection and dissatisfaction among faculty in American uni- IUPUI responded to the challenge of managing the difficult versities. Rice took the position in Making a Place for the demands of the “complete scholar” and the disconcerting

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities effects of differentiated faculty work by build- high enrollments and multiple sections. In of Faculty Appointments and Advancement, ing an important and extensive faculty and the mid-1990s, the medical school expanded Academic Affairs gathered in activities con- staff development organization, one that rec- its use of clinical faculty and introduced “sci- nected to appointments, such as orienting ognized the centrality of faculty work and put entist” and “researcher” ranks to enable new faculty, advising chairs and deans on into place flexible and rich resources to some colleagues to make important contri- mentoring junior faculty, and ensuring that enhance the success of faculty work across the butions to research without building the annual reports and reviews led to productive three traditional areas. The Office of broad career that tenure requires. Other conversations. Academic Affairs strengthened Professional Development (OPD) was estab- professional schools introduced clinical ranks the formal ongoing conversations with faculty lished to bring together in one central loca- to address important faculty work focused on about advancement as they progress toward tion several distinct and mostly fledgling areas curriculum without a direct connection to tenure and/or promotion in the form of indi- of faculty support, in order to mediate the pursuing a productive research program. In vidual consultations, repositories of sample demands of faculty work with the sometimes 2002, the trustees of Indiana University, con- materials, and workshops anticipating three- competing expectations of the campus and cerned about retention and graduation rates, year, promotion, and tenure reviews. The goal some academic units. With the well-estab- asked some campuses to convert large num- of keeping faculty development and faculty lished Center for Teaching and Learning as bers of their part-time faculty to full-time, advancement closely connected was to enable the nexus, OPD took the lead in supporting non-tenure-track “lecturers.” faculty to see their progress toward tenure faculty efforts to develop a scholarship of The new appointments and the accumu- and/or promotion and the help needed for teaching and learning, especially in making lated effects of differentiated faculty work advancement as located within the same extensive and effective use of technology in required increased campus attention to faculty arena. Faculty who often regard themselves as teaching, provided support and opportuni- work. The campus developed extensive pro- too busy to reflect on faculty work have an ties for collaboration and consultation motion and tenure guidelines to help faculty easier time incorporating workshops and con- among chairs and deans, housed and nur- move through the differentiated processes sultations into their schedules when these tured the already-established campus-wide more easily and with greater control. The support activities appear as part of the central Office for Women, created the Office for guidelines provided shape and focus to a and compelling process of advancement. Multicultural Professional Development and process that often differed among twenty-two other diversity-focused initiatives, and schools and five libraries, stimulating the artic- Taking Ownership and Responsibility offered other faculty and staff development ulation of the values and expectations shaping for Professional Development programs in response to school or campus decision processes. Using detailed and explicit Centralizing faculty development in one goals and aspirations. guidelines created a framework for developing large organization played a crucial role in Expanded faculty appointments offered transparent and clear expectations for all fac- providing a rich resource of support for fac- IUPUI a way to incorporate valued and tal- ulty appointments. ulty. Faculty who use the resources of OPD ented faculty members whose aspirations In response to the increasing pressure on value this support very highly, and virtually and/or credentials made a traditional tenure- faculty to do more with less, especially the all faculty are served one way or another by track appointment unattractive or inappro- increased pressure on faculty time, OPD OPD, through new faculty orientation, priate. In 1985, one school converted five began to move some of its formative faculty tenure, promotion, sabbaticals, honors and part-time instructors to full-time, non-tenure development work closer to the Office of awards, and the myriad of consultation and track “clinical” appointments and experi- Academic Affairs to create an overlap with events offered. Recently faculty have indi- mented with using them in teaching and and a closer connection to the various sum- cated a preference for formal and informal service positions to support courses with mative review processes. Through its Office in-school faculty development opportunities

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities sensitive to different disciplinary traditions community as a faculty. Thus, enriching faculty, without doing the work to find the and cultures, with additional and complemen- faculty work requires special attention common ground of university work and tary centralized support primarily for key toward building community. Faculty devel- experience that might make them peers campus-level issues, such as multicultural opment activities make a point of including and so able to operate as a traditional fac- teaching and learning, diversity, promotion community building and set goals for those ulty. Without some effort to create that and tenure, chairs and deans orientation, new projects in terms of creating a sense of common ground, faculties cannot maintain faculty orientation, honors and awards, and community across professions and disci- their traditional independence about the the like. In response to faculty interests, OPD plines. For instance, new faculty orienta- work they do. Facing this threat requires is transitioning to become a Consortium for tion builds group work into all its activities faculty to return to their values and Learning and Scholarship. This smaller office so that new faculty get to meet at least assumptions about peer review and reestab- will be closely aligned to the three traditional some other members of their cohort. The lish the parameters of their responsibilities, areas of faculty responsibilities of teaching, faculty who come together to reflect on finding ways for faculty with varied respon- research, and service, and collaborating with their three-year review and plan for their sibilities and training to act as peers in all other support units and the schools to upcoming tenure review collaborate on a aspects of faculty work. IUPUI’s next chal- address both campus-wide and school-spe- letter to new faculty, sharing what they lenge lies in nurturing the conversation cific needs. We are working currently with learned in the first three years and offering about faculty work. Conversations of this the School of Medicine and the School of advice on what works best. sort will articulate the common values and Dentistry to develop “in-house” models of Community building is important assumptions, the responsibilities and aspira- faculty support that will draw upon the because the diversity of appointments and tions, which drive all faculty work, however expertise of the consortium as needed, but differentiated faculty work results in some differentiated. The new consensus emerg- will function independently when appropri- very real disjunctions among the faculty ing from such conversations should assure ate. In this way, faculty are taking more own- ranks, threatening the principle of peer all faculty that all contributions to the three ership in and responsibility for their profes- review. By hiring faculty members who in traditional responsibilities of faculty are sional development. Even the Faculty Club is their training, their assignments, and/or measures of faculty success and achieve- providing professional development through their commitments to university missions ment and thus benefits to the entire aca- programming that brings faculty together differ deeply from each other, universities demic community. We are attempting to over lunch for structured talks about faculty have created faculties made up of col- meet that challenge in our current organi- research and publications. Still in its evolu- leagues who may not be peers, and who zational restructuring of OPD.  tionary phase, it remains to be seen whether cannot evaluate the work and the promise this more faculty-driven decentralized of each other because they lack experience References approach engages more faculty in profes- and/or training in the work to be evaluated. Boyer, E. L. 1990. Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: sional development activities and results in a Without the pervasive point of definition Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement stronger overall sense of the quality of faculty provided by the notion of peer review, a of Teaching. life at IUPUI. faculty is just a collection of experts hired Plater, W. M. 1995. Future work: Faculty time in the 21st century. Change 27(3): 23–33. The complexity of IUPUI, its responsi- to carry out specific university missions. . 1998. Using tenure: citizenship within bility-centered management system, and its Recent trends in hiring that look to lower- the new academic workforce. American strong emphasis on disciplinary or profes- cost teaching faculty as a way to meet Behavioral Scientist 41(5): 680–715. sional excellence has, for decades, made it teaching responsibilities in tight-budget Rice, R. E. 1996. Making a place for the new American scholar. Working Paper #1. difficult for faculty to come to a sense of environments have created differentiated Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Faculty Collaboration as Faculty Development

