scholarly journals Perceptions of Employer Socialization Tactics During Junior Faculty Transition into Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Brianne F. Kilbourne
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Role Transition ◽  
Full Time ◽  
New Faculty ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Faculty Transition

Context: New faculty are expected to teach, be productive scholars, and provide service in order to earn tenure, but few experience the full spectrum of faculty responsibility during doctoral preparation. Recent evidence suggests mentorship and orientation are important during role transition. However, how employers facilitate role transition for new faculty remains unclear. Objective: Examine the perspectives of junior faculty members' organizational socialization into higher education, specifically focusing on mentorship and orientation sessions. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Fourteen higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 male, 9 female; age = 32 ± 3.5 years) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts participated. At the time of the interview, all participants were within their first 3 years of a full-time faculty position. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants completed a semistructured telephone interview. The interview guide was focused on the experiences of junior faculty and was developed based upon the literature and purpose of the study. We analyzed the transcribed interviews using a general inductive approach. Results: Mentors provided support to assist in the transition to faculty positions on a variety of topics, although formal mentoring programs are identified as helpful only if a relationship develops. Regarding the second theme, participants noted orientation sessions organized by the institution or department that provided a clear overview of the position. However, despite their use, many described the orientation sessions as not providing essential information that would have been helpful. Additionally, tenure and promotion processes often had purposefully vague criteria regardless of how thorough the explanation, leading to stress. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher education administrators help new athletic training faculty transition by providing mentors and orientation sessions. Findings also suggest that these experiences, at times, are not comprehensive and caused the transition to academe to be stressful.

scholarly journals Doctoral Preparation Influence on New Faculty's Perception of Role Transition

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne F. Kilbourne ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Faculty Role ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Doctoral Preparation ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association

Context: Teaching, scholarship, and service are required of all faculty in order to earn tenure. Faculty members hired directly from doctoral programs may not be adequately prepared to face the responsibilities of a full-time position in the professoriate. Objective: To explore what mechanisms as part of doctoral education influenced the perceptions of junior faculty development while transitioning postgraduation. Design: Qualitative phenomenological study. Setting: Fourteen higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 male, 9 female, age = 32 ± 3.5 years) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts participated. At the time of the interview, participants were within their first 3 years of a full-time faculty position. All participants earned doctorates from residential programs and had an assistantship position. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants completed a semistructured telephone interview. The interview guide was focused on the experiences of junior faculty within their first 3 years in a tenure-track position. Questions were grounded within the literature and purpose of the study. We analyzed the interviews through a psychosocial developmental lens using a general inductive approach. Results: Two themes of doctoral preparation emerged that influenced the perceptions of junior faculty transitioning into a faculty role: breadth and depth of the doctoral assistantship and doctoral coursework related to academia. Doctoral assistantships with breadth and depth helped participants develop competence, while doctoral coursework related to academia provided content expertise. Conclusions: Doctoral education is the platform for transition into academia. Our findings suggest that doctoral program assistantships that provided both breadth and depth of experience facilitated transition. Coursework related to academia influenced perceptions of transition into the faculty role by exposing participants to pedagogy and higher education infrastructure.

scholarly journals Organizational Socialization: Experiences of Junior Faculty in Athletic Training Education Programs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazerolle ◽  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Kelly Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Organizational Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Role Transition ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Background: New faculty members become oriented to their new positions through numerous methods, such as institutional mechanisms as well as networking with various individuals. The process of acculturation is often complex, and best understood from a socialization framework. Role transition for the faculty member is often accomplished through professional socialization, or the experiences prior to beginning a faculty position. However, role transition also continues once the newly minted doctoral student is catapulted into employment. This dynamic, on-going process is often seen as organizational socialization. Objective: We sought to understand how Athletic Training faculty members navigate role transition, from doctoral student to faculty member during the pre-tenure years. Procedures: 19 junior Athletic Training faculty members completed semi-structured interviews to discuss their role transition and inductance into higher education. Data were analyzed following a general inductive approach. Credibility was secured through triangulation, peer review, and interpretative member checks. Results: We found that several organizational mechanisms were in place to support this time of role transition: 1) interviews, 2) orientation, 3) professional development activities, and 4) role consistency. Also, internal motivation and individual inquisitiveness supported this transition, as the junior faculty often solicited feedback or advice from others in their department to evaluate what was expected of them and how to succeed while performing their roles.

