Social Expectations, Faculty Social Expectations, Faculty Roles and Curricular ChangeRoles and Curricular Change

James L. Ratcliff, Ph.D.James L. Ratcliff, Ph.D.

Performance Associates Postsecondary ConsultingPerformance Associates Postsecondary Consulting

Pueblo West, CO 81007-1334Pueblo West, CO 81007-1334

Phone: 719-671-6032Phone: 719-671-6032

Email: JRatcliff@HigherEdConsultants.comEmail: JRatcliff@HigherEdConsultants.com

Access to Higher Education Access to Higher Education Has Grown!Has Grown!

Knowledge has explodedKnowledge has exploded

More and more jobs require higher More and more jobs require higher educationeducation

Governments see higher education as Governments see higher education as an entitlement to those who are ablean entitlement to those who are able

As Access Increases,As Access Increases,

Student diversity increasesStudent diversity increases

Knowledge fragments and specializesKnowledge fragments and specializes

Demand for social relevance Demand for social relevance increasesincreases

Academic departments grow in sizeAcademic departments grow in size

Higher Education has a dual, Higher Education has a dual, competing social role:competing social role:

to develop the knowledge, skills and to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities of citizens to provideabilities of citizens to provide– knowledge workers, knowledge workers, – leaders, and leaders, and – a means of individual advancement in a a means of individual advancement in a

democratic society.democratic society.

to determent the criteria and standards for to determent the criteria and standards for the attainment of positions of competence the attainment of positions of competence and leadership in society.and leadership in society.

Academic staff are asked us to Academic staff are asked us to move beyond traditional practicesmove beyond traditional practices

to address complex social to address complex social demandsdemands

Chronicle of Higher Education

Some Key Stakeholders in Some Key Stakeholders in University Degree ProgramsUniversity Degree Programs

University academic leadersUniversity academic leaders

Program administratorsProgram administrators

Academic staffAcademic staff

Future and current studentsFuture and current students

Employers of the program graduatesEmployers of the program graduates

Accrediting agenciesAccrediting agencies

Postgraduate programsPostgraduate programs

Key Questions for Stakeholders:Key Questions for Stakeholders:What is the need for a particular program What is the need for a particular program of study?of study?What should be the purpose of such a What should be the purpose of such a program?program?What should the program include?What should the program include?– What knowledge?What knowledge?– What skills and abilities?What skills and abilities?– What values and attitudes?What values and attitudes?

How should the program’s success be How should the program’s success be evaluated?evaluated?

What Employer WantWhat Employer Wantin College Graduatesin College Graduates

Higher-Order Applied Problem-Solving AbilitiesHigher-Order Applied Problem-Solving Abilities

"Enthusiasm" for Learning on a Continuous Basis"Enthusiasm" for Learning on a Continuous Basis

Interpersonal SkillsInterpersonal Skills– teamwork and collaborationteamwork and collaboration– oral and written communicationoral and written communication

Sense of Responsibility for ActionSense of Responsibility for Action– personalpersonal– collectivecollective

Ability to Bridge Cultural and Linguistic BarriersAbility to Bridge Cultural and Linguistic Barriers

Sense of "Professionalism"Sense of "Professionalism"

National Center for Higher Education Management Systems

Consider the work of facultyConsider the work of faculty::Since WWII, the Since WWII, the knowledge base of most knowledge base of most fields has fragmented in fields has fragmented in several sub-disciplines.several sub-disciplines.

Students enter with Students enter with more varied (and often more varied (and often less) preparation in less) preparation in subject.subject.

Employers want more Employers want more practical, experience-practical, experience-based instruction.based instruction.

Reductions in staff mean Reductions in staff mean faculty must teach more faculty must teach more with fewer staff.with fewer staff.

How can faculty stay How can faculty stay abreast of an ever-abreast of an ever-expanding literature?expanding literature?

How can faculty decide How can faculty decide what should be included what should be included in the curriculum?in the curriculum?

How can faculty learn to How can faculty learn to use computers, the use computers, the Web, for teaching?Web, for teaching?

How construct research How construct research that impacts that impacts government, business, government, business, and civic life?and civic life?

Faculty lives are changing Faculty lives are changing rapidly:rapidly:

The knowledge base of our work is growing, The knowledge base of our work is growing, specializing, fragmenting, and re-forming with specializing, fragmenting, and re-forming with ever increasing speed.ever increasing speed.

