Page 286 - Crisis in Higher Education

12

Reshaping Faculty’s Role

Faculty should not be immune from change that improves the quality
of higher education and lowers its costs. The faculty is the intellectual
heart of the university and provides leadership to improve research and
instructional performance, while administrators facilitate these efforts.
The focus here is on instruction because it is the primary determinant
of a successful bachelor’s degree, which is the goal of most students.
Research is more interrelated with and supportive of graduate studies,
and graduate programs are a small part of higher education (only about
15% in 2014). 1,2
Success of the instructional mission is determined by three closely
related activities.

1. Determining curriculum content: Tenured and professional faculty
members work closely with potential employers and others to design
rigorous content and standards.
2. Creating and executing pedagogy: Faculty members work together to
design methods of instruction and deliver knowledge in ways that fit
the needs of individual learners.
3. Assessing student performance: Measuring how much knowledge stu-
dents gain is essential to demonstrate effectiveness. Pre- and posttests
may be used to assess the effectiveness of courses and programs.

The question is: How well are faculty members prepared for these activi-
ties? PhD and masters programs focus almost exclusively on content
knowledge with minimal exposure to pedagogy and assessment.

257