Resources

This practical, best-selling book has guided thousands of faculty through the promotion and tenure process since its publication in 1995. This new edition has been significantly revised and expanded, but has also kept its focus on process—what faculty can do to make a better case for why they should be promoted or tenured. This new edition of Preparing for Promotion, Tenure, and Annual Review contains a number of additional resources not included in the previous version—materials that are designed to help faculty prepare for a major professional review—such as post-tenure review, teaching with technology, dealing with changing guidelines and policies, and suggestions on how annual review materials can be used as a foundation for the promotion and tenure portfolio. In addition to updated references and resources, there are also expanded sections on scholarship, on teaching and on advising, on how to best document faculty role and impact as part of a team, and on collegiality. (From the Publisher)

Communities of Practice presents a theory of learning that starts with this assumption: engagement in social practice is the fundamental process by which we learn and so become who we are. The primary unit of analysis of this process is neither the individual nor social institutions but rather the informal "communities of practice" that people form as they pursue shared enterprises over time. In order to give a social account of learning, the theory explores in a systematic way the intersection of issues of community, social practice, meaning, and identity. The result is a broad conceptual framework for thinking about learning as a process of social participation. (From the Publisher)

In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential - without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable. (From the Publisher)

Simon presents Roman Catholic and Protestant perspectives on ways to nurture new faculty at church-related educational institutions, for those involved in administering faculty development programs and for those seeking advice on designing and implementing such programs. (From the Publisher)

This monograph suggests ways in which an institution can diversify its faculty and facilitate the work of the search committee before a candidate ever reaches the interview stage. It outlines a step-by-step process to improve the likelihood of a successful search, and it recommends items to consider after a hire is confirmed to ensure that the new faculty member will be more likely to stay. The sections are: (1) Before the Search Begins; (2) The Search Process; and (3) After the Search. Appendixes contain a checklist of best practices, a list of leading institutions for minority Ph.D.s, a list of baccalaureate institutions identified as producers of numbers of female doctorates; and a list of Web resources of programs for building diverse faculties. An annotated bibliography lists 59 sources for additional information. (Contains 36 references.) (From the Publisher)

Lee Shulman has been president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching since 1997. He is a former president of the American Educational Research Association as well as past president of the National Academy of Education. In this second volume of a landmark two volume collection of Shulman's best work, he addresses such compelling questions as What are the most effective approaches to teaching? How important is knowledge of subject matter to a teacher's success? And, how do we measure success in teaching and learning? (From the Publisher)

Changing our colleges and universities into learning institutions has become increasingly important at the same time it has become more difficult. Faculty learning communities have proven to be effective for addressing institutional challenges, from preparing the faculty of the future and reinvigorating senior faculty, to implementing new courses, curricula, and campus initiatives on diversity and technology. The results of faculty learning community programs parallel for faculty members the results of student learning communities for students, such as retention, deeper learning, respect for other cultures, and greater civic participation. The chapters in this issue of New Directions for Teaching and Learning describe from a practitioner's perspective the history, development, implementation, and results of faculty learning communities across a wide range of institutions and purposes. Institutions are invited to use this volume to initiate faculty learning communities on their campuses. This is the 97th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Teaching and Learning. (From the Publisher)

Winner of the Virginia and Warren Stone Prize awarded annually by Harvard University Press for an outstanding book on education and society. What makes a great teacher great? Who are the professors students remember long after graduation? This book, the conclusion of a fifteen-year study of nearly one hundred college teachers in a wide variety of fields and universities, offers valuable answers for all educators. The short answer is -- it's not what teachers do, it's what they understand. Lesson plans and lecture notes matter less than the special way teachers comprehend the subject and value human learning. Whether historians or physicists, in El Paso or St. Paul, the best teachers know their subjects inside and out -- but they also know how to engage and challenge students and to provoke impassioned responses. Most of all, they believe two things fervently: that teaching matters and that students can learn. In stories both humorous and touching, Ken Bain describes examples of ingenuity and compassion, of students' discoveries of new ideas and the depth of their own potential. What the Best College Teachers Do is a treasure trove of insight and inspiration for first-year teachers and seasoned educators alike. (From the Publisher)