Faculty Characteristics Research Articles

Faculty Impact on Students of Color

This article explores the ways faculty and student affairs professionals can impact the student experience, particularly for Students of Color. Experiences at two institutions illustrate how developing deeper relationships and broader perspectives make a significant difference not only for students, but also for those who teach and support them. Characteristics of faculty who are most successful with Students of Color are shared, and the role of student affairs professionals is examined. In both instances, faculty who made the most impact on Students of Color shared the following characteristics: maintaining transparency with students, holding students to the highest standard, being open and sharing data, and building strong relationships with students. Faculty’s willingness to acknowledge difficult issues-and engage with each other, students, and student affairs professionals- was critical for change to occur. By developing deeper, more meaningful relationships, faculty, students, and student affairs professionals can create a more rewarding experience in the academic setting.

Faculty Characteristics

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Examination of Publications from Academic Anesthesiology Faculty in the United States

Leaders in academic anesthesiology in the United States have called for an examination of the state of scholarship within anesthesiology departments. National Institutes of Health funding and publication quality of subsets of U.S anesthesiologists have been examined; however, the publication output of and the demographic characteristics that are associated with academic anesthesiologists, defined as faculty associated with a medical college, are unknown. A database from the American Association of Medical Colleges containing demographic information of all academic anesthesiologists in the United States was used to examine the publication output and demographic characteristics of anesthesiology faculty during a 2-year period from 2006 to 2008. All the publications found in the PubMed database for each faculty member were retrieved and included in a database containing their demographics including institution, gender, academic degree, academic rank, nature of appointment (part versus full-time), status of appointment (joint versus primary), departmental division, subspecialty certification status, and additional graduate medical education training. Six thousand one hundred forty-three faculty who held positions at the 108 U.S. academic anesthesiology programs published 8521 manuscripts between 2006 and 2008. Thirty-seven percent of faculty published a manuscript, and the overall median publication rate was 0. The proportion of faculty with at least 1 publication was larger among faculty with higher rank (Odds Ratio [OR] for professors versus instructors = 6.4; confidence interval [CI], 4.57-8.49; P < 0.0001), male gender (OR 1.3; CI, 0.14-1.47; P < 0.0001), possessing a courtesy appointment status (OR 2.1; CI, 1.25-3.52; P = 0.0048) and lacking postgraduate training and subspecialty certification (OR for MD versus MD w/training + certification 1.3; CI, 1.11-1.60; P = 0.0020). Those faculty with an MD had lower probablility of publishing when compared with MD/PhD or PhD faculty (OR 0.45; CI, 0.32-0.65; P < 0.0001; OR 0.27; CI, 0.20-0.37; P < 0.0001, respectively). Within the group of faculty who published at least 1 paper, full professor faculty had 3.8 times more publications than instructors (CI, 2.99-4.88; P < 0.0001), and those who lacked postgraduate training had 1.4 times more publications than those who were trained and certified (CI, 1.16-1.78; P = 0.0009). PhD degree (P = 0.006), male gender (P = 0.013), and courtesy anesthesia appointment (P = 0.037) also were associated with higher publication rates. The overall publication rate of anesthesiologists associated with medical schools was low in this time period. These data establish the pre-"call to action" baseline of scholarly activity by U.S. academic anesthesiologists for future comparisons. Increased use of structured resident and fellow research education programs as well as recruiting more MD/PhD and PhD scientists to the field may help to improve the publication productivity of academic anesthesiology departments.

The Impact of Alumni Status on Institutional Giving by Faculty and Staff

This study explores the association between propensity toward giving and personal and positional characteristics of faculty and staff across 3 years within a large, public, multi-campus higher education institution. Informed by the literatures on organizational identity and commitment, faculty and staff giving, and the higher education workforce, the study employs a hurdle analysis to estimate the predictors of likelihood of donating (the hurdle) and the amount given among those who donate. Following up on earlier research by the authors that demonstrated that academic employees and employees who are institutional alumni are more likely to give, the present study explores the interaction between these roles and offers a more powerful model for predicting the amount given. The results of this study have implications for understanding how organizational commitment and identification may be relevant in addressing giving, for institutional fundraising, and for building institutional loyalties.

