Looking to the Future:Looking to the Future:Changes, Challenges, and Changes, Challenges, and
Opportunities for the Opportunities for the Professoriate…Professoriate…
and Considerations for CIRTLand Considerations for CIRTL
Ann E. AustinAnn E. AustinMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University
CIRTL Network MeetingCIRTL Network MeetingMarch 2, 2013March 2, 2013
A Time of ChangeA Time of Change
The changes underway surpass The changes underway surpass ““business as business as usual.usual.””
““Colleges and universities now live in a sea of Colleges and universities now live in a sea of changed expectations…changed expectations…”” (Newman, Couturier, & Scurry, (Newman, Couturier, & Scurry, 2004)2004)
““We are entering a period in which the capacity We are entering a period in which the capacity to nourish and manage change will be one of the to nourish and manage change will be one of the most important abilities of all.most important abilities of all.”” (Duderstadt, 2000)(Duderstadt, 2000)
Being a Faculty Member is Being a Faculty Member is Important WorkImportant Work
Faculty members: Faculty members: – the the ““heartheart”” of a college of a college– the intellectual capitalthe intellectual capital
The work of the faculty enables colleges to The work of the faculty enables colleges to fulfill their fulfill their missionsmissions..
The quality of the faculty relates directly to The quality of the faculty relates directly to institutional effectivenessinstitutional effectiveness..
Key QuestionKey QuestionWhat important trends in higher education are What important trends in higher education are impacting the professoriate and classroom impacting the professoriate and classroom teaching now and in the coming years—and may teaching now and in the coming years—and may need to be considered in CIRTL programming?need to be considered in CIRTL programming?
Key Trends affecting the Key Trends affecting the ProfessoriateProfessoriate
Changing Societal ContextChanging Societal Context
Developments in the Information and Developments in the Information and Technology AgeTechnology Age
The Changing Student BodyThe Changing Student Body
Changes in Academic Work ItselfChanges in Academic Work Itself
Changing Societal ContextChanging Societal Context
The Changing Societal ContextThe Changing Societal Context
Role of Market ForcesRole of Market Forces
– Emphasis on competition, efficiency, cost-Emphasis on competition, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, performanceeffectiveness, performance
– Shift from higher education as public good to private Shift from higher education as public good to private goodgood
– Increased institutional accountability coupled with Increased institutional accountability coupled with heightened demandsheightened demands
– Rising costs but reductions in government fundingRising costs but reductions in government funding
The Changing Societal ContextThe Changing Societal Context
Changing Employment MarketChanging Employment Market
– Strong emphasis on job preparation and successStrong emphasis on job preparation and success
– Yet many jobs of the future donYet many jobs of the future don’’t currently existt currently exist
– Press for better completion ratesPress for better completion rates
– Demands on curriculum: relevance and timeliness of Demands on curriculum: relevance and timeliness of curriculumcurriculum
The Changing Societal ContextThe Changing Societal Context
Demands for AccountabilityDemands for Accountability
– Skepticism from the publicSkepticism from the public
– Emphasis on demonstrating and quantifying Emphasis on demonstrating and quantifying learning outcomeslearning outcomes
The Changing Societal ContextThe Changing Societal Context
Increasingly Global WorldIncreasingly Global World
– International connectedness of the economic International connectedness of the economic landscapelandscape
– Major national issues exist in a global contextMajor national issues exist in a global context
– Skills needed for working in an Skills needed for working in an internationalized workplaceinternationalized workplace
The Changing Societal ContextThe Changing Societal Context
The Changing Nature of Higher The Changing Nature of Higher EducationEducation’’s Covenant with Societys Covenant with Society
– Missions:Missions:Advancing knowledgeAdvancing knowledge
Supporting economic healthSupporting economic health
Preparing citizensPreparing citizens
Addressing societal and global problemsAddressing societal and global problems
Transforming livesTransforming lives
The Changing Societal ContextThe Changing Societal Context
Implications: Faculty must be…Implications: Faculty must be…
– Entrepreneurial, flexibleEntrepreneurial, flexible
– Understand assessmentUnderstand assessment
– Able to engage effectively with the publicAble to engage effectively with the public
– Highly productivity and efficientHighly productivity and efficient
– Able to move between specialization and Able to move between specialization and ““big picturebig picture”” ideasideas
Developments in TechnologyDevelopments in Technology
Developments in TechnologyDevelopments in Technology
Changes in traditional classroomsChanges in traditional classrooms– Flipped classroomsFlipped classrooms– Clickers, use of Internet, IPadsClickers, use of Internet, IPads
Online LearningOnline Learning– Rapid expansion of interest and availabilityRapid expansion of interest and availability– Blended and fully online settingBlended and fully online setting
Developments in TechnologyDevelopments in Technology
Personalized and Social Learning Personalized and Social Learning ContextsContexts
– Customized learningCustomized learning
– No time and space barriers to learningNo time and space barriers to learning
Microblogging, Twitter, Wikis and blogs, Microblogging, Twitter, Wikis and blogs, instant messenging, etc.instant messenging, etc.
