Chapter 8:

 The Faculty - Support and Professional Development


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INTRODUCTION

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This chapter will focus on faculty support and professional development at San Francisco State University. In his address to the faculty in August 1998, President Corrigan stated:

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Just as we are working to make this a better place for our students to learn, we must make it a better place for you to teach. This is my tenth academic priority and if I were listing priorities in order of importance, it would be my first.

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In the university's strategic plan approved by the president that same August, recommendations were made which focused on strengthening the campus structure for mission-based teaching, scholarship, and service. It called for opportunities to be provided which facilitate reflection and discussion, creative innovation, outreach, and collaboration among the faculty. It also urged tangible support for the faculty in the form of paid orientation, mentors for probationary faculty, training for new department chairs, accessible information on teaching/research interests, and affordable housing and childcare. Underlying these recommendations is the assumption that providing better support will enable faculty to maximize their work on campus.

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The strategic planning process had been a multi-year, careful, and deliberative endeavor. The implementation of the strategic plan is an on-going process. Many of the recommendations which emerged from the process were implemented immediately, while others are in the process of being implemented or evaluated within the context of present resources, capabilities, and institutional desires. This chapter will focus on the status of the strategic plan's recommendations concerning faculty support and professional development.

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The 1992 WASC team review commented favorably on the proposed plan for faculty professional development which was an appendix to the 1991 self-study report. The review, however, noted with concern the decrease in faculty positions, while expressing support for further faculty diversification and for the establishment of a Center for Teaching and Learning. The decrease in faculty positions arose when the California legislature approved AB 1522 (Enhanced Early Retirement Incentive Program), informally known as the "Golden Handshake," which offered eligible faculty two years of service credit and two years of age credit if they would retire by October 1992. The immediate impact of this on SFSU was the loss of 90 faculty. The recovery of these positions has been a gradual process. However, between 1994-1995 and 2000-2001, there has been a total of 250 new tenure-track hires.

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YEAR

NEW HIRES

94/95

34

95/96

30

96/97

50

97/98

37

98/99

32

99/00

33

00/01

34

Total

250

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The university has taken an aggressive stance in regard to the recruitment and hiring of women and individuals of color into faculty positions. As of the 2000-2001 academic year, the total tenured/tenure-track faculty at SFSU consists of 43.5% women and 29.6% individuals of color. The chart below gives hiring percentages for 1994-1995 through 2000-2001:
 

PERCENTAGE OF NEW HIRES

YEAR

PEOPLE OF COLOR

WOMEN

94/95

29.4%

47.1%

95/96

43.3%

63.3%

96/97

38.0%

48.0%

97/98

32.4%

43.2%

98/99

40.6%

53.1%

99/00

33.3%

51.0%

00/01

50.0%

50.0%

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Since 1992, four fundamental changes were made in an effort to enhance faculty support. These included establishment/reorganization of administrative offices to facilitate faculty development; providing instructional support; recognition of faculty teaching, scholarship, and service; and furnishing faculty grants and awards.

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Three university-wide offices, the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (OFAPD), the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching (CET), and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) provide extensive support for faculty development opportunities. The extent to which OFAPD and CET provide support was discussed in Chapter 7. The role of ORSP is discussed in the research chapter in Part Three. We will thus turn to other areas of change.

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PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT

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Individual Computer Systems: The value of the use of technology to increase personal productivity and to enhance the teaching-learning process has been well documented in the literature. In 1995-96, President Corrigan allocated funds to enable all tenured and tenure-track faculty members to have computer work stations capable of accessing the Internet and running commercially available personal productivity software. Additional funds were designated to provide hardware and software installation and training support within the colleges and at the university-wide level. These funds allowed colleges to employ computer support staff, purchase software, develop in-house training for faculty, and maintain the computer systems.

