Section II: A Primer for Faculty Development Professionals

Authors

Date of this Version

1991

Document Type

Article

Citation

To Improve the Academy, published by The Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, volume 10, 1991.

Comments

License: CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

Faculty development is a sophisticated, dynamic, demanding, and challenging field that calls for professional staff possessing a broad range of competencies, skills, and positive personal qualities. Indeed, as Sell and Chism point out in an earlier article, the "range of competencies and attributes needed for a faculty developer suggests a person who can 'walk on water' -- one who has a rare blend of conceptual, technical, interpersonal, and organizational skills." But even those developers fortunate enough to possess such enviable skills and attributes need something else if they are to flourish as facilitators. The formula for success calls for still another essential ingredient-the help and counsel of professional colleagues. Sharing is not only the hallmark of our enterprise, but also the secret of our survival. The first chapter in the success stories of most faculty development professionals follows a predictable scenario. Those familiar with the field have probably heard it dozens of times: At first I didn't know which way to turn, but I gained a sense of direction after picking up the phone and talking to a few of the "veterans."