Sustained Professional Development for VITAL Faculty: Engagement and Benefits
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This report provides insights into VITAL faculty members’ engagement in sustained professional development (SPD) programs, such as faculty learning communities. Throughout the report, we examine how differences in VITAL faculty’s career characteristics (e.g., full-time or part-time, promotion opportunities and contract length, career role, discipline, years of experience at their current institution and in higher education) shaped their engagement, perspectives, and priorities, as well as the benefits associated with SPD programs. By centering the perspectives of VITAL faculty, a population that is often overlooked in higher education, this report can be useful for educational developers and others who plan, lead, and evaluate professional development for faculty, as well as for institutional leaders who are interested in improving support for VITAL faculty on their campuses.