Ann E. Austin Michigan State University CIRTL Network Meeting March 2, 2013

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


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


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


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 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


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


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


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.


MOOCsMOOCs

– Harvard, MIT, BerkeleyHarvard, MIT, Berkeley

– CoursearaCourseara

– One instructor/ thousands of studentsOne instructor/ thousands of students


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


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


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


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 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 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 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


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


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?


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]

Documents

Ann E. Austin Michigan State University CIRTL Network Meeting March 2, 2013