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

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.

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazerolle Singe ◽  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Kelly A. Coleman

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad J. Kovaleski ◽  
Vishal Arghode

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study employee engagement in higher education by examining full-time non-tenure track faculty members’ perceptions at a North East US state public university. Design/methodology/approach The authors used semi-structured face-to-face personal interviews with 11 non-tenure track full-time university faculty. Using a phenomenological approach, thematic analysis was conducted for employee interview data. The data was further refined through first and second cycle coding. The primary eight coded clusters were further reduced to three data clusters, each representing an evolving unit of meaning. Findings The analysis revealed three themes relating to how full-time non-tenure track faculty experience and understand engagement: required institutional engagement, perceived necessary engagement and relational collegial engagement. Originality/value The study adds to the limited research available on non-tenure track faculty members within higher education organization and their perceptions of engagement.


Author(s):  
Stephanie Mazerolle ◽  
Sara Nottingham ◽  
Kelly Coleman

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Sara L. Nottingham

Context: Although doctoral education provides ample opportunities for skill development, the new faculty member may still require further support and guidance. Mentorship is often the mechanism whereby continued encouragement is provided. Limited understanding exists of the mentoring relationships developed between a new faculty member and a seasoned one. Objective: To understand the mentoring relationship from the perspectives of new and seasoned faculty members who have engaged in mentoring relationships. Design: Qualitative study, phenomenology. Setting: Selected higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: From the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Foundation Research Mentor program we successfully recruited 7 mentors (5 male, 2 female) and 7 mentees (2 male, 5 female). We additionally recruited 7 mentors (5 male, 2 female) and 7 mentees (2 male, 5 female) who had not completed the NATA Foundation Research Mentor program. Main Outcomes Measure(s): We completed semistructured phone interviews following an interview script. Interviews were transcribed and saturation was obtained. Analysis was grounded by the general inductive approach. Peer review and researcher triangulation were completed for trustworthiness. Results: Two major themes materialized: (1) positive mentoring relationships and (2) challenges. Three primary attributes emerged as necessary for positive mentoring relationships between new and experienced faculty members: (1) active engagement from both mentor and mentee (this theme was furthered divided by the subthemes of reciprocity, motivation, and availability), (2) communication, and (3) similar interests. Mentees' resistance to mentoring and mentors' time constraints emerged as challenges. Conclusions: Mentoring relationships develop when there is shared interest, ongoing communication, and an investment made by both parties. New faculty members may be resistant to mentoring because of struggles receiving feedback, while experienced faculty may have competing time constraints that limit availability.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Barrett ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Leah Sampson

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.


2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 863-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marshall B. Kapp

Thirty years ago when I, an attorney, took a tenure-track faculty position at an innovative, newly opened medical school, I was an oddity — truly, a stranger in a strange land. Today it is not uncommon for American medical schools to employ an attorney as a tenured or tenure-track member of its faculty. Over these last three decades, the educational roles and responsibilities of health law faculty who teach in law schools have become increasingly well defined, with numerous health law courses and textbooks now generally accepted as part of the typical law school curriculum. However, the roles and responsibilities of attorney faculty members who teach in medical schools remain less clearly defined and likely are more individualized to the particular medical schools in which they teach. This essay explores some of the challenges and the opportunities which are given to attorney faculty members who teach in medical schools.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 15427
Author(s):  
J. Bret Becton ◽  
Kelly A. Mollica ◽  
Hettie Richardson ◽  
William A. Sodeman ◽  
Michael Sturman

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 44-45
Author(s):  
Christopher Penny

According to NIH statistics, only 8% of people that begin a biology PhD in the USA become tenure-track faculty members. Anecdotally, this number can vary between 1 and 10%, depending on the institution and field. For those young scientists who want a career within academia, these statistics can be both daunting and depressing. For those who can't wait to leave, or for those who choose to leave with perhaps less enthusiasm, there is a world of opportunities in a diverse range of sectors. However, many non-academic jobs require experience or skills that are difficult to obtain or apply while studying for a PhD. Recently, the research councils within the UK, and in particular the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), have made some large investments to provide PhD students with additional skills and experience beyond their academic work.


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