By Lott Hill, acting director, the Center for Teaching Excellence, Soo La Kim, associate director, the Center for Teaching Excellence, and Robert Lagueux, director, New Millennium Studies—The First-Year Seminar, all of Columbia College Chicago

Since 1999, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) full-time and 1,250 part-time faculty members, many of at Columbia College Chicago has developed a wide whom are professionals active in the fields they teach. Srange of professional development opportunities and The CTE is staffed by the acting director, the associate taken a variety of approaches to meet the needs of a director, and an administrative assistant. We offer large and diverse faculty body, where part-time faculty weekly workshops or seminars throughout the semester, members outnumber full-time tenure-track colleagues and cosponsor many workshops with other offices and by nearly four to one. Like teaching and learning cen- departments. In addition to partnership opportunities, ters elsewhere, our center approaches faculty develop- small centers like ours can strengthen our impact on ment as an ongoing reflective practice for all faculty at campus by identifying and cultivating faculty members all stages of their career, not simply as remediation for who are committed to faculty development and willing faculty in difficulty nor reserved for faculty new to to take leadership roles. As the key examples below teaching. In doing so, we address the principles and illustrate, faculty collaboration that fosters faculty devel- practices of teaching at the individual, departmental, opment can be structured in many ways, but its success curricular, and institutional levels, facilitating communi- depends on faculty having a sense of ownership over the cation within and across departments and helping to process and outcome of their efforts. foster an academic community that supports the schol- arship of teaching and learning. More concretely, this Collaboration for a Common Curriculum means that wherever possible, we create and support The New Millennium Studies (NMS) Teaching occasions for faculty to learn from each other. We Academy was conceived and is convened in conjunction design CTE workshops and seminars with collaboration with the development and three-year progressive in mind; that is, with ways for faculty to participate as launch of the First-Year Seminar curriculum, which will facilitators, leaders, and initiators. Perhaps more signifi- be fully implemented and required for all first-year stu- cantly, we promote a culture of collaboration through dents at Columbia in fall 2008. As an interdisciplinary our joint faculty development endeavors with key course, NMS is an integrative learning experience that departments and programs across the college. provides the educational scaffolding for connecting Such an approach is driven both by principle and authentically liberal learning with reflective and cre- by practical necessity. With more than 120 academic ative practice in the arts and media. Organized around programs and nearly 11,000 students, Columbia College the central theme of identity and culture, NMS ties the Chicago is the largest and most diverse private arts and close study of media in a variety of genres to questions media college in the nation. There are currently 328 about identity, creation, responsibility, and artistic

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities voice. The course asks students to consider tural studies might model a culture- and Millennium Studies (NMS). It pairs three their artistic and creative impulses in light identity-based exercise she uses in the class- FYW instructors with three NMS instruc- of larger, self-conscious modes of inquiry room, an instructor of film might lead a tors to exchange class visits, meet infor- and results in the creation of an NMS conversation on responding to student art- mally, produce a report on the experience, Portfolio, a body of work that is the culmi- work, and an instructor of English might and consider curricular and pedagogical nation of a semester of reflective analysis present methods for generating and assess- intersections between the two programs. and thinking. ing student writing. Some meetings focus on The collaboration is a natural one, as both Co-convened by NMS and the CTE, course texts, others on specific elements of FYW and NMS form a critical part of first- the Teaching Academy currently has more the portfolio and assignments, and others on year students’ common experience and than sixty full- and part-time faculty from what we know about how our students offer small-sized classes that are discussion across the disciplines who meet frequently learn. All of the meetings are interactive, based and student centered. in small groups, at least twice as a whole with continuing opportunities to reflect on The program coordinator, a full-time each semester, and at a two-day retreat in common purposes and challenges. lecturer who teaches both FYW and the summer. Led by the director and staff NMS courses, consults regularly with the of NMS—who also teach the course—the CTE and the directors of FYW and NMS, academy not only prepares NMS instruc- This community of and is responsible for organizing all tors to teach the course successfully, but support is critical for aspects of the program. NMS, CTE, and provides a context for meaningful curricu- the coordinator also drafted a “Guidelines lar and pedagogical connections between faculty teaching on and Expectations” document explaining NMS and other Columbia courses. the program’s goals and timeline. As we Meetings address a variety of topics such as often unfamiliar emphasize to the teaching partners, these learning objectives and goals, stages of stu- peer observations and discussions are not dent learning and development, and evalu- territory outside their meant to be evaluative in any way, but are ation. This community of support is critical designed as opportunities for reflection, for faculty teaching on often unfamiliar ter- disciplines, providing a learning, and community. In support of this ritory outside their disciplines, providing a goal, we leave the specific terms of class structured and regular dialogue around structured and regular visits up to participants, encouraging them questions of theory and practice. to exchange syllabi and discuss what they’d Because no individual instructor is an dialogue around like to get out of each visit. expert in all the assigned texts and because Although the Teaching Partnership students construct their portfolios from questions of theory program is relatively small and in its early multiple artistic approaches and media, and practice. stages, it promotes collaborative faculty there is an opportunity for each Teaching development on multiple levels. Participants Academy member to bring an important learn from each other in specific, experien- disciplinary perspective and expertise to the Collaboration for Reflective Teaching tial ways. At a recent meeting, participants conversations, thus learning with and from In its current form, the Teaching were enthusiastic about seeing colleagues in each other while ensuring that NMS stu- Partnership program is a collaboration action, and about ideas from their partners’ dents have a common experience across between First Year Writing (FYW), part of class that they wanted to try in their own. sections. For example, an instructor of cul- the English department, and New For example, according to meeting notes,

