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Standard Number 3.7.3: The institution provides evidence of ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.Documentation was not presented to verify faculty participation in this process. The On-Site Review Committee should verify faculty participation as claimed. Georgia Southern University Center for Excellence In Teaching Founded in September 1997, the Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET) supports the University’s mission of educational excellence by providing faculty with ongoing training and instructional-design consultative services that enable Georgia Southern University instructors to grow as effective educators. Recurring workshop and seminar topics include: Active Learning; Active and Collaborative Learning in Large Classes; Classroom Assessment Techniques; Encouraging Civility in the Classroom; Getting Students to Read; Learning-Centered Syllabi; Motivating Students to Learn; Outcomes-Based Education; Student-Centered Teaching; The Teaching Portfolio. Institutional belief in the essential nature of the educational outcomes fostered by such a faculty-focused programming stream is evidenced by the addition of two permanent administrative/staff lines within the CET in 2004. An early CET focus (1997-2002) was introducing faculty to emerging educational technologies that could contribute to the learning process or to efficient classroom management. Examples of CET-based efforts in this arena were the hosting of the 1997 Georgia Southern University Information Technology Conference and the development of a robust stream of workshops and seminars focused on educationally-sound technologies and learning-support tools. CET personnel were added (2001) to support the University’s WebCT implementation and subsequent expansion. As increasing numbers of Georgia Southern faculty have attended technology-focused programming, technology-focused workshop attendance has decreased; however, this cadre of faculty now asks the CET staff for individualized face-to-face, phone and email-based support and for access to refresher skills assistance via online tutorials. The CET develops special programming streams to meet faculty development needs as they are identified through on-going communication with institutional partners, including faculty cohorts, department chairs, deans, the Georgia Southern Academic Council, and through participation in national faculty development and higher education professional networks. Noteworthy efforts include the establishment of the CET Faculty Retreat program in 1999 to provide a small cohort of faculty (approximately 10 each year) with an intense, resource-rich seminar experience to help faculty undertake significant, course-enhancement projects. Likewise, formal New Faculty programs (New Faculty Orientation Day & New Faculty Teaching Seminar Series) strive to integrate new faculty into the Georgia Southern community and support their success and retention. Activity completed to date during AY 2004-2005 indicates that the CET will see a return to earlier years’ workshop participation levels in addition to an expansion of range of services to the Georgia Southern faculty community. Multi-year planning foresees increasing Faculty Retreat participation by at least 50% within the next two years, and doubling the time devoted to New Faculty Orientation for permanent/tenure-track faculty, while simultaneously developing a separate, audience-sensitive New Faculty Orientation program to meet the unique needs of new faculty in temporary positions.
In addition to the above activities sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET), Georgia Southern University grants faculty educational and professional leaves under the guidelines established in the Board of Regents Policy Manual, § 802.0804. These leaves are specifically for the purpose of promoting scholarly work and encouraging professional development and growth. Faculty receive notification of the availability of these leaves through the Faculty Handbook (see § 217.09, p. 42), and numerous faculty members have taken advantage of these leaves to pursue advanced study, enhance teaching skills, conduct research, and pursue fellowship opportunities. Table 3.7.3a identifies the faculty members who have requested professional development leaves during the period from 2002 through 2005. The table includes the duration of the leave and the purpose for the leave. The University granted a total of 32 professional development leaves during this time period with the majority of leaves granted through the Center for Excellence in Teaching under the Educational Leave program. This number represents 5% of the average full-time faculty headcount for the same time period (n=32/634), demonstrating that faculty do take advantage of professional leaves to enhance their skills. Table 3.7.3b documents the number of Georgia Southern faculty who have participated in professional development courses, workshops, and seminars offered through Georgia Southern’s Division of Continuing Education and Public Service. During the 2002-03 academic year, 73 faculty members enrolled in Continuing Education courses. This number almost doubled the following academic year, rising to 134 faculty participants. Data for the current academic year is available for the fall semester only (45 enrollees). The total participation for this two and half year period was 252 faculty members. While this number may include faculty members who enrolled in more than one course and are thus counted twice and it may also include some part-time faculty, it does represent approximately 35% of the average full- and part-time faculty headcount for the same time period (n=252/715). Georgia Southern faculty continue to utilize continuing education opportunities offered through the Division of Continuing Education and Public Service to develop their professional skills and abilities. Table 3.7.3c-1 shows the number of Georgia Southern faculty who participated in professional development activities during 2003-04 by academic unit. Included in the table are the number of faculty who: published scholarly books, textbooks, and monographs; published scholarly articles, book chapters, scholarly essays, and other publications; created activities in the fine and performing arts; reviewed manuscripts, held editorialships or editorial board memberships; gave international, national, regional, state, or local presentations or invited speeches; and/or participated or held leadership positions in international, national, regional, state, or local professional organizations, boards, and agencies. Although faculty members were only counted once for each category regardless of the number of publications/contacts they had, many of the same faculty participated in one or more of the numerous categories, leading to a total faculty participation count of 1,489 [as compared to the Fall 2003 faculty headcount of 749 (642 full-time faculty, 33 faculty-ranked administrators, and 74 part-time faculty)] The same data are replicated for 2002-03 in Table 3.7.3c-2. Total faculty participation for this academic year was 1,473 [as compared to the Fall 2002 faculty headcount of 735 (612 full-time faculty, 34 faculty-ranked administrators, and 89 part-time faculty)]. Both of these tables support the assertion that Georgia Southern faculty actively and consistently pursue professional development activities in addition to their assigned teaching loads. Furthermore, three Georgia Southern faculty have participated in the ACE (American Council on Education) Fellows Program. The ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing promising faculty and senior administrators for responsible positions in college and university administration. Recipients include: Dr. Adiodun Goke-Pariola—one of 34 fellows selected in a national competition for 1999-00; Dr. Denise Battles —one of 34 fellows selected in a national competition for 2000-01; and Dr. Jane Rhoades Hudak—one of 37 fellows selected in a national competition for 2003-04. In addition, two Georgia Southern faculty have received prestigious Fulbright Awards—grants administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars for a variety of educational activities, university lecturing, advanced research, and graduate study. Participants in this program are selected primarily for their leadership potential. In 1993-94, Dr. O. Max Burns received a grant for lecturing and research at the University College of Boras in Sweden (during the Fall 1993 semester). In 2001-02, Dr. Debra Sabia received a Fulbright Teaching Scholarship (effective Spring 2002 semester). Since the inception of the Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program (jointly sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education and the University of Georgia) in 1995, Georgia Southern University has had two faculty members receive these competitive fellowships. This program was established by Governor Zell Miller to provide Georgia’s higher education faculty with expanded opportunities for developing important teaching skills. Fellows may participate in academic year symposia, an intensive summer symposium, or an academic-year residency at the University of Georgia. Past recipients include Dr. Olivia Carr Edenfield (1995-96) and Dr. Gautam Kundu (Summer 2000). |
