Paper ID #12110

The Path from Industry Professional to Assistant Professor

Dr. Mark Angolia, East Carolina University

Mark Angolia, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Industrial Distribution and Logistics degree program in the College of Engineering and Technology at East Carolina University (ECU). Prior to entering academia in 2005, he held industrial positions in engineering, manufacturing, quality, materials, and operations management for manufacturing companies within the automotive sup- ply chain. Dr. Angolia’s teaching focuses on Enterprise Resource Planning with SAP software, Distributor Sales and Branch Management, and Transportation Logistics. His research interests include improvement of supply chain efficiency through the application of technology and best practices for logistics and in- ventory management. Dr. Angolia is highly engaged with regional and national companies in recruiting students from ECU for both internships and full time positions. In addition to a PhD from Indiana State, he holds a Master of Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and professional certifica- tions of CPIM and CSCP from APICS, The Association for Operations Management, and a PMP from the Project Management Institute. Dr. Angolia also conducts consulting projects and professional develop- ment seminars for local industry on topics including forecasting, inventory control, production planning, project management, transportation logistics, procurement, and supply chain management. Dr. Leslie Pagliari, East Carolina University

Dr. Leslie Pagliari serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Technology and Associate Professor in the Department of Technology Systems. Her research interests center on STEM initiatives, leadership, global supply chain issues, and new technologies in the distribu- tion and logistics sector. She was one of three professors in the United States recognized in an Inbound Logistics Article featuring leading professors in today’s supply chain curriculum. She has worked with a team of colleagues throughout other colleges at East Carolina University to plan a STEM initiative for 8th grade girls. This initiative helps bring more than 100 Pitt County girls to campus to engage them in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. She has also worked with ECU’s Global Academic Initiatives to collaborate with other institutions throughout the world. In addition, Dr. Pagliari collaborates with many external organizations. She is past president of APICS (Association of Operations Management) and past Education Chair for the CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals). She also served as a board member for the Museum of the Marine in Jacksonville, NC and the Eastern Carolina Safety and Health School. She continues to serves on multiple organizations with the University, College, and Department. Dr. Pagliari was selected and completed the BRIDGES Academic Leadership for Women hosted by UNC-Chapel Hill and was recently nominated for the Women of Distinction award at East Carolina University. Mr. James Kirby Easterling, Eastern Kentucky University School of Business

James Kirby Easterling is currently Executive-in-Residence in Management at Eastern Kentucky Univer- sity. Easterling is in his first year as a faculty member at EKU following 22 years in the Supply Chain Management profession. Easterling has worked for three large multi-national firms, including the last 14 years with Corning Incorporated, and the last six years abroad in Japan and Singapore, most recently serving as General Manager & Director-Corning Singapore Supply Management Services. Easterling repatriated from Singapore in June 2014 and transitioned to EKU in July where he is now assisting in the launch of a new Bachelor’s degree program in Global Supply Chain Management, the first amongst the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s eight public universities. Easterling holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Accounting as well as an MBA from EKU, as well as a Masters degree in Supply Chain Management from The Pennsylvania State University.

c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 The Path from Industry Professional to Assistant Professor

1. Introduction

This paper explores the pathway for industry professionals to change careers and become full time academics at a four-year traditional university. Herein, “traditional” is defined as “brick and mortar” institutes of higher education with a campus providing residence for undergraduates. The pathway is explored using anecdotal evidence from a review of literature and case studies provided by two of this paper’s authors that have made a successful transition from industrial careers into academia. Both case studies involve moves from manufacturing management careers into separate state universities, one into a College of Engineering and Technology, the other into a College of Business and Technology. The focus of this paper is only on faculty positions within a university, as opposed to academic administration or professional positions needed to manage the operations of a university.

The research provides a primer for industry professionals unfamiliar with the university environment, includes key areas such as organizational structure, administration hierarchy, and performance metrics. The research provides data on critical decision factors of financial considerations and employment outlook for the disciplines of supply chain management and engineering. The resultant data and two case studies summarize the cultural, personal, and financial differences for the two careers, presenting a model for current industry professionals to follow in order to pursue a career change into academia.