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities “at least two writing instructors were mitment to a global social issue that has Collaboration for Department- impressed by the multimodal nature of been designated as the annual focus of Specific Initiatives NMS and felt encouraged to try more mul- Critical Encounters. These individuals The CTE has also begun to work with timodal approaches in their writing classes. meet collectively and in small groups five select departments on faculty develop- Another instructor was more impressed by times over the course of the semester to ment connected to department-specific, his partner’s personal style of getting stu- develop and articulate class-based stand- even course-specific, initiatives. For dents to talk and think.” The advantages of alone activities and modes of assessment example, we consulted with a committee directly observing a colleague’s teaching that are designed to challenge students’ in the department of art and design that are difficult to replicate in other ways. perceptions and increase understanding of was charged with assessing and redesign- The partnerships promote dialogue issues such as HIV and AIDS or poverty ing the curriculum for History of Art 1, a not only across disciplines, but also and privilege. critical part of the foundation core between veteran and novice teachers in a A faculty fellow oversees the collo- required of all art and design majors. In nonhierarchical, mutually beneficial way. quium and participants are each responsi- collaboration with committee members, All the participants are part-time faculty, ble for designing three to five exercises or we developed, organized, and delivered and programs like this provide an all-too- activities that they themselves would assign a two-day teaching workshop to intro- rare venue for connecting part-time faculty in their own classrooms, and then they duce the new curriculum. The workshop to each other and to the departments and work collaboratively to translate those exer- sessions were designed to model as the college of which they’re a part but cises and activities across disciplines. For much as possible the kind of active from which they often feel disconnected. example, a composition assignment around learning integral to the new curriculum. While the interaction among instructors myths and misconceptions about HIV forms the heart of the teaching partner- might be adapted as a science assignment Conclusion ship, the collaboration also benefits the mapping the HIV life cycle, which might Faculty development efforts, whether larger FYW and NMS communities, as inform a service learning project where tel- within or between departments, need teaching partners share their insights about evision production students produce public not be elaborate, time-intensive, or both programs with their peers. service announcements for AIDS service costly. However, they do need to be organizations. These conversations result in conceived with clear goals and struc- Collaboration for Civic Engagement a shared knowledge of how a subject is tures in mind, and with the support In support of Columbia’s college-wide addressed through other disciplines while (organizational, financial, logistical, sym- civic engagement initiative, Critical building a more comprehensive under- bolic) of key administrators in order to Encounters, the CTE convenes a collo- standing of what and how students are create an environment in which faculty quium each spring semester to bring learning in classes across the college. feel encouraged to collaborate in their together faculty members from across the Participants report that they are better able own development as teachers and pro- departments and disciplines, so that they to connect the material in their classes to fessionals. In the projects described may collaboratively develop exercises, other courses and better able to make use above, we have been inspired by the activities, and assessment tools that can be of on- and off-campus resources and events energy and dedication that our col- adapted for use in any classroom. This col- to enhance their curricula. The materials leagues bring to innovate and improve loquium consists of sixteen full- and part- developed with the colloquium are distrib- their teaching.  time instructors who apply to participate uted through faculty-led presentations as based on their understanding of and com- well as online.

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities “The Times They Are A-Changing:” Faculty Support Mechanisms in a Shifting Academic Landscape

By Barbara Hornum, director, Drexel Center for Academic Excellence; and Antonis Asprakis, assistant director, Drexel Center for Academic Excellence, both of Drexel University.

The Drexel Center for Academic Excellence (DCAE)  Recognize and respond to the impact on faculty opened its doors in August 2005. While funded and student interactions brought about by the through the provost’s office, the center is an inde- increasing use of technology in the classroom Tpendent entity committed to providing a variety of  Assist faculty in accommodating and productively services to Drexel faculty that can enhance and responding to career paths and career life cycles expand their academic and professional activities. The during a period of rapid change, shifting expecta- DCAE works with individuals, faculty cohorts, tions and sometimes-conflicting demands departments, and other academic units by eliciting suggestions for programs that meet special needs as Redefinition of Changing Expectations well as providing programs typical of such faculty As a center, the DCAE needs to deliver its services development centers nationally. It also sponsors within a context of greater variability in faculty cate- attendance at relevant conferences and gives some gories, roles and rewards. At Drexel University, as in support to faculty who wish to develop the scholar- many other institutions of higher education, there are ship of teaching and learning. In addition, speakers a number of full-time, non-tenure-track positions that on topics of interest are brought to campus, as are increasingly coexist with the traditional tenure-track facilitators for activities such as portfolio develop- positions. While the career trajectories for these ment. The DCAE—while a centralized, university- groups vary, as do some performance criteria, many of wide operation—collaborates with other units within the concerns that relate to classroom management the university who are providing more localized pro- and student learning are strikingly similar. For both grams for their faculty. groups, expectations may undergo frequent redefini- Key goals and objectives of the DCAE revolve tion reflecting changing expectations within disci- around the provision of opportunities for the faculty plines, in the university, in the academic community to work individually and collectively to: at large, and among stakeholders both internally and  Examine some of the critical challenges of teach- externally. ing and learning in the twenty-first century These changes affect not only new faculty but  Expand and maintain the creation and develop- also those who have moved into midcareer and late- ment of knowledge career stages. The age range among faculty is a factor  Translate and transmit that knowledge to stu- relatively unique in the history of the academy and in dents in increasingly effective ways some instances provides a span of forty or more years

