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A Third Year Review of the Faculty Development Program at Mississippi State University Introduction

Over the past three years, we have replaced over 25% of the faculty members within the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University due to retirements or departure to other universities. Many of the new faculty hires are at the Assistant Professor level, with little or no academic experience. In an effort to assist these faculty members in successfully starting their academic careers, the Bagley College of Engineering implemented a comprehensive faculty development program that assists new faculty members in balancing teaching, scholarship, and service responsibilities [1,2]. This program is now in its third year, and this paper will report on the significant impact that this program has had on new faculty members in regards to teaching effectiveness, effective national service, and research productivity.

Current Faculty Development Program

The faculty development program at Mississippi State falls into three distinct phases: programs for first-year faculty members, programs for untenured faculty members, and programs for all faculty members regardless of rank and tenure status. Some details on each of these three interrelated aspects of the faculty development program are described below. Details on the current program can be found on the Bagley College of Engineering website at: http://www.engr.msstate.edu/faculty_staff/faculty_development/index.php.

The faculty development program is administered out of the Dean of Engineering office, with shared responsibilities between the Dean of Engineering, the Associate Dean for Academics and Administration, and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Each year, the Deans will meet to discuss the faculty development program, including suggested topics, key speakers, and who to invite as speakers/workshop coordinators.

First-Year Faculty Members

All first year faculty members at Mississippi State University attend university level orientation sessions that include presentations made by the President, Provost, Vice President for research and other senior administration officers. Mississippi State also organizes a bus tour which takes the new faculty members around Mississippi to see various industries in the state, meet different constituent groups who interact with the university, and in general to allow the new faculty members to interact together on a social basis. Immediately prior to this event, the Bagley College of Engineering hosts a lunch for new faculty members to introduce them to the various Deans and to allow them to meet the other new faculty members.

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King, R., & Schulz, K., & Reese, D., & Schulz, N. (2006, June), A Third Year Review Of The Faculty Development Program At Mississippi State University Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--896