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Presentation Systems: Once faculty began to use the technology, it became apparent that systems to project their newly developed instructional material were necessary. This was approached systematically, first with the construction of mobile technology units that could be accessed through the AV/ITV Center. The use of these mobile carts was tracked to determine the areas of highest demand and to provide data for the second step, which was the installation of electronic presentation rooms. The configuration of these electronic presentation classrooms has evolved based on feedback from faculty and on changes in technology. Initially classrooms were supplied with a large multimedia station equipped with a computer, projection system, VHS deck, laser player, 35mm slide projector, and sound system. The most recent installations consist of a projection system designed to accommodate laptop computers and an Internet connection. Video can be delivered through the campus broadcasting channels.

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Installation Data for Electronic Presentation Classrooms

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Fiscal Year

FY 97-98

FY 98-99

FY 99-00

FY 00-01 (projected)

Number of Units

46

51

61

66

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Electronic Classrooms: All colleges provided computer labs and computer classrooms, but these were consistently scheduled for classes which relied on the use of computers for their delivery or reserved exclusively for student use. Frequently faculty who needed their students to access computers during two or three classes throughout the semester were left with no access. To meet this need, an electronic classroom was established by CET in the Library (LIB 433). This room can be reserved by faculty for up to three class meetings per course during the semester. The room is equipped with 20 student stations, two instructor stations, and a large rear-screen projection system.

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Collaboratory: A major concern on a campus with the diversity found at SFSU is how to get all students to actively participate in class discussions and to develop the communication skills necessary to pose an argument, to debate an issue, or to formulate a response to a challenge. The development and installation of a computer-mediated communication classroom has proven to be a very effective tool and a tremendous instructional support for faculty seeking to engage students in active class discussions. A description and examples of use of this facility are included in Chapter 7.

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Orientation for New Tenure-track Faculty: Prior to Fall 1996, orientation for new faculty consisted of a half-day session geared toward presenting the various benefit packages, a cursory introduction to the campus, and an overview of some of the services available to faculty. Beginning in Fall 1996, the New Faculty Orientation became a week-long event which includes an introduction to the technical support available; information regarding personnel issues; familiarization with campus and system policies; information concerning the union contract; details regarding support services available to students; and teaching tips. The orientation takes place prior to the beginning of the academic year; and all new tenure-track faculty are provided stipends to defray expenses for their attendance [see www.cet.sfsu.edu/newfac.html]. As a support to the orientation program, a "New Faculty Resource Guide" has been created with sections dealing with "where am I?," "getting down to business," and "beyond work" [www.cet.sfsu. edu/new-faculty/resources/index.html]. As of Fall 2000, 143 new faculty have participated in this program. Evaluations of the value of the orientation are conducted at the end of the week-long session and again at the end of the new faculty members’ first year.

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To provide additional support for new tenured/tenure-track faculty, the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching has established a New Faculty Partnership Program. The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for social interaction and acculturation by pairing new faculty with faculty or administration partners from outside their departments or colleges.

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Orientation for New Lecturers: In addition to new tenure-track faculty, San Francisco State employs about 800 lecturers each semester. Their responsibilities vary greatly in terms of the number and kinds of classes they teach, their contributions to their departments, their involvement in the university community, and their level of engagement with students. The one constant coming out of this group of individuals is the tremendous service they provide to the university and its instructional mission. Orientation to the campus and its support services for lecturers has always been on an ad hoc basis, with departments (usually the department secretary) taking the major responsibility for seeing that they get the information they need to teach their courses, navigate the campus, and take advantage of the various services and support options available.

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Starting Fall 2000, there was, for the first time, an organized university-wide orientation for lecturers (see "new faculty" web site above). A planning group consisting of departmental secretaries, administrators, human resources personnel, long-term lecturers, and lecturers who were subsequently hired into tenure-track positions and completed the CET new faculty orientation, met to develop a program and schedule for a lecturer orientation. The orientation is a one-day session offered twice each semester and consists of a scaled-down version of the four-day new faculty orientation. A lecturer support web page has been developed by CET to provide a central distribution point for relevant information. Information provided in the orientation sessions includes campus technology support for teaching; benefits and the role of Human Resources; library support for teaching and research; dealing with disruptive students; diversity and its impact on teaching; navigating the system; the paper chase (grade sheets, personnel forms, student-related documents, etc.); and opportunities for funding and support for grant activities. Evaluations are conducted to provide input on necessary modifications for subsequent orientation sessions.

