Freshman Faculty Forum, October 12, 2011 What Is Expected of You As a New Faculty Member at S&T presented by Philip D. Whitefield Interim Vice Provost

Freshman Faculty Forum, October 12, 2011

What Is Expected of You Asa New Faculty Member at S&T

presented byPhilip D. Whitefield

Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Based on a lecture prepared and presented byRobert W. Schwartz

Interim Provost for Academic AffairsProfessor, Materials Science & Engineering

“It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.” ~ U.S. Peace Corps advertisement

http://www.mst.edu/


Topics for Today

Our mission and its relation to expectations of your involvement and contributions

Expectations: who sets them and where they come from

Some excerpts from our policies that define expectations

The university’s mission and you Tips for achieving expectations and success,

including beyond research and teaching

http://www.mst.edu/


Expectations Compared to Mission

S&T Mission: Missouri University of Science and Technology integrates education and research to create and convey knowledge to solve problems for our State and the technological world.

UM: The mission of the University of Missouri, as a land–grant university and Missouri’s only public research and doctoral–level institution, is to discover, disseminate, preserve, and apply knowledge. The university promotes learning by its students and lifelong learning by Missouri’s citizens, fosters innovation to support economic development, and advances the health, cultural, and social interests of the people of Missouri, the nation, and the world.

http://www.mst.edu/


World Class Scholars in All Disciplines

Dr. Shannon L. FoggAssistant Professor of History

“The pursuit of ever-decreasing precious goods forced a variety of strangers to interact on a daily

basis, creating tensions and alliances between individuals as a result of material concerns”

Now think about today:• Energy demand predicted to increase

by 20% in next 20 years• Petroleum reserves being depleted• Alternative energy sources not ready• And… “The World is Flat”

http://www.mst.edu/


“Missouri S&T prepares the best and the brightest students to meet the challenges of a global society. As one of the nation’s top technological research universities, it is our honor

and our duty to educate and inspire tomorrow’s leaders from across the

nation and around the world.”

~ John F. Carney III Chancellor

(retired Aug 2011)

http://www.mst.edu/


Perspectives Regarding Public Higher Education

Professional preparation (for the individual)

For the benefit of society

“… the constant search for truth is the hallmark of the University” (from CRR 310.015)

http://www.mst.edu/


Expectations: Where They Come From

Department Workload determined by department chair Promotion and/or tenure policy Expectations of colleagues (departmental “self-policing”) Needs Department citizenship

University Workload policy – 12 credit hours per semester, with release for research

and service (Provost site) Qualifications for Professorial Academic Ranks

• Campus Policy II-10: (TT/Tenured) (see HRS website)

• Campus Policy II-12: Non-Tenure Track Faculty (see HRS website)

Needs and citizenship Institutional mission

http://www.mst.edu/


Expectations: Where They Come From

UM System CRR 310.020: Regulations Governing Application of Tenure CRR 310.035: Non-Tenure Track Faculty CRR 320.035: Policy and Procedures for Promotion and Tenure

Self-Imposed Standard for effort as well as level of success and contributions

expected of yourself Career goals (Associate Professor, Professor, endowed

professor, named chair, administrative position…) Fellow status (sought) Awards (sought)

http://www.mst.edu/


What Are the Expectations?

You are not “on the clock“ Members of the learned professions, whether faculty or

administrators, by tradition and practice, give generously of their time, energies, and abilities to further their institution's goals and purposes and their own professional pursuits. There is no reasonable way of regulating the hours devoted to such activities and no meaningful way of measuring them.”

“Truly professional scholars, teachers, researchers, and administrators devote significant portions of their waking hours to such pursuits.”

~ Clemson University Faculty Manual, 2010, Part IX – Professional Practices, C – Work Schedule

http://www.mst.edu/


CRR Policy Excerpts

310.020 – Tenure: The probationary period is to allow reasonable time for faculty members to establish their academic performance … to evaluate performance and future performance…

320.035 – Promotion and Tenure: The University seeks faculty members who are genuinely creative scholars and

inspired teachers and who are dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and its transmission to others.

Outstanding intellectual qualities as reflected in teaching and scholarship are the primary criteria…

Additional criteria include professionally-oriented service contributions, and service to a faculty member’s department, school, college and univ.

In unusual circumstances, tenure may be recommended for demonstrated excellence in teaching, even in the absence of significant published research.