2. Organizational Structure Comparison

Corporate structure will vary for industrial organizations based primarily on size in terms of people and geography, product or service orientation, and private or public ownership. The case studies within this paper deal with large, global manufacturing operations, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and structured in relatively similar hierarchical fashion. Table 1 summarizes the comparison between corporate and academic structures of state Universities.

First and foremost, a University is a collection of Colleges that provide a specialized group of products, i.e. academic degrees. If the University were considered with a corporate structure frame of reference, Colleges would be considered different divisions within the organization. Industrial divisional structure is typically product or geographically organized, generally with multiple independent manufacturing/operational facilities. Similar to a corporate division, each college has their own set of products, i.e. academic degree programs, with a unique set of goals, structure, and internal policies, operating in a silo fashion, but for the good of the overall organization. Success or failure of the different colleges will impact the health of the university, just like corporate divisional performance will impact profitability for the company. Also, similar to the corporate division structure, each college manages its own budget and is responsible for cost control.

Within a college, there is generally a collection of departments organized around degree programs with similar characteristics to capitalize on teaching and research efficiencies. The departments are analogous to the industrial production facilities within a manufacturing corporation. Rather than producing product for sale, the university department produces undergraduates. Much like a production facility, departments bring in raw material (students) and produce graduates, with some students dropping out of the system (production scrap) and others taking longer than the desired four years to graduate (rework). Resource capacity planning (faculty workload) is managed at the department level, as well as individual performance and productivity. Much like an industrial factory, survival requires continued output of quality product (students and research) to sustain the workforce (faculty).

Individual college departments are often subdivided by multiple bachelor degree programs, much like an industrial manufacturing plant has numerous work/cost centers. Degree programs may also contain concentrations, which are variations of the bachelor’s degree, analogous to product variety in a production work/cost center. It must be noted that the department level makes up the foundational structure of a college because it is to the individual department that college professors will be tenured.

Table 1. Industrial to Academic Structure Comparison Industrial Structure Academic Equivalent Comments Corporation University The entire organization Divisions Colleges Related product groups Manufacturing Plant Department Specialized groups Production Departments Degree Programs Individual products

3. Organizational Hierarchy Comparison

The key to a successful transition from industry to academia requires understanding the university administrative roles and the industrial equivalent. Table 2 equates the functional positions needed to lead and manage industrial and academic structures.

At the top of a publicly held corporation is a Board of Directors for oversight, followed by the “C level” suite for corporate leadership, guidance, and administration. Reporting to the various C-level titles are positions such as President, Vice President, and/or Director, working across divisions of the organization. Within academia, a Board of Trustees maintains oversight, followed by a university President or Chancellor who is responsible for leadership and mission development. Reporting to the Chancellor are multiple Vice-Chancellors and/or Provosts, who are responsible for converting mission and strategic direction into executable action through the various Colleges. At the College level, Deans are subsequently responsible for developing strategic plans (the business equivalent of an operating plan) to meet the University mission.

Industrial operating plans are generally made with input from the operational managers, which in the academic arena are the department chairs. Within a manufacturing operation, a plant/operations manager usually leads a staff of functional managers, making up the ranks of “middle management.” Then, there are generally production level supervisors working for the managers who are, in turn, leading the labor force/associates that are actively engaged in production of the product. College Department Chairs are tasked with executing projects through their faculty, who are essentially the industrial labor force/associates, providing manpower for the three fundamental pillars of academia: teaching, research, and service. Table 2. Industrial to Academic Hierarchy Comparison Industrial Position Academic Equivalent Comments Board of Directors Board of Trustees Independent Oversight

Chief Executive Officer Chancellor or President Head of the Organization

C-Suite Staff Vice Chancellors and Organization wide functional Provosts oversight Vice Presidents and Academic Deans Head of functional organization Directors Plant Manager Department Chair Head of production structure

Supervisors Assistant Chair or First line supervision Program Coordinators Associates/Blue Collar Faculty Responsible for production: Worker teaching, research, service

