Faculty and staff perceptions of undergraduate mentoring

ABSTRACT

The connection between students and faculty is a recognized component of student belonging and engagement. To better understand how these relationships are formed, we utilized a qualitative design to explore the ways in which faculty and staff at a mid-sized public university perceived their roles in supporting, and connecting with, students. Based on our focus group data, we identified three themes. The first theme defined the mentoring relationship in the university context. The second theme addressed the unique features of mentoring Underrepresented Minority (URM) and First Generation (FG) students. Our third theme focused on perceived barriers to mentoring, including personal, institutional, and student-related barriers. Our findings provide a first step in developing a framework for colleges and universities working to promote a culture of mentoring as a means to support students.     

The Influences of Faculty on Undergraduate Student Participation in Research and Creative Activities

Using data collected from surveys of college juniors and seniors and faculty members in related academic departments, this study examined whether faculty teaching and research orientations, as well as faculty external funding, had any impact on undergraduate student participation in research and creative activities. The results of the study indicated that faculty research orientation and external funding were indeed positively related to student participation in research activities. However, faculty members’ teaching orientation was not significant. Further analyses indicated that faculty teaching and research orientations had different impacts on a range of research and creative activities by undergraduate students. The findings from this study provide insight on ways of improving college teaching and learning as well as informing the development of institutional academic policies related to faculty and undergraduate education. Shouping Hu is Associate Professor of Higher Education at Florida State University. He received his M.S. degree in Economics and Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University. His research and scholarship focus on college access and success, student engagement, and higher education policy. Kathyrine Scheuch is the Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation in the Division of Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education. She received her Ed.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University. Her research interests include undergraduate research activities and minority student issues. Joy Gaston Gayles is Associate Professor of Higher Education at North Carolina State University. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Ohio State University. Her research interests include the college student experience and its impact on student development and learning.     

Transformational Journey of Educators in Technology: A Study of Tenured Business Faculty

ABSTRACT

Recent statistics show faculty in higher education question the value and legitimacy of online education as a viable educational format and are, therefore, less accepting of online degrees. The focus of this study was on business faculty and online education through the theoretical framework of transformative learning. Specifically, tenured faculty members who were initially resistant to teaching online – changed their perspective – and came to value and teach online business curriculum. To examine this phenomenon, a survey was distributed to business faculty worldwide. Qualified responses were received from 206 survey participants. The findings suggest that while business faculty, including those tenured, are resistant to teaching online and prefer to teach in a face-to-face environment, a perspective change toward teaching online resulted after spending time reflecting on various factors considered key to a successful entry to online teaching.     

Faculty Agency: Departmental Contexts that Matter in Faculty Careers

In a modern context of constrained resources and high demands, faculty exert agency to strategically navigate their careers (Baez 2000a; Neumann et al. 2006). Guided by the O’Meara et al. (2011) framework on agency in faculty professional lives, this study used Structural Equation Modeling to investigate which departmental factors (perceptions of tenure and promotion process, work-life climate, transparency, person-department fit, professional development resources, and collegiality) influenced faculty agentic perspective and agentic action. Results showed that faculty perceptions of certain departmental contexts do matter in faculty career agency, such as work-life climate, person-department fit, and professional development resources. These contexts have a particular influence on faculty agentic perspective. Results also showed a large effect of agentic perspective on agentic action. The study has important implications for administrators regarding departmental role in faculty agency and contributes to the growing body of literature on faculty sense of agency in academe.     

Faculty planning for distance teaching

Abstract

How faculty in higher education plan instruction is an area about which little is known. The purpose of this study was to describe instructional planning by faculty teaching adult learners via interactive telecommunications technology and to identify their principal concerns when designing distance instruction. Qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data on planning by eleven full‐time faculty members teaching on an audio‐graphic distance network. Their distance instruction planning process was characterized by three features: term rather than day‐to‐day planning, a primary emphasis on content rather than process, and reliance on the syllabus as the focal point of planning.     

Faculty ethics in China: From a historical perspective

Abstract

This study examines Chinese faculty ethical philosophy from a historical perspective. Historical perspective on Chinese faculty ethical philosophy embraces three major periods, including Chinese ancient faculty ethics, Chinese modern faculty ethics and Chinese contemporary faculty ethics. Different historical perspectives offer different viewpoints on the progress of shaping faculty ethical philosophy in contemporary higher education regime. The conclusion and remarks have been drawn through retrospectively reviewing the development and evolution of Chinese faculty’s ethics.     

The Value Dilemmas of Faculty Advising; Significant Issues in a Code of Ethics for Faculty Advisors

ABSTRACT

Although frequently challenging, faculty advising continues to be a crucial component of social work education. Yet the current diversity of students, educational programs, and field placements present many ethical dilemmas to the faculty advisor. This paper explores the administrative, educational, and supportive roles of the faculty advisor, the inherent conflicts which develop and the effects of these conflicts on the ethical advising of social work students.

