Faculty Publications

Building Intentional Community and Support

Document Type

Book Chapter

Keywords

Community, Faculty development, Higher education, Historically excluded faculty, Professional development

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Faculty Success in the Academy: Tips Tools and Resources for Success

First Page

21

Last Page

28

Abstract

Faculty development often focuses on the individual level, noting the steps that faculty members can take to advance themselves. One component of professional development that is often missing is the role that community plays in advancing our careers. We benefit from testing new ideas with others, support and guidance from those we trust, and solidarity with people who share our circumstances. While community is important, not all groups are helpful as we progress through our careers. A group might not fit our needs, a group may contain members that are not supportive, or we might outgrow a group that once worked well for us. So, as we look for communities to help advance our professional growth, it is important to be intentional in finding groups that align with our needs and futures. This chapter emphasizes the importance of intentionally developing communities as a component of professional development. Such groups include Professional Learning Networks (PLNs), affinity groups, and book groups. These groups are a useful way to connect with others around various professional issues and can help us develop a sense of community with others in our profession. The main purpose of this chapter is to help faculty intentionally build community groups as a component of professional development.

Department

Department of Political Science

Original Publication Date

1-1-2025

DOI of published version

10.1108/978-1-80592-287-220251003

Link to Full Text

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