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities of very divergent experiences, goals, and ent experiences to interact and network. pants. Accordingly, we structured the ori- perspectives about higher education. The brown bags also were designed as a entation for the following year with con- New policies and procedures, more forum for junior, midcareer, and senior fac- current sessions that addressed some of diverse faculty and students, rapidly ulty to share their concerns and collaborate the subgroups and gave individuals the changing technology, and altered expecta- on effective problem solving. It should be opportunity to select those activities that tions about performance criteria may noted that all these activities were and con- they felt were most meaningful. overwhelm faculty seeking to strike a bal- tinue to be voluntary for participants. In addition, conversations with some ance between course content and the Every session included an assessment or long-term faculty indicated that while process of teaching for learning. In addi- feedback form that was used in the plan- they appreciated the informal discussion- tion, colleges and universities are facing ning for subsequent activities. oriented brown bags, they also wanted to greater variations in student levels of be able to attend the more formal topical preparation and an enlarged awareness Shifting Career Goals panels and workshops. Thus, in the sec- and need to be responsive to different In reviewing the assessment of the activi- ond year, all the workshops after the ori- student learning styles. Faculty at all lev- ties of the first year, it became clear that entation were opened to all interested els find themselves searching for com- we needed to recognize that “new” is a faculty. This has the added benefit of pro- monalities, more dialogue about issues relative term and that one size will not fit viding opportunities for interaction and a desire for an academic community all so designated. It also became apparent between those relatively new to Drexel that may be difficult to achieve without that many long-term faculty had shifting University and those who have been here support structures. career goals and also found some of the for several years. The activities of the sec- The Drexel Center for Academic changes to an expanding university and ond year continued the activities of the Excellence operates to provide faculty with an enlarging and more diverse student first year, with some topics recurring and information and with a variety of programs population to be challenging. This others added in response to the assess- that not only give knowledge and skills but encouraged us to open the topical work- ment feedback gathered. that also assist in establishing both formal shops to all faculty. The DCAE has also brought nation- and informal contacts among faculty and For example, when we looked at the ally known experts to campus for work- between faculty and administrators. In the assessments of the initial orientation for shops and open forums. These activities first year of operation, the DCAE offered new faculty, it was very clear that only have been highly useful for faculty, an intense two-day introduction to the some were actually new to teaching at structure and culture of the university to the post-secondary level with full class- new full-time faculty, which was the fol- room management responsibility. Others lowed by a yearlong series of workshops on had taught elsewhere or at our university issues like grading, dealing with students as part-timers. Still others were making a with alternative needs, and balancing con- midlife career change from outside of flicting demands for teaching, research, the academy to college teaching. While and service. The DCAE also began a series all were full time, some were on the of brown-bag lunches open to all faculty tenure track while others were on con- with informal topical discussions—but tracts. Thus, certain parts of the two-day most importantly, with opportunities for program clearly had different meanings faculty from different units and with differ- and applicability for the diverse partici-

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities department heads, and deans, as outside a result, we are involved in working with teaching and learning situations that are speakers generally set what we are doing several departments on establishing col- rewarding to faculty and beneficial to locally within a national context. In this laborative peer review processes that students. We need to assist faculty same category of enrichment, we also reflect the specific and varied require- within a research university to feel that have supported the attendance and par- ments of diverse groups. In the process of good and innovative teaching is impor- ticipation of faculty at offsite conferences this work, we have become increasingly tant. One of our efforts here has been to where the focus was on issues of teaching aware of concerns about two issues that use the DCAE Web site to showcase the in higher education. This type of expo- are also reflected in national conferences. profiles of our teaching award winners sure enabled networking as well as One of these involves issues of what fac- along with their personal statements of engagement in the scholarship of teach- ulty perceive as student incivility, while what teaching means to them. Since ing. Since most of this participation has the other—possibly related—issue ques- Drexel University gives such awards to involved small groups, a core of faculty tions how to teach “millennial” students. faculty representing all levels, this has worked together to bring the infor- As these are issues that concern faculty enables us to demonstrate in a cost- mation that they acquired back to Drexel. nationally, the staff of the center is dis- effective way the promotion and attain- A major enrichment activity that was seminating information through topical ment of teaching excellence. We are also initiated prior to the formal creation of discussions with faculty and will bring using our Web site to post a written the DCAE but continued and expanded guest workshop facilitators to campus to guide on teaching tips, which is available by the university involves portfolio work- explore effective ways to engage this new to all faculty. shops. These provide opportunities for student population and promote their It is apparent to us that our faculty individual reflection and benefit individ- learning. development center cannot be static. It ual faculty, our students, and the institu- There are challenges that our center must be responsive to what is happening tion. Last year, in addition to the portfo- faces, as do many others. University fac- outside of the university, to the changing lios designed for teaching, we initiated ulty have a number of professional and requirements and expectations of the and held a professional/leadership portfo- personal obligations and face continual university and its varied constituents. It lio workshop for senior faculty. This and competing demands on their time. needs to create a viable feedback loop workshop received positive assessment Scheduling meetings that can engage that is flexible, receptive to innovation and will be repeated in 2008. more that those who are already involved and empowering for faculty teaching in We also work with what we call an in enhancing their teaching in ways that the twenty-first century.  on-demand service with individual they find meaningful requires a great deal clients, assisting them in self-analysis of of effort. While there is no one best time, References their teaching techniques. This service is a midday lunch arrangement seems to Austin, A. E., J. M.Gappa, and A. G. Trice, 2007. Rethinking faculty work: Higher totally confidential and provides an work better for us than late afternoon. education’s strategic imperative. San option for individual faculty to discuss The university does not have any open Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. their teaching and other professional con- period when all faculty are free. Coomes, M. D. and R. DeBard. (Eds.). 2004. Serving the millennial generation. cerns in a formative context. New Directions for Student Services, no. In our third year, we have expanded Creating Positive Teaching and 116: 1–104. our outreach to faculty, departments, and Learning Situations Howe, N., and W. Strauss. 2000. Millennials rising: The next great generation. New units by our willingness to customize We must continue to demonstrate the York, NY: Vintage Books. services to meet their emerging needs. As importance of creating the most positive

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Professional Development Issues for Community Colleges

By Althea Smith, resource specialist, North Shore Community College

North Shore Community College (NSCC) is a two-year meetings, including discussions on campus security in institution with campuses in Danvers, Beverly, and Lynn, the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, technology, teach- Massachusetts. A primary focus of our current strategic ing learning-challenged students, cross-campus commu- Nplan concerns academic programs and curriculum and nication, service learning, co-ops and internships, civility the institution’s commitment to teaching and learning. in the classroom and on the Internet, information liter- We plan to renew and expand NSCC’s program, curricu- acy and research, “the greening of the college,” advising, lum, and learning opportunities in response to educa- student retention, improving reading and writing in tional and labor needs through relevant curriculum with classes, common reading projects, and rubrics. new constructs for delivery; liberal arts courses, transfer There is also an ongoing yearlong seminar for new courses, and programs that emphasize critical-thinking full-time faculty offered through the Center for skills; incorporation of technology into teaching and Teaching Learning and Assessment (CTLA). learning; institutional structure with a full range of work- Throughout the year, faculty will discuss the resources force development services; and comprehensive educa- and services available through the CTLA, such as advis- tion that embraces civic involvement and community. ing, the library, academic technology, and disability Faculty development is vital to achieve these goals at services. The seminar meets twice in the fall and twice NSCC, as well as to facilitate student learning. in the spring. Although attendance to the seminar is not This article will address the challenges of providing mandatory, all new faculty are expected to participate. effective professional development in a community col- We’ve also instituted a voluntary adjunct faculty semi- lege setting. While this is not meant to be a compre- nar on teaching and learning and what it means to be a hensive list of challenges and solutions, this discussion North Shore faculty member. The seminar for adjuncts will touch upon issues that are representative of the is offered online by the assistant dean of liberal studies. faculty development challenges faced by my community At our college, we make a special effort to offer profes- college colleagues. sional development sessions in the evenings, on week- ends, and online to accommodate the schedules of the Successful Community College Professional full- and part-time faculty. Development Models Through the Center for Teaching, Learning and The range of faculty development offerings at North Assessment, faculty are encouraged to attend confer- Shore Community College is rich and varied. Our pro- ences related to teaching and learning, sponsored by fessional development efforts begin with monthly two- national organizations and regional groups. Faculty are hour faculty/staff meetings. For the 2007–8 academic also encouraged to attend conferences in their individual year there have been a variety of suggested topics for disciplines.

