Measuring the impact of a new faculty program using institutional data

Abstract

This paper presents a quasi-experimental evaluation of a required, teaching-focused, new faculty program at a large research university. The study makes use of institutional data, including student evaluations of teaching and faculty participation in educational development activities, which are available on many campuses yet rarely used in program evaluation. Results show positive impacts. Faculty found the program valuable and reported increases in their preparation for a range of teaching tasks. In comparison to earlier cohorts, program participants received stronger student evaluations on two global items, and demonstrated significantly more connections with the teaching center in their early careers.

Keywords:

• New faculty programs
• program evaluation
• educational development

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Ronit Ajlen for additional assistance with data analysis. Thank you to our anonymous reviewers for thoughtful comments that helped improve this manuscript.