Authoring Scholarly Identities: The Impact of an Online Faculty Learning Community

• In Event: Education in the Professions: Paper Presentations

Abstract

Scholarly productivity is a key indicator of faculty success, yet many faculty members are struggling with academic writing, especially during the COVID pandemic. Little is known about the ways in which faculty, specifically those at teaching institutions, are developing scholarly identities in the midst of the current turmoil. This paper examines a faculty development project that focused on writing for publication. Findings indicate that an online faculty learning community on scholarly writing was an effective intervention that built writing capacity, increased scholarly productivity, and cultivated interdisciplinary collegiality. The collaborative experience helped alleviate feelings of isolation and engendered greater confidence in writing for publication, thus contributing positively to the academic self-image of participants. Crucial to the success of this project were administrative support, the commitment of faculty, and the time to develop trusting relationships.

Authors

• Mary Bair, Grand Valley State University

• Rick Vandermolen, Grand Valley State University

• Gabriela Gui, Grand Valley State University

• Rui Niu-Cooper, Grand Valley State University