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Professional Day, a faculty-run and shops on specific writing topics, such as the an academic discipline are the center of attended event offered once in the spring writing process, grading, researching and the professional development agenda, the of each year, is another venue for profes- documenting, and maintaining writing stan- needs of the community college faculty are sional development for faculty and profes- dards. WAC also provides one-on-one con- different. Therefore, the topics we must sional staff. In recent years topics have sultation on all faculty concerns, from address include not only the educational included program review and diversity. In a designing effective assignments to handling and academic, but also those related to per- 2007 survey of faculty and staff, the sug- specific writing problems. Overall, WAC sonal growth and teaching. Topics include gestion list for Professional Day yielded a strives to help teachers help students not only presentations on poetry, short sto- range of topics that was broad and diverse. become better learners. In the process, fac- ries, and essays, but also information on These topics were influenced by staff input ulty learn more about good writing. NSCC institutional data. Sample topics in profes- as well as faculty interest. also has a professional development commit- sional development sessions at our school included student enrollment and retention rates, advising, teaching first-generation Faculty must gain a basic understanding of the students, diversity, and assessment. At NSCC, there are specific learning mission, vision, and operations of the college as goals and outcomes for faculty profes- part of their learning process. sional development. The learning out- comes for faculty are developed from topics related to the progress of the col- The Technology Across the tee operated by faculty and staff that distrib- lege. Many faculty must gain a basic Curriculum (TAC) program at NSCC utes small grants for participation in career understanding of the mission, vision, and stimulates and nurtures innovative ideas enhancement and personal growth sessions. operations of the college as part of their from faculty and professional staff that Proposals are submitted and reviewed in an learning process. Much of their teaching employ technology in support of teaching ongoing, cyclical manner. Faculty may also is interdisciplinary and broad in scope. and learning. It is an opportunity to learn apply for fellowships to the Community Because of the emphasis on teaching and about how technology can be applied to College Leadership Academy (CCLA), a learning, many community colleges con- individual courses. Faculty learn about training program for leaders at New England centrate their efforts on developing core online courses, hybrids, Webcasts, and community colleges. A separate review com- general education outcomes such as writ- other instructional designs. mittee, including the vice president of ten communication, quantitative reason- For more than twenty years, the NSCC human resources and the president and ing, information literacy, and so on. Writing Across the Curriculum program CCLA, looks at applications and makes Faculty are required to teach with more (WAC) has promoted the use of writing to awards. Faculty and staff can pursue educa- innovation and creativity. In addition to improve student learning across the disci- tional, professional, and personal develop- general education, however, the curricula plines. The program has served as a profes- ment without the burden of added expenses. at many community colleges also sional development opportunity for individ- include—in addition to academic disci- ual faculty members, and as an instructional Designing a Professional Development plines such as history, math, and resource for the entire college community. Program for a Community College English—career and professional pro- The WAC Program provides up-to-date writ- Unlike faculty at four-year schools, where grams like nursing, environmental tech- ing guidelines and offers brown-bag work- symposia, colloquia, and seminars within nology, and paralegal studies. Faculty out-

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities comes must focus on building new knowl-  Compensation or stipends for attending In addition to its annual edge, skills, and abilities for teaching in a session are not always available, mak- meeting, AAC&U offers a these fields as well as addressing issues ing it impractical for faculty to attend series of working conferences such as writing business plans, filling out professional development sessions; and institutes each year. Additional information about job applications, and thinking critically  Over the course of a year, there may the upcoming meetings listed about business situations. Workshops on be multiple opportunities to attend a below is available online at teaching as well as learning as a process, conference or workshop. Having mul- www.aacu.org/meetings. identity, and profession are all important tiple options and then deciding which parts of the professional development session to attend can be complicated Annual Meeting process. and confusing. January 23–26, 2008 The learning outcomes might include Some of the challenges for part-time Intentional Learning, the ability to identify aspects of the faculty include Unscripted Challenges career professions or academic disci-  Part-time faculty are often not inte- Knowledge and Imagination for an plines; understand the structure, func- grated into the life of the college and Interdependent World tion, and operation of each department, therefore they are not aware of profes- Washington, DC program, division and college; find new sional development offerings; skills to improve teaching; and develop  They are not on college e-mail or the Network for Academic awareness of ways to promote wellness regular phone system, so it can be dif- Renewal Meetings and personal growth. ficult to reach them; February 21–23 2008

 AAC&U CALENDAR They don’t receive the college Integrative Designs for Challenges and Solutions newsletter; General Education and There are several challenges in facing pro-  Many of the faculty work full- or part- Assessment fessional development for full- and part- time in another career, and scheduling Boston, Massachusetts time faculty. Barriers to involvement in sessions can be difficult. Part-time fac- professional development at a community ulty in career programs are likely to be April 10–12, 2008 college for full-time faculty include professionals chefs, stylists, or land- Discovering, Integrating, and Applying Knowledge  Faculty workload of five courses plus scape architects, with little experience Austin, Texas advising and community service raises teaching. questions about when faculty can fit it Despite the challenges community into their schedules; colleges face, their faculty members are Summer Institutes  Meeting time is difficult to fit into eager to engage in professional develop- May 30–June 4 2008 teaching schedules. Faculty members ment activities. Through such workforce Institute on General who must attend a meeting and cannot development seminars and workshops, Education find someone to cover their course are North Shore Community College faculty Minneapolis, Minnesota left with few options; have gained key strategies and skills,  Cost to attend conferences can be pro- enabling them to provide a range of June 18–22, 2008 hibitive, especially if the college does innovative learning opportunities for Greater Expectations Institute not reimburse for travel, meals and/or students.  Snowbird, Utah transportation;

