5f. Unit Facilitation of Professional Development
5f1. How is professional development related to
needs outlined in faculty evaluations? How does this happen?
As stated above, every faculty member must submit a document
of expectations and written narratives on performance in research, teaching and
service every year. Department review of this material results in written
feedback on strengths and weaknesses in each area and suggested areas for
additional professional development. The College has a Faculty Development and
Awards Committee that plans all professional-development related retreats and
events. Ideas for these retreats are generally gathered throughout the year
and coordinated through the associate dean’s office. For instance, during the
2006-07 year several faculty mentioned a need to learn more about RTI (Response
to Intervention) that was now being implemented in public schools in the
service area. After several focus group sessions and book talks, the college decided
to plan the spring 2008 retreat on this topic. Several nationally-recognized
guest speakers were brought in and a half-day retreat was well attended.
5f2. What professional development activities
are offered to faculty related to performance assessment, diversity,
technology, emerging practices, and any aspect of the unit’s conceptual
framework?
UW-Whitewater
provides many opportunities for professional development in a wide array of
areas. Designed by faculty and academic staff, the Learn Center (Learning Enhancement, Assessment,
and Research Network) has been in operation since 1998. Its
mission is to assist faculty and instructional academic staff in their ongoing
efforts to develop and refine their skills as teacher/scholars and to support
academic programs in their efforts to optimize student learning. It provides
services such as the Scholar/Mentor Program, Collaborative
Research Network, teaching
and learning workshops, Peer
Coaching Program, scholar support services, a
comprehensive First Year Program, Teaching Scholars Program, Master
Teacher Program, information on diversity
and inclusion, technology
and teaching, assessment, and regular lunch hour reading
discussion clubs. The Learn Center
also runs the department Chairs’
Council workshops and outstanding
faculty and staff awards competition. Professional development related to technology is handled through
the Instructional, Communication & Information Technology (iCIT) training services and the Learning
Technology Center (LTC). Both
groups offer a variety of face to face and online workshops, web-based
tutorials and ongoing seminars related to technology and teaching.
5f3. How often does faculty participate in professional development
activities both on and off campus? [Note: Include adjunct/part-time, tenured
and non-tenured faculty, as well as graduate teaching assistants].
The unit generally provides a fall and
spring retreat for all faculty and staff in the College. Retreat foci in the
past three years have included collegiality, NCATE, Response to Intervention,
collaboration, goal setting, and legal issues. While attendance at these
retreats are voluntary, most professional education faculty regularly come. As
noted above, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater also provides many
professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. The LEARN Center
has provided a breakdown of faculty attendance by college. The College of
Education has the largest per capita participation in these workshops.
Optional
1. What does your unit do particularly well related to Standard 5?
On the whole, the Unit provides multi-tiered checks and balances in the hiring, promotion and tenure of faculty and staff. Upon tenure, the process continues with post-tenure reviews, as well as systematic reviews of the quality of the curriculum and the qualifications and performances of faculty/staff throughout the Unit. The Unit, supported by the University, provides multiple levels of assistance for faculty development in technology, curriculum, research, teaching, and service.
2. Research Conducted by Unit Related to Standard 5
Please refer to faculty research document in support section.
