Faculty Learning Communities: Taking Collective Action to Improve Teaching and Learning in Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies

Abstract

Nonprofit management and philanthropic studies education is increasingly viewed as an interdisciplinary enterprise (Mirabella, 2013; Shier & Handy, 2014; Turner, 2007). This poses a unique challenge for educators who are increasingly accountable for assessment of student learning and job placement as key measures of university success. In interdisciplinary programs, faculty from various disciplinary perspectives must work collectively to develop courses and curricula to reach targeted learning outcomes and prepare graduates for their career and civic lives (Bryer, 2014). The Faculty Learning Community (FLC) model is an avenue for convening faculty in a collegial environment to improve teaching and learning. FLCs are a professional development strategy “grounded upon the cultivation of positive collegial, interpersonal, and collaborative relationships” (Ortquist-Ahrens & Torosyan, 2009, p. 31). A case study from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy provides evidence of outcomes generated from using this approach and includes recommendations for replication in various contexts.