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Collaborating to Learn, Learning to Collaborate

By Roger G. Baldwin, professor, Department of Educational Administration, and Deborah A. Chang, doctoral student and research assistant, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, both of Michigan State University

College and university professors need ongoing oppor- groups and institutions to form collaborations that are tunities for professional development in an era of rapid productive, long-lasting, and successful. and continuous change. However, higher education During the 2006–7 academic year, we studied the Cinstitutions have limited resources to invest in their fac- implementation and impact of the Mellon Faculty Career ulty as programs to work with diverse student popula- Enhancement program in three ways. With the permis- tions, technology, and new initiatives compete for lim- sion and cooperation of the institutions and the founda- ited discretionary funds. In this context, collaboration is tion, we reviewed proposals and annual reports submitted a powerful vehicle to promote faculty learning and pro- by the twenty-three institutions to the foundation. We fessional development and an effective way to maximize surveyed chief academic officers of all twenty-three col- the impact of institutional investments in faculty. leges concerning their institution’s involvement with the Collaborative faculty development can help to maintain a FCE program. Finally, we interviewed program partici- dynamic institutional climate that sustains good faculty pants, program leaders, and chief academic officers at and ultimately promotes a healthy learning environment eleven of the twenty-three participating colleges. We for students. Collaboration also requires individuals and gathered information on the specific activities of FCE institutions to step out of the comfort zones where they participants, project outcomes, and insights gained from usually operate quite autonomously. To achieve the bene- implementing the FCE program within and across insti- fits that collaboration promises, the parties involved must tutions. We made a special effort to understand the col- learn how to work productively in tandem with others. laborative activities the FCE program facilitated. We used This article examines collaborative activities sup- qualitative analysis methods to identify key themes, pat- ported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through its terns, and insights that would be useful to other institu- Faculty Career Enhancement (FCE) grant program. The tions and individuals interested in collaborative grant program, which funded activities at twenty-three approaches to faculty development. liberal arts colleges, led to the development of a variety of strategies to support faculty across the academic life What Do We Already Know About Collaboration? cycle. Here we focus specifically on collaborative initia- Several key questions helped to build a foundation for our tives that emerged from the program and discuss their examination of collaborative faculty development. Why objectives, outcomes, and benefits. This research is drawn do individuals and organizations spend their time and from examples at liberal arts colleges, but many of the resources collaborating? What incentives motivate collab- faculty development model lessons learned here are very orators to embark on such a commitment? What chal- relevant to the efforts of other kinds of colleges. The arti- lenges are encountered along the way? And what advice cle also shares lessons learned that can help other faculty can we take from experienced collaborators? We explore

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities these questions through a brief analysis of maximize the use of limited resources can make ongoing communication among col- the literature on collaboration in order to while maintaining high performance. laborators difficult. Projects may be carried frame our real-world examples in the context Finally, “learning” is a major incentive out at different locations and finding the time of prior research. for collaborating. Individuals and organiza- to communicate and keep a long-distance col- tions are seeking to learn about the newest laboration moving forward can be a burden. Motivation and Perceived Benefits or “best” practices to apply to their own situ- Finally, the balance of power between One of the principal benefits of collaborat- ations. Increasing knowledge is best partners is also a factor that can influence ing with others is to achieve goals that can- achieved by connecting with others and any working relationship (McCloughen and not be achieved alone. In fact, one defini- sharing information rather than expending O’Brien 2006). If one party has more power tion of collaboration characterizes the time, energy, or other resources extracting or to make decisions or is superior to another process as “an effective interpersonal researching the desired information (Ebers member in some relevant capacity, there are process that facilitates the achievement of 1997). The outcome is new learning or possible negative ramifications for the entire goals that cannot be reached when individ- insights to better adapt and more effectively relationship. ual professionals act on their own” respond (Kelly, Schaan, and Joncas 2002) to (Bronstein 2003, 299). In many ways, this a rapidly changing environment. What Makes Collaborations is the all-encompassing reason why individ- Successful? uals and institutions enter collaborative Collaboration Challenges We have found four key elements common relationships. However, beneath this over- Whenever people or organizations come to successful collaborations: trust, communi- arching benefit, we find that the motiva- together, conflict is bound to surface. The cation, a sense of shared interests and goals, tion for collaborating can be broken down most common challenges of collaborating and defined and clear expectations and roles. into three more specific reasons: increasing revolve around cultural differences, finding Trust is an unspoken but essential com- prestige or influence, sharing resources common interests and goals, time, geo- ponent of a successful collaboration (Koza and reducing costs, and facilitating learn- graphic constraints, and power differences and Lewin 1998; Kelly, Schaan and Joncas ing. Each of these motivators is a pillar present in the group. 2002). If an individual perceives his or her supporting the overall incentive for collab- Cultural differences are present across partner(s) as being overly opportunistic and/or oration: the desire for greater achievement individual, disciplinary, and institutional acting as a rival, the individual may be reluc- through working with others. boundaries. And the more that cultures dif- tant to participate fully in the collaboration for From a competitive standpoint, collab- fer, the more likely that barriers to commu- fear of being exploited. This is true for collab- orators work together because of the need nication, and ultimately collaboration, will orating institutions as well. Trust between to enhance an individual’s or an institution’s develop (Kelly, Schaan, and Joncas, 2002). partners must exist in order for the collabora- position in terms of prestige or clout (Chen Similarly, finding common interests or suc- tion to flourish. Fortunately, a high level of 2004). Collaborative ties can unite inde- cessfully negotiating common goals can also pre-existing trust often exists between part- pendent actors as allies against common prove to be challenging. ners who have previously worked together, rivals or to fight for a common cause. Time is a valuable resource that is often and many collaborations emerge from prior Another motivator is the need to required to develop collaborative proposals, collaborations (Cohen and Levinthal 1990). access resources and reduce costs (Ebers maintain communication, resolve conflicts, Moreover, the quality and frequency of 1997; Farmakopoulou 2002). Budgets are and complete shared projects or tasks. communication is key to improving and tight, especially in higher education, and Similarly, the challenge of arranging face-to- maintaining trust between individuals or there is a growing need to create ways to face meetings because of geographic distance institutions (Mohr and Spekman 1994). In