… service shall not substitute for teaching and scholarship Sustained contributions essential

http://www.mst.edu/


S&T Policy Excerpts

For promotion to Associate Professor (TT to T) Possess the enthusiasm and capacity to motivate students Have demonstrated the capacity for independent creative

thinking Be recognized by colleagues and peers as making significant

contributions to departmental and institutional goals

For promotion to Associate Teaching Professor (demonstrate most or all) Effectiveness over a period of several years in teaching, based

on assessment of students and peers A record of sustained advisement of undergraduate students Production of effective learning support materials in the form of

course development, improved teaching techniques…

http://www.mst.edu/


S&T Policy Excerpts: P&T CommitteesCampus P/T Subcommittees List 2011-2012Engineering SubcommitteeLast Name First Name Title DepartmentForciniti Daniel Professor Chemical & Biological Eng.Burken Joel Professor Civil, Architectural & Enviornmental Eng.Chowdhury Badrul Professor Electrical & Computer Eng.Murray Susan Professor Engineering Management & Systems Eng.Anderson Neil Professor Geological Sciences & EngineeringSchlesinger Mark Professor Materials Science & EngineeringRiggins David Professor Mechanical & Aerospace Eng.Worsey Paul Professor Mining & Nuclear Eng.

Sciences SubcommitteeLast Name First Name DepartmentMormile Melanie Professor Biological SciencesMa Yinfa Professor ChemistryLiu Frank Professor Computer ScienceSamaranayake V.A. Professor Mathematics & StatisticsParris Paul Professor Physics

Arts & Humanities SubcommitteeLast Name First Name DepartmentCohen Jerry Professor Arts, Languages & PhilosophyWatts Trent Associate Professor English & Technical CommunicationFogg Shannon Associate Professor History & Political Science

Social Sciences SubcommitteeLast Name First Name DepartmentHall Richard Professor Business & Information TechnologyPark Eun Soo Associate Professor Economics & FinanceMontgomery Dee Professor Psychological Sciences

Campus Committee &Area Specific Sub-committee

http://www.mst.edu/


Process Comments

All committee members on area and campus committees: Reminded of governing policies at beginning of each process Have historically referred to policies in making their

recommendations

Aware of Provost’s use of CRR and campus policies in preparing his recommendation

Advice: You want the strongest possible dossier to make your case.

How do you build that dossier? Think about the type of colleague you want to be and the type

of colleagues you want

http://www.mst.edu/


Practical Advice – Building Your Perspective of Expectations

Review documented policies/expectations (CRR, campus and department policies)

Measures for each of the above Invited presentations Citations External letters from “disinterested experts” Student and peer evaluations of teaching effectiveness Professional service (session chair, symposium organizer, etc.)

Ask around to find consensus among colleagues about standards of judgments (peers, senior faculty, Director FFF, etc.)

Continue to ask if consensus is lacking Note: everyone has their own perspective on promotion and/or tenure

expectations and what is required It’s a multi-level review and recommendation process

http://www.mst.edu/


Advice for Engineers and Scientists Seeking Promotion

Tenure Track: Success/contributions in all mission areas (research, teaching and

service) through a wide variety of measures External sponsorship, publications, graduate student advisement,

establishment of research laboratory, students graduated, citations, invited presentations, leadership in professional societies (not expected during probationary period), link between $ and education

Other examples given in CRR

Non-Tenure Track Teaching – sustained teaching effectiveness, pedagogical innovations,

demonstrated effectiveness in student advising, etc. Research – scholarship, publications, presentations at technical society

meetings, graduate student advisement, preparation of successful proposals, contributions to research group success, involvement with technical societies

http://www.mst.edu/


Advice for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Seeking Promotion

Tenure Track: Success/contributions in all mission areas through a wide variety of measures External sponsorship (only in some disciplines), publications (can be book,

manuscript, performance), graduate student advisement, establishment of research laboratory, students graduated (for departments with grad programs), citations, invited talks, leadership in professional societies (not expected during probationary period)

Other examples given in CRR

Non-Tenure Track Teaching – sustained teaching effectiveness, pedagogical innovations,

demonstrated effectiveness in student advising, Research (few) – scholarship, publications, presentations at society

meetings, graduate student advisement, preparation of successful proposals, contributions to research group success, involvement with professional society

http://www.mst.edu/


Data Sources/Benchmarks for Progress

Annual review (T/TT and NTT) Thorough discussion with chair regarding contributions during previous

year, opportunities for improvement, areas of concern Feedback from senior colleagues

Third year review (tenure track) Focused feedback from counseling team (chair, VPAA, three P/T

representatives) regarding progress and any areas of concern

Office of Sponsored Programs Data available on research productivity as measured through proposals

and grants

Teaching effectiveness CET (Committee for Effective Teaching), student comments, peer

evaluations, chair evaluation Mid-semester teaching evaluations

http://www.mst.edu/


Identify the area of scholarship for which you have passion Fundamental work Applied or more industrially focused

Know the literature Don’t reinvent the wheel (whether in a proposal or a paper) Leads to better ability to identify opportunities Can cite state of the art work in your proposals

