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2011Challenges and Successes of Faculty Development
1. CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES
IN FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
B. Jean Mandernach, Emily Donnelli-Sallee,
Ann Randall & Amber Dailey-Hebert
2. OVERVIEW
• Traditional professional development models are an
inefficient (and ineffective) means of supporting
adjunct faculty teaching online courses. The
challenge lies in expanding the scope and focus of
programming to meet the needs of a diverse
faculty body composed of full-time, adjunct, face-
to-face, and online faculty. The discussion will
address: changing the culture of adjunct
faculty, increasing engagement in the university
community, and promoting investment in
professional development initiatives, as well as
scheduling, access, and the scalability of faculty
development initiatives.
4. FOR-PROFIT:
GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
• Institutional Culture
• Rapid growth
• Campus-centric
• Large adjunct
population
• Division between
academics and
operations
5. GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
• Challenges
• Rate of growth
• Communication
• Technology
• Adjunct culture
• Faculty perceptions
• Continuously
changing faculty
population
• Scheduling
6. GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
• Effective Strategies
• Online portal
• Community building
• Asychronous
programming
• Synchronous
webinars
• Faculty recognition
• Resource support
7. NON-PROFIT/PRIVATE:
PARK UNIVERSITY
• Institutional Culture
• 40 satellite campuses
across the country, with
some adjunct faculty
100% virtual
• Academic oversight
and faculty
governance emanate
from flagship campus
• Full-time faculty to
adjunct faculty ratio
(130 to 1,300)
8. PARK UNIVERSITY
• Challenges
• Growth of distance
programs has
outpaced growth of
development programs
• Multiple and shifting
faculty development
stakeholders/initiatives
• Communication across
diverse campuses and
faculty populations
• Tech-focused
perception of adjunct
faculty needs
9. PARK UNIVERSITY
• Strategies
• “On demand” web-based
resources (self-paced
virtual workshops), with
pedagogical focus
• Train-the-trainer
approaches to equip
satellite campus leaders
• Virtual learning
communities(around
specific courses-in-
development)
• Virtual SIGs (around
pedagogical topics)
• Advisory council to
coordinate multiple faculty
development initiatives
10. PUBLIC:
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Institutional Culture
• Largest of 3 State Universities
• 19,993 Enrollment:
• 85% Idaho residents
• 91% live off-campus
• 46% take eCampus course(s)
• eCampus:
• Students: 80% Idaho residents;
35% are 35+
• Courses: 257 (1,154 sections):
• 3 undergraduate degree
completion programs
• 12 graduate programs
• Faculty: 43% full-time tenure-
track faculty or lecturers
• Faculty Development: eQIP
eCampus Quality Instruction
Program
• Year-round
• Collaborative
11. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Challenges
1. State University: $$ cuts
2. Students: high need
and interest has yielded
large number of online
classes
3. Faculty: high % full-time
• Voluntary participation
• Motivation
4. Faculty Development
Collaborative Model
• Interdependence
• Differing budget priorities
12. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Challenges
1. State University: $$ cuts
2. Students: high need
and interest has yielded
large number of online
classes
3. Faculty: high % full-time
• Participation
• Motivation
4. Faculty Development
Collaborative Model
• Interdependence
• Differing budget priorities
13. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Challenges
1. State University: $$ cuts
2. Students: high need
and interest has yielded
large number of online
classes
3. Faculty: high % full-time
• Participation
• Motivation
4. Faculty Development
Collaborative Model
• Interdependence
• Differing budget priorities
14. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Strategies
1 & 2. Limited Resources;
Daunting Task
• Program
• Cohorts
3. Faculty Buy-in
• Preparation
• Stipends
• Approach
4. Faculty Development
Collaboration
• Communication
• Allocation
15. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Strategies
1 & 2. Limited Resources;
Daunting Task
• Program
• Cohorts
3. Faculty Buy-in
• Preparation
• Stipends
• Approach
4. Faculty Development
Collaboration
• Communication
• Allocation
16. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
• Strategies
1 & 2. Limited Resources;
Daunting Task
• Program
• Cohorts
3. Faculty Buy-in
• Preparation
• Stipends
• Approach
4. Faculty Development
Collaboration
• Communication
• Allocation
17. THEMES & TRENDS
• Creating • Devising consistent
community around and effective
discipline rather communication
than instructional measures
modality
Community Communication
Organization of
Pedagogical
Faculty
Effectiveness
Development
• Maintaining a • Achieving an
focus on teaching effective model
over technology that includes both
centralized and
decentralized
support
19. QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
B. Jean Mandernach
Director, Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching
Grand Canyon University
www.cirt.gcu.edu – jean.mandernach@gcu.edu
Emily Donnelli-Sallee
Faculty Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Park University
www.park.edu/cetl – emily.donnelli@park.edu
Ann Randall
Distance Education Faculty Professional Education Coordinator
Boise State University
www.boisestate.edu/distance – annrandall@boisestate.edu
Amber Dailey-Hebert