Using a research-based faculty development model that supports faculty leadership in their own development process, the CFC provides opportunities for faculty to serve as faculty fellows.  The role of faculty fellows supports the mission of Western Carolina University “to provide an environment in which students, faculty and staff jointly assume responsibility for learning.” Faculty Fellows help lead these joint responsibility efforts.  While such positions support specific initiatives, all faculty in these roles serve as the following:

• Agents of change to promote and expand professional development to support policy and cultural change,
• Promoters of faculty engagement with faculty development to provide the framework for the scholarship of teaching and learning as proposed by the Boyer Model,
• Faculty leaders who support an administrative model where power and authority expand from the center of the organization to a broader base, promoting a consensus model in university leadership.
• Leaders of peer review, support, and networking to cultivate a sense of community to improve teaching and enhance collaboration across disciplines.
• Innovative leaders who recognize that all major faculty development initiatives begin in the classroom.

In addition, Faculty Fellows in their leadership roles enjoy a sense of professional satisfaction that can benefit their colleagues and their students.

Faculty Fellows 2008-2009

Faculty Fellows for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

These faculty fellows assist with the coordination of the SoTL initiative at WCU as well as WCU’s international participation in the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. They provide a faculty vision for the planning and development of the SoTL Retreat and the Summer Institute for Teaching and Learning and serve on the staff of MountainRise, WCU’s international peer-reviewed journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In addition, they work with the SoTL Leadership Team and the SoTL Faculty Learning Community as well as the selection committee for the SoTL Grants program. They assist with the introduction of SoTL at New Faculty Orientation and through their participation in the Graduate Assistant Teaching Experience. They also work with others across the state to promote SoTL.

Faculty Fellows for eLearning

These fellows serve as faculty liaisons to promote instructional quality by modeling effective online teaching, learning and course design. They also serve as both a face to face and eMentor for faculty through the use of OCAT (the online assessment tool), the “WebCat Water Cooler” support site, the eLearning Faculty Learning Community, and the Passages to e-Learning Retreat. In addition, these fellows serve as a faculty liaison to the WebCat team to make the team aware of faculty support needs. They also take initiative in developing other faculty support services, leading research on service efficacy, and incorporating research about online teaching and learning into their own scholarship, often in cooperation with other EL-FFs. The group meets regularly as a team.

Faculty Fellows for Research

These two fellows work with faculty to design research methodology and interpret data results.  This work may be one-on-one or in the form of workshops.  They are well versed applicants in research methodology and present a successful track record for research publication. These fellows also assist faculty with publication.

Tom Ford Faculty Fellow for Research

Mike Smith Faculty Fellow for Research

Faculty Fellow for Part-time Faculty

This fellow serves as the faculty liaison for part-time and fixed term faculty. The person in this position advocates for the needs and concerns of this group and facilitates communications through the Part-time Faculty Handbook, the Part-Time Faculty webpage, and a Faculty Learning Community. In particular, this individual organizes meetings and events of interest to the group and keeps faculty apprised of awards, grants, and training opportunities for which they are eligible.

Faculty Fellow for Global and Cross Cultural Communication

This fellow serves as a faculty liaison to our increasing population of international faculty to determine the challenges that faculty and students face in the area of cross-cultural communication. The fellow seeks to build a network of mutually supportive faculty, students, and staff members and puts together resources that foster effective cross-cultural communication. In addition, the person in this position.works to enable faculty and students to access cross-cultural communication resources via seminars, workshops, and orientation sessions. This fellow also leads the Faculty Learning Community on International Faculty.

Faculty Fellow for Publication

This fellow serves as the voice of faculty in the publication and promotion of the Faculty Forum, a faculty-run publication.  This role involves soliciting and editing articles as well as soliciting responses to those articles. The individual also serves as assistant editor of Connections, the Coulter Faculty Center newsletter for faculty.  This fellow networks with faculty to be aware of their issues and to solicit their needs and opinions.