The technology of our work is growing ever-more The technology of our work is growing ever-more complex, requiring greater expertise on our part complex, requiring greater expertise on our part and greater reliance on the expertise of others.and greater reliance on the expertise of others.

The continued pressure on us to do more with The continued pressure on us to do more with less, the effect of past reductions and less, the effect of past reductions and consolidations, and the on-going demands for consolidations, and the on-going demands for accountabilty require us to focus, to decide what accountabilty require us to focus, to decide what is important, and to act quickly and decisely.is important, and to act quickly and decisely.

Current status of academic staff Current status of academic staff and and some implications for faculty development:some implications for faculty development:

Faculty need to commit personally to Faculty need to commit personally to continuous learning and improvement;continuous learning and improvement;The success of faculty work is interdependent, The success of faculty work is interdependent, not independent;not independent;Faculty need to recognize that they cannot Faculty need to recognize that they cannot develop the expertise or even keep up in all develop the expertise or even keep up in all the areas of our work;the areas of our work;Faculty need to rely more on each others Faculty need to rely more on each others expertise to be engaged, effective, and expertise to be engaged, effective, and enthusiastic about our work;enthusiastic about our work;Faculty need to build a community supportive Faculty need to build a community supportive of each others work.of each others work.

Sandra Elman and Sue Smock, 1985

Professional ServiceProfessional Service

““Professional Service refers to work Professional Service refers to work that draw’s upon one’s professional that draw’s upon one’s professional expertise and is an outgrowth of one’s expertise and is an outgrowth of one’s academic discipline. academic discipline.

It is composed of the same activities as It is composed of the same activities as traditional teaching and research but traditional teaching and research but directed toward a different audience directed toward a different audience and toward society’s welfare.”and toward society’s welfare.”

EngagementEngagementEngagement is an initiative characterized by Engagement is an initiative characterized by shared goals, a shared agenda, agreed upon shared goals, a shared agenda, agreed upon definitions of success that are meaningful definitions of success that are meaningful both to the university and to community both to the university and to community participants, and the pooling and leveraging participants, and the pooling and leveraging of funds. of funds.

It is mutually beneficial and is likely to It is mutually beneficial and is likely to promote learning for all parties and build promote learning for all parties and build capacity and competency for all capacity and competency for all participants.participants.

Ernest Boyer, 1995

““The academy must become a more The academy must become a more vigorous partner in the search for answers vigorous partner in the search for answers to our most pressing social, civic, to our most pressing social, civic, economic and moral problems, and must economic and moral problems, and must reaffirm its historic commitment to what I reaffirm its historic commitment to what I call the scholarship of engagement.” call the scholarship of engagement.”

““The scholarship of engagement means The scholarship of engagement means connecting the rich resources of the connecting the rich resources of the university to our pressing social, civic and university to our pressing social, civic and ethical problems, to our children, to our ethical problems, to our children, to our schools, to our teachers, and to our schools, to our teachers, and to our [communities].”[communities].”

The Scholarship of Engagement

Five Skills of a Learning Five Skills of a Learning OrganizationOrganization

Systematic problem-solving.Systematic problem-solving.

Experimentation with new approaches.Experimentation with new approaches.

Learning from our experience and past Learning from our experience and past history.history.

Learning from the experience and best Learning from the experience and best practices of others.practices of others.

Transferring knowledge quickly and Transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the University.efficiently throughout the University.

So, what needs to be done?So, what needs to be done?How much and in what ways should How much and in what ways should academic staff devote time to academic staff devote time to professional development?professional development?

What are the implications for academic What are the implications for academic work and how academic staff work work and how academic staff work together?together?

What are the implications for how What are the implications for how academic staff interact and engage academic staff interact and engage others -- in communities, other others -- in communities, other institutions of higher education, institutions of higher education, businesses and industries?businesses and industries?

