Reimagine Faculty

Creating new types of faculty categories that bolster application and innovation in our field will enhance student education and attract faculty with unique expertise to strengthen the COE’s mission. Expanding faculty lines could also help remedy the COE’s low tenure density compared to the prior decade. 

Faculty of Practice exist at some universities, and are typically distinguished professionals with a decade or more of experience in the field. They oversee courses and programs that capitalize on their industry knowledge and connections. Research Faculty also exist at some universities, and are typically research specialists assigned little to no teaching. The new faculty categories would complement the core contributions of the tenure line and lecturer faculty. 

Recommended Actions: 

• Establish a Faculty of Practice category to allow students to learn state-of-the-art industry practice from distinguished professionals. 

• Establish a Research Faculty category to increase opportunities for student research and faculty collaboration to tackle grand challenges faced by society. 

Align Faculty Work, Evaluation, and Rewards 

The Retention, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP) policies in the COE are in need of alignment to Beach 2030 and our strategic vision. They should reward interdisciplinary collaborations and work on grand challenges. 

They should allow for differential emphasis on teaching, research, and service to leverage individual faculty strengths. They should increase transparency on review criteria and expectations for all levels of review. The COE RTP Policy Task Force has initiated this important project and we will build upon their good work. 

Recommended Actions: 

• Revise college and department RTP policies to provide common guidelines throughout COE and rewards for faculty achievements and interdisciplinary collaborations. 

Reimagine Department and College Structures 

Traditional college organizations form departments grouped by disciplines and majors. While this organization is logical and efficient, it can be criticized for being territorial and siloed. As new fields emerge and society’s grand challenges become increasingly multidisciplinary, department and college structures need to cultivate and stimulate the interdisciplinarity that will allow us to evolve and remain current. 

Recommended Actions: 

• Identify multidisciplinary faculty cluster areas for future hiring. 

• Establish policy on joint appointments that builds upon prior experience and best practices. 

• Move towards a shared, interdisciplinary research laboratory model to foster collaboration, mentorship, and shared resources, and to leverage the square footage available to the college.