Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change
Despite the perceived rarity of mid-semester faculty changes, there is a shortage of literature to guide administrators and faculty on best practices for handing the dilemmas associated with mid-semester faculty changes. This is particularly concerning given the uncertainty of situations like the C...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad de Deusto
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Tuning Journal for Higher Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://tuningjournal.org/article/view/2296 |
| _version_ | 1811320710950289408 |
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| author | Deborah M. Gray Jeremy T. Bond Jessica M. Wicks Nancy Hicks |
| author_facet | Deborah M. Gray Jeremy T. Bond Jessica M. Wicks Nancy Hicks |
| author_sort | Deborah M. Gray |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Despite the perceived rarity of mid-semester faculty changes, there is a shortage of literature to guide administrators and faculty on best practices for handing the dilemmas associated with mid-semester faculty changes. This is particularly concerning given the uncertainty of situations like the COVID-19 global pandemic and recent research that finds that future extreme epidemics are likely to happen. This paper seeks to answer two questions (1) What can faculty and administrators do to prepare students who are experiencing a mid-semester faculty change, and (2) What procedures and processes are in place to assist the incoming faculty? Data were collected through a survey of students who had underwent a mid-semester faculty change and interviews with administrators who deal with personnel issues like this one. The data suggest faculty should first meet with students to assess their progress before jumping into an established lesson plan (the opposite of how faculty normally prepare to teach a class). Clear communication about expectations, organization of the course materials, and instructor flexibility was identified as keys to student success during a teaching disruption. These findings align with decades of research on teaching and learning. Administrators should create contingency plans that go beyond the personnel transaction and that help faculty quickly prepare for a transition that is student focused. More research is needed to identify the best administrative processes and procedures to assist faculty in a smooth transition when taking over a course mid-semester.
Received: 14 September 2021
Accepted: 29 September 2022
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T13:04:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-51131e3a0c3140de83bab49d5ad37fc0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2340-8170 2386-3137 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T13:04:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Deusto |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tuning Journal for Higher Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-51131e3a0c3140de83bab49d5ad37fc02022-12-22T02:45:50ZengUniversidad de DeustoTuning Journal for Higher Education2340-81702386-31372022-11-0110110.18543/tjhe.2296Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty changeDeborah M. Gray0Jeremy T. Bond1Jessica M. Wicks2Nancy Hicks3Central Michigan University, United StatesAlliant University, United StatesMichigan State University in Lansing, United StatesCentral Michigan University, United States Despite the perceived rarity of mid-semester faculty changes, there is a shortage of literature to guide administrators and faculty on best practices for handing the dilemmas associated with mid-semester faculty changes. This is particularly concerning given the uncertainty of situations like the COVID-19 global pandemic and recent research that finds that future extreme epidemics are likely to happen. This paper seeks to answer two questions (1) What can faculty and administrators do to prepare students who are experiencing a mid-semester faculty change, and (2) What procedures and processes are in place to assist the incoming faculty? Data were collected through a survey of students who had underwent a mid-semester faculty change and interviews with administrators who deal with personnel issues like this one. The data suggest faculty should first meet with students to assess their progress before jumping into an established lesson plan (the opposite of how faculty normally prepare to teach a class). Clear communication about expectations, organization of the course materials, and instructor flexibility was identified as keys to student success during a teaching disruption. These findings align with decades of research on teaching and learning. Administrators should create contingency plans that go beyond the personnel transaction and that help faculty quickly prepare for a transition that is student focused. More research is needed to identify the best administrative processes and procedures to assist faculty in a smooth transition when taking over a course mid-semester. Received: 14 September 2021 Accepted: 29 September 2022 https://tuningjournal.org/article/view/2296crisis, COVID-19pandemicmid-semester faculty change, teachingturnoverinstructional support |
| spellingShingle | Deborah M. Gray Jeremy T. Bond Jessica M. Wicks Nancy Hicks Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change Tuning Journal for Higher Education crisis, COVID-19 pandemic mid-semester faculty change, teaching turnover instructional support |
| title | Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change |
| title_full | Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change |
| title_fullStr | Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change |
| title_short | Preparing for the unexpected in a COVID-19 world: The teaching dilemmas of a mid-semester faculty change |
| title_sort | preparing for the unexpected in a covid 19 world the teaching dilemmas of a mid semester faculty change |
| topic | crisis, COVID-19 pandemic mid-semester faculty change, teaching turnover instructional support |
| url | https://tuningjournal.org/article/view/2296 |
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