Experiences of New Faculty in a Transitional Institution - Paper on Preliminary Findings (Phase I)

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa

研究探讨在机构从学院向本科大学转型过程中，新入职教师的引导与社会化体验。项目以解释性探究为方法，追踪三年连续阶段的新教师经验，并以先前文献中的压力、时间、社会化与评价等主题组织初步发现。论文重点呈现第一阶段结果，第二、三阶段的数据分析仍在进行，并认为需更复杂的框架才能解释转型情境下的教师经验。

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature in Brief

Approach to the Inquiry

Time and Stress

25 Experiences of New Faculty in a Transitional Institution Michelle Yeo, Deb Bennett, Cari Merkley, Jane McNichol, Carlton Osakwe, & Carolyn Pada Mount Royal University This research project studies the induction and socialization of new faculty at Mount Royal University, recently transitioned from college to undergraduate university status. There is extensive documentation in the literature on issues faced by new faculty in post-secondary institutions; however, very little is published on how a culture influx may complicate this socialization. This project uses interpretive inquiry to study the experience over three successive years of new faculty experience. We use themes found in the prior literature of stress, time, socialization, and evaluation to structure our initial findings, but propose that a more complex framework is required to understand new faculty experience under these conditions of institutional transformation. Introduction Our institution is undergoing a large scale tran sition from college to university. Mount Royal College, now University, has traditionally been an institution placing a high value on quality of instruction and the student experience. The institution continues to promote these values, along with an increased emphasis on faculty scholarship. The transition has been accompanied by the hiring of large numbers of full-time faculty to support the expanded degree programs. More than a third of the full-time faculty at Mount Royal University (MRU) have been hired in the last three years. This phenomenon has had a significant impact on the institution, and its processes of induction and socialization. This research project emerged as a small group of new faculty hired in 2007 to work together to understand their own experiences of induction and socialization in the midst of this institutional transition. There is extensive documentation in the literature on issues faced by new faculty in post-secondary institutions; however, very little is published on how a culture in flux may complicate this socialization. Our research question, therefore, is: “What is the lived experience of new faculty in a transitional institution?” Using interpretive inquiry, this project studies the experiences of full-time faculty, beginning with the experiences of the research group in 2007 (Phase I), and continuing with participants hired in 2008 (Phase II), and 2009 (Phase III) . This paper reflects the preliminary findings from Phase I. Data analysis is still underway for Phases II and III. Literature in Brief Trowler and Knight (2000) argue that induction into faculty life is a complex socialization process with many unwritten rules. However, the work that has been done in the area of new faculty induction usually assumes a stable institution. Perry, Menec, and Struthers (1999) suggest that perceived control overwork environments relates directly to a new faculty member’s success in achieving tenure and in long term retention. In their study,“dual mission” institutions, where teaching and research are blended, resulted in a more difficult adjustment to the institution by new faculty (p. 205) . MRU is in the midst of changing from a single mission (a focus on teaching) to a dual mission institution (teaching and scholarship) . A search of the literature found little work has been done on the effect such a transition has on new faculty induction and adjustment. What little has been published references changing expectations for teaching and scholarship for faculty, but focuses on issues of legislation and governance (Dennison, 2006) . In a large scale North American study, Menges (1999) identified four key areas of concern to new faculty: stress, time, socialization, and evaluation. In the present study we began by using these themes to organize our thinking around transition. So far, while many issues faced by new faculty in general are shared by MRU newcomers, these concerns seem tobe exacerbate

FAQs

本研究关注的核心问题是什么？

研究关注在“过渡型机构”中，新入职教师的真实生活经验如何形成，并考察转型对其引导与社会化带来的影响。

研究采用了什么方法？

项目使用解释性探究（interpretive inquiry），强调研究者与研究问题的开放性定位，并以参与者的叙事来理解其生活经验。

论文主要报告的是哪个阶段的发现？

论文反映第一阶段（Phase I）的初步发现；第二阶段（Phase II）和第三阶段（Phase III）的数据分析仍在进行。

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa