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Abstract
The continually changing demands of the workforce require faculty professional development be designed to improve teaching and enhance skills that stimulate student learning. To meet the educational needs and prepare students enrolled in majors in university Colleges of Agriculture for productive careers a focus on effective teaching should be a priority. This study sought to determine Associate Deans and Academic Leaders' perceptions of the structure and effectiveness of professional development programs in their respective College of Agriculture. A researcher-developed instrument was utilized to collect data from Associate Deans and Academic Leaders of Agriculture Colleges at Land-grant universities and non-land grant Agricultural and Renewable Resources Universities (NARRU) throughout the United States. The vast majority (98%) of respondents indicated that it was definitely important to them to provide opportunities to enhance teaching and improve student learning utilizing three or more professional development programs per year. Respondents considered professional development programs effective in promoting teaching excellence and student learning. Creating a culture of teaching excellence using faculty mentoring and professional development opportunities that are flexible, convenient, provide incentives and rewards, and promote faculty teaching excellence to support student learning were recommended to increase participation in university and college-wide professional development programs.
Introduction
Meeting the educational needs of the student is an important responsibility for post-secondary institutions. Land-grant universities are tasked with increasing academic rigor to stimulate student learning and engagement, and to escalate teaching within Colleges of Agriculture to meet the changing demands of the workforce (Campbell, 1998). Challenges related to a faculty members' ability to teach effectively continue to dramatically increase while the demands of the 21st century workforce require college graduates to be effective communicators, critical thinkers, and active problem solvers (Carnevale, 2013). Some believe colleges and universities nationwide are falling short of employer expectations regarding the preparation of graduates. More than 90% of employers rate written communication, critical thinking and problem solving as 'very important' for job success of new labor market entrants, and yet only a small percent of graduates is excelling in these areas (Arum and Roksa, 2011). If higher education is going to regain public trust, it must embark on a path of reform to restore our education system, (Blickenstaff et al., 2015). The land-grant college and university educational system...