Part 2: Scholarship and Creative Activity
The advancement of knowledge for faculty lies in the depth of their own professional development and the manner in which that knowledge is disseminated and applied. While original research might be a path chosen by some individuals, faculty at SENMC are expected to focus on advancement of knowledge in areas that support teaching and learning. Scholarship in SENMC can take many forms.
- Scholarship as praxis (Action Research) – Classroom teachers analyze the learning in their own classrooms, informing their practice and allowing them to improve and seek out new methodology.
- Scholarship gained through professional development – to include conferences, workshops, and coursework – that can be directly applied to teaching, service, or leadership. (See 1. Professional Development below)
- Original research that lends itself to publication.
- Scholarship that is evidenced by grants obtained.
Dissemination of knowledge is inherent in the concept of scholarship. This dissemination can take place through in-house workshops, seminars and other academic learning experiences, conference presentations, public forums, or formal mentoring of junior faculty or colleagues.
1. Professional Development
Professional development is foundational for Faculty’s continued success in the areas of teaching, service, and leadership. As such, faculty should attend seminars, workshops, conferences, webinars, college/university classes; pursue degrees and certifications; and engage in individual research in the areas of specific disciplines, pedagogy, leadership, assessment, and retention, diversity, and technology. Through professional development activities, the teaching scholar can experience the scholarship of discovery as they engage in the advancement of knowledge; the scholarship of integration as they make multi-disciplinary connections that allow for broader interpretation of information gained. Additionally, professional development can take various forms. Because of the wide-ranging demands on SENMC college faculty, professional development for these employees can be institutionally focused, addressing concerns of leadership and administrative skills apart from academic disciplines. This definition reflects the college’s mission, serving the needs of New Mexico’s diverse population through comprehensive programs of teaching and related activities, scholarship and creative activity, extension and outreach, leadership, and service.
2. Creative Activities
Creative activity involves discovering and creating, teaching, and disseminating, and, very importantly, applying knowledge and skills to real world concerns. This understanding is grounded in Boyer’s concept of the four scholarships:
- the scholarship of discovery involves processes, outcomes, and the passionate commitment of the community campus professoriate and others in the college to disciplined 18inquiry and exploration in the development of knowledge and skills;
- the scholarship of teaching involves dynamic, reciprocal, and critically reflective processes among teachers and learners at the college and in the community in which their activity and interaction enriches and transforms knowledge and skills, taught and learned;
- the scholarship of engagement refers to the many and varied ways to responsibly offer and employ knowledge and skills to matters of consequence to the college and the community; and
- the scholarship of integration is the process by which knowledge and skills are assessed, interpreted, and applied in new and creative ways to produce new, richer, and more comprehensive, insights, understanding, and outcomes.
3. Traditional Scholarship
Faculty members at the SENMC are not required to engage in traditional scholarship. However, it is important to recognize the achievements of faculty who do original research, publish in their disciplines or in pedagogy, and obtain grants that support their scholarly endeavors. Faculty members who conduct research-related activities can document those activities in this Section of the portfolio. Those activities might include both qualitative and quantitative studies, publications, affiliation with grants, and any other activity that might be associated with research.
Evaluation of Scholarship and Creative Activities
In the executive summary, faculty will provide a narrative that addresses their accomplishments in scholarship and creative activities, to include documentation of the application of knowledge gained through professional development activities, creative activities, and/or traditional scholarship, as well as how that knowledge was disseminated.
Professional Development: Faculty will address their accomplishments in the application of their professional development.
Faculty should select, but are not limited to, the appropriate professional development activities listed below. Faculty members are required to provide documented evidence that supports the case they are making for promotion or tenure. As such, faculty members are encouraged to attend activities related to teaching, service, or leadership.
Items to be addressed could include:
- an increased breadth and depth of knowledge in the discipline
- innovative teaching strategies
- improvements in retention
- best practices in teaching
- technology integration
- leadership
- advising • research
- classroom management
- advising accessibility
- student mentorship
- diversity
- online teaching and learning
In addition, faculty should address all relative field experiences as well as certifications, licensures, and course work.
Creative Activities:
Faculty may provide documentation regarding conference presentations, creative publications, textbook reviews, media presentations, performances, graphic/artistic/architectural design, and other discipline-related, intellectual, creative activities. This documentation may include promotional flyers, videos, publications, photographs, CDs, DVDs, or any medium that best demonstrates the faculty member’s activity.
Traditional Scholarship: Faculty may include proof of written scholarly works (published or unpublished) if they are related to their discipline or area of expertise. In addition, faculty may include evidence of action research, grant-related research, or other scholarly endeavors.
An evaluation of scholarship and creative activities, including professional development, should take into consideration the following criteria (if relevant to the activity) adapted from Diamond’s Basic Guidelines.
- The activity’s purposes, goals, and objectives are clear. Its objectives are realistic and achievable. The activity addresses important questions in the field and in the faculty member’s SENMC campus responsibilities.
- The faculty member brings to the activity a significant level of relevant knowledge, skills, artistry, and reflective understanding. The activity reveals a high level of discipline-related or institutional expertise.
- Appropriate methods are used for the activity, including principles of honesty, integrity, and objectivity. The methods have been chosen wisely and applied effectively.
- The activity achieves its goals and its outcomes have significant impact. It breaks new ground or is innovative. It leads to further exploration or new avenues for exploration for the faculty member and for others working at the institution and in the field.
- The activity’s outcomes can be presented effectively to its various audiences.
- The faculty member has critically evaluated the activity and outcomes and has assessed the impact and implications on the greater community, the college community, and on the faculty member’s own work and responsibilities. The faculty member uses this assessment to improve, extend, revise, and integrate subsequent activity.