scholarly journals A Developmental Perspective on Behaviors of New Faculty Transition into Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-358
Author(s):  
Brianne F. Kilbourne ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
New Faculty ◽  
Personal Standards ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association

Context: The responsibilities of new faculty members can be stressful because of the expectations of research, teaching, service, and for some, administration. The strain from transition and role complexity can impact faculty members' perceptions of the experience and therefore professional development. Objective: To understand how individual characteristics and behaviors influenced development of new faculty during their transition from doctoral students to faculty members. Design: Qualitative phenomenology study. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 males, 9 females, age = 32 ± 3.5 years) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts and 14 different higher education institutions participated. Main Outcome Measure(s): A semistructured telephone interview protocol was used to examine the experiences of junior faculty within their first 3 years of a faculty role. Interviews were coded inductively using a psychosocial developmental interpretive lens. Credibility was established with saturation of the findings and researcher triangulation. Results: The data revealed 3 individual behavioral characteristics positively influenced the development of junior faculty through transition: (1) adaptive perfectionism, (2) competence gained through experience, and (3) the use of a mentor network. Our participants adapted personal expectations in light of outcomes that differed from personal standards; gained competence by seeking experience before, during, and after their doctoral studies; and used a mentor network to ease transition. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that individuals who are able to reflect on their performance and self-adjust personal standards and/or behaviors have a positive perception related to their ability to be successful during transition. Competence gained through experience apart from doctoral assistantships appears to facilitate the transition into higher education. Also, the creation and maintenance of a mentor network that provides a variety of support from multiple sources appears to improve transition by providing comradery, security, and help.

scholarly journals Mentoring Processes in Higher Education: Perspectives of Junior Athletic Training Faculty Members

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie Mazerolle
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Time Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Purpose: Mentorship is a valuable mechanism of socializing faculty members to higher education, but understanding of how mentoring relationships develop is limited. The purpose of this study was to seek a more complete understanding of how mentoring relationships develop for junior faculty members, and how these effective mentoring relationships can be fostered. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to examine junior athletic training faculty members’ experiences with mentoring. Twenty athletic training faculty members: 14 women, 6 men, 32±3 years of age and averaged 2.4±2.1 years as a full-time faculty member in an accredited athletic training program participated in this study. Participants completed one telephone interview, which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed with an inductive phenomenological approach. Data saturation was obtained Trustworthiness strategies included peer review and the use of multi-analyst triangulation. Results: Junior faculty participated in informal and formal mentoring relationships that evolved over time, which aided their transition from doctoral student to full-time faculty member. Additionally, mentoring relationships were strengthened when participants took initiative, engaged in the relationship, and set clear goals. Mentors who exhibit good communication skills, willingness to participate, and genuine interest in the mentee are particularly valuable. Conclusions: Both formal and informal mentoring experiences appear to be valuable for junior faculty members, particularly informal relationships. If institutional mentoring programs are lacking then junior faculty should seek out additional mentoring opportunities. These findings also confirm existing literature on effective mentoring characteristics.

scholarly journals Alignment of Athletic Training Doctoral Education and Faculty Workload

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Faculty Workload ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Faculty Positions