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The first lecturer orientation was attended by 45 new lecturers. Additionally, as of Fall 2000, the provost has funded a .2 lecturer position at CET to develop an interactive web site for new lecturers and to assist in the support of lecturers throughout the academic year.

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Development Program for Department Chairs: Prior to 1996, new department chairs were given an introductory briefing by the vice president for academic affairs. Beginning in 1996, a series of department chair meetings was developed in collaboration with a department chair steering committee to address the roles and needs of chairs. The current structure consists of two all-day meetings per academic year and an orientation program for new chairs. The latter has been well received by the participants. A regional all-day Northern California Department Chairs meeting was initiated in the Fall 1998 semester by the Northern California CSU campuses. These meetings continue. Recently, under the leadership of the SFSU Office of Human Resources, an advisory committee was formed to address the need for systematic new department chair development. This committee is currently discussing what should be included in a department chair orientation, when it should be scheduled, and how to generate interest among new chairs in attending the training.

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Chairs have requested that there be a chair orientation/refresher meeting for a couple of days before each fall semester to review hiring and budget matters. They have also asked that a chair's manual be created and placed on the web as a guide regarding chair responsibilities. Both of these requests are being implemented, with a target date of Fall semester 2001.

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Workload Flexibility: The previous and current contracts have made more flexible the requirement that every full-time faculty teach twelve weighted teaching units (WTUs). Each campus has to determine how to implement this greater flexibility. At San Francisco State University, there has been a gradual decrease in the WTUs used solely for teaching and a concomitant increase in the awarding of WTUs for assigned time (AT).

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SUMMARY OF WORKLOAD FOR TENURED/TENURE-TRACK FACULTY

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FALL 1992

FALL 1995

FALL 1999

Classroom WTU

10.12

8.90

8.37

Supervision WTU

1.90

1.82

1.70

Instructional AT WTU

0.14

0.17

0.14

Total Direct WTU

12.16

10.89

10.21

Non-instructional AT WTU

0.62

1.88

2.60

Total WTU

12.78

12.77

12.81

Number of Faculty

515

564

599

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Workload issues led President Corrigan to state the following in his August 28, 2000 speech to the faculty:

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When I arrived in 1988, about 70% of the full-time faculty taught more than nine hours. Now, less than 30% do -- which presents an interesting, and challenging opportunity, if we are willing to take it on. I have spoken to the Chancellor and have his permission to explore ways in which the campus could create a standard nine-hour load for all full-time, tenured/tenure track faculty. It is my intent to accomplish it this year and it becomes my third major priority . . . [along with faculty compensation and affordable housing].

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RECOGNITION OF FACULTY TEACHING,
SCHOLARSHIP, AND SERVICE

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Showcase Events: Beginning with the 1996-97 academic year, the university initiated a rotating process for each subsequent year to bring recognition to faculty for their achievements in scholarship and creative endeavors, teaching, and service. In the Fall 1996 semester, Academic Affairs, Friends of the Library, and the SFSU Bookstore collaboratively presented a "Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Activity" in recognition of faculty achievements over the previous two years. One hundred thirty-one faculty who had written books or monographs or produced creative works were honored at this event. In 1997, members of the campus community nominated 78 outstanding faculty for the university's "Celebration of Teaching." The categories for nomination were teaching large classes effectively; promoting student participatory learning and service learning; enhancing instruction through technology; combining research and teaching/classroom action research; teaching arts and creative expressions; and ensuring equity and accessibility through inclusive teaching strategies. The nominated faculty were recognized at the SFSU Teaching Fair in Spring 1998. In Spring 1999, the first "Celebration of Faculty Service" was held; and 137 faculty were recognized for service to students, institution, community, and discipline/profession. Another event, "A Century of Innovation," was held in the Spring 2000 semester and featured faculty presentations on teaching, learning, and assessment endeavors.

