Preparing to be a Faculty Preparing to be a Faculty Member:Member:
What Do I Need to Know What Do I Need to Know about Faculty Work?about Faculty Work?
CIRTL CastCIRTL Cast
Ann E. AustinAnn E. AustinProfessor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong EducationProfessor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education
Director, Global Institute for Higher EducationDirector, Global Institute for Higher EducationMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University
April 7, 2010April 7, 2010
AgendaAgenda
What is faculty work like—especially for What is faculty work like—especially for early career faculty?early career faculty?
How is faculty work changing? What do How is faculty work changing? What do today’s faculty need to be able to do?today’s faculty need to be able to do?
What competencies should graduate What competencies should graduate students and post-docs develop if they are students and post-docs develop if they are planning on faculty careers?planning on faculty careers?
Key Issues for New FacultyKey Issues for New FacultyLearning about a new institutional cultureLearning about a new institutional culture
Finding institutional resourcesFinding institutional resources
Establishing a workable/realistic schedule and managing timeEstablishing a workable/realistic schedule and managing time
Learning about expectations and seeking feedbackLearning about expectations and seeking feedback
Establishing collegial relationshipsEstablishing collegial relationships
Being an effective teacherBeing an effective teacher
Establishing a research agenda and trajectoryEstablishing a research agenda and trajectory
Assuming roles as an institutional citizenAssuming roles as an institutional citizen
Connecting with professional colleagues and associationsConnecting with professional colleagues and associations
Developing a sense of scholarly identityDeveloping a sense of scholarly identity
QuestionQuestion: : As you think of these aspects of being a new As you think of these aspects of being a new faculty member…faculty member…for which responsibility do you feel most for which responsibility do you feel most prepared?prepared?
A) Learning about a new institutional cultureA) Learning about a new institutional culture
B) Finding institutional resources to support your workB) Finding institutional resources to support your work
C) Establishing a workable/realistic schedule and managing timeC) Establishing a workable/realistic schedule and managing time
D) Learning about expectations and seeking feedbackD) Learning about expectations and seeking feedback
E) Establishing collegial relationshipsE) Establishing collegial relationships
QuestionQuestion: : As you think of these aspects of being a new As you think of these aspects of being a new faculty member…faculty member…for which responsibility do you feel for which responsibility do you feel mostmost prepared?prepared?
A) Being an effective teacherA) Being an effective teacher
B) Establishing a research agenda and trajectoryB) Establishing a research agenda and trajectory
C) Assuming roles as an institutional citizenC) Assuming roles as an institutional citizen
D) Connecting with professional colleagues and associationsD) Connecting with professional colleagues and associations
E) Developing a sense of scholarly identityE) Developing a sense of scholarly identity
Forces affecting Faculty WorkForces affecting Faculty Work
Fiscal pressures Fiscal pressures
Societal expectations for accountability and Societal expectations for accountability and emphasis on learning outcomesemphasis on learning outcomes
More diverse student bodiesMore diverse student bodies
New technologies and expansion of knowledgeNew technologies and expansion of knowledge
Shifts in faculty appointment patternsShifts in faculty appointment patterns
Fiscal PressuresFiscal Pressures
Rising costsRising costs
Budget reductionsBudget reductions
ImplicationsImplications– Faculty must be Faculty must be
FlexibleFlexible
Open to changeOpen to change
EntrepreneurialEntrepreneurial
Societal Expectations for AccountabilitySocietal Expectations for Accountability
Demands from the public for greater access, Demands from the public for greater access, excellent research, contributions to economic excellent research, contributions to economic developmentdevelopment
Criticisms from the public and legislative Criticisms from the public and legislative attentionattention
ImplicationsImplications – Faculty must Faculty must
Know how to engage with the publicKnow how to engage with the public
Be committed to fulfilling institutional missions, including Be committed to fulfilling institutional missions, including external expectationsexternal expectations
The Changing Student BodyThe Changing Student Body
Demand is expected to continue to growDemand is expected to continue to grow
Increasing diversity in student body--age, race and Increasing diversity in student body--age, race and ethnicityethnicity
Expectations for relevance, convenience, economyExpectations for relevance, convenience, economy
ImplicationsImplications– Faculty must be skillful inFaculty must be skillful in
Teaching for student-centered learningTeaching for student-centered learningBuilding on the diversity within their classes Building on the diversity within their classes Providing support for all students, including under-prepared Providing support for all students, including under-prepared studentsstudentsAssessing student learning outcomesAssessing student learning outcomes
New Technologies and New FieldsNew Technologies and New Fields
Many new technologies—new research Many new technologies—new research processes, new processes for teaching and processes, new processes for teaching and learninglearning
ExExpansion of knowledge—new areas and pansion of knowledge—new areas and increasing inter-disciplinarityincreasing inter-disciplinarity
ImplicationsImplications– Faculty must Faculty must
Learn new technologiesLearn new technologiesKnow how to collaborate with those in other fieldsKnow how to collaborate with those in other fieldsDeal with changing workloadsDeal with changing workloadsHandle unbundling of responsibilitiesHandle unbundling of responsibilities
Changes in the Pattern of Academic Changes in the Pattern of Academic AppointmentsAppointments
Shift from a tenure system to alternative Shift from a tenure system to alternative appointment typesappointment types
56% of new full-time hires not in tenure-track56% of new full-time hires not in tenure-trackContract-renewable and fixed-term appointments Contract-renewable and fixed-term appointments increasingincreasing
Increasing number of part-time facultyIncreasing number of part-time faculty2004: 44% of all faculty members are part-time2004: 44% of all faculty members are part-timeOnly 54% of new faculty appointed full-timeOnly 54% of new faculty appointed full-time
Short Discussion QuestionShort Discussion Question
Do you have any observations about Do you have any observations about these changes and how they are these changes and how they are impacting faculty work?impacting faculty work?
