Understanding Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Participation in Residential

Learning Communities at Research-Extensive Institutions

Kirsten Kennedy, Ph.D.

University of Missouri - Columbia

Purpose

To understand tenured/tenure-track faculty motivation to participate in residential learning communities at research-extensive institutions.

Rationale

Current research on faculty participation in learning communities does not differentiate by institutional type or by tenured/tenure-track (TTT) status of faculty (LaPoint, 1995; Golde & Pribbenow, 2000; Einarson & Clarkberg, 2004)

The motivation of faculty participation needed to be explored to better understand faculty’s motivation, given a (TTT) reward structure that marginalizes this participation.

Practioners’ ability to recruit faculty

Learning Communities

“small subgroups of students … characterized by a common sense of purpose … that can be used to build a sense of group identity, cohesiveness, and uniqueness that encourage continuity and the integration of diverse curricular and co-curricular experiences” (Astin, 1985, p. 161).

Learning Communities

“…refers to a variety of curricular approaches that intentionally link or cluster two or more courses, often around an interdisciplinary them or problem, and enroll a common cohort of students. They represent an intentional restructuring of students’ time, credit, and learning experiences to build community, enhance learning, and foster connections among students, faculty and disciplines” (Smith, MacGregor, Matthews, & Gabelnick, 2004).

Benefits to Students

Increased manageability of large campuses by dividing into subsetsIncreased faculty-student interaction

Enhanced cognitive developmentIncreased academic achievement and retention

Increased satisfaction with collegiate experienceIncreased student involvementIncreased interaction with peersEnhanced growth and development

Effects on Institutions

Increased enrollment yields

Increased freshman to sophomore retention rates

Increased student affairs and academic affairs personnel interaction

Possible increase in monetary donations

Effects on Participating Faculty

Renewed sense of excitement about teaching

Change in teaching strategies

Better prepared students

Faculty Work Life Issues

Institutional mission creep/academic ratchet

Shift in faculty time allocation among research, teaching, and service

Faculty concerns about promotion and tenure

Why Do Faculty Participate at Your Institution?

Groups of about 6

Name

Institution

Institutional Type (Research, Liberal Arts, Doctoral, Comprehensive, etc.)

Why your faculty participate

Role Play

I am an assistant professor in the chemistry department at your institution. You want me to become a faculty participant in your residential learning community because students have said that I’m a really great professor. You take me to lunch to try to convince me….

Conceptual Framework – Motivational Systems Theory

Motivation: “the organized patterning of three psychological functions that serve to direct, energize, and regulate goal-directed activity: personal goals, emotional arousal processes, and personal agency beliefs” (Ford, 1992, p. 3).

Conceptual Framework

Personal Agency BeliefsContext beliefs

Department’s level of supportiveness

Role in promotion and tenure process

Capability beliefsAbility to make a commitment to the residential learning community

Time

Role in residential learning community

Research Questions

Why did tenured/tenure-track faculty participate in residential learning communities?

If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member chose not to participate in a residential learning community what were the reasons?

Research Questions (cont’d)

If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member ceased to participate in a residential learning community, what were the reasons?

What role did the promotion and tenure structure play in the decision to participate or not participate in a residential learning community?

Collection Sites

Three Research-Extensive Institutions

Residential Learning Communitiesroles for faculty

length of time in operation

depth of development

breadth of offerings

Participant Selection

Contacted learning community recruiter at each institution

Sought varied faculty participation levels

Employed purposeful sampling

Participants

Interviewed 48 faculty36 tenured/tenure-track12 contingent faculty

Participation Status TTT24 current participants6 former participants6 non participants

Gender TTT10 female26 male

Institution TTT18 from Institution 114 from Institution 24 from Institution 3

Faculty Rank TTT2 assistant professors9 associate professors25 full professors

Race/EthnicityNone self-identifiedResearcher did not ask

Data Collection

Semi-structured interviews

Loosely structured interview protocol

Six weeks’ data collection period in spring 2005

Data Analysis

Interviews tape recorded

Tapes transcribed

Analyzed using codingGeneral (Open) coding

Axial coding

Selective coding (story line developed)

#1. Why did tenured/tenure-track faculty participate in residential learning communities?

Faculty enjoyed interacting with students

Faculty liked having a positive influence on students’ academic performance and social integration

Faculty in administrative roles saw recruitment and retention benefits

Male faculty wanted to be seen as approachable by students

Women faculty in science and engineering majors wanted to keep women in the majors by providing a network of support

#1. cont’d

Why did tenured/tenure-track faculty participate in residential learning communities?

Non factorsProfessional goals

Drawbacks to participationLack of time

Disrespect for faculty time

#2. If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member chose not to participate in a residential learning community, what were the reasons?

Had other outlets for interacting with studentsFelt awkward dealing with the affective side of studentsThought it inappropriate and intrusive to interact with students in the residence hall environment

#3. If a tenured/tenure-track faculty member ceased to participate in a residential learning community, what were the reasons?

Had pre-determined terms of serviceCited lack of time for stopping their participationWere sometimes unsure of their role in the learning communityPerceived disrespect for their time

#4. What role did the promotion and tenure structure play in the decision to participate or not participate in a residential learning community?

Sacrificed research time to participate in the learning community

Had already done enough research

Multi-tasked to fit in all of their activities

Thought participation would count as service or for credit in teaching

Thought participation would have no effect on promotion and/or tenure

Analysis – MST Taxonomy of Personal Agency Belief Patterns

Context Beliefs

Capability Beliefs

Strong Moderate Weak

PositiveRobust

Modest Fragile

Neutral Tenacious VulnerableSelf-

Doubting

NegativeAccepting

OR Antagonistic

Discouraged Hopeless

Adapted from Ford (1992)

Personal Agency Belief Patterns – Current Participants

Context Beliefs   Capability Beliefs

Strong Moderate Weak

PositiveRobust

(9)Modest

(2)

NeutralTenacious

(6)Vulnerable

(2)

Self-Doubting

(1)

NegativeAccepting

(2)Discouraged

(1)Hopeless

(1)

Personal Agency Belief Patterns – Former Participants

 Context Beliefs Capability Beliefs

Strong Moderate Weak

PositiveModest

(1)

NeutralSelf-

Doubting(1)

NegativeAccepting

(1)Discouraged

(2)Hopeless

(1)

Personal Agency Belief Patterns – Non Participants

Context Beliefs Capability Beliefs

Strong Moderate Weak

PositiveRobust

(1)

NeutralVulnerable

(2)

NegativeAccepting

(1)Hopeless

(2)

Personal Agency Beliefs

Context Beliefs

Capability Beliefs

Strong Moderate Weak

   

Positive Robust Modest Fragile

       

Neutral Tenacious VulnerableSelf-

Doubting

       

Negative Accepting    

  OR Discouraged Hopeless

  Antagonistic    

Implications for Practice

Identify faculty who enjoy working with students Know and articulate the role for faculty in residential learning communitiesRespect faculty timeBe aware of faculty member’s stage in promotion/tenure processBe aware of size of the faculty member’s department

Practically Speaking…

Ask the faculty member about the extent of support from the department

Put faculty in touch with other faculty who currently participate (underground network)

Try to influence those factors you can

Realize that some faculty will simply “cycle out”

Sharing Results