Abstract
Faculty research has led to a plethora of innovations and entrepreneurial resources (I&E), allowing for enhancements to the greater social good including, but not limited to, technological and economic advancements. Faculty I&E also enhances faculty competitiveness for funding, institutional image and fundraising, and supports students’ workforce preparation. Over time institutions of higher education have recognized the value of faculty I&E in their mission statements and strategic plans. Yet commensurate promotion and tenure processes and policies are not a given, within and across institutions, and many faculties may be in the position of weighing their own interests in I&E activity against a lack of its explicit value in academia. Admittedly, though, an empirical basis regarding these suspicions is limited. Herein, we describe our work: 1) mapping the otherwise unknown terrain of factors relevant to the evaluation of tenure-line faculty members’ I&E in promotion considerations in the US, via a survey of 99 unique institutions across the academic spectrum and, from this, 2) advancing recommendations to inform a non-binding alliance of over 67 US institutions that share a common commitment to pursuing best practices for inclusively recognizing faculty I&E impact through university reward structures.
Highlights
As university-based researchers raced to contribute knowledge for the worldwide response to COVID-19, we were reminded of how faculty research has led to a plethora of innovations, methods, services, or technologies with potential to enhance the social good [1], considering ever-evolving needs [2]
In promotion side items of our creation, our survey asked about faculty in promotion and tenure policies and practices, how their institutions and organizations (e.g.,tenure department, discipline) are currently influencing this, the extent to which diverse institutions of higher education personnel value faculty innovations and entrepreneurial resources (I&E), how able they feel in evaluating it, relevant faculty and student training, and interests in collaborative efforts in integrating I&E in P&T
I&E include those to faculty members, themselves, their institutions, and students
Summary
As university-based researchers raced to contribute knowledge for the worldwide response to COVID-19, we were reminded of how faculty research (including that starting as basic science) has led to a plethora of innovations, methods, services, or technologies with potential to enhance the social good [1], considering ever-evolving needs [2]. Faculty research is one way that institutions of higher education serve the greater public. Faculty reap rewards of their scholarly endeavors in the form of salary and professional advancement, promotion, and (potentially) tenure (which equates to security of employment in the United States of America). Awarding of promotion and tenure extends beyond faculty research, often including assessment of their accomplishments as educators, providers of service and outreach, and (at times) their leadership and administration.
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