Faculty perceptions of job rewards and instructional development activities

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of faculty at a large urban university concerning: (a) personal and college rewards for various areas of job responsibilities, and (b) which programs and incentives to enhance teaching effectiveness would be most attractive to them. Faculty generally reported both teaching and scholarly activity to be personally rewarding, but perceived discrepancies between personal and college rewards for teaching, and between college rewards for teaching and scholarly activity. Although a wide range of instructional development programs and incentives was endorsed, the top rated options referred to institutional recognition of teaching excellence.The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following persons with this project: Nellie Bess, Gilbert Braun, Donald Brewer, Eileen Duffy-Blair, Gary Duncan, Daniel Funk, James West, Cheryl White.     

Faculty roles and role preferences in ten fields of professional study

Teaching faculty in ten entry-level professional fields reported varying amounts of time devoted to teaching, research, consulting, and professional practice but did not differ in time devoted to administration. The faculty member's own role view was most closely related to time use, but for time spent in teaching and research, faculty age and institutional type (but not gender) were also significant predictors. Even after several general demographic characteristics and environmental variables that potentially differentiate professional from discipline-based faculty are taken into account, different professional fields may be characterized by group climates which influence or reinforce certain faculty roles.     

Faculty and Technology: Implications for Faculty Training and Technology Leadership

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting ICT adoption process and the implications for faculty training and technology leadership. Respondents represented a wide range of academic and professional positions. They identified themselves as Assistant, Associate, and Professor as well as Instructional Designer, Director of Technology, Information Manager, eLearning Manager, Assistant Department Chair, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Consultant. The respondents identified Organizational Support, Leadership, Training and Development, and Resources as the predominate themes affecting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption process in higher education. Evidence from this study offers insights on how higher education administrators and technology leaders could help their faculty and staff to implement appropriate ICT tools and practices to improve student learning.     

University Faculty Attitudes on Affirmative Action Principles Toward Faculty and Students

Despite its relatively short history, policies connected with Affirmative Action have endured a controversial social, political, and legal past. Higher education has witnessed much of this controversy firsthand. Because the venue of many Affirmative Action battles has been waged within educational settings, faculty in higher education are uniquely positioned because they are integrally involved in decisions regarding faculty hiring as well as student admissions, particularly at the graduate level. Therefore, this study examined the attitudes of faculty toward Affirmative Action principles and reverse discrimination as they might apply to students and faculty colleagues, with particular attention to which concepts were more supported. Results from 428 faculty indicated general support for diversity, although specific concerns were raised regarding reverse discrimination and the appropriateness of targeting persons of color or women. The most favorable attitudes supported students with demonstrated financial need. Potential future approaches to Affirmative Action in higher education are discussed.     

Implicit rewards in the classroom

Although well established in a range of situations, the application of operant methodologies to typical classrooms is often difficult for teachers because of logistic considerations which may lead to a subgroup of a class being rewarded, with peers showing performance decrement. This paper reviews the use of “vicarious” and “implicit” rewards in both special and normal classrooms, critically examining previous literature and concluding that several key issues are open to speculation. A series of four further studies which were designed to investigate some of these issues and overcome some of the design and methodology flaws of previous research are reported, with several important distinctions being drawn between “vicarious reinforcement” effects and outcomes from “implicit reward” situations. Criterion variables are discussed, with several key findings suggesting that the concept of vicarious reinforcement as based upon the general literature is simplistic and inaccurate. Suggestions are made for the successful use of “implicit reward” procedures in the classroom.     

Creating and Implementing a Faculty Interest Group for Historically Underrepresented Faculty

This article describes the creation and implementation of a faculty interest group for historically underrepresented faculty at a large, urban community college in the Northeast. Faculty interest groups provide opportunities for faculty across disciplines to meet to explore common interests and share concerns and best practices. The faculty interest group described in this article was designed to explore and address the challenges faced by historically underrepresented faculty and facilitate the process of attaining reappointment, promotion, and tenure. Nationwide, nearly half of community college students come from populations that are also historically underrepresented, and community colleges are challenged to recruit and retain faculty that mirror the student body. Research demonstrates that historically underrepresented faculty members enrich the overall education of all students, and yet a significant number of those faculty members describe their college campuses as unwelcoming. Factors that make campuses unwelcoming for these faculty include, but are not limited to, the following: isolation and marginalization; salary disparities; microaggressions based on race, gender, and sexual identity; heightened visibility; and additional role demands. Community college administrators ought to be concerned with historically underrepresented faculty members’ satisfaction and persistence on campus because these faculty members are vital members of the academy. Faculty interest groups for historically underrepresented faculty may provide the support and professional development opportunities that will ensure their retention and success in academia.     

Faculty development

Summary In an arena known for its emphasis on research and publication, the College Teaching Workshops are a refreshing change. The value of quality teaching has been validated by the popularity of and demand for these faculty development activities. For additional information about the College Teaching Workshops, contact the Center for Instructional Services, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.     

Faculty Learning Matters: Organizational Conditions and Contexts that Shape Faculty Learning

This study explored the relationships between faculty scholarly learning, faculty teaching learning, institutional support, faculty demographics, disciplinary groups, working conditions, and career outcomes such as retention, productivity, satisfaction, and career agency. We found that the stronger the scholarly learning faculty members reported, the more institutional and unit support they perceived for learning, the more satisfied they were, the less likely they were to intend to leave their institution, and the more career agency they reported. Similarly, we found that faculty members who reported more learning related to teaching reported a decreased intent to leave the institution and increased career agency. We draw implications for the development of work environments that support scholarly and teaching learning.