How do get faculty to work together, when some just dont want to person refuse
I also believe that retaining students is closely tied to the advising and the relationships students have with their academic advisors and instructors. We have had some issues with advisors not responding to students or not properly advising and many of those students have left or threatened to leave. It has been difficult to get the advisors who have worked at my University for a long time to care because of old practices. We now have a weekly Intervention meeting that is run through Student Services but ensures the advisors are aware of the issues our students are facing so that they can get more actively involved.
I truely believe retenting students is a faculty issue. Don't throw stones at me just yet. I believe that students judge a school by the instructors. So, if I have new faculty, I always mentor them for optimal performance.
Its really noce to have departments that can be used for interventions. We have the ability to send some of our students to different departments to help solve problems...job related....housing and so on.
It needs to be clearly explained to all new faculty and staff that running a school is a team effort. Better yet, they need to feel as if they are part of the team. If not, you will encounter the very problem you described above.
Perhaps if the refusing parties were reminded of their dreams and values that brought them into their chosen careers, it might re-ignite the fires of participation.
Do the admissions people really get involved, Patsy? That seems rather unusual unless it's part of their job description. Do you or other faculty also try to contact the student?
I have often asked myself this question. What I have found to help is to envolve the admissions department when a student wants to withdraw. Being a program director, the withdrawals for my department come to me. At that time I find out who admitted the student. I then talk to the admissions rep and ask her to give the student a call. I also ask the student services department to call. We do this in hopes of retaining the students. Often we have found that the problem is minor and can be fixed.
I think that it boils down to attitude. Is the instructor willing to jump in and take on new things? Or are they saying, "That's not my job"? Really, that is the determining factor for us. Usually, we don't terminate for lack of participation. We don't often have to. Instructor who are not team players almost always also have poor outcomes from their students. That is usually the basis for termination.
Obviously, each person brings different strengths and abilities to an event. Do new hires have some latitude about what events they work on and how? How often do you have to terminate someone for lack of participation?
It is very important that new hires understand that participation in the larger school activities is a requirement of the job. We set that expectation in the interview and again in orientation. If they refuse to participate, it is always are reason to terminate their employment.
April, how does your school assure that instructors are doing what is expected of them? Do you use mentors for new faculty members and/or classroom observation? Does your school do classroom observation of senior faculty?
When a new instructor is hired, they must be made fully aware of what is going to be expected of them. There should be no confusion as to what is needed from them. If an instructor does not want to be part of the team, he/she does not need to be an instructor. Students follow our lead. If you have someone acting out, the students will feel that this is acceptable behavior.
Good counsel, Michael. You know you're making progress when you begin to hear peers complimenting and thanking each other. Some institutions have set up systems that allow for peers to recognize outstanding performance and may include pre-announced rewards.
The point of instructors refusing to take on support roles etc. is one I have been dealing with. I can say there has been move from outright hostility to one of cooperation. It has taken a year and the one thing I can say is if you want them to do it you must also do it. The it being going the extra mile. Do not be ashmed of saying thank you either. Even for them doing their basic job. I cost you nothing and will buy you their gratitude in the long run. be consistant and reward those who rise to the occassion. There may be incentives likke leaving early for working a project or giving preference to the classes they teach or recognition and financial rewards. In some cases there is need of disiplinary action. I advise against negative reinforcement alone.
How did your institution make this important shift in culture, Michael?
This is a must! The whole institution needs to be one team. When I first started I would hear comments from the students to a faculty or staff member like, “You're not my teacher/program director/ financial aid officer, I don't have to listen to you.†This is defeating for the whole institution every, teacher needs to know that they are a part of the team and that a teacher is a teacher is a teacher. They have the same authority as any one else in respect to all of the students. Once the students try to play one teacher against another you are doomed.
Please share an example of the exercises, Joseph.
I work with team building exercises at each of the faculty meetings and/or in-service days. The focus is always demonstrating a team effort. When the expectation is set the one/two staff member that wants to drag eventually comes along. The activities are meant to be on-going so that working together is part of the culture of the school.
Diane, do you have any specific team building techniques that you use at your school? Do you teach leadership skills in any of your courses?