Pathways to Enhancing the Pathways to Enhancing the Student ExperienceStudent Experience

Clear Expectations for Clear Expectations for Student LearningStudent Learning

Clear Expectations for Clear Expectations for Student LearningStudent Learning

Common Principles for Common Principles for the Teaching / the Teaching /

Learning ProcessLearning Process

Common Principles for Common Principles for the Teaching / the Teaching /

Learning ProcessLearning Process

Where We Are Headed:

Where We Are Headed:

How We Will Get There:

How We Will Get There:

Clear Expectations for Clear Expectations for Student LearningStudent Learning

Clear Expectations for Clear Expectations for Student LearningStudent Learning

Higher-Order Applied Higher-Order Applied Problem-Solving AbilitiesProblem-Solving Abilities

"Enthusiasm" for Learning "Enthusiasm" for Learning on a Continuous Basison a Continuous Basis

Interpersonal SkillsInterpersonal Skills– teamwork and teamwork and

collaborationcollaboration– oral and written oral and written

communicationcommunication Sense of Responsibility for Sense of Responsibility for

ActionAction– personalpersonal– collectivecollective

Ability to Bridge Cultural Ability to Bridge Cultural and Linguistic Barriersand Linguistic Barriers

Sense of "Professionalism"Sense of "Professionalism"

Higher-Order Applied Higher-Order Applied Problem-Solving AbilitiesProblem-Solving Abilities

"Enthusiasm" for Learning "Enthusiasm" for Learning on a Continuous Basison a Continuous Basis

Interpersonal SkillsInterpersonal Skills– teamwork and teamwork and

collaborationcollaboration– oral and written oral and written

communicationcommunication Sense of Responsibility for Sense of Responsibility for

ActionAction– personalpersonal– collectivecollective

Ability to Bridge Cultural Ability to Bridge Cultural and Linguistic Barriersand Linguistic Barriers

Sense of "Professionalism"Sense of "Professionalism"

Give special attention to early Give special attention to early years of university education.years of university education.

Provide coherent, progressive Provide coherent, progressive learning.learning.

Create synthesizing Create synthesizing experiences.experiences.

Require ongoing practice of Require ongoing practice of skills.skills.

Provide considerable time on Provide considerable time on task.task.

Assess learning and give Assess learning and give prompt feedback.prompt feedback.

Plan collaborative learning Plan collaborative learning experiences.experiences.

Respect diverse talents & ways Respect diverse talents & ways of knowing.of knowing.

Increase informal contact with Increase informal contact with students.students.

Give special attention to early Give special attention to early years of university education.years of university education.

Provide coherent, progressive Provide coherent, progressive learning.learning.

Create synthesizing Create synthesizing experiences.experiences.

Require ongoing practice of Require ongoing practice of skills.skills.

Provide considerable time on Provide considerable time on task.task.

Assess learning and give Assess learning and give prompt feedback.prompt feedback.

Plan collaborative learning Plan collaborative learning experiences.experiences.

Respect diverse talents & ways Respect diverse talents & ways of knowing.of knowing.

Increase informal contact with Increase informal contact with students.students.

Guidelines for the Teaching / Learning Process

Guidelines for the Teaching / Learning Process

Quality and CommunicationQuality and Communication

A quality is an attribute or set of A quality is an attribute or set of attributes of a phenomena;attributes of a phenomena;

The attributes constituting the quality The attributes constituting the quality are selected by the viewer;are selected by the viewer;

The attributes become part of the social The attributes become part of the social construction of understanding of the construction of understanding of the phenomena through communication;phenomena through communication;

The communicative dimension of quality The communicative dimension of quality premise social understanding of the premise social understanding of the phenomena.phenomena.

Quality of EducationQuality of EducationIts meaning is derived from social Its meaning is derived from social interaction;interaction;For higher education, it refers to what For higher education, it refers to what institutions institutions warrantwarrant to society: to society:– DegreesDegrees– FacultyFaculty– StudentsStudentsUniversities may warrant regionally, Universities may warrant regionally, nationally, and internationally.nationally, and internationally.The warrant is a key attribute to the The warrant is a key attribute to the State Building University (SBU).State Building University (SBU).

Social WarrantsSocial Warrants

What are they?What are they?

What do they rely upon?What do they rely upon?

