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Faculty development centers in higher education: Incorporating diversity and technology

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Date Issued:
2002
Summary:
This descriptive study on faculty development centers, diversity, and technology was conducted by distributing e-mail surveys to 484 four-year colleges and graduate institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Responses to the 25-item instrument were submitted electronically into a database and merged with institutional data on state, enrollment, tuition, affiliation, highest degree awarded, and selectivity ranking. Although pedagogical training has always been an integral component of teacher education, disciplinary expertise has generally been the sole prerequisite for college teaching. Most universities offer travel support for faculty to attend professional conferences and provide sabbatical leave. Some academic units organize their own training activities. Consulting specialists may conduct specialized training. An individual or committee may voluntarily coordinate faculty development efforts. Since 1960, an increasing number of campuses have established faculty development centers with their own identities and reporting relationships, staff, budgets, and designated space, often with assistance from federal, state, or foundation funding. Centers focus on classroom instruction (instructional development), on faculty and their needs (faculty development), the overall needs of the institution (organizational development), and/or research. Of 185 respondents, 65 have faculty development centers, 5 have centers devoted to instructional technology, and 27 have active programs without formal centers; most belong to organizations or networks. Most centers have staff, budgets, and dedicated space. Centers are more likely found at large public institutions, report to the chief academic officer, and offer voluntary training to faculty, adjuncts, new faculty, and teaching assistants. Services focused more on andragogy and technology than on diversity. Most have Web sites, limited forms of evaluation, and expansion plans. Eight are women's colleges, 24 are Historically Black Colleges or Universities, and 9 are Hispanic Serving Institutions. Significant differences were found for enrollment, tuition, affiliation, and highest degree awarded and the scope of centers and programs. The study confirmed the value of faculty development centers and programs, the need to increase diversity and technology training, and the importance of evaluation and documentation of the contributions made by faculty development programs to the mission of the institution.
Title: Faculty development centers in higher education: Incorporating diversity and technology.
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Name(s): Torrey, Evelyn Jeanne
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Decker, Larry E., Thesis Advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2002
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 321 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: This descriptive study on faculty development centers, diversity, and technology was conducted by distributing e-mail surveys to 484 four-year colleges and graduate institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Responses to the 25-item instrument were submitted electronically into a database and merged with institutional data on state, enrollment, tuition, affiliation, highest degree awarded, and selectivity ranking. Although pedagogical training has always been an integral component of teacher education, disciplinary expertise has generally been the sole prerequisite for college teaching. Most universities offer travel support for faculty to attend professional conferences and provide sabbatical leave. Some academic units organize their own training activities. Consulting specialists may conduct specialized training. An individual or committee may voluntarily coordinate faculty development efforts. Since 1960, an increasing number of campuses have established faculty development centers with their own identities and reporting relationships, staff, budgets, and designated space, often with assistance from federal, state, or foundation funding. Centers focus on classroom instruction (instructional development), on faculty and their needs (faculty development), the overall needs of the institution (organizational development), and/or research. Of 185 respondents, 65 have faculty development centers, 5 have centers devoted to instructional technology, and 27 have active programs without formal centers; most belong to organizations or networks. Most centers have staff, budgets, and dedicated space. Centers are more likely found at large public institutions, report to the chief academic officer, and offer voluntary training to faculty, adjuncts, new faculty, and teaching assistants. Services focused more on andragogy and technology than on diversity. Most have Web sites, limited forms of evaluation, and expansion plans. Eight are women's colleges, 24 are Historically Black Colleges or Universities, and 9 are Hispanic Serving Institutions. Significant differences were found for enrollment, tuition, affiliation, and highest degree awarded and the scope of centers and programs. The study confirmed the value of faculty development centers and programs, the need to increase diversity and technology training, and the importance of evaluation and documentation of the contributions made by faculty development programs to the mission of the institution.
Identifier: 9780493600345 (isbn), 11987 (digitool), FADT11987 (IID), fau:8904 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2002.
Subject(s): College teachers--Training of--United States
Multicultural education--United States
Educational technology--United States
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11987
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.