Event Title

Building Community by Creating a Culture of Recognition and Respect through Non-Academic Activities

Location

Dolan School of Business

Start Date

29-5-2014 5:00 PM

End Date

29-5-2014 6:15 PM

Session Type

Poster Presentation

Description

Our poster depicts the collaborative efforts of Goodwin College’s administration and Faculty Senate to build community among faculty through non-academic activities. We hope poster viewers will consider what more they could do at their own institutions to create a culture of recognition and gratitude. Responses to an initial faculty work climate survey lead the Dean and Faculty Senate to review the literature on faculty rewards. They learned that a positive and productive work environment is characterized by respect for faculty contributions (Beer, 2010). Creating and committing time to become acquainted and to support each other’s work contributes to job satisfaction and overall personal well-being (Hargis and Gilbertson, 2010). As a result, the Senate created a Faculty Recognition Committee which manages a new wall to display and acknowledge faculty contributions. The committee organized a Faculty Gratitude Gathering in the fall for full-time faculty and a summer picnic for all faculty members. The College also organizes a community breakfast three times a year for the entire college. The Dean created a research corridor to display faculty and student scholarship. Weekly mailings to the college community highlight and thank faculty members for their individual contributions. The intention behind all these activities is to increase faculty satisfaction with their workplace, which in turn should increase collegiality and create a positive work climate. A positive work climate should empower faculty to focus on teaching and learning and foster relationships and resource sharing across departments. A second faculty climate survey will be administered in the fall to determine the impact of the College’s activities.

Topic Designation

SoTL

Presenter Bio(s)

Henriette M. Pranger
Dean of Faculty
Goodwin College

Kelli Goodkowsky
Assistant Professor and Program Director Histologic Science,
Health and Natural Science Department
Goodwin College

Debbie Rajaniemi
Associate Professor of Science
Department of Health and Natural Sciences
Goodwin College

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May 29th, 5:00 PM May 29th, 6:15 PM

Building Community by Creating a Culture of Recognition and Respect through Non-Academic Activities

Dolan School of Business

Our poster depicts the collaborative efforts of Goodwin College’s administration and Faculty Senate to build community among faculty through non-academic activities. We hope poster viewers will consider what more they could do at their own institutions to create a culture of recognition and gratitude. Responses to an initial faculty work climate survey lead the Dean and Faculty Senate to review the literature on faculty rewards. They learned that a positive and productive work environment is characterized by respect for faculty contributions (Beer, 2010). Creating and committing time to become acquainted and to support each other’s work contributes to job satisfaction and overall personal well-being (Hargis and Gilbertson, 2010). As a result, the Senate created a Faculty Recognition Committee which manages a new wall to display and acknowledge faculty contributions. The committee organized a Faculty Gratitude Gathering in the fall for full-time faculty and a summer picnic for all faculty members. The College also organizes a community breakfast three times a year for the entire college. The Dean created a research corridor to display faculty and student scholarship. Weekly mailings to the college community highlight and thank faculty members for their individual contributions. The intention behind all these activities is to increase faculty satisfaction with their workplace, which in turn should increase collegiality and create a positive work climate. A positive work climate should empower faculty to focus on teaching and learning and foster relationships and resource sharing across departments. A second faculty climate survey will be administered in the fall to determine the impact of the College’s activities.