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FURNISHING FACULTY GRANTS AND AWARDS

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Among other things, the strategic planning process allowed the university community to reflect on the existing curriculum, consider issues of assessment, examine the teaching-learning process, and set directions for the future. Some of the issues became high priorities for the campus, including infusing community service learning into the curriculum; integrating multicultural content in courses; internationalizing the curriculum; and enhancing course delivery through the use of technology. Several new funding opportunities were developed to assist faculty in the implementation of these academic priorities.

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Community Service Learning Curriculum Development Awards: These awards started in 1996 for the purpose of encouraging faculty to enhance existing undergraduate courses and/or to develop new courses that incorporate community service learning into the curriculum. Thus far, 68 faculty have received awards.

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Grants for Enhancing Multicultural Teaching Strategies Across the Curriculum: The purpose of these grants, which started in Spring 1996, is to assist faculty in developing multicultural content in courses and strengthening multicultural collaboration among programs within the university and between the university and the local community. To date, 15 grants have been awarded. (See Chapter 11 for more detailed information.)

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International Curricula and Program Development Grants: Faculty are awarded these grants in order to assist them in internationalizing an existing course, developing a new course, or designing a new international education experience. Since its inception in 1998, 19 faculty have been assisted.

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Technology-enhanced Course Delivery Initiative: This program provides funds to faculty for projects that use technology to deliver courses electronically via the Internet, video, or a combination of the two, and/or integrate the use of technology in the delivery of curriculum in on-site classes. This program started in Fall 1996 and has provided 71 faculty with assistance. [See www.cet.sfsu.edu/new-faculty/resources/techinitiative/index.html.]

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In addition to the above funding opportunities for faculty, several other sources of funds were made available to support teaching, research, and professional development:

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Presidential Awards for Fulbright Scholars: Supplemental funds are made available to encourage faculty who are ineligible under the standard criteria for sabbaticals or difference in pay leaves to apply for Fulbright grants. Four of the awards have been made since 1997. [See www.sfsu.edu/~acaffrs/pafulbri. htm.]

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Presidential Awards for Professional Development of Probationary Faculty: President Corrigan makes these awards to support the retention, tenure, and promotion of outstanding probationary faculty who demonstrate an active engagement with their individual field of study through teaching, service, and creative scholarly work. The program started in 1996 and 43 faculty have been honored. [See www.sfsu.edu/~acaffrs/probpdel.htm.]

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Vice President's Assigned Time for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity: The vice president for academic affairs started this program in 1994 to provide faculty with the opportunity to develop projects which produce tangible results that conform to accepted standards of the applicant's academic discipline. One hundred and forty faculty have received assigned time for this purpose.

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Faculty Travel Funds: Because the regularly budgeted travel funds were proving to be insufficient for faculty, the vice president for academic affairs established a supplementary fund so that faculty could present their creative accomplishments and scholarly research at important professional venues. These funds became available in 1994, and this program has assisted 311 faculty. [See www.sfsu.edu/~acaffrs/trvlpol.htm.]

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Sabbatical and Difference in Pay Leaves: Academic Senate Policy #S99-18 [www.sfsu.edu/~senate/S99-18.htm] and the collective bargaining agreement ratified on June 1, 1999 instituted changes in order to increase equity and flexibility of these awards. The procedures for awarding competitive sabbaticals (full pay for one semester, half pay for one year) were modified so that an all-university committee could work in concert with the Office of Faculty Affairs in the awarding of these leaves with pay. For eligible faculty, difference in pay leaves can now be received every three years rather than every six; and faculty can apply anytime during the year if an unexpected opportunity arises. The number of successful applicants for sabbatical leaves for 2000/2001 was 30 out of an applicant pool of 50 faculty. Difference in pay leaves were given to an additional 29.

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Current Status

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The Changing Environment: As San Francisco State University enters its second century of education, fostering collegiality and a supportive environment for its new and continuing faculty is still a fundamental and primary goal. The issues that continue to be of concern to the entire campus were the focus of the January 2000 annual campus retreat for faculty and staff. Workshops, discussion groups, and information sessions covered a wide range of topics, including innovations in teaching, promotion and tenure issues, faculty compensation, department chair discussion groups, and retirement benefits. Participants expressed concern over some of the changing aspects of the teaching environment (e.g., larger class size; increasing number of students with difficulty in written communication; the move to more weekend classes and to year round operation). These are concerns that will need to be addressed by continued instructional support, expanded services, and open communication as to expectations and implications of the changes taking place.

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The Changing Personnel: The university expects that there will be a sizable number of future faculty hires and retirements. On November 15, 2000, the institution had 752 tenured/tenure-track faculty. Of these, 20% were assistant professors, 19% were associate professors, and 61% were full professors. Analysis of faculty age groups at the university (as of the same date) reveals that 253 members of our faculty were 60 years of age and older and 200 were between 55 and 59 years of age. Without careful planning and consideration, the impact of a large number of faculty electing to retire can have serious negative impact on the campus. Department chairs and deans are facing the prospect of having to replace many long-term, tenured, full professors with young, inexperienced recent graduates. It is critical that sufficient training and support be provided to these new faculty if they are to maintain the consistency and continuity of academic programs. Additional support programs may have to be implemented to ensure that the quality of programs is not negatively impacted.

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In anticipation of coming retirements, the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development is preparing two publications for dissemination. The first, to be available by the start of the Spring 2001 semester, is a Faculty Recruitment and Appointment Handbook for all department chairs. This will guide them through the many facets and procedures involved in the recruitment of new tenure-track hires, including preparation for the tenure-track candidate's campus visit and support services available to the successful candidate during his/her relocation to the Bay Area. The second is a publication, still in the conceptual stage, which will be made available to all faculty who are planning to participate in the Faculty Early Retirement Program. It will cover such items as when one may elect to participate in the program, its duration, and faculty rights, obligations, and benefits.

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The Current Housing Crisis: The majority of new faculty hires in the past five years have been at the assistant or associate professor level. In this salary range, qualifying for a home loan is difficult given the current housing costs in the San Francisco Bay Area. The university is thus giving high priority to developing a housing assistance program for new faculty. Options being considered include access to campus-owned units, access to low rent accommodations such as the Presidio and Treasure Island, rental subsidies, and down payment subsidies. Regarding campus-owned units, the SFSU Foundation, in February 2000, purchased 27 units of Parkmerced rental housing adjacent to the southwestern border of the campus. These apartments are viewed as a parallel component to the new Village at Centennial Square for students and will, in effect, eventually provide a similar faculty/staff village. [See www.sfsu.edu/~pubaff/cmemo/archive/spring00/feb21.htm#one.]

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Housing issues elicited the following statement from President Corrigan in his August 28, 2000 speech to the faculty:

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More important, even than salaries, I have come to conclude, is the impact of housing costs on our ability to recruit and retain faculty, and provide them with a decent quality of life . . .

I will be arranging to meet soon with faculty leadership to determine how best to evaluate and pursue the various housing alternatives that might become available as the result of system-wide planning and possible funding.

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Affordable Childcare: Since many of the new faculty hires are parents of young children, the need for childcare is a growing concern. Support for faculty must include ensuring that adequate and affordable childcare is available to faculty children. The university has recently compiled an extensive informational list of all the childcare facilities in its vicinity [www.sfsu.edu/~shs/sfsuarea.htm]. However, much more needs to be done in this area.