Similar to the classroom teacher, the faculty advisor can positively model ethical social work practice to students. Case examples from faculty advisors are used to study ethical dilemmas which arise in promoting social work values of self-determination and confidentiality. Recommendations are made to promote ethical practice among faculty advisors.     

The Relationship of Selected Community College Faculty Attitudes,Socialization Experiences,and Reference Group Identities

Abstract

This study was designed to explore the relationship of selected attitudinal variables among community college faculty members, using a framework derived from symbolic interaction of theory. A survey questionnaire was administered to 627 faculty members in five Pennsylvania community colleges in autumn of 1973. Attitudinal variables are operationally defined through the use of factor analysis, and are related to one another and to socialization experience and reference group identity proxy variables through multiple and partial correlational analysis. Hypotheses concerning variations in attitudes toward the community college philosophy and orientations toward education as consequences of differences in socialization experiences and reference group identities are supported.     

Adjunct Faculty in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT

Adjunct faculty are growing in numbers and time spent instructing courses in social work programs. This paper describes one school's approach in working with and involving adjunct faculty as significant stakeholders in the overall educational program. The described program incorporates a number of ongoing activities to encourage adjunct faculty to contribute to the academic community beyond the instruction of one course. The paper also identifies additional strategies a social work program may consider to further strengthen the adjuncts? role in academia. The paper concludes with questions for social work educational programs and the Council on Social Work Education's Commission on Accreditation to recognize and define the position and function of adjunct faculty in social work education.     

Faculty Mentors in Teacher Induction: Developing a Cross-institutional Identity

ABSTRACT

Though the knowledge base on mentoring new teachers has grown exponentially in the past 30 years, researchers know less about university involvement in induction, and even less about the role that faculty mentors may play in induction. Drawing on interview, e-mail, and observational data from a yearlong mentoring relationship between a faculty mentor and 7 new teachers, the author examined a faculty mentor's role in supporting beginning teachers. Findings highlight the importance of identity development in assuming a cross-institutional role as a faculty mentor. The transition from teacher educator to teacher mentor requires the development of a mentor identity that is recognized and valued in the community of practice inhabited by classroom teachers.     

Developing Faculty Research Skills: Lessons Learned

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this reflective commentary is to describe and analyze how efforts were made to engage polytechnic nursing faculty in a multi-institutional, interprofessional research project, and the effectiveness of methods used. We describe the professional development and project management activities provided along with our reflection as to their effectiveness. The faculty members worked at a polytechnic, a small vocational and technical institution in Western Canada with approximately 14,000 full-time students, where faculty were not required to participate in research. Assumptions were made about their interest, knowledge, and ability regarding the research process. These assumptions led the investigators to implement professional development activities that were not effective. Spontaneous informal, anecdotal feedback from some faculty members to the authors, and the authors’ own observations, informed the results. Assumptions about novice faculty research skills may not be accurate; therefore, an effort should be made to perform a pre-assessment of these skills, to create a lesson plan, to assess the effectiveness of teaching strategies, and to evaluate the effectiveness of supportive measures in order to address learning needs.     

A University Name Change: Significance of Faculty Involvement

ABSTRACT

The landscape of higher education is more competitive now than ever before. Colleges and universities are changing and refocusing their identity, missions, and strategic visions to better serve students, prospective students, partners, and other external constituencies. As a result, many colleges and universities have changed their name to distinguish and differentiate themselves in this growing and evolving marketplace. This study takes a closer look into the phenomenon of a university strategic name change process and faculty involvement. It addresses the following questions: How much faculty involvement is needed to facilitate a successful university strategic name process? What is the impact of faculty involvement on a university strategic name event? What are the drivers of a university strategic name change? What are the roles of faculty members in fulfilling the desired outcome(s) of university strategic name change events. This paper proposes that faculty involvement is pertinent to the process and outcomes of a strategic university name change.     

Occupational Well-being Among University Faculty: A Job Demands-Resources Model

The effects of changing academic environments on faculty well-being have attracted considerable research attention. However, few studies have examined the multifaceted relationships between the academic work environment and the multiple dimensions of faculty well-being using a comprehensive theoretical framework. To address this gap, this study implemented the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model to investigate how job demands/resources in the academic environment interact with multiple dimensions of faculty well-being. The study participants were 1389 full-time faculty members employed in public universities in the Czech Republic. The participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived job resources (influence over work, support from supervisor and colleagues), job demands (quantitative demands, work-family conflicts and job insecurity) and three dimensions of faculty well-being (job satisfaction, stress and work engagement). A structural equation model was used to test the effects of “dual processes” hypothesized by the JDR theory, i.e., the existence of two relatively independent paths between job demands/resources and positive/negative aspects of faculty well-being. The model showed a very good fit to our data and explained 60% of the variance in faculty job satisfaction, 46%, in stress and 20% in work engagement. The results provide evidence for the dual processes, including the “motivational process” (i.e., job resources were related predominantly to work engagement and job satisfaction) and the “health impairment process” (i.e., job demands were predominantly associated with stress, mostly through work-family conflict). The study expands current research on faculty well-being by demonstrating the complex, non-linear relationships between academic work environments and different dimensions of faculty well-being.     

