Developing Faculty in Liberal Arts Colleges

VICKI L. BAKER is a professor of economics and management at Albion College, and an instructor of business administration for Penn State University’s World Campus. LAURA GAIL LUNSFORD is the director of the Swain Center in the Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina Wilmington. MEGHAN J. PIFER is an associate professor of higher education administration in the Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development at the University of Louisville.

"The greatest challenge to liberal arts colleges is the depreciation of their most precious asset-the faculty's passion, dedication, and commitment to educate students to be citizens in a democratic society. Developing Faculty in Liberal Arts Colleges provides a frank, comprehensive diagnosis of how colleges and universities can better align social capital and institutional mission with the human infrastructure needs of a changing professoriate."- Eugene M. Tobin (Senior Program Officer, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and former president of Hamilton College) “The authors have written a thoroughly researched and thoughtful account of the career development of faculty members in liberal arts colleges.  Its broad field of vision offers a wealth of suggestions for enhancing faculty professional satisfaction and personal well-being throughout the academic career.   There is no question in my mind that this book will become the go-to source for understanding the distinctive nature of faculty life in small colleges.”  - Mary Deane Sorcinelli (Senior Fellow, Institute for Teaching Excellence & Faculty Development, UMass Amherst) "A singularly impressive work of seminal and research-based scholarship." (Midwest Book Review) "This book analyzes the career stage challenges many faculty members must overcome, such as a lack of preparation for teaching, limited access to resources and mentors, and changing expectations for excellence in teaching, research, and service, to become academic leaders. Drawing on research conducted at the 13 institutions of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, the authors propose an Alignment Framework for Faculty Development in Liberal Arts Colleges to show how these colleges provide their faculties with the support to succeed." (Council of Independent Colleges newsletter) "The book offers insights into the faculty experience for tenured/tenure track faculty as well as contingent faculty in LACs. Further, the career stage lens sheds light on the experiences, needs, and challenges faced by faculty across all stages of the professoriate." (The Beacon) "The greatest challenge to liberal arts colleges is the depreciation of their most precious asset-the faculty's passion, dedication, and commitment to educate students to be citizens in a democratic society. Developing Faculty in Liberal Arts Colleges provides a frank, comprehensive diagnosis of how colleges and universities can better align social capital and institutional mission with the human infrastructure needs of a changing professoriate."- Eugene M. Tobin (Senior Program Officer, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and former president of Hamilton College) “The authors have written a thoroughly researched and thoughtful account of the career development of faculty members in liberal arts colleges.  Its broad field of vision offers a wealth of suggestions for enhancing faculty professional satisfaction and personal well-being throughout the academic career.   There is no question in my mind that this book will become the go-to source for understanding the distinctive nature of faculty life in small colleges.”  - Mary Deane Sorcinelli (Senior Fellow, Institute for Teaching Excellence & Faculty Development, UMass Amherst) "A singularly impressive work of seminal and research-based scholarship." (Midwest Book Review) "This book analyzes the career stage challenges many faculty members must overcome, such as a lack of preparation for teaching, limited access to resources and mentors, and changing expectations for excellence in teaching, research, and service, to become academic leaders. Drawing on research conducted at the 13 institutions of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, the authors propose an Alignment Framework for Faculty Development in Liberal Arts Colleges to show how these colleges provide their faculties with the support to succeed." (Council of Independent Colleges newsletter) "The book offers insights into the faculty experience for tenured/tenure track faculty as well as contingent faculty in LACs. Further, the career stage lens sheds light on the experiences, needs, and challenges faced by faculty across all stages of the professoriate." (The Beacon)

• CONTENTSForewordLife at a Small Liberal Arts Collegeby Michael RederNote on the TextIntroductionDeveloping Faculty Members in LiberalArts Colleges: Aligning Individual Needswith Organizational GoalsPART ONEContexts of Academic Work in LiberalArts Colleges: Inside Institutions and Departments1 Institutional Structures, Support, and Evaluation2 Academic DepartmentsPART TWOUnderstanding Faculty Members:What They Do and What They Need3 A Holistic View of Faculty WorkLives in Liberal Arts Colleges4 Aligning Faculty Needs with Institutional Prioritiesviii ContentsPART THREEAligning Resources: SupportingFaculty Members and Academic Work5 Mentoring and Key Relationships6 Trends and ExemplarsPART FOURAt the Intersection: A Space forInnovation and Competitive Advantage7 The Alignment Framework for FacultyDevelopment in Liberal Arts CollegesAcknowledgmentsAppendix AAppendix BAppendix CReferencesIndex