Developments in TechnologyDevelopments in Technology
MOOCsMOOCs
– Harvard, MIT, BerkeleyHarvard, MIT, Berkeley
– CoursearaCourseara
– One instructor/ thousands of studentsOne instructor/ thousands of students
Developments in TechnologyDevelopments in Technology
New Technologies in ResearchNew Technologies in Research
– New ways to workNew ways to workEx: Digital HumanitiesEx: Digital Humanities
– Large and cross-distance collaborationsLarge and cross-distance collaborations
Developments in TechnologyDevelopments in Technology
Implications for Faculty WorkImplications for Faculty Work
– Keeping up with knowledgeKeeping up with knowledge– Working across disciplinary and national linesWorking across disciplinary and national lines– Learning new technologiesLearning new technologies– Dealing with changing workloadsDealing with changing workloads– Changing relationships between teachers and Changing relationships between teachers and
studentsstudents– Ability to create new kinds of learning communitiesAbility to create new kinds of learning communities– Shifts in teaching skills—guide, resource, facilitator, Shifts in teaching skills—guide, resource, facilitator,
evaluatorevaluator
The Changing Characteristics The Changing Characteristics of Studentsof Students
The Changing Student BodyThe Changing Student Body
Increasing diversity among studentsIncreasing diversity among students
Increasing demands for relevance, Increasing demands for relevance, convenience, and efficiencyconvenience, and efficiency
Facility with technology and Facility with technology and connectednessconnectedness
The Changing Student BodyThe Changing Student Body
Implications for faculty work:Implications for faculty work:
– Learner-centered teachingLearner-centered teaching
– Support for full range of students needsSupport for full range of students needs
– Skills in feedback and assessment of learning Skills in feedback and assessment of learning outcomesoutcomes
– Ability to interact with, advise, and understand Ability to interact with, advise, and understand diverse studentsdiverse students
Changes in Academic WorkChanges in Academic Work
Changes in Academic WorkChanges in Academic Work
Changes in AppointmentsChanges in Appointments
– Shift toward less secure appointment typesShift toward less secure appointment types
– Employment at multiple sites—Employment at multiple sites—””free agentsfree agents””
– Lower salaries and benefitsLower salaries and benefits
– Less institutional influence and powerLess institutional influence and power
Changes in Academic WorkChanges in Academic Work
Changes in Early Career FacultyChanges in Early Career Faculty
– Diverse—gender, race/ethnicityDiverse—gender, race/ethnicity
– Interested in flexibility, balance, meaningInterested in flexibility, balance, meaning
– Concerns about:Concerns about:
Balance in work lifeBalance in work life
Collegiality and communityCollegiality and community
Expectations and evaluation Expectations and evaluation
Changes in Academic WorkChanges in Academic Work
Changes in the Academic WorkplaceChanges in the Academic Workplace
– Escalating pace and workloadEscalating pace and workload
– Sense of declining power and autonomySense of declining power and autonomy
– Need for continuous professional Need for continuous professional developmentdevelopment
– Challenge of maintaining sense of communityChallenge of maintaining sense of community
Changes in Academic WorkChanges in Academic Work
Implications for FacultyImplications for Faculty
– Create supportive academic workplacesCreate supportive academic workplaces
– Provide ongoing professional developmentProvide ongoing professional development
– Create opportunities for bridge across faculty Create opportunities for bridge across faculty generations and appointment typesgenerations and appointment types
Consider…Consider…
Given these trends, what further Given these trends, what further implications do we see for the implications do we see for the professoriate—and for CIRTL?professoriate—and for CIRTL?
Perils for the Professoriate??Perils for the Professoriate??
A bifurcated or alienated facultyA bifurcated or alienated faculty
Diminished collegiality and communityDiminished collegiality and community
Personal/ professional tensionsPersonal/ professional tensions
Diminished institutional commitmentDiminished institutional commitment
Unresponsiveness to societal needsUnresponsiveness to societal needs
Diminished academic qualityDiminished academic quality
Possibilities for the ProfessoriatePossibilities for the Professoriate
Greater creativity and innovative thinkingGreater creativity and innovative thinking
More collaboration and collegialityMore collaboration and collegiality
A more diverse workforceA more diverse workforce
More flexibility in academic careersMore flexibility in academic careers
Greater responsiveness to societal needsGreater responsiveness to societal needs
To Ensure Possibility over Peril, higher To Ensure Possibility over Peril, higher education institutions will need …education institutions will need …
A A culture of respect and supportculture of respect and support for all staff for all staff
Institutional conversationInstitutional conversations about the nature of the s about the nature of the profession and the meaning of academic workprofession and the meaning of academic work
Ongoing Ongoing opportunities for professional learningopportunities for professional learning
Institutional Institutional policiespolicies that reflect and respond to the that reflect and respond to the characteristics of todaycharacteristics of today’’s facultys faculty
Opportunities for collegiality and communityOpportunities for collegiality and community
Consider…Consider…
What are the implications of What are the implications of anticipated changes in the anticipated changes in the academy on the ways CIRTL academy on the ways CIRTL prepares future faculty?prepares future faculty?
Consider…Consider…
ResourcesResources
Gappa, J. M., Austin, A. E., Trice, A. G. (2007). Gappa, J. M., Austin, A. E., Trice, A. G. (2007). Rethinking Faculty Rethinking Faculty Work and Workplaces: Higher EducationWork and Workplaces: Higher Education’’s Strategic Imperative. s Strategic Imperative. San San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Cummings, W.K., & Finkelstein, M.J. (2012). Cummings, W.K., & Finkelstein, M.J. (2012). Scholars in the Scholars in the Changing American Academy: New ContextChanging American Academy: New Contexts, New Rules and New s, New Rules and New Roles. New York: Springer.Roles. New York: Springer.
Quinn, C.N. (2012). Quinn, C.N. (2012). The Mobile Academy: mLearning for Higher The Mobile Academy: mLearning for Higher EducationEducation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Renn, K.A., & Reason, R. D. (2013). Renn, K.A., & Reason, R. D. (2013). College Students in the United College Students in the United States: Characteristics, Experiences, and OutcomesStates: Characteristics, Experiences, and Outcomes. San . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Contact InformationContact Information
Ann E. AustinAnn E. AustinProfessor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Professor, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong
EducationEducation419A Erickson Hall419A Erickson HallMichigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824East Lansing, MI 48824Tel: 517-355-6757Tel: 517-355-6757E-Mail: E-Mail: [email protected]
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