The WMU Office of Faculty Development
Strategic Plan 2014 – 2017
Statement of Philosophy
We believe that faculty are learners and as such, will continue to strive to improve their
work. We believe that faculty members develop over a lifespan of their careers and that
each career span requires a different faculty development approach. Improving also
means that their classrooms will become more inclusive and learner-centered. We
believe that learning happens in community within one’s discipline and with others
across the campus.
Mission and Goals
Invest in Yourself, Invest in WMU! (Proposed OFD tagline)
The mission of the WMU Office of Faculty Development is to foster a culture at Western
Michigan University that promotes student success, faculty accomplishment, and
institutional excellence.
The Office, through collaboration with various institutional units and programming,
seeks to achieve following goals:
Provide leadership and support for innovation in teaching
Sustain the growth of faculty across the career span and across disciplines
Develop leadership capacity across all levels of the University, and
Support and engage in scholarship that extends the knowledge base in these
arenas
OFD programming will:
Explore the development and learning of 21st century college students and other
contemporary learners
Challenge faculty ideas on teaching and learning and use of technology
Examine various research and theory based approaches to college instruction
Support the implementation of evidenced-based and innovative approaches by
instructors
Assist faculty in assessing their instructional practice and using that assessment
to refine their teaching approaches
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
Programs:
Academic Leadership Academy
New Faculty Orientation
New Faculty Seminar
Graduate Teaching Assistant Teaching & Learning Commons
Graduate Student Teaching Institute
Part-Time Faculty Teaching & Learning Commons
Part-Time Faculty Receptions
Cool Tools for Teaching workshops
Write-on Writing Retreats
Faculty Learning Communities on the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, Mid-
Career faculty, and other topics
Faculty Peer Teaching Observations
Everyone Counts Faculty Professional Learning Communities
Various summer week-long intensives (Institutes) on various topics such as
Gaming Your Classroom, Flipping Your Classroom, Performance Task
Powerful Pedagogies: Course Redesign Institute
Teaching & Learning Bash
Teaching with Technology Symposium
Faculty Instructional Development Travel Grants
Faculty Instructional Development Grants
Collaboration with other Michigan Universities to conduct the Regional Faculty
Development Summit and Michigan ACE Conference, and SoTL Academy
Conferences
Outcomes:
1. Increase overall participation in current and new programming.
2. Increase in new attendees vs. returned, including information about new, mid-
career, and seasoned faculty
3. Grow presence on social media.
4. Increase number of participants in OFD programs self-reporting positive changes
in their thinking and doing about teaching and learning. Can result in increased
faculty satisfaction and retention.
5. Continued strategic collaboration with other units on and off campus.
Supporting All Instructional Staff
A reality in the 21st century is the reduction of budgets for full-time, tenure-track faculty
and the increased use of terminal and part-time instructional staff. Part-time instructors
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
teach more than 30% of WMU’s courses. It has become imperative to provide support
and faculty development for this group of our instructional staff as well. In addition, the
OFD is committed to supporting graduate teaching assistants to become confident and
effective instructors, in collaboration with the Graduate College. OFD also is available to
partner with departments to support efforts to help faculty improve their teaching.
OFD programming will:
Provide orientation and ongoing socialization for faculty new to WMU
Support the development of part-time and graduate student instructors
Encourage the development of new teaching competencies for experienced
faculty
Partner with and seek guidance from multiple faculty groups on campus to serve
the needs of faculty at all career stages
Provide consultation for college, department, and program-specific faculty
development initiatives
OFD meets these goals and strategies of the Academic Affairs and University Strategic
plans:
Academic Affairs
G1 S 1.4 – develop and increase the use of current and emerging tech in curricula
and co-curricular matters
S 1.5 – assess student learning in terms of program objectives, using the
knowledge gained for continuous improvement
S 1.10 – Embrace emerging technology and emerging pedagogy facilitating a
distinctive learning environment
G3, S 3.7 - Provide support services to ensure success at WMU for special and
nontraditional student populations
G7S 7.1 – Promote cultural change across the University so that every individual
promotes a learner-centered environment that leads to student success
S 7.2 – Through the accomplishment of the first six goals, build a learner-
centered, discovery driven, globally engaged academic community comprised of
faculty who are esteemed as both teachers and scholars.
S 7.5 – Mentor new faculty and provide them with the support needed to ensure
promotion and tenure
S 7.7 – Enhance investment in the professional development of faculty and staff
University
G1, 1.2 Provide tools to foster the success of our students
G2, 2.1 Invigorate curricula and teaching methods to improve learning outcomes
2.2 Support and promote innovative discovery and development across campus
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
Programs:
New Faculty Orientation
New Faculty Seminar
Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation
Graduate Teaching Assistant workshops
Graduate Student Teaching Institute
Graduate Teaching Assistant Teaching & Learning Commons (eLearning)
Part-time Instructor Receptions
Part-time Instructor Teaching & Learning Commons (eLearning)
Over the Hump: Mid-career Faculty Learning Community
Instructional Development Grants
Instructional Development Travel Grants
Cool Tools for Teaching workshops
Outcomes:
1. Increase satisfaction and retention of new faculty
2. Increase teaching and research competencies of new faculty (by lessening “start
up” time and stress)
3. Increase engagement of experienced faculty in innovative teaching
4. Increase satisfaction of experienced faculty
5. Increase teaching competencies of graduate student and part-time instructors
6. Increase “marketability” of graduate student instructors
7. Increase engagement in faculty development of traditionally “low engagement”
disciplines
Growing Leaders Among Faculty and Staff
Part of Western Michigan University’s mission is to provide leadership in teaching and
learning through participation with diverse perspectives in a responsive and ethical
community setting. The Office of Faculty Development promotes leadership
competencies for faculty, staff and administrators. Leadership development is
particularly critical to mid-career faculty development as faculty grow into new roles.