Social credibility relies on the quality Social credibility relies on the quality of the warrant.of the warrant.– EnronEnron– Arthur AndersenArthur Andersen– WorldcomWorldcom

Social and Political Credibility Social and Political Credibility often become confusedoften become confused

The value of the warrant relies on the The value of the warrant relies on the social credibilitysocial credibility of the institution; of the institution;Financial support, particularly of public Financial support, particularly of public institutions, rely more directly on institutions, rely more directly on political credibilitypolitical credibility..As one of the most stable of As one of the most stable of institutions, the university tends to institutions, the university tends to assume its social credibilityassume its social credibility..As one of the more vulnerable and As one of the more vulnerable and contentious institutions, universities contentious institutions, universities tend to tend to fear for its political credibilityfear for its political credibility..

Levels of Quality DiscourseLevels of Quality Discourse

GlobalGlobal

InternationalInternational

NationalNational

State, Lander, regionState, Lander, region

Higher education sectorHigher education sector

Program or service areaProgram or service area

Course or single activity or serviceCourse or single activity or service

Internal Stakeholder DiscourseInternal Stakeholder Discourse

Internal discourseInternal discourse– FacultyFaculty– StudentsStudents– AdministratorsAdministrators– Students ServicesStudents Services– Boards of DirectorsBoards of Directors

External Stakeholder DiscourseExternal Stakeholder Discourse

External discourses – localExternal discourses – local– Secondary schoolsSecondary schools– Transfer-sending institutionsTransfer-sending institutions– EmployersEmployers– Transfer-receiving institutionsTransfer-receiving institutions

State and national dialogues on State and national dialogues on curricular innovationcurricular innovation

Networks of practiceNetworks of practice

Networks of administrationNetworks of administration

Networks of system coordination and Networks of system coordination and governancegovernance

Social and Political Credibility Social and Political Credibility often become confusedoften become confused

The value of the warrant relies on the The value of the warrant relies on the social credibilitysocial credibility of the institution; of the institution;Financial support, particularly of Financial support, particularly of public institutions, rely more directly public institutions, rely more directly on on political credibilitypolitical credibility..As one of the most stable of As one of the most stable of institutions, the university tends to institutions, the university tends to assume its social credibilityassume its social credibility..As one of the more vulnerable and As one of the more vulnerable and contentious institutions, universities contentious institutions, universities tend to tend to fear for its political credibilityfear for its political credibility..

International and global International and global discoursediscourse

Institutions in countries of relevant Institutions in countries of relevant international trade agreementsinternational trade agreements

Institutions in geographically-Institutions in geographically-proximous countriesproximous countries

Global discourse on universal trends, Global discourse on universal trends, issues, standards and practicesissues, standards and practices

Bases for a Dialogic ModelBases for a Dialogic Modelof Program Qualityof Program Quality

University curriculum is an organization of University curriculum is an organization of knowledge;knowledge;

Its basic building blocks are courses Its basic building blocks are courses (lectures) and courses (programs of study) ;(lectures) and courses (programs of study) ;

Courses are aligned with how disciplines Courses are aligned with how disciplines organize their knowledge;organize their knowledge;

Courses are derived of oral and written Courses are derived of oral and written communication within disciplinary cultures.communication within disciplinary cultures.

Dialogic Criteria for Coherent Dialogic Criteria for Coherent CurriculaCurricula

1.1. CohesionCohesion the extent to which the curricular goals are the extent to which the curricular goals are

best represented and achieved through the best represented and achieved through the learning activities selected, and the extent to learning activities selected, and the extent to which learning expectations are articulated which learning expectations are articulated and assessed and communicated back to and assessed and communicated back to students so they might know their emerging students so they might know their emerging strengths and weakness better;strengths and weakness better;

2.2. ContextContext the extent to which the course relates to the the extent to which the course relates to the

program, and the program to the institutional program, and the program to the institutional aims for general and liberal learning;aims for general and liberal learning;

Dialogic Criteria for Coherent Dialogic Criteria for Coherent Curricula (Continued)Curricula (Continued)

3.3. ContinuityContinuity the extent to which the curriculum connects the extent to which the curriculum connects

to prior learning and that which is most likely to prior learning and that which is most likely to following, employing students existing to following, employing students existing abilities and challenging them to develop abilities and challenging them to develop them further;them further;

4.4. ConcordanceConcordance the extent to which the curriculum works in the extent to which the curriculum works in

concert with other levels and facets of the concert with other levels and facets of the collegiate experience to engage, enrich, and collegiate experience to engage, enrich, and enlighten students.enlighten students.

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