3.1 Types of Faculty Positions

Given the focus of this paper is the pathway from industry professional to assistant professor; a review of faculty titles and responsibilities is required. Table 3 summarizes the three main divisions of faculty, presented in hierarchical order: 1) tenure/tenure track, 2) full time, fixed term, 3) part-time. Within the tenure/tenure-track path, faculty will subsequently fall into one of three categories based on productivity and years of service. At the top of the faculty food chain are the tenured positions of full professor, followed by the associate professor. Tenure status provides faculty the ability to focus upon research without concern for annual or bi-annual re- appointment, i.e. contract renewal. Full and associate professor positions must be maintained in a viable academic department, but are evaluated on an extended time scale, i.e. not annually.

The accounting perspective views tenured positions as a fixed cost within a department, whereas a “fixed term” or contingent/part-time/adjunct faculty position may be considered a variable cost. As the term implies, a “fixed-term” is generally a one to three year contract to teach within a college. The contract wording is quite specific with respect to a lack of commitment to renew at contract expiration. Of course, industry professional positions are considered “at will” and technically speaking, are daily “fixed-term” employment agreements.

The entry-level position to tenure is through the assistant professor position, which is often referred to as a probationary rank. Assistant professors are granted the opportunity to earn tenure, but once appointed to the position, they must either succeed or leave the college; there is no middle ground. In the vernacular, this is generally known as the “publish or perish” faculty position. Gaining a tenure track position is a difficult task given the over-supply of PhDs and the competitive nature of pursuing tenure [1] [2]. An assistant professor/tenure-track rank typically requires an earned (as opposed to honorary) doctorate degree, [3] although there are rare institutions that will tenure a faculty with only a master’s degree. Academically speaking, an earned doctorate is usually the last higher education credential to be awarded and is therefore considered the terminal degree. Thus, the doctorate degree may be an obstacle from moving from industry to academia, but the pathway presented later details alternatives.

Full time faculty without a tenure/tenure-track appointment will fall into either a fixed-term or “visiting (title)” position. The differences typically being “visiting” faculty often have terminal degrees, whereas fixed-term faculty only have a master’s degree. “Visiting” implies there are no tenure/tenure-track positions available, so employment is a (series) of one to three year contracts.

In the corporate world, temporary contract labor is often used to meet short-term production labor needs. The academic equivalent is the contingent/part-time/adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty may, or may not, hold a terminal degree, but in any case are hired on a “course by course, semester by semester” basis. Adjuncts are truly academia’s temporary labor [4].

Table 3. Breakdown of Faculty Positions Academic Contract Academic Title Comments Status Time Frame Tenured Continuous Full Professor Evaluated on an extended time Associate Professor scale, University specific Tenure Track Bi-Annual Assistant Professor Probationary (up or out) Fixed Term Annual Lecturer* Generally no terminal degree Visiting (title*) or Terminal degree Professor of the Practice Part Time Semester Adjunct Course by course basis * Title will vary by university

4. Organizational and Personal Performance Metrics

Industry professionals are familiar with organizational structures geared toward output of a product or service, with delivery to a customer in exchange for money, which drives profit. Successful individuals understand the political landscape with for profit organizations, as well as the drivers for corporate and personal success, and are adept at “getting things done” in a timely fashion. The underlying goal in industry is profit, though there are many secondary priorities that serve as a means to attain long-term corporate viability. Secondary priorities may include metrics such as sales volume, cost efficiency, quality, customer service, safety, and a litany of industry specific goals. Corporate employees are generally evaluated annually on a subset of metrics.