OFD programming will:
Help faculty, staff and administrators collaboratively explore leadership from
various perspectives and levels within the University
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
Challenge faculty, staff and administrators to explore our own leadership
potential and to see themselves as leaders
Support the development of leadership competencies in faculty and staff
OFD meets these goals and strategies of the Academic Affairs and University strategic
plans:
Academic Affairs
G7, S 7.1 – Promote cultural change across the University so that every individual
promotes a learner-centered environment that leads to student success
S 7.2 – Through the accomplishment of the first six goals, build a learner-
centered, discovery driven, globally engaged academic community comprised of
faculty who are esteemed as both teachers and scholars.
S 7.3 – Increase diversity and inclusivity within the student body, faculty and
staff through the recruitment, advancement and retention of a pluralistic
community.
University
G4, 4.1 Enhance diversity and promote a campus climate of inclusion.
Programs:
Academic Leadership Academy
Everyone Counts FPLC
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning and Mid-career faculty learning communities
Regional Faculty Development Summit
Outcomes:
1. Increase satisfaction of faculty and staff members with their roles in the
University
2. Increase the understanding of different sub-cultures, priorities and functions
across the Institution
3. Increase the competencies of faculty and staff to lead effective meetings,
supervise subordinates, work with multi-unit teams, and manage projects
4. Support and engage in scholarship that extends the knowledge base in these
arenas
Improving Teaching and Learning at WMU
OFD’s role and purpose is to provide a leadership role on campus in the ongoing
investigation of college-level teaching and faculty development practice. The office will
do so by fostering quality Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and many other long and
short-term approaches.
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
OFD programming will:
Support the development and implementation of SoTL across disciplines in the
University
Support the recognition of the importance of SoTL as valid and valuable research
OFD supports the Academic Affairs and University strategic plans:
Academic Affairs
G1, S 1.4 – develop and increase the use of current and emerging tech in
curricula and co-curricula matters
S 1.5 – assess student learning in terms of program objectives, using the
knowledge gained for continuous improvement
S 1.10 – Embrace emerging technology and emerging pedagogy facilitating a
distinctive learning environment
G3, S 3.1 – Pioneer new configurations of graduate certificate and degree
programs (GTA Institute)
S 3.5 - Assess student learning in terms of program objectives, using the
knowledge gained for continuous improvement (Cool Tools, Workshops)
S 3.7 - Provide support services to ensure success at WMU for special and
nontraditional student populations
S 3.8 - Embrace emerging technology and emerging pedagogy facilitating a
distinctive learning environment
University
G1, 1.1 Ensure distinctive local and global experiences for all learners
1.2 Provide tools to foster the success of our students
G2, 2.1 Invigorate curricula and teaching methods to improve learning outcomes
2.2 Support and promote innovative discovery and development across campus.
Programs/Projects:
Instructional Development Grants
Instructional Development Travel Grants
SoTL Faculty Learning Community
Cool Tools workshops
Summer Teaching Institutes
T&L Bash
Teaching with Technology Symposium
Outcomes:
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
1. Increase participation in teaching and learning institutes
2. Broaden the types of offerings in the Cool Tools workshop series
3. Increase the number of faculty who apply for and receive Instructional
Development Grants
4. Increase the number of faculty who return to take more programming
5. Capture the positive changes faculty make to their teaching and learning that
increase student engagement and success
Assessment
In support of WMU’s obligation and commitment to meet the accreditation criteria of
the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (in particular Criterion
3 and 4), OFD will continually assess the impact and effectiveness of the faculty
development programming proposed here. Assessment will include:
1. Increase overall participation in current and new programming.
a. Measure: % increase
2. Increase in new attendees vs. returned, including information about new, mid-
career, and seasoned faculty
a. Measure: % increase
3. Grow presence on social media.
a. Measure: Web analytics to show increase in use of website and Facebook
4. Increase number of participants in OFD programs self-reporting positive changes
in their thinking and doing about teaching and learning. Can result in increased
faculty satisfaction and retention.
a. Measure: Follow-up surveys
5. Continued strategic collaboration with other units on and off campus.
a. Measure: number and types of collaboration
Such assessment activities will also serve the Office’s aim to “research and implement
new faculty development strategies and techniques to foster enhanced teaching and
learning” as well as provide the University with evidence of teaching effectiveness and
improvement. Such assessments will contribute to the Office’s aim to take a leadership
role in developing stronger assessment of the outcomes of faculty development
nationally and internationally.
An annual report of the faculty development activities, our assessment, and our
outcomes will be prepared and disseminated to the University community.
Office of Faculty Development Strategic Plan (approved 10/22/14) 2014 - 2017
