Contact: csmhp@eiu.edu

Dr. Mildred M. Pearson, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle Level Education, came to Eastern from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2003, having earned an Ed.D. from Oklahoma State University in 2000. Her current research focuses on the use of hand-held computers and how they affect learning among area middle school students. Dr. Pearson began serving a two-year term as Eastern’s new Director of Faculty Development in January. She discusses her aspirations for and achievements in her new role in the interview which follows.

You have noted that your motto is "promoting the ‘wholesome’ professor." Can you explain this concept?

I use the term “wholesome” to denote an individual’s broader well-being. A “wholesome” faculty member is not only a well-prepared teacher and scholar; he or she also is physically fit, emotionally healthy, mentally ready, and socially engaged. Developing these five characteristics is my office’s goal.

Please talk a bit more about your philosophy of faculty development. Why is it important to faculty? Why is it important to Eastern Illinois University?

Because of Eastern’s size and location, it is all the more important that Faculty Development address all areas of faculty well-being. For example, it is very easy for a faculty member to focus all of his or her attention on the classroom or the research agenda; the result is isolation from the rest of the campus community. It is also true that many new faculty need assistance beyond that provided by their graduate studies. The Faculty Development Office has a responsibility to address the particular needs of the faculty at specific stages of their development. Consequently, our Fall 2005 schedule of programs and activities integrates sessions that focus on teaching and research strategies with those that focus on physical and emotional wellness. Addressing the full gamut of faculty members' needs while enhancing their skills impacts both teaching and learning.

The Faculty Development website identifies your primary goal: “to promote excellence in teaching and learning by providing resources, communication and strategies to support, strengthen, recognize, and celebrate high quality and innovative teaching.” Yet it also is clear that your Office supports the development of faculty as scholars and persons, as well as teachers. Can you talk about your specific short and long-term objectives for attaining these goals?

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. William Weber and the Faculty Development Advisory Committee, much thought and work went into refining and re-energizing Faculty Development before I began my term as director. In part, my role is to continue that refinement. For example, the groups formerly known as “Faculty Circles” now are called “Faculty Mentoring Circles,” and they will be tailored to the specific needs of faculty at the three main stages of their careers: new faculty, middle career faculty, and veteran faculty. We are a faculty-centered institution, yet we need to increase our focus on the needs of middle-career and veteran faculty. After all, they serve as a vital resource and a nucleus for teaching and learning at EIU. They have proven commitment and stability and are valued members of our learning community.

As for new faculty, this year’s New Faculty Orientation will be a two-day affair, with new faculty getting to know their learning community on day one and participating in a variety of programs on day two that address each of the five aspects of the “wholesome” faculty member I mentioned previously. As part of my efforts to engage faculty with the community, I have asked area businesses to donate gifts and services—restaurant gift certificates, coupons for products, etc. The response from these businesses has been wonderful, by the way. The New Faculty Orientation program will open with a soloist and pianist, a little soft music to set the tone for the event. And at the wine and cheese reception, a jazz trio will perform. These activities are just another way of acknowledging that there is more to our faculty than grade books and research grants.

One of my ongoing objectives is to ensure that faculty development programming in general recognizes that one-size does not fit all. I would like to offer programs and activities geared to the specific interests and experience of our new faculty. After all, even our new faculty members have varying levels of experience.

How do faculty provide input into your Office’s activities?

The Faculty Development Advisory Committee offers advice about programming (members provided input on the schedule I developed for this coming fall, for example). And I continue to revisit the faculty development needs/interests survey conducted a few years ago. One of my goals is to collect more information from the individual colleges. And I am working on a new assessment instrument that will allow me to gather feedback from those who attend Faculty Development programs.

What’s new in Faculty Development for Fall 2005? What programs and opportunities are you particularly excited about?

I am excited that the Provost increased support for the former Faculty Mini Grants (now called Faculty Development Support Grants) to $400 each beginning in Fall 2005. We will offer 25 of these awards, with deadlines set at September 16 and January 27. I am quite proud that faculty now are able to register online for Faculty Development events, since this improves service to them but also gives me a better idea of attendance! I also am excited about the “Teaching Professor” Conference coming up this fall: Each college is sending a faculty representative, and three department chairpersons (as well as myself) also are attending. I see this conference as an opportunity to empower the faculty, give them opportunities to maximize their teaching, and challenge some of their assumptions about teaching. One of our October development activities is a series of presentations by those who attended the conference; this way, they can share what they learned with the faculty as a whole. I also am excited to be bringing Barbara Millis from the University of Nevada at Reno to campus on November 10. Serendipitously, Barbara also will be presenting at the Teaching Professor Conference.

While your appointment is only a semester old, you’ve already made some significant contributions to Faculty Development. Which one are you most proud of?

I am particularly proud to have developed our programming schedule for Fall 2005 and Spring 2006, well in advance of the new academic year! All of our programs will be held in MLK Union (in the Charleston-Mattoon Room or the Arcola-Tuscola Room), and most of them will take place from 12-1. This consistency should increase faculty members’ ability to include development activities in their schedules. I also am proud to have planned a "Faculty Appreciation Day" on September 23, from 6:00 to 9:00. There will be games and activities for the entire family.

Last question: How can the University assist with faculty development?

Members of the University as a whole can help in several ways: with their presence (come to our events!); with their positive feedback on our programs and activities; with their own presentations (share your expertise with us!); with their promotion of our efforts (post our schedule on your bulletin boards and websites!); and last, but most important, with their passionate support of faculty excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Visit the Faculty Development Web Site at http://www.eiu.edu/~facdev/.