Administrator Co-Writes Book on Faculty Professional Development
Published 01.21.2005
Dr. Henryk R. Marcinkiewicz, associate vice president for academic affairs at Pennsylvania College of Technology, has co-written a book about organizing and conducting a professional-development program for new faculty.
The book, "New Faculty Professional Development: Planning an Ideal Program," was published recently by New Forums Press Inc., Stillwater, Okla. Second author for the work is Terrence Doyle, professor of reading and the coordinator of the Center for Teaching, Learning & Faculty Development at Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich.
In the book, the authors assert that the entire first year for new faculty should be regarded as an orientation period rather than a "birth by fire." Typically, programs for new faculty at many colleges and universities are limited to orientations at the start of a school year that last from one day to one week. The authors say an academic year allows enough time for new faculty to be presented with new ideas, practice what they are learning, share what they know, and become acquainted with the culture and systems of the new institution.
Dr. Marcinkiewicz was the founding director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, & Faculty Development at Ferris State University. His interests include professional development, the adoption of innovations and organizational change.
Doyle also conducts the yearlong New Faculty Transition Program, as well as faculty-development programming. He has developed numerous workshops on teaching and learning and co-authored three textbooks on the freshman-year experience.
Dr. Marcinkiewicz also co-wrote an article "Online Learning and Time-on-Task: Impact of Proctored vs. Un-Proctored Testing" that was published in the "Journal of Asychronous Learning Networks" Volume 8, Issue 4 - December 2004. The article's lead author, Dr. Gregory S. Wellman, is a professor in the College of Pharmacy at Ferris State University.
The authors conducted a study concerning the use of proctors and online testing, finding that online tests conducted in a lab setting were most effective when a proctor was present.
The authors say the results suggest students benefit from online instruction when the experiences are engaging, and lab-based online testing is practical when it is monitored.