Faculty Characteristics

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An Integrative Review of Student Evaluations of Teaching: Implications for Evaluation of Nursing Faculty

Student evaluations of teaching often play an important role in the promotion and tenure of faculty. Many of the instruments in use within the university setting are self-developed and have not undergone psychometric testing. More specifically, nursing education has many unique challenges, yet the effectiveness of student evaluations of teaching in nursing is understudied. The purposes of this integrative review were to review the current research literature on the design and psychometric testing of teaching evaluation scales, to synthesize the results, and to propose implications specific to nursing programs that are evidence based and will provide guidance on faculty teaching evaluations. A systematic literature review was conducted using Cooper, H. (1998). Synthesizing research: A guide for literature review (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications methodology. Data analysis led to the identification of 6 themes: faculty characteristics and perceptions, student characteristics and perceptions, course characteristics, on-line versus paper student evaluations, reliability and validity, and development of new instruments. This literature review provides the context in which to interpret student evaluations of teaching and discusses implications for practice.

Acquiring credentials in bedside ultrasound: a cross-sectional survey

ObjectiveAlthough there are training guidelines to credential emergency physicians in bedside ultrasound, many faculty groups have members who completed residency without a mandatory curriculum. These physicians are therefore required to...

Nursing Faculty Characteristics and Perceptions Predicting Intent to Leave

This study identified characteristics and perceptions of nursing faculty that best predict their intentions to leave their faculty positions. The inadequate supply of nursing faculty is a situation that requires immediate intervention, yet evidence on factors associated with nurse faculty intent to leave their faculty positions is sparse. Survey data from 4,118 nurse faculty teaching in pre-licensure and graduate nursing education programs were analyzed. A conceptual model was designed to reflect six domains of factors contributing to the nurse faculty shortage and intent to leave. Two distinct multivariate models of characteristics and perceptions were determined to predict nursing faculty's intent to leave in the next year (n = 16) and next five years (n = 17). To address predictors of nurse faculty intent to leave, data-driven strategy recommendations based on the six domains model of contributing factors are presented. These strategies represent a small but important step in the process of resolving the nurse faculty shortage.

Faculty Characteristics

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Nursing Faculty Characteristics and Perceptions Predicting Intent to Leave

Nursing Faculty Characteristics and Perceptions Predicting Intent to Leave

Faculty Characteristics

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Faculty Characteristics

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The Relationship between Faculty Characteristics and Grading on a Curve

Relative grading or the use of curves in grading has been associated with a reduction in student incentives to learn. Given that relative grading is associated with a reduction in student effort, it is important to understand faculty incentives for using curves. This paper used two waves of the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (1993 and 1999) to examine faculty characteristics related to the use of curves in grading. Results suggest that curves are more likely to be used when faculty and departments are more research oriented. Faculty who are at lower rank, male, younger, in science and social science departments are more likely to use curves, while faculty who feel that teaching should be the primary criteria for promotion are less likely to use curves.

My Professor is Hot! Correlates of RateMyProfessors.com Ratings for Criminal Justice and Criminology Faculty Members

“RateMyProfessors.com” ratings of the easiness, helpfulness, clarity, overall quality, and “hotness” of 407 criminal justice and criminology faculty members from across the United States were collected. Data were analyzed to determine what faculty characteristics determined these ratings. Experience working in the criminal justice field predicted higher ratings, while years of teaching experience was predictive of lower ratings. After controlling for instructors easiness and “hotness” ratings, the instructors’ ascribed characteristics (such as race and sex) explained the greatest proportion of variance in clarity, helpfulness, and overall quality scores. Professional characteristics, such as years of experience, publication rate, and possession of a doctorate were less influential on Ratemyprofessors.com scores.

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and Association of Academic Chairs in Emergency Medicine 2009–2010 Emergency Medicine Faculty Salary and Benefits Survey

he objective was to report the results of a survey conducted jointly by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and the Association of Academic Chairs in Emergency Medicine (AACEM) of faculty salaries, benefits, work hours, and department demographics for institutions sponsoring residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine (RRC-EM). Data represent information collected for the 2009-2010 academic year through an electronic survey developed by SAEM and AACEM and distributed by the Office for Survey Research at the University of Michigan to all emergency department (ED) chairs and chiefs at institutions sponsoring accredited residency programs. Information was collected regarding faculty salaries and benefits; clinical and nonclinical work hours; sources of department income and department expenses; and selected demographic information regarding faculty, EDs, and hospitals. Salary data were sorted by program geographic region and faculty characteristics such as training and board certification, academic rank, department title, and sex. Demographic data were analyzed with regard to numerous criteria, including ED staffing levels, patient volumes and length of stay, income sources, salary incentive components, research funding, and specific type and value of fringe benefits offered. Data were compared with previous SAEM studies and the most recent faculty salary survey conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Ninety-four of 155 programs (61%) responded, yielding salary data on 1,644 faculty, of whom 1,515 (92%) worked full-time. The mean salary for all faculty nationwide was $237,884, with the mean ranging from $232,819 to $246,853 depending on geographic region. The mean salary for first-year faculty nationwide was $204,833. Benefits had an estimated mean value of $48,915 for all faculty, with the mean ranging from $37,813 to $55,346 depending on geographic region. The following factors are associated with higher salaries: emergency medicine (EM) residency training and board certification, fellowship training in toxicology and hyperbaric medicine, higher academic rank, male sex, and living in the western and southern regions. Full-time EM faculty work an average of 20 to 23 clinical hours and 16 to 19 nonclinical hours per week. The salaries for full-time EM faculty reported in this survey were higher than those found in the AAMC survey for the same time period in the majority of categories for both academic rank and geographic region. On average, female faculty are paid 10% to 13% less than their male counterparts. Full-time EM faculty work an average of 20 to 23 clinical hours and 16 to 19 nonclinical hours per week, which is similar to the work hours reported in previous SAEM surveys.

