We designed this project to advance inclusive and equitable teaching by leveraging data to motivate, inform, and tailor teaching development initiatives to the varied needs and resources of academic departments. We developed an innovative framework and mixed methods research design to systematically assess inclusive and equitable teaching at the…

The underrepresentation of women faculty in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) remains a persistent feature of academia, with turnover being a contributing factor. The departmental context is likely implicated in the decision to stay or leave, as it is one of the key defining features of faculty members' work…

One way that university mathematics departments across the United States are making efforts to improve their introductory mathematics courses is by implementing or increasing the level of course coordination. This can entail creating uniform course elements for multi-section courses and efforts to build a community of practice among the…

Higher education scholarship is focused largely on professors who guide students in their learning and students who participate in the educational process. The contributions of professional staff (i.e., those supporting the work of faculty and students) have not been as well understood, particularly those who reside in academic departments. We…

Research shows that a lack of peer study support, particularly a lack of friends in the major, is linked to students switching majors. Furthermore, strong relationships with faculty have a significant influence on students' decisions to persist in the major. However, it is unclear how the creation of an environment that fosters student research…

Given the changing landscape of postsecondary faculty employment, institutions benefit from understanding how organizational policies and behaviors affects the faculty's perception of organizational support. Using data from faculty members, including those with contingent and part-time appointments, at a single institution in the western United…

This retrospective analysis of curriculum change in an academic unit explored the extent to which characteristics of learning organizations developed during the process. Three practitioner researchers designed the study as a practice-based, interpretive, single-case study using mixed methodology with data collected from documentary analysis, an…

This study analyzed the transformation of a departmental culture through a process of implementing a new mission statement. The revised departmental mission promoted positive practices and rituals that transformed faculty relationships and student learning. These positive and ethical practices were derived from social constructionist principles,…

In this article we describe a long-term departmental change effort in one mathematics department. The change began with one instructor adopting the Extreme Apprenticeship instructional model. This modest shift served as the catalyst for a series of subsequent, systemic improvements. We believe that this innovation and the resultant change…

Fluctuations in the financial welfare of institutions of higher education have long been tied to our country's economic well-being. For many institutions the most recent financial downturns have led to historic revenue and enrollment difficulties that have necessitated the use of cost containment strategies to conserve dwindling resources.…

This article relies on data from surveys and interviews to explore the networking behaviors and strategies of early-career faculty members within the contexts of their academic departments. Findings suggest that faculty members' approaches to interactions and relationships with colleagues may be conceptualized according to a continuum of…

This article explores the concept of academic receivership in U.S. colleges and universities. Academic receivership occurs when control of an academic department or program is removed from the faculty and an outside chair is put in place by the college or university administration. A literature review is supplemented by a small survey to assess…

While there has been emphasis on the institution and individual classroom as loci of learning and reform, less attention has been paid to the academic department. However, precisely because its structure is so endemic to institutions of higher education, the academic department may be the most logical and potent site for change. Using a case study…

A discussion of conflict in academic departments describes current philosophies in conflict resolution, including a principled approach emphasizing positive benefits. Structures within organizations that inherently create conflict are identified, and various strategies for dealing with conflict are outlined based on one theory of response modes.…

A discussion of college faculty renewal looks at the word's etymology and at concrete ways for departments and their administrators to promote quality faculty research. It also describes four archetypal examples of faculty in need of research renewal, each related to literary history and the workings of a research committee. (Author/MSE)