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Spousal Support: Since the Bay Area has a high cost of living, there is a concern regarding attracting faculty who have spouses with career needs. Therefore, the university is participating in the Silicon Valley Higher Education Roundtable Recruitment Partnership (SVHERRP) to provide spousal support. This is a forum for exploring mutual needs in recruiting and retaining faculty and key staff for whom the spouse's employment is a major factor when career decisions are made.

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Faculty Mentors: One of the recommendations in the strategic plan was that the university establish a formal mentoring system for supporting new tenure-track faculty and lecturers, using peers, senior faculty, or even emeritus faculty. So far no formal mentorship program providing professional development support for faculty has been initiated to achieve this goal. The Office of Faculty Affairs has acquired names of faculty who are willing to serve on a steering committee in Fall 2000 for the purpose of establishing an action plan to have faculty on the Faculty Early Retirement Program serve as mentors for new and continuing faculty.

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CONCLUSION

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Instructional support for faculty must be designed and implemented within the context of the institutional environment. San Francisco State, as most other universities, is currently experiencing a shift in the demographics of faculty. There are four identifiable constituencies to be engaged: retiring faculty; continuing tenured faculty; recently hired faculty who have not received tenure; and lecturers, both part- and full-time. Each contributes in a distinctive way to the teaching and learning environment of our campus, and each group poses special problems that need to be addressed. In addition to the changing demographics, new and alternative instructional delivery methods—from on-line and video distance-delivered classes to cooperative/collaborative strategies of student engagement—are requiring innovative approaches to the provision of instructional support. All this results in a need to revisit the range of support available, assess its currency, and evaluate its effectiveness in the ever-changing teaching arena.

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Instructional support for new faculty begins with the intensive New Faculty Orientation, where they are given the opportunity to learn what is available and to participate in focus group sessions designed to get their input on what they perceive they need to do their jobs better. Long-term faculty have consistently been involved in planning and presenting programs that support their teaching, research, and service. The administration has responded positively to suggestions and recommendations made by numerous task force groups to enhance the quality and the direction of instructional support provided. For example, a multimedia task force recommended to the provost that scholarships be made available to faculty who wanted to take advanced courses in the College of Extended Learning's multimedia studies program. Funding was made available, and faculty who applied were given tuition scholarships for courses of their choice.

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Instructional support must cover a wide range of interests among faculty. It is fortunate that the one common thread that holds everyone together is teaching. Regardless of discipline, department responsibilities, research interests, and service obligations, all faculty have an abiding responsibility to serve students in an instructional role. In the Fall 2000 semester, San Francisco State is joining the approximately 140 other campuses in the Carnegie Academy Campus Program. The focus of this program is to "contribute to greater knowledge about conditions that foster a campus culture conducive to teaching and learning and to the scholarship of teaching and learning." Faculty will take the lead role in establishing the guidelines for their participation in this program and will direct the discourse on campus about the scholarly work of teaching and learning.

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In a world made smaller with each new emerging technological change, it is critical that instructional support be provided to guide faculty in the development of cooperative and collaborative interchanges with their students, their colleagues, and the community at large. From a holistic perspective, the university, like a living organism, is more than the mere sum of its individual parts. Integration of the component parts underpinning faculty support and professional development is vital. The rapid advances made in electronic telecommunication should provide better networking among our faculty on-campus and between our on-campus faculty and off-campus collaborators. Within our campus, there should be a better flow and exchange of information—and more cooperative undertakings—among such groups as the All-University Committee on International Programs, All-University Teacher Education Committee, Educational Technology Advisory Committee, Center for the Enhancement of Teaching, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development, Community Involvement Center, and Office of Community Service Learning.

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Furthermore, the university must network extramurally with the business community in view of the recruitment challenges facing both entities. Collaboration here can be mutually beneficial, whether it be in regard to finding jobs for spouses or partners, securing loans for houses or condos, or providing child care.

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Interdependence is indeed becoming more and more of a theme for the 21st century. It certainly needs to become more and more of a theme in regard to the enhancement of our university infrastructure to serve better the needs of our most important asset—our faculty.

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