Context: Evidence suggests that doctoral education is incongruent with faculty positions, but this has yet to be specifically examined in athletic training. Objective: To gain understanding of the alignment of doctoral education and faculty workload, including institutional characteristics, from the perspectives of junior faculty members. Design: Qualitative, phenomenological research. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty athletic training faculty members (14 women and 6 men) who were 32 ± 3 years of age and averaged 10 ± 4 years of experience as athletic trainers and 2 ± 2 years as a full-time faculty member. Main Outcome Measure(s): We developed, peer-reviewed, and piloted 2 semistructured interview guides to obtain participants' perspectives on their doctoral preparation, entrance into higher education, and faculty workload. We completed telephone interviews with each participant over the course of 4 months. Transcribed interviews were analyzed by 2 investigators using a phenomenological approach, then reviewed by 2 additional qualitative researchers. Mechanisms of trustworthiness included member-checking, multianalyst triangulation, and peer review. Results: Two themes emerged from this study: (1) workload and (2) congruency. Faculty workload was dominated by teaching, but faculty had several demands on their time, including administration, service, and research. Most faculty positions focused on teaching, whereas their doctoral education was more focused on research, possibly because of a lack of congruency between doctoral education and faculty position institution types. Although mismatches occurred between doctoral education and faculty workload, participants were often aware of these differences and selected faculty positions aligned with their career goals. Conclusions: Faculty workload is generally teaching-focused and contains additional demands that are often not included in doctoral education programs. Doctoral advisors should promote adequate socialization to these characteristics of faculty positions, and doctoral students should consider their interests and faculty workload when searching for faculty positions.

Preparing and Applying for a Teaching-Focused Faculty Position

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine L. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Video Conferencing ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Cover Letter ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Education Market ◽  
Curriculum Vitae ◽  
Higher Education Market ◽  
First Interview ◽  
Time Faculty

With a dose of humor, the author of this chapter chronicles her journey as she searched for a full-time faculty position at local and national colleges and universities after receiving her PhD in community psychology. The search provided excellent first-hand experience that the author shares with readers and includes information about the process, highlighting concrete tools that are needed to be successful. She covers the importance of creating an effective curriculum vitae, teaching statement, and cover letter to land your first interview; how to be more tech savvy, mastering interviews via video conferencing software, such as Skype and Google Hang-Out; and why it is essential to get input on the highly important job talk from prospective academic colleagues. This chapter delivers a sense of the climate and process of entering the higher education market, while leaving the reader with hope for securing that sought-after faculty position.

From the Halls of Harvard to the Age of the Networker

2020 ◽  
pp. 201-225
Author(s):  
Amy Aldridge Sanford ◽  
Kellie W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Course Management Systems ◽  
Contingent Faculty ◽  
Gi Bill ◽  
Full Time ◽  
New Faculty ◽  
Faculty Orientation ◽  
Conference Attendance

Professional development in U.S. higher education was operationalized with sabbatical leaves for 150 years but has rapidly evolved through five ages since then – from conference attendance during the Age of the Scholar (1950s-60s) to the centrality of centers of teaching and learning in today's Age of the Networker (2000s-2010s). It continues to be influenced by everchanging professoriate and student populations, beginning with the introduction of the GI Bill and in the mid-20th century to the modern dependence of contingent faculty. Over the years, tenure lines have decreased, more students work full time, lawmakers and other stakeholders are more critical of colleges and universities, and students are less prepared academically but are more savvy with social justice. Faculty developers must carefully consider all of these matters when planning for the old standbys (e.g., new faculty orientation, navigating course management systems) and looking to what is needed for the future (e.g., accessible design, self-care, legislative mandates).

scholarly journals Athletic Training Junior Faculty Experiences with Institutional Expectations for Tenure and Promotion

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazerolle Singe ◽  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Institutional Expectations ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Past Experiences

