In this essay, the authors begin by examining and challenging the way in which faculty vitality has been operationalized in the past, arguing for the value of institution-specific analysis of the faculty vitality issue. They then propose alternative models for understanding previously unexplored aspects of faculty vitality, drawing on research in…

Developmental theory is used to clarify the academic career process. Information from college professors at five vocational stages indicates that some attributes change very little, some evolve directly, and others follow indirect paths of development. Important implications for faculty and administrators are discussed. (Author/MLW)

The views of a professor of social work about her sabbatical leave overseas as a point of transition in her academic career, and as an occasion for challenge and reflection in her life and work, are presented. She left to escape the pressures of duties, obligations, strictures, and expectations that surround a relatively successful academic…

This paper examines higher education faculty vitality from the perspective of the individual faculty member by taking a closer look at the individual differences among faculty which might be related to faculty vitality and by linking issues of adult development to the continuing professional development of faculty. First the paper uses data from…

A collection of six papers on faculty development concerns is presented. In "The Scholar-Practitioner Dilemma," Robert J. Menges notes the dual roles of scholarship and teaching that faculty members confront and introduces the topics that are addressed by the other authors. Attention is directed to the processes involved in intellectual work. In…

A review of current educational literature identifies three different approaches to defining, describing, and applying the term "teacher development." One application of the term deals with the commonly experienced changes most teachers undergo. Teachers develop through the stages of survival, consolidation, renewal, and maturity. The second…

Common themes in the literature about college and university response to the developmental needs of adult students are outlined, and an annotated list of resources is provided. (MSE)

Criticism of education has brought with it a reduction in the status of the teaching profession. The effects of this on faculty have been worsened by changes in career rewards and responsibilities brought about by the economic problems of higher education institutions. Colleges can no longer overlook the needs of faculty. Both life cycles and…

Erikson's and Loevinger's theories of adult development are outlined briefly and their potential applications are discussed for college administrative practices such as faculty evaluation, planning, tenure and promotion, and professional development. (MSE)

This digest of a larger report with the same title uses a question-and-answer format to examine the productivity of senior faculty members at institutions of higher education. It reviews issues related to the aging of full-time faculty at a time when many institutions are undergoing major changes and restructuring. It reports data suggesting that…

The effect of participation in interdisciplinary general education programs on personal and professional development of faculty was investigated at Denison University (Ohio), Earlham College (Indiana), and Kenyon College (Ohio). Faculty members teaching interdisciplinary general education courses in these private liberal arts colleges were…

Perspectives concerning the application of adult development theory to the education of college students are presented in two papers. In "Adult Development: A Workable Vision for Higher Education," Arthur W. Chickering suggests that the major dimensions of adult development are essentially the same objectives pursued by the university, and that by…

This 42-month project at the University of Denver (Colorado) developed materials and faculty development activities concerning application of Kitchener and King's reflective judgment theory. Testing and implementation were at the University of Denver and Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and the University of Missouri (Columbia). The model…

The issues surrounding faculty role and faculty development are addressed in the context of a nontraditional graduate program that maximizes opportunities for the use of experiential learning. Sponsored experiential learning provides one context through which adult developmental and intellectual goals may be simultaneously recognized and pursued.…

Social, political, economic, and technological changes in American society that affect higher education, characteristics of faculty careers, and the concept of faculty career development are considered. It is suggested that societal changes and the colleges' attempts to secure institutional vitality have resulted in dramatic changes in faculty…