Executive Summary
Few things are more essential to the success of an academic institution
than vital faculty members. Vital faculty members are passionately
involved in and committed to their work; committed to the goals of their
institutions; continually developing their teaching and research
abilities; and consistently growing in and contributing to their
disciplines. These desired faculty characteristics must be nurtured over
the career continuum, a responsibility that often falls on the shoulders
of busy department chairs and deans. The goal of this briefing is to
assist academic leaders with the critical task of maintaining their
faculty's vitality--a task otherwise known as faculty development.
We begin this briefing by describing the changed societal conditions
that make continuous faculty vitality essential not only to
institutional success, but also to national welfare. Next, we describe
how faculty development initiatives have changed in focus and form over
time, as well as what themes and methods have persisted. Then we outline
the key steps undergirding any successful faculty development program,
offering more detailed guidance on two steps in particular: (1)
assessing faculty and institutional vitality needs, using either a broad
or targeted assessment approach; and (2) tailoring faculty development
strategies to best meet the specialized needs of specific faculty
groups, using case examples of new, midcareer, and senior faculty. We
conclude with guidelines for designing and maintaining an institutional
office for faculty development that can support and coordinate
department-level initiatives.
