scholarly journals Athletic Training Junior Faculty Experiences with Institutional Expectations for Tenure and Promotion

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazerolle Singe ◽  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Institutional Expectations ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Past Experiences

Context Tenure-earning faculty are evaluated in 3 primary areas including teaching, research and scholarship, and service. Struggles regarding earning tenure are not unique to the academe, but within the athletic training discipline concerns do exist. Objective We examined the organizational socialization process for junior athletic training faculty members as they learned about the tenure and promotion expectations at their institutions. Design Interpretative phenomenological approach. Setting Higher education institutions with an athletic training program. Patients or Other Participants Nineteen junior faculty members (13 women, 6 men) addressed their understanding of tenure guidelines. Our participants were 32 ± 3 years of age, averaged 2 ± 2 years as a full-time faculty member, and were all at the assistant rank. Main Outcome Measure(s) All participants completed one-on-one phone interviews. We followed a stepwise approach to evaluating the data, which is described by the interpretative phenomenological approach. To ensure credibility of the interview protocol and to bracket some of our possible biases, a peer review and pilot study were conducted. Results There were 3 findings regarding the faculty members' understanding of the tenure process at their institutions: (1) vague expectations, (2) change in leadership, and (3) differing expectations in departments and college levels. The faculty believe improving understanding of promotion and tenure should include (1) formal, ongoing annual feedback, (2) informal communication with administrators, (3) informal institutional mentorship, and (4) instructional scaffolding. Conclusions Athletic training junior faculty experience challenges with understanding tenure and promotion expectations at their institutions, mainly due to changes in leadership and a dichotomy between departmental and institutional expectations. The vagueness is often overcome when the faculty member receives support and guidance from colleagues and supervisors who not only share past experiences in knowledge but also provide feedback for understanding.

scholarly journals Mentoring Processes in Higher Education: Perspectives of Junior Athletic Training Faculty Members

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie Mazerolle
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Time Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Purpose: Mentorship is a valuable mechanism of socializing faculty members to higher education, but understanding of how mentoring relationships develop is limited. The purpose of this study was to seek a more complete understanding of how mentoring relationships develop for junior faculty members, and how these effective mentoring relationships can be fostered. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to examine junior athletic training faculty members’ experiences with mentoring. Twenty athletic training faculty members: 14 women, 6 men, 32±3 years of age and averaged 2.4±2.1 years as a full-time faculty member in an accredited athletic training program participated in this study. Participants completed one telephone interview, which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed with an inductive phenomenological approach. Data saturation was obtained Trustworthiness strategies included peer review and the use of multi-analyst triangulation. Results: Junior faculty participated in informal and formal mentoring relationships that evolved over time, which aided their transition from doctoral student to full-time faculty member. Additionally, mentoring relationships were strengthened when participants took initiative, engaged in the relationship, and set clear goals. Mentors who exhibit good communication skills, willingness to participate, and genuine interest in the mentee are particularly valuable. Conclusions: Both formal and informal mentoring experiences appear to be valuable for junior faculty members, particularly informal relationships. If institutional mentoring programs are lacking then junior faculty should seek out additional mentoring opportunities. These findings also confirm existing literature on effective mentoring characteristics.

scholarly journals Faculty Mentorship in Higher Education: The Value of Institutional and Professional Mentors

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Junior Faculty Member ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Context: Mentorship has been identified as a key aspect to the transition into higher education for the junior faculty member, as it is an effective organizational socializing agent. The literature, however, often examines mentorship as a derivative of the socialization process, rather than as the primary focus of investigation. Objective: Explore the perceptions of mentorship for the athletic training faculty member on professional development and transition into a new faculty role, specifically looking at mentorship through a role transition and inductance lens for the junior faculty member. Design: Phenomenology. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty junior athletic training faculty members (14 women, 6 men) who met our inclusion criteria. All participants were in positions leading to promotion or tenure. Saturation was met with our 20 participants. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semistructured phone interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim afterward. Using a phenomenological approach, we analyzed the data. Credibility of the data was confirmed with peer review and researcher triangulation. Results: Mentoring relationships were determined to be internal and external to the athletic training faculty member's institutions. Relationships were classified as informal, regardless of the location of the mentor. Internal mentoring relationships were informal and navigated by the faculty member with individuals the faculty member believed to have valued experiences and knowledge regarding the institution's culture and expectations for role performance and promotion. External mentors, mostly doctoral advisors, were individuals who could continue to support professional development and the specific tenets of higher education independently of institutional expectations. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that mentoring is done by a constellation of individuals, as each mentoring relationship fulfills a particular need of the junior faculty member and one mentor may not provide or possess all the necessary experiences to support the transition.

