Reflecting FLC: Lecturers and Clinical Professionally Licensed Faculty and the Engaged University

Research on the experiences and effectiveness of faculty off the tenure track has traditionally lumped part-time faculty, full-time faculty with terminal contracts, and continuing full-time faculty together under the broad heading of non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty. As a result, a confusing and often unflattering view of NTT faculty has emerged, particularly with regard to the impact of these positions on Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). In this seminar, we will highlight the role that Lecturers and Clinical/Professionally-Licensed (LCPL) faculty play in support of positive SLOs at Miami University. We will examine the specific conditions that make these continuing full-time positions different from other NTT positions, provide an overview of existing and comparative policies that govern LCPL faculty, report qualitative and quantitative data from two recent surveys of LCPL faculty, and facilitate a discussion of best practices for maximizing the potential of these positions.

Presented by: Jennifer Green, Psychology; Janelle Sikorski, Geology and Environmental Earth Science; Heeyoung Tai, Chemistry & Biochemistry; and Peter Wessels, Psychology.

Jennifer Green, Ph.D., is a child clinical psychologist and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. Jen's clinical interests and expertise are focused on early childhood mental health and young children's social/emotional development. She works with undergraduate and graduate students in both clinical and educational psychology to gain applied experiences in clinical psychology. Graduate and undergraduate students in her lab implement the Incredible Years program, an evidenced-based program designed to support children's social, emotional and behavioral development. Jen provides clinical supervision for doctoral students engaged in therapy with children, adolescents, and families and teaches classes in psychological assessment, child intervention, and clinical supervision in the graduate curriculum. She also coordinates clinical training opportunities in the community for clinical psychology graduate students and co-coordinates undergraduate internships in Psychology. Finally, Jen teaches Child Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities and Child Development in the undergraduate curriculum.

Janelle Sikorski is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science. She teaches a variety of undergraduate courses on topics such as the geology of national parks, natural disasters, oceanography, and climatology. Janelle has an active interest in exploring classroom practices and developing curriculum that help to promote the intellectual and personal development of our students. As part of her continuing commitment to the concept of the "Engaged University" she is interested in the impact LCPL faculty have on student learning outcomes on campus.

Heeyoung Tai, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer and the Chief Departmental Advisor for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She is also an advisor for pre-med students through the pre-medical advisory committee (PAC) and the University Academic Scholar's program. She has been teaching various chemistry courses ranging from non-major's Miami Plan chemistry courses to the major's biochemistry lectures and lab courses. She also serves as an Assessment Fellow for CELTUA, where she evaluates student critical thinking for university-wide initiatives such as the Top 25 project. Heeyoung was also a co-facilitator for the Faculty Learning Community for Lecturers, Clinical Faculty and the Engaged University.

Peter Wessels is the Chief Departmental Advisor and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. In addition to teaching Introduction to Psychology, he oversees and teaches courses in the Program in Leadership and Pedagogy that prepares advanced undergraduates to serve as discussion leaders in the introductory course, and beyond. Peter was recently a co-facilitator for a year-long Faculty Learning Community that examined the role of Lecturers and Clinical/Professionally-Licensed (LCPL) faculty in higher education, and he served on an Ad Hoc Committee, initiated by the Provost, to examine the policies and procedures governing the evaluation and promotion of LCPL faculty.

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