Partnerships with senior colleagues and research centers Balance your goals and interests vs. opportunities Be selective in accepting graduate students Get to know program managers by reviewing proposals and serving

on panels when asked Include an assessment plan in your proposals Provide accurate budget estimate. Re-evaluate how close to costs

your budget request was for future proposals When it’s all said and done, be able to point to your scholarly

contributions

Scholarship and Research Tips

http://www.mst.edu/


Some Teaching Tips

Understand student expectations Always do your best Fair and equitable treatment of students and class as a whole Efforts to engage students Examples and real world scenarios Use of technology

Lots of resources – use them to improve your teaching Don’t forget – you probably weren’t trained to teach and may not have

seen “best practices” Figure out your style (what works for you) and your personal

philosophy Continual improvement; evolutionary vs. revolutionary revisions Negotiate new prep loads Become recognized for your effectiveness in specific courses

http://www.mst.edu/


Service and Citizenship Tips

Department, campus and professional A great way to get exposure (campus and external) Networking

Don’t be invisible! Get out of your office once in awhile Give folks the chance to get to know you You’ll be surprised what opportunities can be created

Great opportunities: For development of non-technical skills To understand how the campus (or organization) operates For dissemination of technical work To build personal/professional networkKEEP SERVICE IN PERSPECTIVE!!!

http://www.mst.edu/


Some Goals for Measuring Progress

“Thou shalt know thy department averages” Average CET scores Averages for scholarship metrics (publications, presentations, books,

graduation rates, grantsmanship) Citizenship and service contributions Discipline (engineering, science, humanities,…) vs. department

Compare your accomplishments, contributions and progress to your peers in your general discipline (our and other institutions)

Realize that, in some ways, you will be evaluated as our employers evaluate prospective hires (performance and potential)

Open and frank discussion with your chair, mentor(s) and others How am I doing? What do I need to improve on? Am I viewed as a good department citizen?

Develop an effective mirror and get comfortable looking into it

http://www.mst.edu/


General Success Strategies

Health and family come first But discuss with spouse and family, level of effort required to meet

expectations Make time to take advantage of opportunities presented for

professional development Workshops, FFF, NFTS II, VPAA mentoring sessions Shows engagement Lots of resources available on campus – use them!

Cultivate colleagues Develop mentors, friends, and professional associates Figure out who will give you the straight story

Ask questions (and if necessary, ask for help) Regularly self-assess to identify areas that require attention,

establish goals, and target opportunities Be pro-active in learning about expectations!

http://www.mst.edu/


More Success Strategies

Set short and long term goals and monitor progress Annual review is also good time for self assessment

Time management, general level of effort and flexibility in schedule Set times for different activities (e.g., writing) and stick to them Consider adhering to your posted office hours

Identify approaches and work locations that contribute to your productivity Office vs. library vs. home (careful here)

Look for synergies between your research and teaching Use your academic support system (chair, senior colleagues, peers,

NFP Director, VPAA) Document your accomplishments and maintain an up to date CV

(also use FAS – Faculty Accomplishment System) Remember you will be judged by:

Contributions in all three mission areas: scholarship, teaching, service Your successes and contributions, not your effort Other “subjective” factors (not only technical contributions)

http://www.mst.edu/


Career Building Tips

Look for, and work on, things that you are passionate about

Volunteer (perhaps less at early career stages) and accept challenges as growth opportunities

Be engaged. Long term, become “one of the usual suspects”

Continue to build self-awareness Strengths and areas of opportunity for improvement What skills will help you succeed? Partnerships and relationships

http://www.mst.edu/


What the Pro’s Say About Needed Skills

From: For Your Improvement: A Guide for Development and Coaching (Lombardo and Eichinger)

67 “competencies” that will enable your success (some examples below) Action oriented Humor Business acumen Integrity and Trust Compassion Listening Composure Motivating Others Creativity Perseverance Delegation Problem Solving Develop Direct Reports Technical Expertise Ethics and Values Time Management Hiring and Staffing Written Communication

http://www.mst.edu/


Categorization of Competencies

From: For Your Improvement Strategic Skills Operating Skills Courage Energy and Drive Organizational Positioning Skills Personal and Interpersonal Skills People Focus and Management Results Focus and Facilitation

http://www.mst.edu/


How Will You “Fit In”? How Do You “Succeed”?

Develop your research, teaching and your own personal philosophy about higher education and how you will contribute to: Institutional mission Student success

Connection with and commitment to students and their learning and personal/professional growth.

Lots of ways to make important contributions During probationary period – must focus on key aspects of

mission (research and/or teaching)

Don’t forget professional development!

http://www.mst.edu/


But above all have fun!!!

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do…….”

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something……”

Extracted from the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.

http://www.mst.edu/

Documents

Freshman Faculty Forum, October 12, 2011 What Is Expected of You As a New Faculty Member at S&T presented by Philip D. Whitefield Interim Vice Provost