scholarly journals Examining the Factors that Facilitate Athletic Training Faculty Socialization into Higher Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Sara Nottingham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Context: Doctoral education is the mechanism whereby athletic trainers can develop an awareness of their future roles and responsibilities in higher education. Evidence suggests that doctoral education may provide an incomplete understanding of these roles and responsibilities, warranting further investigation. Objective: To gain a better understanding on how athletic training faculty members are socialized into their role. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-eight athletic training educators (14 men, 14 women) who had completed doctoral training. Participants' average age was 39 ± 6 years, with 11.6 ± 5.6 years of experience working in education. Main Outcome Measure(s): One-on-one interviews were completed with all participants following a semistructured framework. Data saturation drove sampling. Inductive analysis was used to evaluate the data. Member checks, peer review, and researcher triangulation established rigor. Results: The first theme, professional socialization, was defined by participants as those experiences in their doctoral training that provided role understanding. The second theme, organizational socialization, speaks to those experiences that occurred once the athletic training faculty member was employed full time in higher education. The category of mentorship was articulated, in both themes, as impactful in both professional preparations at the doctoral level and during the institutional socialization process once a novice faculty member is hired. Conclusions: Doctoral education provides the platform for role understanding, which allows the athletic trainer to be prepared to transition into the faculty member role. Specifically, engagement in the role and mentoring provided this role awareness, which is common within the socialization framework. Institutions also offer formalized orientation sessions as a means to assimilate, and mentoring is also available for support.

scholarly journals Organizational Socialization: Experiences of Junior Faculty in Athletic Training Education Programs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazerolle ◽  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Kelly Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Organizational Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Role Transition ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Athletic Training Faculty ◽  
Training Faculty

Background: New faculty members become oriented to their new positions through numerous methods, such as institutional mechanisms as well as networking with various individuals. The process of acculturation is often complex, and best understood from a socialization framework. Role transition for the faculty member is often accomplished through professional socialization, or the experiences prior to beginning a faculty position. However, role transition also continues once the newly minted doctoral student is catapulted into employment. This dynamic, on-going process is often seen as organizational socialization. Objective: We sought to understand how Athletic Training faculty members navigate role transition, from doctoral student to faculty member during the pre-tenure years. Procedures: 19 junior Athletic Training faculty members completed semi-structured interviews to discuss their role transition and inductance into higher education. Data were analyzed following a general inductive approach. Credibility was secured through triangulation, peer review, and interpretative member checks. Results: We found that several organizational mechanisms were in place to support this time of role transition: 1) interviews, 2) orientation, 3) professional development activities, and 4) role consistency. Also, internal motivation and individual inquisitiveness supported this transition, as the junior faculty often solicited feedback or advice from others in their department to evaluate what was expected of them and how to succeed while performing their roles.

scholarly journals Roles of Mentoring for Novice Athletic Training Faculty Members

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Faculty Roles ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Novice Faculty ◽  
Tenure Track Faculty

Context: Mentorship is a valuable resource for athletic trainers who are transitioning to new roles such as a student, preceptor, or autonomous clinician. While mentorship has been identified as an important component of education, little is known about the role of mentorship during the transition from doctoral student to faculty member during the first several years in academia. Objective: Obtain faculty members' perspectives on the role of mentorship as it relates to their experiences as a tenure-track faculty member. Design: Qualitative, phenomenological research. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: Twelve novice faculty members (9 female, 3 male) and 12 experienced faculty members (3 female, 9 male) participated in this study. Main Outcome Measure(s): We developed and piloted an interview guide designed to gain participants' perspectives on their experiences with and perceptions of mentorship in relation to their faculty roles and responsibilities. Semistructured telephone interviews were completed with each individual and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach, and saturation was obtained. Trustworthiness was established with the use of member checking, multiple-analysts triangulation, and data source triangulation. Results: Two themes emerged regarding roles of mentorship: (1) support and guidance and (2) navigating institutional politics and expectations. Mentors supported novice faculty members in their responsibilities of teaching, research, and service, particularly when mentees perceived a weakness in 1 area. Mentors also helped novice faculty members navigate the tenure and promotion process and politics of their institution. Conclusions: Mentorship appears to be an important mechanism of support for novice faculty members as they transition to their tenure-track faculty roles. Mentorship appears to be particularly valuable when there is a perceived lack of preparation for 1 aspect of a faculty position. Novice faculty members should seek out mentors within and beyond their institution for support.

scholarly journals Attractors to Faculty Positions Within Higher Education Institutions for Women in Athletic Training

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Leah Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Job Responsibilities ◽  
Professional Programs ◽  
Experience Teaching ◽  
Employment Goals

Context: Selection of one's occupation can be influenced and determined by several variables and is often studied through the lens of the socialization framework. Career choice has been examined in athletic training, with scholars focusing on identifying initial attractors to the education programs as well as the traditional employment settings. However, little is understood about why an athletic trainer (AT) pursues a role in higher education, specifically women ATs. Objective: Gain an understanding of the factors that influence and motivate women ATs to pursue a career as a faculty member. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education professional programs. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen women faculty members, average age 35 (±6.2, range 28–49; 2 did not report ages) with 11 average years of experience teaching in athletic training programs (1 did not report) and an average of 14 years of experience as certified ATs (±5.9, range 7–25). Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed one-on-one phone interviews, which were digitally recorded and transcribed. Analysis of the data followed the interpretative phenomenological approach. Credibility was established through pilot testing, peer review, and researcher triangulation. Results: Women ATs who have selected a role in higher education were attracted to their positions for three main reasons: (1) connection to the role of being a faculty member, employment goals aligned with the tenets of higher education, teaching, and research; (2) flexibility of schedule the women were able to maintain, accommodating schedule shaped to fit their needs; (3) selecting current jobs due primarily to logistics and location, allowing them to live in a desired location also acceptable to their spouse. Conclusions: Pursuing a faculty role in higher education for women ATs appears to be stimulated by personal and organizational factors, including an attraction to the roles of the faculty member and job responsibilities that can afford flexibility.