Contingent Faculty,Online Writing Instruction,and Professional Development in Technical and Professional Communication

ABSTRACT

Technical and professional communication (TPC) programs rely on contingent faculty to achieve their curricular mission. However, contingent faculty lack professional development opportunities. In this article, the author reports survey results (N = 91) and three cases studies that provide information on contingent faculty and their preparation for online teaching and then provides a three-step approach for TPC program administrators and faculty to follow so that programs can create sustainable professional development opportunities for contingent faculty to teach online.     

Assessing Implementation of Learner-Centered Teaching While Providing Faculty Development

ABSTRACT

This article describes a study of 58 faculty members using a practical method for assessing the prevalence of learner-centered practices through individual interviews and rating their described practices with published rubrics. Analysis of the interviews found that the same faculty member might use more learner-centered practices in one course and more instructor-centered practices in another, depending on the course level, instructional format, and enrollment. Through the collegial interviews, faculty members became more aware of learner-centered practices. Interviews can be an effective development technique. Via this process, faculty developers can achieve two purposes: assessment of teaching and instructional development, at once.     

Community College Faculty Attitudes,Socialization Experiences,and Perceived Teaching Effectiveness

Abstract

This study seeks to determine whether variance in teaching effectiveness of community college faculty, as assessed by students, can be attributed to particular attitudes and/or socialization experiences of these faculty. A theoretical model derived from symbolic interaction theory is tested by path analysis. Data to test the model were obtained through a 1973 survey of faculty and students at five community colleges in Pennsylvania. On the basis of this analysis, the authors conclude that the “predictor” variables used in this study and often by administrators in developing faculty selection policies do not correlate highly with teaching effectiveness.     

Studying the Professional Lives and Work of Faculty Involved in Community Engagement

Community engagement is one of the major innovations that has occurred in higher education over the last 20 years. At the center of this innovation are faculty members because of their intimate ties to the academic mission. This article examines the progress that has been made in understanding this critical area of faculty work. It builds on past research to consider how the conceptualization of faculty community engagement influences the kinds of questions we ask about it and the kinds of recruitment, support, and professional growth we provide. Implications of the study and for the practice of faculty community engagement are provided for researchers, administrators, and faculty members.     

Part-Time Faculty and Community College Student Success

With the Completion Agenda taking such political prominence, community colleges are experiencing even more pressure to find ways to promote and improve student success. One way that has been suggested is to limit the reliance on part-time faculty under the premise that the employment status of faculty has a direct influence on student success. The tacit assumption is that full-time faculty are more engaged with their home institution, and this engagement translates into the engagement of the students taught. The present study examined employment status of faculty on the success of students enrolled in four, two-course sequences. Using Pearson chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses, it was concluded that employment status of the faculty has no statistical influence on student success as has been previously claimed. These results suggest that community colleges should not assume that hiring more full-time faculty will improve student success and, instead, should possibly consider utilizing funds otherwise allocated to hiring new full-time faculty on the development and compensation of part-time faculty.     

Developmental Needs of Community College Adjunct Faculty

Abstract

This survey was a result of the efforts of the New Jersey Consortium on the Community College to identify and articulate the faculty/staff development needs of the 17 community colleges of New Jersey.

In depth interviews were conducted with administrators, faculty and students at all the colleges. Follow up questionnaires were completed at each community college. A two day workshop was then conducted to identify and assign priorities to specific needs. The needs were ordered in one of three categories: Fulfilling the Goals of the Community College, Teaching/Learning Needs, and Managerial Needs.

The workshop that dealt with “Ways of Meeting Part-Time Faculty Needs” identified eight essential goal related needs while stressing the need for adjunct faculty to understand the philosophy and function of the community college. Within the teaching/learning category the workshop group amplified the need for adjunct faculty to understand how learning occurs. The primary managerial need identified was for each community college to develop strong teaching/learning support systems. The workshop participants viewed the establishment of a continuous program of adjunct supervision as essential for the support of effective instruction.     

Mentoring Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Mathematics Research Students: Junior Faculty Experiences

Abstract

To be successful, junior faculty must properly manage their time in the face of expanding responsibilities. One such responsibility is supervising undergraduate research projects. Student research projects (either single or multi-student) can be undertaken as a full-time summer experience, or as a part-time academic year commitment. With many potential undergraduate research formats, and with different types of students, junior faculty may find challenges in forming their research group, establishing a structure that promotes student productivity, picking an appropriate project, or in effectively mentoring their students. This article draws from the authors’ experiences to help junior faculty navigate these complexities so that all parties reap the benefits of undergraduate research in interdisciplinary mathematical disciplines.