The Vitality of Senior Faculty Members. Snow on the Roof-Fire in the Furnace. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, Vol. 25, No. 7.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read Online Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, One Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036-1183; phone: 800-773-3742; fax: 202-452-1844 ($24).
    • Peer Reviewed:
      N
    • Source:
      179
    • Sponsoring Agency:
      Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
    • Contract Number:
      RR-93-002008
    • Subject Terms:
      Adult Development; Aging in Academia; Career Development; College Faculty; Faculty College Relationship; Faculty Development; Higher Education; Individual Development; Older Adults; Productivity; Tenured Faculty; Trend Analysis; Values; Vocational Maturity
    • Subject Terms:
      U.S.; District of Columbia
    • ISSN:
      0884-0040
    • Abstract:
      This report examines issues concerned with the vitality and productivity of senior faculty at institutions of higher education. The first section reviews shifting faculty demographics and is followed by a case study of the career of one professor. Next, research on the productivity of senior faculty in teaching, research, and service is reviewed. The following section identifies, in the context of research on adult development, specific internal factors affecting productivity, including: socialization, motivation, content knowledge and skills, networking and professional communication, having several projects under way simultaneously, autonomy and commitment, and morale. Institutional factors affecting productivity are considered in the context of career development theory. They include: clear goals, institutional culture, a positive climate, participative governance, rewards, opportunities for revitalization, and effective leadership. The report concludes that: (1) there appears to be no significant decline related to age in faculty competence or productivity; (2) internal and institutional factors should be addressed to preserve faculty vitality; and (3) senior faculty frequently experience a shift in their priorities and values. It urges a comprehensive approach to faculty vitality and identifies specific strategies to address individual, institutional, and leadership vitality. An appendix reviews the studies cited in the monograph. (Contains approximately 225 references.) (DB)
    • Notes:
      For a digest of this report, see HE 030 831.
    • Journal Code:
      RIEJUN1998
    • Publication Date:
      1998
    • Accession Number:
      ED415734