scholarly journals Balancing the Roles of a Junior Faculty Member: Perspectives from Athletic Training and Physical Therapy

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-34
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Sara L. Nottingham
Keyword(s):  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Junior Faculty Member

scholarly journals Perceptions of Employer Socialization Tactics During Junior Faculty Transition into Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Bowman ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Brianne F. Kilbourne
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Role Transition ◽  
Full Time ◽  
New Faculty ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Faculty Transition

Context: New faculty are expected to teach, be productive scholars, and provide service in order to earn tenure, but few experience the full spectrum of faculty responsibility during doctoral preparation. Recent evidence suggests mentorship and orientation are important during role transition. However, how employers facilitate role transition for new faculty remains unclear. Objective: Examine the perspectives of junior faculty members' organizational socialization into higher education, specifically focusing on mentorship and orientation sessions. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Fourteen higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen junior faculty (7 male, 9 female; age = 32 ± 3.5 years) representing 7 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts participated. At the time of the interview, all participants were within their first 3 years of a full-time faculty position. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants completed a semistructured telephone interview. The interview guide was focused on the experiences of junior faculty and was developed based upon the literature and purpose of the study. We analyzed the transcribed interviews using a general inductive approach. Results: Mentors provided support to assist in the transition to faculty positions on a variety of topics, although formal mentoring programs are identified as helpful only if a relationship develops. Regarding the second theme, participants noted orientation sessions organized by the institution or department that provided a clear overview of the position. However, despite their use, many described the orientation sessions as not providing essential information that would have been helpful. Additionally, tenure and promotion processes often had purposefully vague criteria regardless of how thorough the explanation, leading to stress. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher education administrators help new athletic training faculty transition by providing mentors and orientation sessions. Findings also suggest that these experiences, at times, are not comprehensive and caused the transition to academe to be stressful.

scholarly journals Induction of junior faculty members of higher education institutions in Eritrea

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-114
Author(s):  
Zecarias Zemichael
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Academic Rank ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the graduate assistants (GAs) are inducted into the system and ethos of the institutions of higher education (IHE) in Eritrea. The paper serves in the purpose of creating more conducive and supportive work environment in IHE facilitating the socialization of junior faculty members to the culture, standards and system of the institutions. Design/methodology/approach The research adhered a combined approach of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data were gathered through a Likert scale questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The study was conducted in seven IHE involving 165 participants. Findings The GAs’ knowledge of job description, access to institutional information, sharing of resources, the quality of guidance and support provided, supervised teaching and feedback are discussed in detail. Results revealed that the GAs shoulder vital responsibilities but they receive poor induction at individual and institutional levels. GAs complain for lack of job description clarity and lack of transparent institutional communication at work. Holding first degree, GAs teach senior courses without any prior induction, pedagogic trainings and unsupervised. The GAs are recruited on the basis of the colleges’ long-term staff development plan, but little is done. Practical implications Despite their academic rank, the GAs represent 64 percent of the national academic staff (ADF, 2010). Creating conducive work atmosphere for the junior faculty members in the institutions is a long-term investment on institutional capacity building and quality assurance of the institutions’ performance. Social implications Induction of the newly recruited junior faculty members to the social, professional and the institutional ethos is a socialization process that would minimize the professional isolation and inefficiency of new recruits.

scholarly journals Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Junior Faculty Member Preparation: Perceptions of Doctoral Programs and Clinical Practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Barrett ◽  
Stephanie Singe ◽  
Aynsley Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Doctoral Degree Programs

Background: Institutions of higher education suffer from a shortage of appropriately prepared faculty members in athletic training and physical therapy programs. Both professional programs have recently undergone curricular reform and degree change. We sought gain an understanding of the preparation mechanisms experienced by athletic training and physical therapy practitioners for their junior faculty positions. Method: Twenty-six athletic trainers and physical therapists participated in this phenomenological study. Data from one-on-one phone interviews were analyzed following the inductive process of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Content experts, pilot interviews, multiple analysts and member checking ensured trustworthiness. Results: Findings indicate two primary mechanisms prepared the practitioners to become junior faculty members: doctoral degree programs and clinical practice. Doctoral degree programs did not provide experiences for all future faculty roles. Hands-on patient care practice provided participants the context for their teaching and confidence in knowledge aptitude. Conclusion: Doctoral institutions should provide a variety of hands on active learning experiences to doctoral students. Future faculty members can maximize the amount of time they provide clinical care to patients, following the attainment of their professional credential. Clinical competence and proficiency will serve as the foundational basis for their future teaching endeavors and may increase credibility and respect.

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