Instructor Development: A Model for Growth and Success

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An Instructor Development Programming Task Force was appointed at the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries in the summer of 2010. The group was charged with investigating existing models of professional development programs for instruction librarians at other university libraries, as well as recommending a model for implementation at KU. A recommended model needed to provide opportunities for discussion of new trends, theories, and methods in instruction, as well as information literacy standards and concepts. The Task Force designed and administered a survey for all library faculty and staff who teach in order to gather feedback that could be used to design useful and focused professional development opportunities. In addition, Task Force members reviewed other professional development programming models in vogue at research universities across the country to learn about other aspects of program development that could be considered within the KU context. Discussion within the Task Force also focused on the structure of the model itself. While such discussions were informed by survey results and consideration of other models, Task Force members were aware of the greater emphasis placed on the assessment of instruction in current higher education environments. The purpose of this paper is to provide reflections about the work of the Instructional Development Programming Task Force as it worked to develop a model specifically focused on the needs of instruction librarians, informed by results of an in-house survey, review of other models, and consideration of current trends.