The future of faculty roles in higher education

Roles of faculty in higher education have been changing year by year. It is interesting what Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of Carroll College Jerry Berberet comments on this issue. According to Berberet (2008), the most important trend in education for future is that faculty members will get support for professional development. Moreover, rewarding for their contribution to development of education will be included to strategic plan of higher education institutions.

Berberet (2008) also mentions other positive changes concerning faculty in higher education: reduction of tension between administrative staff and faculty members, improvement of public relationship towards faculty, “humanization of the faculty, their training, goals, sources of motivation and satisfaction, their professional needs at various stages of their careers” (p.2). More conditions will be provided for faculty to combine their professional and personal lives. There will be collaborative relationship between universities and their faculty. It will be beneficial for both parts, as they will support each other in overcoming challenges.

 

     Faculty will be expected to “teach and advise increasingly diverse student population for local to global careers and citizenship” (Berberet, 2008, p.2). To assess students’ outcomes in learning and review academic programs for improvement, they need to become specialists in measurement in education. Faculty will also become specialists in developing innovative curricula. In future, faculty members will advance collaborative way of teaching: faculty-students and students-students. 

     Overall, we observe positive predictions on the future of faculty roles from the perspective of Jerry Berberet. If these predictions come true, faculty members will get real satisfaction from their work and do their best to contribute to development of higher education.

Reference

Berberet, J. (2008, December). Toward the professoriate of the future: Critical questions for

                higher education and America. Advancing Higher Education. Retrieved from:        https://www.tiaacrefinstitute.org/public/pdf/institute/research/advancing_higher_educ

                tion/1208_01.pdf