Showing papers in "Thought and Action in 1994"

Cooperative Learning at the College Level.

Abstract: If the United States is to be competitive in the global marketplace, we must first teach our students to be cooperative with one another. This irony must be addressed. The changing workplace of today is relying more and more on the interdependence of individuals in work teams for higher productivity. Employees, from factory line workers to CEOs, are being expected to work cooperatively in their own specialized areas as well as in the areas of creative problem-solving and decision making (Loewenwarter, 1988; Offerman and Gowing 1990; Sundstrom, DeMeuse, and Futrell, 1990; Ward and Pearce 1990). Students in cooperative and collaborative learning classes recognize that learning how to work with others will be extremely advantageous to their careers. Yet, according to Kohn (1986), such cooperation is contrary to the addictive socialized behavior of competition in the United States. Given such an obstacle, it becomes critical for our educational system to produce students who are able to work with others. With the increasing need for college degrees in preparation for the workforce, college professors become the last link between young people and the workplace.

Perceptions of Life on the Tenure Track.

Abstract: It’s like we [the tenured faculty] have this exclusive club, and if you can pass our initiation, you can get in. But if you don’t pass it, and sometimes all the rules aren’t clear, then you can’t get in. (A 35-year old female in a humanities department, fourth year). My own sense is that you’re on very unstable ground as an assistant professor. You really are not regarded. (A 40-year old male in a pure science department, third year) The whole tenure and promotion process is in the front of every assistant professor’s mind, bar none. (A 35-year old male in applied technology, fourth year) I’m convinced that everybody gets more and more paranoid as tenure review approaches. (A 35-year old male in a humanities department, fourth year) . . . here tenure review doesn’t involve teaching that much. You could be a lousy teacher and a good researcher, and be tenured and be set upon your students forever. (a 47-year old female in an applied social science, fifth year) To think, ‘‘Well I’m going to do five articles, then I’ll squeak by here, and I’ll be here for the rest of my life . . . ’’ No, that isn’t the way to approach this problem. The only way to protect yourself in this kind of business is to do as much as you can. (A 35-year old male in an applied social science, second year) These statements, made by assistant professors at a research

Local Associations and Faculty Development.

Abstract: Faculty development programs have been controversial at many colleges and universities over the past two decades. When linked to faculty evaluation systems, faculty development programs are usually regarded with suspicion by local Association leaders. The reality is that faculty development programs are important to continued professional growth of the faculty. The 1991 National Education Association publication, Faculty Development in Higher Education: Enhancing a National Resource,1 presents a thorough review of policy and outlines acceptable standards and procedural criteria for faculty development programs. The publication suggests a proactive role for faculty leaders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of such programs.2 This article elaborates on the role of local Association leaders in faculty development programs and reviews some of the recent theories of faculty development.

Reforming Higher Education: A Modest Proposal.

Abstract: In the past several years, American colleges and universities have been widely criticized for a variety of ills. There have been a few scandals, such as the misappropriation of government research funds to purchase flowers and bed sheets for the President’s house at Stanford University. There have also been a few well-publicized cases of scientific fraud. The United States Justice Department has forced the Ivy League to desist from collectively deciding amounts of scholarship aid. But by far the most fundamental complaint has been that teaching has been de-emphasized in American higher education and especially at research-oriented institutions. Further, critics have pointed to a lack of professorial accountability. The faculty, it is claimed, has arrogated to itself control over how professors spend their time. Worse, this is done on an individual basis, with each faculty member deciding on the ways he or she will spend on work time. Beyond stipulating broad minima for teaching, there are few guidelines or regulations to determine professorial responsibility. The tenure system, originated to protect academic freedom, now provides virtual lifetime jobs to faculty.