Mid-career and Senior Faculty: Maintaining Vitality and Productivity

Abstract

Over the past 25 years, faculty and their work have been studied on an intensive level. In 1977, Sarason defined a “one life—one career” model, in which faculty are “called” to a profession. Numerous studies, beginning with Hodgekinson (1974) and Baldwin and Blackburn (1981), indicate that faculty as adult learners continue to explore new interests and redefine careers, particularly as age and experience increase. Although the institutional context is a mediating factor, a number of researchers, including Baldwin (1985), Creswell, et. al. (1990), Schuster and Wheeler (1990), Simpson (1990), and Sorcinelli and Austin (1992) have identified a range of faculty needs and strategies which can aid in meeting these needs. Department chairs and faculty colleagues are identified as crucial in encouraging changes to maintain faculty vitality, and to encourage preventative action rather than remediation. Such investments in human capital have both short-term and long-term payoffs [Simpson (1990) and Schuster and Wheeler (1990)].