Cultivating an MIS Faculty for a TenureEligible Position At a Small Private College

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Cultivating an MIS Faculty for a Tenure-Eligible
Position At a Small Private College

• Liang Chee Wee
• Julie Jensen
• Charles Christianson
• Economics and Business Department
• Luther College, Decorah IA 52101

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Presentation

• Why did we do it?
• The Cultivating Process
• Departments and Colleges Assessment
• Candidates Assessment
• Where are we?
• Questions Answers

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Why did we do it?

• Demands for MIS faculty members outpace supplies
• Decline in doctoral students vs. Increase in
  average salaries
• Competition with larger schools
• Desire stability in staffing
• Solution cultivate our own MIS faculty member

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The Cultivating Process

• Set hiring qualifications
• Masters degree in MIS or a related field
• Industry experience
• Teaching experience preferred
• Spread the word to locate potential candidates
• Outline expectations

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• Provide support to candidate
• Mentoring by senior colleagues
• Searching for an appropriate graduate program
• Scheduling of teaching assignments
• Arranging release time and leave
• Providing monetary funding

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College Department Assessment

• Flexibility in plan and time-line important to
  progress
• Financial support must be committed
• Teaching load should be appropriate
• Scholarship expectations should be clearly stated
• Candidates commitment is crucial

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• Benefits to the institution must outweigh costs
• Would the department support such arrangement
  again?
• Must be evaluated on a case-by-base basis

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Candidates Assessment

• Picking a program and getting college endorsement
• Necessary support
• Personal considerations

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Picking a Program Getting Endorsement

• Establish clear goals for graduate work
• Personal goals and college goals
• Assess the flexibility of a program in
  scheduling, respecting candidate goals, and
  tailoring content
• Show how a selected program is the best fit given
  all considerations of the individual and the
  college

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Necessary Support

• Full department and administrative support of the
  model
• Willingness to adjust teaching schedule to travel
  schedule
• Consistency in preps and load
• Clear priorities of graduate work vs. teaching
• Release time at certain points in the program and
  protection from duties beyond the teaching load

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• Flexibility in timelines because of variables
  program offering schedule, potential committee
  difficulties, etc.
• Financial support
• Mentoring from senior faculty members on the
  doctoral process (particularly to offset the loss
  of community with other grad students)
• Mental health!!!

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Personal Considerations

• Time commitment and sacrifice of other
  priorities, commitments
• Acceptance of satisficing work as a teacher and
  student
• Balance of getting through a program in a timely
  manner without burning out
• Finances depending on family income, commitments
  and college support
• Long-term goals and ROI

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Where are we?

• Julie is teaching one introductory course this
  fall
• She passed her comprehensive exam in late October
  2003
• Her dissertation phase starts
• She is back to full-time teaching next spring