What competencies should What competencies should graduate students and post-docs graduate students and post-docs
develop as they prepare for develop as they prepare for faculty careers?faculty careers?
Competencies for Faculty WorkCompetencies for Faculty Work
Conceptual UnderstandingsConceptual Understandings
Knowledge and SkillsKnowledge and Skills
Interpersonal SkillsInterpersonal Skills
Professional Attitudes and HabitsProfessional Attitudes and Habits
Conceptual UnderstandingsConceptual UnderstandingsDisciplinary knowledgeDisciplinary knowledge
– Norms and values, cutting-edge questions, debates, methods, criteria of Norms and values, cutting-edge questions, debates, methods, criteria of excellence, patterns of workexcellence, patterns of work
History of higher educationHistory of higher education
– Traditions and challenges over time, relationship of higher education to Traditions and challenges over time, relationship of higher education to societysociety
Institutional typesInstitutional types
– Different missions and culturesDifferent missions and cultures
Professional identityProfessional identity
– Professional responsibilities, different forms of faculty work, being a Professional responsibilities, different forms of faculty work, being a member of a scholarly community, member of a scholarly community,
Knowledge and SkillsKnowledge and SkillsTeaching and learningTeaching and learning
– How learning occurs; how to respond to student differences; variety of How learning occurs; how to respond to student differences; variety of teaching strategies; pedagogical content knowledge; curriculum design; teaching strategies; pedagogical content knowledge; curriculum design; assessing student learning; teaching-as-researchassessing student learning; teaching-as-research
ResearchResearch
– Framing appropriate questions; designing and implementing scholarly Framing appropriate questions; designing and implementing scholarly projects; collecting and analyzing data; presenting results; giving and projects; collecting and analyzing data; presenting results; giving and receiving feedbackreceiving feedback
Engagement and ServiceEngagement and Service
– How to collaborate with different groups; how to communicate with How to collaborate with different groups; how to communicate with diverse audiencesdiverse audiences
Institutional CitizenshipInstitutional Citizenship
– Kinds of governance structures, faculty responsibility in governance; Kinds of governance structures, faculty responsibility in governance; how to work effectively with institutional leadershow to work effectively with institutional leaders
Interpersonal SkillsInterpersonal Skills
Communication skillsCommunication skills
– Communicating verbally and in writing to different Communicating verbally and in writing to different audiences; engaging in respectful dialogueaudiences; engaging in respectful dialogue
Teamwork and collaborationTeamwork and collaboration
– Ability to work in diverse groups; conflict managementAbility to work in diverse groups; conflict management
Appreciation of diversityAppreciation of diversity
– Ability to work effectively with diverse others—Ability to work effectively with diverse others—including colleagues from other disciplines and those including colleagues from other disciplines and those with other kinds of appointmentswith other kinds of appointments
Professional Attitudes and HabitsProfessional Attitudes and Habits
Ethics and integrityEthics and integrity
– Understanding conflicts of interest; intellectual ownership; research Understanding conflicts of interest; intellectual ownership; research standards; bias; confidentiality; role of peer reviewer; ethical standards; bias; confidentiality; role of peer reviewer; ethical relationships with studentsrelationships with students
Motivation for lifelong learningMotivation for lifelong learning
– Commitment to engage in ongoing learning; knowledge of strategies to Commitment to engage in ongoing learning; knowledge of strategies to promote learningpromote learning
Professional networksProfessional networks
– How to build networksHow to build networks
Passion and balancePassion and balance
– Knowledge of different models for building productive and satisfying Knowledge of different models for building productive and satisfying academic livesacademic lives
Discussion Discussion
Do these competencies seem Do these competencies seem appropriate and important to you as appropriate and important to you as you think about a career as a faculty you think about a career as a faculty member?member?
Are there other competencies you Are there other competencies you would add to the list?would add to the list?
DiscussionDiscussion
What strategies might you use to What strategies might you use to further prepare yourself for a faculty further prepare yourself for a faculty career?career?
Further ReadingFurther Reading
Austin, A. E., & McDaniels, M. (2006), Austin, A. E., & McDaniels, M. (2006), Preparing the professoriate of the future: Preparing the professoriate of the future: Graduate student socialization for faculty Graduate student socialization for faculty roles. In J.C. Smart (ed.), roles. In J.C. Smart (ed.), Higher Higher education: Handbook of theory and education: Handbook of theory and research, Vol. XXI, pgs. 397-456research, Vol. XXI, pgs. 397-456. . Netherlands: Springer. Netherlands: Springer.
Ann’s Contact InformationAnn’s Contact Information
Ann E. AustinAnn E. Austin
Professor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong EducationProfessor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education
Director, Global Institute for Higher EducationDirector, Global Institute for Higher Education
419A Erickson Hall419A Erickson Hall
Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824East Lansing, MI 48824
Tel: 517-355-6757Tel: 517-355-6757
E-Mail: E-Mail: [email protected]@msu.edu
http://gihe.msu.edu/aaustin/http://gihe.msu.edu/aaustin/