The first organizational difference an industrial professional will note is the change of pace. Decisions at the department and faculty level are much more consensus based, which generally slows down decision-making and implementation of change [3]. A faculty’s performance is measured on three primary criteria: 1) teaching, 2) research, and 3) service. These job functions will carry different importance based on the faculty rank, as summarized in Table 4. The percentages shown are the annual evaluation weights, jointly determined on an annual basis between faculty members and their chair, representing an estimate of time allocation. Table 4. Faculty Performance Metrics and Relative Weights East Carolina University Eastern Kentucky University Position / Metric Teaching Research Service Teaching Research Service Tenure/Tenure Track 40 – 60% 10 – 55% 5 – 30% 50 – 60% 30 – 40% 10 – 20% Fixed Term 60 – 90% 0 – 40% 0 – 40% 80–100% 0 – 20% 0 – 20% Adjunct Faculty 100% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0%

For a pathway into academia from industry, teaching is the main priority, followed by service, and research usually reserved for tenure-track appointments. Teaching effectiveness is generally measured through student surveys and peer observation. Research is often referred to as “productivity” and, while comprised of many potential subjects, is usually evaluated by the quantity of peer-reviewed publications and external grant awards. Service is loosely defined as everything else required/requested from faculty by administration to support the organization. Note that performance metrics may vary by college department. For example, at East Carolina University’s College of Engineering and Technology, service may not be more heavily weighted than either teaching or research.

5. Pathways from Industry to Academia

Two case studies are presented to document the experience for “typical” career transitions from industry to academia. The first case documents an eight-year path from adjunct, to fixed term, and all the way to assistant professor, including methodology to obtain a terminal degree while fully employed within academia. The second case study is a new entrant to academia, just in his first year of full time academic employment.

Case Study 1, East Carolina University: This path began as an adjunct, teaching •Master's Degree required •Obtained via personal network or local advertising a night class. The position was found •Continue to work in industrial profession through an advertisement in a local Adjunct •Trial period for teaching profession paper. During the first year of adjunct work, a full time fixed-term position was posted at the University. Time •Master's Degree required spent doing adjunct teaching provided •Obtained via personal network or time as adjunct •Requires exit from industrial profession the background and fundamental Full Time, •Begin academic professional development understanding of the environment to Fixed Term •Demonstrate teaching expertise and service involvement make the application process successful. Once established as a

fixed-term, began to build academic •Aquisition of terminal degree required credentials via professional •Faculty line (position availability) needed certifications. Professional •Paradigm shift needed: research and publication added Assistant to teaching and service responsibilities development combined with positive Professor teaching reviews and significant service accomplishment provided a credibility among the personnel committee (hiring faculty) that would Figure 1. Case 1, Pathway to Assistant Professor become necessary to secure an assistant professor position. During the time spent as fixed-term, the decision to pursue a terminal degree was initiated and completed. While working as a full time fixed-term, formal academic training via an online PhD program, provided online by a traditional “brick and mortar” university, was completed in approximately five years. Appointment to assistant professor was obtained while in “All But Dissertation” (ABD) status, meaning appointment was contingent on completing the doctoral work.

Case Study 2, Eastern Kentucky University: Eastern Kentucky University recently launched the first undergraduate Bachelor’s degree program in Global Supply Chain Management amongst the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s eight public universities. This path began as a fixed-term, non-tenure track Lecturer appointment, teaching four upper-division undergraduate courses in the School of Business, with courses in the Supply Management curriculum. The Lecturer chosen has over 22 years of progressive supply chain experience across three large multinational companies, including the last six years abroad in Japan and Singapore, with the last assignment being at the Director/General Manager level. The Lecturer also has a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management from The Pennsylvania State University, as well as an MBA from Eastern Kentucky University. The combination of professional development, a highly effective mentoring relationship with other faculty members, extremely positive teaching reviews, and significant service accomplishments led to the additional title of Executive-in-Residence being awarded in the Management, Marketing, and International Business (MMIB) Department within six months of hire. The current Executive-in-Residence is assessing options to pursue a PhD or Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program through an AACSB-accredited Business School which offers a flexible format as a means to advance into a tenure-track position.

