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While many institutions are focusing on increasing STEM belonging for students, we argue that supporting faculty will increase STEM belonging and build social capital, which is vital for career growth and collaboration, creating stability for student success. Faculty at small and large institutions may struggle to find a community of STEM professionals where they feel they belong. Faculty members may struggle with the lack of connections to others in their field and miss out on support that helps them succeed in their careers. When faculty lack support, they may even leave an institution because of failure to get promotion or tenure. This in turn causes problems for students relying on the faculty for guidance and identity. We contend that the improvement science initiatives and other activities of the First2 Network, an NSF funded project, build connections in the STEM community in WV, help STEM students persist in their given field and build STEM belonging and social capital for the faculty members involved. Thus, providing a more stable environment for students to flourish. We surveyed faculty and found that the First2 Network had a positive influence on faculty members’ STEM Belonging, and on their development of social capital to further their academic careers. The faculty also provided examples of how their participation in improvement science work has contributed to their professional growth and benefited students at their institution.
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The Role of Academic Affairs in Supporting VITAL Faculty on Campus
In this brief, we argue that creating avenues to support VITAL faculty is an essential role for leaders within academic affairs, and particularly those in faculty affairs. While we review a host of supports needed, we argue for the importance of sustained professional development opportunities like faculty learning communities and certificate programs as we start to make these roles more long-term and career oriented. We use the term VITAL faculty — an asset-based term — to refer to contingent or non-tenure track faculty (including visiting faculty, instructors, adjuncts, lecturers, research faculty, and clinical faculty) as a way to affirm what they are, rather than what they are not. Our work at the Delphi Project on the Changing Faculty and Student Success has identified the need for faculty affairs to take responsibility for VITAL faculty, as they often have not had an advocate or any structures to support their work. The absence of leadership positions and structures dedicated specifically to VITAL faculty support has led to the problems we have seen over the last few decades — declines in graduation and retention rates for students, low morale among faculty, and a lack of belonging for students and faculty.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1914784
- PAR ID:
- 10546041
- Publisher / Repository:
- USC Pullias Center for Higher Education
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Institution:
- University of Southern California
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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