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities fact, researchers suggest that communication service projects of mutual interest. some FCE programs intentionally is “central to the creation of the alignment of These alliances were based on the encouraged cross-generational and cross- partner’s expectations, goals and objective” belief that well-designed mentoring disciplinary collaborative research. (Kelly, Schaan, and Joncas 2002, 15). A sense partnerships can provide beneficial 4. Research/student assistants. of shared or common circumstances, inter- learning opportunities to both parties, Beneficial collaborations are not always ests, and goals is crucial for maintaining col- not just the junior member. between faculty peers. Some FCE funds laborations. Collaboration leaders must 2. Scholarly consultation grants. These permitted professors to hire advanced ensure there is a “shared responsibility in the grants provided modest funds to enable students to assist with their research or entire process of reaching goals” (Bronstein professors to travel to consult with a other professional projects. Professors at 2003, 301). This is achieved by having (1) a colleague elsewhere who shares a com- Oberlin, Amherst, and several other shared vision, (2) clearly defined goals, (3) an mon research interest or to bring that FCE colleagues benefited from such agreed-upon mission and strategy, (4) all colleague to the grant recipient’s home opportunities for faculty-student collab- parties engaged in the decision-making campus. Wesleyan University’s mini- orations. This small grant program pro- process, and (5) the ability to compromise grant program for scholarly consultation vided a win-win opportunity for faculty (Bronstein 2003). Clear rules and expecta- is one example of this technique. In a and students. Students could benefit tions reduce the chance for conflict and help time when collaborative work is increas- from a professional apprenticeship and to move joint projects ahead. ingly important within and between their faculty “collaborators” were able to Finally, having defined rules, proce- many fields, small travel grants can help initiate or advance important and invig- dures, and expectations of members in the professors to keep up with rapid orating professional projects. relationship help to define formally the advances in knowledge and, in some 5. Field/interest-based conferences boundaries of what each partner is or is not cases, to initiate or maintain important and workshops. Faculty from FCE supposed to do (Doz 1996). These also professional partnerships. colleges also came together to design help clarify what each partner is expected 3. Support for collaborative research. conferences and workshops focusing on to contribute to the relationship. Several FCE institutions developed shared subject specializations or com- strategies to promote faculty research mon interdisciplinary or pedagogical Collaborative Faculty Development collaborations either within or across interests. One example was a workshop Strategies institutions. For example, a number of on empirical methods and the liberal The Mellon Foundation and the twenty-three the FCE colleges supported the research arts curriculum planned by professors at institutions that received FCE grants recog- projects of partners who work at differ- Smith and Reed Colleges. These collab- nized the inherent benefits of collaboration. ent FCE colleges but share common oratively planned meetings brought For this reason, the colleges participating in scholarly interests. Reed College funded together faculty from many institutions the FCE program developed a variety of semester-long leaves for its faculty mem- to share information, enhance research interpersonal and inter-institutional collabora- bers to collaborate with colleagues in skills, and, in many cases, trade creative tion opportunities for faculty. These included: research universities or other types of instructional strategies. 1. Comentoring. Comentoring projects, institutions. This type of support for 6. Support for intellectual community. like those at Macalester and Carleton cross-institution collaboration is espe- Many FCE colleges used a portion of colleges, provided support for junior cially beneficial for faculty who may be their grant to create space and time on and seasoned faculty members to work the only person at their institution who their campuses for intellectual commu- together on teaching, research, or specializes in a certain field. In addition, nity. Recognizing that the personal and

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities professional demands on faculty today Outcomes: Tangible and Intangible in particular. This enlarged perspective leave little room for community and The collaborative activities we describe above helped chairs to focus on the welfare of their intellectual discourse, faculty on several led to a variety of outcomes, both tangible and institution as well as their own department. FCE campuses formed reading or dis- intangible. Faculty members and their institu- The intangible benefits of collaborative cussion groups around broad-based tions benefited in significant ways. Tangible faculty activities and programs are less visible themes. One example is the TriCo outcomes included publications, new and and certainly more difficult to measure. Colleges [Bryn Mawr, Haverford, revised courses, and curriculum enhance- However, they can be equally important to Swarthmore] “Food Group,” which drew ments. For example, an interinstitutional individual professors and their institutions. At faculty from the natural sciences, social writer’s workshop produced books published numerous colleges we heard that enhanced sciences, and humanities to discuss issues by several major university presses. One par- community and collegiality were outcomes of related to food. “Floating seminars,” ticipant observed that “my book wouldn’t have the joint faculty programs the FCE grant pro- another example of community building, been half the book had it not been [for this gram helped to initiate. For instance, one par- were sponsored jointly by eight of the collaborative workshop].” Interinstitutional ticipant described faculty reading groups as FCE colleges. These seminars brought FCE conferences and workshops helped some “some of the only occasions that are just for together small groups of faculty mem- faculty participants to design new courses or faculty members from different disciplines to bers who traveled from campus to cam- add major new components to continuing meet, exchange ideas, and learn together.” We pus among the eight schools to discuss courses. As a result, their institution’s curricu- heard how collaboration opportunities topics of multidisciplinary interest. lum and student learning opportunities were encouraged cross-boundary idea sharing by 7. Leadership development. Leadership enhanced. New professional networks and providing time and space for faculty from development and succession is a con- sometimes additional collaborations were fur- widely divergent disciplines or distinctly dif- cern on most college and university ther outcomes of the varied collaborative ferent institutions to come together around a campuses. To enhance leadership activities the FCE grant program stimulated. shared interest or situation. Collaborations capacity, a number of FCE colleges, The opportunity to meet and work with can stimulate new initiatives and innovation including Barnard and Wellesley, pooled people across disciplines and at other institu- by exposing faculty to new perspectives and their resources and planned joint tions helped participants to build relationships introducing them to a new disciplinary or department chair workshops or retreats. and professional networks that often continue institutional culture. As we learned from this Other colleges, such as Grinnell and beyond the life of the foundation grant. Some study, various forms of faculty collaboration Oberlin, brought their own department of these networks have led to more benefits can pull away blinders we do not even know chairs together to learn with and from than originally anticipated. A prime example we are wearing when we have few opportuni- each other about effective ways to lead is a network of senior women scientists that ties to interact or work closely with colleagues their academic units. The department has been continued and expanded by a half- from different environments. chair role has similarities across many million dollar grant from a federal govern- Most important, we learned of renewed institutions, disciplines, and depart- ment agency. The interinstitutional leadership and reenergized faculty as we studied the ments. By organizing collaborative lead- development programs have also yielded pos- impact of FCE-supported activities on many ership development, the participants itive results. We learned that department campuses. The learning, increased productiv- could exchange information and cre- chair training has helped to broaden the per- ity, and enhanced collegial relationships that ative ideas to enhance their job per- spective of chairs by helping them to under- resulted from the varied collaborations we formance while better utilizing limited stand the current challenges confronting examined contributed substantially to these professional development resources. higher education and their type of institution intangible, but very beneficial, outcomes.