5.1 Earning a Terminal Degree Post Career Change

Critical to obtaining an assistant professor position is completion of a terminal degree. If a fixed-term faculty is fortunate enough to work at a University offering a relevant PhD, the task is made easier, although still daunting. Table 5 is a summary of online PhD or DBA programs from traditional universities that include a residency requirement accommodating enough to continue working in a full-time position. While most universities offer certificates and master degrees online, few have taken the next step to put doctoral programs online. A January 2015 search of over 16,000 “traditional colleges and universities” offered via the Peterson’s search engine [5] displayed 157 graduate schools using the following degree filters:

• Business Administration and Management – General • Engineering Management • Systems Engineering • Industrial/Management Engineering • Management of Technology • Industrial and Manufacturing Management • Supply Chain Management • Operations Research • Logistics

Each of the 157 program web pages were investigated for online/distance programs. Although several graduate schools offer online PhD and EdD programs, most were in the disciplines related to education and nursing. Table 5 details the few Universities that provide online/distance PhDs or DBAs relevant to this paper.

Table 5. Traditional Universities Offering Online Doctorates in Business or Engineering University Degree Title Degree Residence Requirement George Engineering PhD Weekends. Washington Management, University [6] Systems Engineering Indiana State Technology PhD 18 credit hours over a 12-month period. University [7] Management In addition, two courses that are long weekend executive style seminars. University of Engineering Mgmt., PhD 9 hours in 2 consecutive semesters; or 6 Alabama – Industrial Eng., semester hours in each of 3 of 4 Huntsville [8] Systems Engineering consecutive semesters. University of Business DBA 3-year program/cohort. All day classes 2 South Florida [9] Administration consecutive days approximately 1 week end a month for six 5-month semesters. Western New Engineering PhD On campus courses, with a series that England [10] Management can be completed 100% online.

5.2 Employment Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2012 Occupational Handbook expects continued enrollment growth at postsecondary institutions, “although at slower rates than they have in the past” [11]. The BLS data indicates increased enrollment, which in turn assumes a growth in the need for faculty, which will be met by PhDs, or, as this paper will encourage, business professionals with master degrees seeking career changes. The BLS data does not take into account impact on employment of new technology and delivery methods such as distance education, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), or similar “environmental” factors, all of which are beyond the scope of this research [12].

Table 6 summarizes faculty employment growth outlook for the expertise areas in supply chain management and engineering. Supply chain management is the field of study for the case studies used for this research, and engineering is always of keen interest with respect to STEM education. As shown in the table, faculty positions are relatively evenly distributed for business faculty at state and private universities, but state schools are much more heavily invested in engineering faculty than private. From a growth perspective, faculty opportunities exist to a significantly larger degree at private rather than state institutions.

Growth in demand for faculty at state sponsored universities is somewhat tempered by downward pressure from state government that continue to decrease the amount of taxpayer support for their four year university systems [13]. In turn, this has led to continually increases in state university tuition to replace lost taxpayer generate support. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center [14] reported a 13 percent increase for the national average of four year public universities for tuition and fees, based on the change from the 2010-11 academic year to the 2012-13 academic year, a two year study.

Thus, faculty employment growth in public colleges and universities will depend in part on funding. If governments spend more on funding higher education and research, additional postsecondary teachers may be hired. For-profit institutions are expected to have slower employment growth than they have in the past as enrollments slow and these types of schools face greater public scrutiny [11].

Table 6. Higher Education Faculty Employment Faculty Distribution Growth by 2022 Higher Ed Institution Business Engineering Business Engineering Private Colleges and Universities 41.5 % 29.0 % 25.1 % 25.1 % State Colleges and Universities 31.3 % 59.5 % 6.3 % 6.3 % Junior Colleges 24.6 % 10.6 % 8.2 % 6.1 % Other Educational Services 2.6 % 0.9 % n/a n/a

5.3 Financial Considerations

Financial considerations are often stated as a roadblock in the transition from industry to academia. Table 7 summarizes median salaries and growth potential from the 2012 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [11] for the industrial/academic fields related to business and supply chain management, while Table 8 summarizes salary data for engineering fields. For the purpose of this research, salary data for both professions was restricted to manufacturing organizations and “general” engineering disciplines.

