An annual publication of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD), To Improve the Academy offers a resource for improvement in higher education to faculty and instructional development staff, department chairs, faculty, deans, student services staff, chief academic officers, and educational consultants.

Contents include:

• Professional development for geographically dispersed faculty


• Implementing a learning consortium for communication and change


• Faculty engagement in program-level outcomes assessment


• What educational developers need to know about faculty-artists


• Exploring the spiritual roots of midcareer faculty


• Raising funds from faculty for faculty development centers


• Mentoring in higher education


• Tough-love consulting in order to effect change


• Research on the impact of educational development


• Examining effective faculty practice


• Insights on millennial students


• Contemplative pedagogy of teaching and learning centers


• Faculty and student perspectives on course evaluation terminology


• Questions about student ratings


• Small-group individual diagnosis to improve online instruction


• Supporting international faculty


• Complex ecologies of diversity, identity, teaching, and learning


• Organizational strategies for fostering faculty racial inclusion


• The truth about students' capacity for multitasking


• Tweeting: the 2011 POD HBCUFDN Conference Twitter backchannel


• Designing active learning with flexible technology

THE EDITORS
James E. Groccia, former president of POD, is director of the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and associate professor of higher education at Auburn University.

Laura Cruz is director of the Coulter Faculty Commons and associate professor of history at Western Carolina University.

About the Authors xiii

Preface xxix

Acknowledgments xxxv

Ethical Guidelines for Educational Developers xxxvii
PART ONE

Broadening Our Scope

1. Professional Development for Geographically
Dispersed Faculty: Emerging Trends, Organizational Challenges, and Considerations for the Future 3
Emily Donnelli-Sallee, Amber Dailey-Hebert, B. Jean Mandernach

2 Implementing a University Learning Consortium for Shared Communication and Proactive Campus Change 21
David W. Schumann, Dorian Stiefel, Michelle Corvette, Chutney W. Guyton

3 Faculty Engagement in Program-Level Outcomes
Assessment: A Learning Process 37
Elizabeth L. Evans

PART TWO

Reaching Out to New Audiences

4 What Educational Developers Need to Know About Faculty-Artists in the Academy 55
Natasha Haugnes, Hoag Holmgren, Martin Springborg

5 An Exploration of the Spiritual Roots of the Midcareer Faculty Experience 69
Virginia S. Lee, Dorothe J. Bach, Richard N. Muthiah

6 The Donors Next Door: Raising Funds from Faculty for Faculty Development Centers 85
Genevieve G. Shaker, Megan M. Palmer

PART THREE

Building Effective Relationships

7 The Gentle Art of Mentoring in Higher Education: Facilitating Success in the Academic World 103
Nancy H. Barry

8 Tough-Love Consulting: Using a Provocative Consultation Style to Effect Change 115
Allison P. Boye, Suzanne Tapp

9 Researching the Impact of Educational Development: Basis for Informed Practice 129
Nancy Van Note Chism, Matthew Holley, Cameron J. Harris

PART FOUR

Practicing Innovative Teaching and Learning

10 Examining Effective Faculty Practice: Teaching Clarity and Student Engagement 149
Allison BrckaLorenz, Tony Ribera, Jillian Kinzie, Eddie R. Cole

11 Millennial Students: Insights from Generational Theory and Learning Science 161
Michele DiPietro

12 Contemplative Pedagogy: The Special Role of Teaching and Learning Centers 177
Daniel Barbezat, Allison Pingree

PART FIVE

Assessing Student Learning

13 A Comparison of Faculty and Student Perspectives on Course Evaluation Terminology 195
Carol Lauer

14 Time to Raise Questions About Student Ratings 213
Linda B. Nilson

15 Using Small Group Individual Diagnosis to Improve Online Instruction 229
Jennifer H. Herman, Melissa Langridge

PART SIX

Setting a Context for Promoting Diversity

16. Supporting International Faculty: Perspectives of a Tiger Teacher Who Adapted to the American Classroom, a Colleague, and an Administrator 247
Cuiting Li, Sterling K. Wall, Marty Loy, Kelly Schoonaert

17 Understanding Intersecting Processes: Complex Ecologies of Diversity, Identity, Teaching, and Learning 261
Kristen A. Renn

18 Organizational Strategies for Fostering Faculty Racial Inclusion 277
Dannielle Joy Davis, Edward J. Brantmeier, Roben Torosyan, Hyacinth E. Findlay

PART SEVEN

Integrating Technology into Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development

19 Please Read While Texting and Driving 295
C. Edward Watson, Krista P. Terry, Peter E. Doolittle

20 Tweeting #PODHBCU: Content and Process of the 2011 POD HBCUFDN Conference Twitter Backchannel 311
Mary C. Wright, Rachel K. Niemer, Derek Bruff, Katherine Valle

21 Collaborating with Faculty to Design Active Learning with Flexible Technology 329
Beth A. Fisher, Kathryn G. Miller, William E. Buhro, Deborah J. Frank, Regina F. Frey