Perceptions of faculty development needs based on faculty characteristics

ObjectivesMany changes in pharmacy education have occurred in the past decade resulting in a need for faculty education. The increasing number of pharmacy schools, larger number of junior faculty, expanding use of technology in teaching, and the changing generation of pharmacy students has allowed educators to reassess their teaching practices. The purpose of this survey was to access faculty's preferences toward faculty development and determine needs based on faculty characteristics, including degree, rank, duration of appointment, and division. MethodsA survey was distributed to 58 faculty members at the School of Pharmacy. ResultsMore than half of the faculty responded to the survey (n = 34, 58%). Faculty members responded that their preferred needs for faculty development centered on teaching. Doctorate of Pharmacy faculty desired development in ability-based learning and establishing authority with students. New faculty members expressed a need for more instruction in manuscript writing and developing a research focus, while more experienced faculty members desired instruction in planning workshops and labs. Tenure track and nontenure track faculty had the most variability in their preferences toward faculty development. Tenure track faculty preferred more growth in the areas of research and development and nontenure track faculty desired more development relating to student issues. Both expressed a desire for more instruction in the areas of teaching. ConclusionsCharacteristics of faculty members should be analyzed when developing faculty development programs.

P03.01. Characteristics of residents and training sites influence successful completion of the Integrative Medicine in Residency program

Methods Resident and residency site characteristics were examined to determine factors influencing completion of the Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) curriculum for the 2011 graduating class. Completion criteria included finishing ≥80% of the online courses plus a final score on the medical knowledge test of ≥70%. Resident characteristics used as predictors included demographics; medical school type [US MD, DO, foreign medical graduates (FMG)]; and, responses to a post-match survey administered before the residency began in 2008 on previous participation in CAM courses or experiences, importance of the IMR in choosing residency, and interests in learning IM and applying IM after graduation. Site characteristics included: extent of IM in the residency culture (e.g., faculty practicing IM consultations; IM consultation on site; an IM 4th year fellowship at the site); faculty characteristics (i.e., faculty leader IM fellowship trained; faculty leader with designated IM teaching time); and curriculum delivery (i.e., using the IMR plus other IM teaching/rotation/electives; monthly IM case conferences; resident IM clinical application).

Perception of education quality in private universities of Bangladesh: a study from students' perspective

Quality of education has been a concern for decades. Gradually it is becoming more specialised and commercialised throughout the world. In this study a sample of 400 students were taken from the five renowned private universities of Bangladesh for measuring perception toward education quality of existing students. Principle component analysis was used to measure grouping among variables indicating dimensions of education quality. Perceptions about education quality were tested as to whether they have associations with the students' characteristics of current status and socio-economic background. The findings of the study showed that both administrative and faculty characteristics jointly express quality of education to a higher extent, whereas institutional features and students' characteristics express quality of education to a moderate extent. The study also showed that perceptions toward quality of education depend on students' current status and socio-economic background.

Community College Faculty Motivation for Basic Research, Teaching Research, and Professional Development

Community college faculty members often find themselves divided between what they want to do and what they can do. Knowing what motivates faculty to engage in professional development and scholarly productive activities provides critical information for administrators. The present study explored the motivational characteristics of community college faculty and the contextual factors that support or thwart their engagement and productivity. It focused on three key professional activities: (a) basic or applied research, (b) classroom action/teaching research, and (c) faculty professional development. Findings indicate that community college faculty are motivated for all three activities primarily by intrinsic and value-related factors rather than by extrinsic or contextual factors. Further, faculty members present somewhat different motivational profiles for the three work activities. Their motivations also demonstrate responsiveness to workplace characteristics as faculty perceive and interpret them. These findings provide implications to help college administrators make policy decisions to support the work of faculty and align with institutional mission and goals.

FACULTY CHARACTERISTICS

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