Table 7. Job and Salary Data: Supply Chain and Business 2012 Growth by Supplemental Job Function / Title Median Pay 2022 Growth Info Supply Chain Buyer/Purchasing Agent $ 51,470 (7.0 %) Logisticians 72,780 22 % Postsecondary Business Teacher* 73,660 **15 % Postsecondary Education 89,200 15 % Private 25.1 % Administrators + State 6.3 % Junior 8.2 % General/Operations Manager 92,670 **12 % Top (VP) Executive 101,650 5 % Engineering Manager (Manufacturing) 124,000 (5.8 %) + Twelve month position * Aggregate value; data source does not break down between private, state, junior, other ** Weighted Total from Table 5, excluding “other” data

Table 8. Job and Salary Data: Engineering 2012 Growth by Supplemental Job Function / Title Median Pay 2022 Growth Info Industrial Engineer (Manufacturing) $ 78,860 (1.8 %) Postsecondary Education 89,200 15 % Private 25.1 % Administrators + State 6.3 % Junior 8.2 % Postsecondary Engineering Teacher* 92,670 **12 % Engineering Manager (Manufacturing) 124,000 (5.8 %) + Twelve month salary * Nine month salary, Aggregate value; no break down between private, state, junior, other ** Weighted Total from Table 5, excluding “other” data

Review of the data indicates that while teaching may actually be a financial “step up” from non- managerial industrial functions, it is a definite step down when compared to industrial managerial positions. However, as a master’s degree is generally required for teaching at the university undergraduate level, the non-managerial industry professionals may not have proper academic credentials to make the career move. Thus, the data bear out the general assumption that moving to academia is a reduction of base pay [3] [11]. However, offsets include opportunity for summer or supplemental project work (consulting) and non-financial incentives.

5.4 Discussion of Results

The two case studies discussed in this paper represent two different pathways to transition from industry to faculty. The similarities between the two individuals are “time in service”, i.e. industrial experience, a master’s degree academic credential, and a desire to pursue a career change to higher education for personal reasons rather than financial gain. However, both individuals began the transition with a desire to maintain their former industrial network as a life-line back to industry as there was some trepidation due to significant reduction in salary and the risk that they might not be suited for an academic career. The first pathway has been completed indicating a successful transition, while the second has just begun and a longitudinal study would help confirm the validity of this discussion.

The first case study considered a three year time frame as an informal “stay or go” decision point to either stay in academia based upon intrinsic benefits, or decide that financial drivers were an over-riding factor to return to the industrial world. The concern was based on an assumed presumption/bias from corporate recruiters about clarity of career aspiration and the haunting folklore that “those that can’t do, teach.” However, after the first semester in academia, the benefits of an academic career begin to surface, putting tangible benefits on the transition to move to academia. The first, most noticeable benefits of moving to academia is a reduction in oversight, time pressure, and stress. A faculty role is somewhat analogous to entrepreneurship without the burden of profit, but with the benefit of charting your own path and setting your own goals. Academia also provides a great deal of personal scheduling flexibility and time off that is not found in the industrial world.

However, once past the three year mark with a decision to stay in academia, the next decision is whether or not to break the “fixed-term” glass ceiling. Fixed-term faculty are marginally better off than contingent/adjunct faculty, but in many ways are still the temporary academic workforce. The annual contract affiliated with being fixed-term implies that the position will end should the College change goals or lose enrollment. Thus, in the fourth year, the decision to pursue a terminal degree must be made. One year was budgeted for researching possibilities for online degree from traditional universities that could be completed without leaving the current fixed-term position, taking the GRE or GMAT as appropriate and completing the application process. For-profit degrees were not considered as there is an observed bias amount traditional institutions regarding the value of a terminal degree from a for-profit company. The subject in the first case obtained a PhD from Indiana State’s College of Technology, but there are other options as shown in Table 5.

Once in a PhD program, the goal is to obtain the “All But Dissertation” (ABD) status of a PhD Candidate. The majority of Assistant Professor positions will allow ABD candidates to apply, which is what happened in case study 1. Advancement to an “Instructor” position was achieved but subject to a time limit to obtain the PhD degree. The primary difficulty in this path and time frame is that a fixed-term will spend most, if not all, of the time focused on teaching and service. However, the move to Assistant Professor adds a research/publication requirement that will require somewhat of a paradigm and priority shift. The risk assumed by making it to the Assistant Professor rank is that either an individual earns tenure, or is asked to leave; there is no middle ground. Former industry professionals need to accept the risk that promotion to tenure is more subjective than the performance metrics that were used in the industrial, profit driven careers they left.

