Leveraging Collaboration and Peer Support to Initiate and Sustain a Faculty Development Program

In today’s impoverished higher education fiscal climate, especially considering the enormous financial implications to higher education of accommodating the changes required by the coronavirus pandemic, “nonessential” though highly important programs, such as centers for teaching and learning (CTLs), are very likely to be underfunded. In this study, we illustrate how underfunded programs can leverage peer collaboration and support to initiate productive, formal systems of assistance for faculty by describing a number of such programs developed by and/or coordinated by our CTL. Moreover, we propose that sustainable programs, especially at small liberal arts institutions, must include a strong component of peer networking and in-house expertise rather than relying on outside consulting services. In a climate of shrinking dollars, CTLs can still perform some key roles effectively while continuing to advocate for more adequate funding.

Work-Life Imbalance in the Time of COVID-19

Four women mathematicians at various stages of their careers at public liberal arts institutions share their struggles and challenges in their professional and personal lives during the pandemic.

Black Church and Liberal Arts Institutions

Academic institutions engaged in partnerships with the Black Church, including small, independent, under-resourced churches as well as historically Black denominational churches, and other under-resourced faith-based organizations, are encouraged to consider collaborative educational opportunities around the issues of strategic financial sustainability and short and long-term stewardship. Four highly community-engaged academics offer a thought-experiment starting with their observations and experiences with respect to the need for such partnerships, and how these kinds of collaborations may be able to help strengthen the Black Church, in all its forms and faith-based communities and ground them for greater advocacy for demanding systemic and structural change.

The Challenge of Distance Learning

This essay explores the sudden shift from residential higher education to remote learning in the United States, a consequence of the novel coronavirus. It is a personal account of experiences as a professor at a Midwestern university. Many instructors had no training in online teaching. For university faculty, Covid-19 meant having to transform courses from in-person instruction to a remote platform practically overnight. Among the student comments I received were that I managed the online transition well. Over the next academic year, 2020-21, universities face challenges in resuming on-campus teaching, and the possibility that a new outbreak of the virus might bring a repeat of the Spring 2020 semester. Although that possibility sounds dire, there is hope that the shift to remote learning may offer a silver lining in the form of expanding course offerings beyond geographic areas and reaching a wider audience. For liberal arts institutions that are struggling financially, a rise in the use of remote learning and online education may offer a new beginning, and for public universities, potential new revenue given declining state support, a silver lining.

The Significance of Articulating an Institution’s Intellectual Distinctions in Response to the Crisis of the Liberal Arts

This case study details an investigation to gain greater insight about the intellectual distinctions that prevail within the academic environment at Crestline College, a pseudonym for an eastern institution of higher learning, in support of the significance of a liberal arts education. While many graduates of Crestline report satisfaction with their academic experience, many alumni volunteers have felt more work could be done to explain the exact nature of what makes Crestline strong academically, articulating the practical value of a liberal arts education. Developing a compelling argument for a strong vision for academics would help reinforce the value and importance of a liberal arts education, given the challenges facing the liberal arts amidst a changing economy and national disinvestment in humanities and related areas. The case study found that alumni and current students felt Crestline was distinguished because of a committed faculty, its intimate learning setting, its engaged student body, and the emphasis of critical thinking across the curriculum. Based on these findings, the study provides a set of recommendations for Crestline and other liberal arts institutions to consider as they continue to engage with their alumni in today’s integrated, globalized society, with questions persisting about the future of liberal arts education and its value to society. Further study is recommended to gain greater insight on preparation for careers and how people are applying their education within career tracks.

Promoting Undergraduate Research in Economics

This paper provides a snapshot of undergraduate research at top 30 liberal arts institutions and top 30 national universities (based on U.S. News and World Report rankings, 2017). This description provides a broader perspective than exists in the literature as we identify departmental motivations for providing undergraduate research opportunities despite the lack of mandates. We also document the extent to which a variety of forms of undergraduate research occur (programmatically and by student numbers). Also included are descriptions of innovative approaches to promoting undergraduate research in light of constraints and methods for creating a culture conducive to undergraduate research.