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Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Lessons Learned And nothing is more beneficial to suc- and universities that wish to support faculty Collaborations to promote professors’ learn- cessful collaboration than brilliant at all stages of academic life. ing and professional development can pro- ideas that emerge through dialogue. Working closely with colleagues to duce lasting benefits for individual faculty 3. Monitor progress and assess outcomes. address shared concerns and to grow together members and their institutions. However, as Collaborations are dynamic entities. Few is the hallmark of a vital academic community. research on collaboration indicates, collabo- evolve exactly as originally planned. For Creating conditions that encourage faculty rating can be costly, time consuming, and this reason, collaborators should periodi- collaboration is an important way for higher frustrating for all involved if not properly cally take stock of how things are going, education institutions to innovate and adapt in designed and managed. We conclude with identify challenges, and work to resolve a time of rapid and continuous change.  several lessons learned from our study of conflicts. Failure to monitor the collabo- collaborative faculty development activities: rative process allows problems to fester References 1. Choose partners carefully. This and potentially prevent a collaboration Bronstein, L. R. 2003. A model for interdisciplinary collaboration. Social Work, 48(3): 297–306. advice holds for individuals and insti- from achieving its original objectives. Chen, C. 2004. The effects of knowledge attrib- tutions who wish to collaborate. The 4. Be flexible. Many of the collaborative ute, alliance characteristics, and absorptive chances for a successful collaboration arrangements we studied lived up to capacity on knowledge transfer performance. R and D Management 34(3): 311–321. increase when potential partners get their promise, but a few did not. When Cohen, W. M., and D. A. Levinthal. 1990. to know each other, possess common a collaboration does not work as Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on interests, and identify similar purposes planned, partners should be flexible. learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly 35(1): 128–152. and goals. Entering into a collabora- Either they can rethink the structure Doz, Y. L. 1996. The evolution of cooperation in tion casually without thinking through and process of their partnership to strategic alliances: Initial conditions or learn- ing processes? Strategic Management the nature of the partnership, the divi- make it work more effectively or they Journal, 17(special issue): 55–83. sion of labor, and developing shared can invest their resources in something Ebers, M. 1997. The formation of inter-organi- goals has the potential to leave one or that will be more productive. The lesson zational networks. New York: Oxford University Press. more participants in the alliance disap- several collaborators learned was, Farmakopoulou, N. 2002. What lies under- pointed or even angry. “Don’t stick with the original plan if it neath? An inter-organizational analysis of 2. Never underestimate the impor- isn’t working.” Try something different. collaboration between education and social work. British Journal of Social Work 32(8): tance of socialization. 1051–1066. Collaborations are quintessentially Conclusion Kelly, M .J., J. Schaan, and H. Joncas. 2002. Managing alliance relationships: Key chal- social enterprises. Hence, conditions The twenty-three colleges that participated lenges in the early stages of collaboration. that promote conversation are impor- in the Mellon Foundation’s Faculty Career R and D Management 32(1): 11–22. tant. Many of the participants in our Enhancement Program developed a variety Koza, M. P., and A.Y. Lewin. 1998. The co-evo- lution of strategic alliances. Organization study observed how the presence of of creative strategies to support faculty Science 9(6): 255–264. refreshments and opportunities to development through collaboration. They McCloughen, A., and L. O'Brien. 2006. socialize facilitated collaboration. used collaboration (both interinstitutional Interagency collaborative research projects: Illustrating potential problems, and finding Although refreshments are often the and interindividual) as a powerful tool to solutions in the nursing literature. International Journal for Mental Health first thing to go when budgets are promote learning and professional growth. Nursing 15(3): 71–80. tight, we were cautioned not to mini- In the process, the colleges learned valuable Mohr, J., and R. Spekman. 1994. Characteristics mize their importance. “Brilliant ideas lessons on how to collaborate effectively. The of partnership success: Partner attributes, communication behavior, and conflict reso- emerge over food,” one person noted. insights they gained can help other colleges lution techniques. Strategic Management Journal 15(2): 135–152.

30 AAC&U Fall 2007 peerReview

Copyright© 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities Dreaming of a New Semester

By Michael Bérubé, Paterno Professor in English Literature and Science, Technology, and Society, Pennsylvania State University

I realized why professors have anxiety dreams at the If it’s a course you’ve never taught before, you start of the academic year: teaching is really hard to may wind up rewriting or scrapping the syllabus in do. If you’re doing it in classes of fifteen and forty midstream; if it’s a course in a fairly new area of Istudents, as I am, you’re teaching in a setting where study, you’ll have no idea what kind of knowledge the students will find out not only what you think base to expect from your students. And, of course, if about x and y but also what you are like in some the window ledges are seven feet high in Zzyzzych strange and intimate way. They’ll get a sense of how 304, how will anyone be able to close the windows thoroughly you prepare, of course, but, even more, when the motorcycle gangs roar by? they’ll see how you respond to the unexpected—to Buddhists speak of learning to see the world with the savvy young woman who wants to know whether “beginner’s mind,” and that’s precisely what you have to you’re using the term “postcolonial” in a cultural or do every semester: begin again, from scratch, knowing economic sense, to the curious junior who wonders that anything can happen—seeing those ten, or fifty, or aloud why Don DeLillo gave the name Simeon Biggs even five hundred students, like the two thousand stu- to a snappish African American character in dents you’ve seen before, with beginner’s mind. Our Underworld. For such moments, you simply can’t anxiety dreams, surely, are the index of our secret fears prepare—except by accumulating years upon years of of failure and inadequacy. But they are also the measure teaching experience and weathering night upon night of how very difficult it is—and how very exhilarating— of anxiety dreams. to begin each semester with beginner’s mind. Because on that first day of class, truly anything can happen: your students aren’t going to love you Excerpted from the essay, “Dream a Little Dream” and just because your last three semesters went well, and reprinted with permission from Rhetorical it’s a fair bet that none of your undergraduates (and Occasions, © 2006 Michael Bérubé almost none of your graduate students) will have come back from the summer freshly impressed by how deftly you handled that ludicrously unfair book review in the June issue of Crank Quarterly. Amazingly, none of your students will arrive on the first day having heard anything you’ve said to other students over the past twenty years; amazingly, you’ll have to make a first impression all over again, for the twenty-first time.

Fall 2007 peerReview AAC&U 31

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