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To contribute to sound management of faculty development programs, this study was conducted for the purpose of addressing three questions: (1) What are the basic principles underlying faculty development programs in two year colleges, according to an analysis of the literature? (2) What methods are used to implement these principles in a select group of two year colleges? (3) How effective are these methods?
Principles were identified from a review of the literature and submitted for validation to a panel of experts. The seven principles characterizing effective faculty development programs are as follows: (1) Administrative and financial support. (2) Assessment of need and a balance between institutional need and individual need. (3) Designated responsibility and authority for planning. (4) Diversity of approaches. (5) Involvement of faculty in planning and balance between voluntary and mandatory participation. (6) Link between faculty development program and evaluation and institutional reward system. (7) Evaluation of program results.
To identify methods used to implement these principles, a six-page survey instrument was developed; field tested on a random sample of six of the sixteen two year technical colleges in South Carolina; and mailed to a select population, the 93 institutional members of the National Council for Staff, Program and Organizational Development (NCSPOD) for 1985-86.
In general, the NCSPOD colleges do have faculty development programs characterized by the seven principles and use a variety of methods to implement these principles. On the basis of the findings, twelve recommendations have been made on these topics: conducting needs assessments; ascertaining the appropriateness of the organizational pattern; serving the program with a committee in an advisory role; designating someone responsible for faculty development and having that person report directly to a high ranking college official; emphasizing the needs of part-time faculty; linking development to the reward system; relating faculty evaluation results and the development plan; tying each element of the evaluation plan to a corresponding element of development; and evaluating program results, both formatively and summatively.