On a professional development discussion list the question was asked if there are any studies supporting a link between faculty development and student retention? Whatever one's views may be about the validity of making connections between faculty and student retention, it is an interesting question. For example, in spite of research and application about how students learn and how best to teach in recent years, it is probably the case that some 75 - 90% of students' educational experience is listening to faculty lecture to them.
Lecturing can be wonderful and it can be deadening. It has been said that "Lectures were once useful; but now when all can read, and books are so numerous, lectures are unnecessary." That was said by Samuel Johnson in 1799.
What is the responsibility of faculty to students, especially when it must be admitted that very few of us faculty were ever trained to be teaching members of a faculty, nor were we led to research how people, particularly college students, learn? Not wanting to preach to the pedagogical choir, how can professional development in teaching & learning become part of our lives and expectations of ourselves?
Do faculty have a responsibility to engage in their own professional development as teachers and in understaning the learning process? What if ways of learning change over time from when the faculty member was a student? Can it be assumed that the way I learned is the primary way I should have my students learn?
The following is a response to the initial question I mentioned above:
Ed asks an excellent question.
In the Province of Québec's education system in general and in the Université du Québec system in particular, the "retention" notion is termed "la réussite scolaire" or "student (learning) success". The notion has evolved from "retaining" the students to actively facilitating their academic "success". This has lead to a fair emphasis on plans and research monies to identify and implement best practices to ensure student success at all levels. After attending a symposium showcasing a number of the student success initiatives in the Province, my Vice-President remarked that the efforts seem to impact all around the target, but never hit the centre...the classroom teacher. When we work on student success we sometimes call upon student services and a number of other elements in the institutional environment. Meanwhile there may or may not be a parallel action involving faculty development. The work in faculty development, despite the emphasis in the last 10 years to frame it in terms of "learning and teaching
", remains mostly about teaching. In most (but not all) of our Québec universities the current trend is to put the emphasis on student success structures and activity but not so much on faculty development. We may in fact be missing a natural link between efforts to encourage "persistence dans la poursuite des études" and faculty development. My bottom line is that I think we should link objectives and activities regarding "student success" and "faculty development" on an institutional and organizational level whether or not there is clear research evidence of cause and effect.
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