Context Tenure-earning faculty are evaluated in 3 primary areas including teaching, research and scholarship, and service. Struggles regarding earning tenure are not unique to the academe, but within the athletic training discipline concerns do exist. Objective We examined the organizational socialization process for junior athletic training faculty members as they learned about the tenure and promotion expectations at their institutions. Design Interpretative phenomenological approach. Setting Higher education institutions with an athletic training program. Patients or Other Participants Nineteen junior faculty members (13 women, 6 men) addressed their understanding of tenure guidelines. Our participants were 32 ± 3 years of age, averaged 2 ± 2 years as a full-time faculty member, and were all at the assistant rank. Main Outcome Measure(s) All participants completed one-on-one phone interviews. We followed a stepwise approach to evaluating the data, which is described by the interpretative phenomenological approach. To ensure credibility of the interview protocol and to bracket some of our possible biases, a peer review and pilot study were conducted. Results There were 3 findings regarding the faculty members' understanding of the tenure process at their institutions: (1) vague expectations, (2) change in leadership, and (3) differing expectations in departments and college levels. The faculty believe improving understanding of promotion and tenure should include (1) formal, ongoing annual feedback, (2) informal communication with administrators, (3) informal institutional mentorship, and (4) instructional scaffolding. Conclusions Athletic training junior faculty experience challenges with understanding tenure and promotion expectations at their institutions, mainly due to changes in leadership and a dichotomy between departmental and institutional expectations. The vagueness is often overcome when the faculty member receives support and guidance from colleagues and supervisors who not only share past experiences in knowledge but also provide feedback for understanding.

scholarly journals Faculty Mentorship in Higher Education: The Value of Institutional and Professional Mentors

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Junior Faculty Member ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Context: Mentorship has been identified as a key aspect to the transition into higher education for the junior faculty member, as it is an effective organizational socializing agent. The literature, however, often examines mentorship as a derivative of the socialization process, rather than as the primary focus of investigation. Objective: Explore the perceptions of mentorship for the athletic training faculty member on professional development and transition into a new faculty role, specifically looking at mentorship through a role transition and inductance lens for the junior faculty member. Design: Phenomenology. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty junior athletic training faculty members (14 women, 6 men) who met our inclusion criteria. All participants were in positions leading to promotion or tenure. Saturation was met with our 20 participants. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semistructured phone interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim afterward. Using a phenomenological approach, we analyzed the data. Credibility of the data was confirmed with peer review and researcher triangulation. Results: Mentoring relationships were determined to be internal and external to the athletic training faculty member's institutions. Relationships were classified as informal, regardless of the location of the mentor. Internal mentoring relationships were informal and navigated by the faculty member with individuals the faculty member believed to have valued experiences and knowledge regarding the institution's culture and expectations for role performance and promotion. External mentors, mostly doctoral advisors, were individuals who could continue to support professional development and the specific tenets of higher education independently of institutional expectations. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that mentoring is done by a constellation of individuals, as each mentoring relationship fulfills a particular need of the junior faculty member and one mentor may not provide or possess all the necessary experiences to support the transition.

scholarly journals Examining the Factors that Facilitate Athletic Training Faculty Socialization into Higher Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Sara Nottingham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Context: Doctoral education is the mechanism whereby athletic trainers can develop an awareness of their future roles and responsibilities in higher education. Evidence suggests that doctoral education may provide an incomplete understanding of these roles and responsibilities, warranting further investigation. Objective: To gain a better understanding on how athletic training faculty members are socialized into their role. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-eight athletic training educators (14 men, 14 women) who had completed doctoral training. Participants' average age was 39 ± 6 years, with 11.6 ± 5.6 years of experience working in education. Main Outcome Measure(s): One-on-one interviews were completed with all participants following a semistructured framework. Data saturation drove sampling. Inductive analysis was used to evaluate the data. Member checks, peer review, and researcher triangulation established rigor. Results: The first theme, professional socialization, was defined by participants as those experiences in their doctoral training that provided role understanding. The second theme, organizational socialization, speaks to those experiences that occurred once the athletic training faculty member was employed full time in higher education. The category of mentorship was articulated, in both themes, as impactful in both professional preparations at the doctoral level and during the institutional socialization process once a novice faculty member is hired. Conclusions: Doctoral education provides the platform for role understanding, which allows the athletic trainer to be prepared to transition into the faculty member role. Specifically, engagement in the role and mentoring provided this role awareness, which is common within the socialization framework. Institutions also offer formalized orientation sessions as a means to assimilate, and mentoring is also available for support.

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