Module 12 examines the not so glamorous requirements of college faculty.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this module, you should be able to .

12.1. Describe faculty appointment responsibilities that may exist in the areas of teaching, research and service at varying post-secondary institutions.

12.2. Identify potential research and granting activities engaged in by faculty at varying post-secondary institutions.

12.3. Compare and contrast types of public, professional and institutional service faculty members may engage in.

12.4. Describe academic rank and the promotion and tenure process.

Activities

1. A university faculty member is typically involved in three primary activities; Teaching, Research and Service. The West Virgina University faculty handbook does a great job of defining what each of these mean to a faculty member. Please read and enjoy!
2. Faculty research and granting opportunities are vital to the success of many universities. External funding and the related research and programs that result provide dollars, scholarship, prestige, and overall advancement for any institution of higher learning. Simply put, in today's economic climate research and grantsmanship are a requirement for any faculty member who wishes to obtain promotion and tenure.
• Visit each link on the page of the Office of Sponsored Projects for a "snap shot" of what external funding and project approval might look like at a smaller university.
• Visit one of the following journals and choose an article that interests you. Read the abstract for the research article.
  • Journal of Agricultural Education
  • Journal of Extension
  • Journal of Southern AgEd Research
  • Journal of Nat. Res. & Life Sci. Ed.
  • NACTA
3. Faculty are required to offer service to their institution, profession and community. Read this ERIC Digest article on faculty service. Next, review this report from Rutgers University on faculty service. The report gives some great descriptions and examples of service and how it compliments faculty teaching and research. Please do not feel as if you have to read the entire report word for word.
4. Promotion and Tenure are both very important and a times stressful to faculty members. Most institutions have established a time frame in which faculty members must complete specific tasks, (i.e. - seven years), or they will be dismissed. Complete the following tasks to find out more about what faculty members must do to keep their jobs!

   • Review Tarleton's Promotion & Tenure Policies that are included in the Faculty Handbook.
   • Review Tarleton's Faculty Data Packet. Faculty must submit this dossier in order to begin the promotion and tenure process.
   • Read this ERIC Digest article on issues related to faculty promotion and tenure.
5. Read Chapter 10 in Peter Filene's, The Joy of Teaching.