6. Conclusions

Academics that have never been in the industrial world may find postsecondary teaching rewarding because they are surrounded by others who enjoy their subject and the opportunity to share their expertise with others [12]. However, the allure of academia to an industry professional switching careers is more geared toward the quality of life. In the model presented in case study 1, the entry level proposed for moving into academia full-time is as a fixed term faculty/lecturer position with responsibility for teaching and service. Without the publishing stress, new arrivals to academia may immerse themselves in course development and preparation, while taking advantage of the schedule flexibility found in higher education.

The initial move to full time fixed term faculty of both case studies were teaching and service focused and yielded non-financial incentives such as: 1) significant reduction in work hours, 2) significant reduction in daily stress, 3) schedule flexibility, 4) significant reduction in oversight and reporting, 5) intrinsic rewards from teaching. It must be noted that the reduction of work hours sharply reverses with the decision to pursue promotion to Assistant Professor. At this point, the decision must be made to stay in academia as there are great time commitments required to pursue an on-line doctorate and teach full time. And once promoted to Assistant Professor, the time demands to “publish or perish” tend to keep the time commitment as high, if not the same, as the industry experience. The academe benefits as students tend to value instructors that can bring real world experience to the classroom and provide stimulus for innovation [3]. While stress reduction and scheduling flexibility are major incentives, making the career move into academia will fail if there is no sense of accomplishment gained with working with students. ‘Intrinsic’ rewards to the instructor arise from students’ appreciation and feedback, which typically include student’s appreciation of their time and care, perception as a positive ‘role model’, and serving as a student mentor. Another benefit to the career change is developing an entirely new and greatly expanded professional network. Being a representative of a University affords a faculty member access to a wide variety of facilities and individuals willing to share processes and information that would not normally be available to them. An early observation from one of the authors was how willing most companies are to bring faculty and students into their facilities for tours and explanations of their business. Through these visits, personal networks grow, along with industry expertise, providing the individual growth and future opportunity.

Transitioning from the corporate world to academia requires balancing risks and rewards for the instructor, as well as the institution. Some risks are fairly obvious, whereas others are somewhat hidden. A personal challenge overcome in both case studies was overcoming a loss of “managerial authority” and familiarity of working with specialists, to an environment of intrinsic rewards and leading young/inexperienced 18 – 22 year olds, and then being evaluated by them [3]. In addition, hiring a seasoned professional from the corporate world entails no guarantee that the instructor will be able to effectively transition from a profit driven culture to a world where teaching, service, and research are paramount. The following list below contains some examples of benefits to the University accepting this risk and aiding the transition:

• Effectively blend ‘real world’ experiences with theory to stimulate critical thinking. • Utilize their professional network for initiatives such as assisting students in gain internships/employment, implementation of extra-curricular events such as an “Executive Speaker Series”, pursuing funding or corporate donations. • Generate more (or quicker) credibility with industry and community leaders in terms of launching a new program or advancing an existing program. • Help update courses and curriculum to align with current industry practices. • Help generate positive feedback and recognition from industry and alumni to show that the university is willing to be a thought-leader in terms of supplementing academia with leaders from private industry.

Risk mitigation for the benefit of instructor and the University can include: 1) informal and/or structured mentoring, 2) professional faculty development for policies, procedures, and regulations, 3) well-established expectations for teaching and service responsibilities, 4) reviews of teaching and service accomplishments at an increased frequency during the first year.

In conclusion, a transition from industry to academia involves a multitude of risks and rewards for both the industry professional, the University, and the students. The surest way to achieve success is to begin with a motivated industrial professional looking to make a career change into academia, developing a multi-faceted strategy that ensures faculty expectations (qualitative and quantitative) are successfully met, engaging in risk mitigation activities, and providing an avenue to a tenured position. Bibliography

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