Training (38)
This term generally requires that faculty have access to distance education related training opportunities. There were 38 training terms in the agreements reviewed for this study. The AAUP recommends that a term regarding training be included in negotiated agreements. Training is a permissive topic for bargaining.
Examples
Observations. In higher education, faculty members are not generally hired on their ability to teach. Rather, they are hired based on their expertise in their subject area. It is, perhaps, presumed that everyone can teach. Most teach the way they are taught and few faculty members receive formal education in pedagogy. However, most faculty members were not taught via distance education and have no frame of reference on how to do it, let alone how to do it well. While some early adopters are willing to experiment their way to proficiency, most faculty members would prefer formal training. For institutions hoping to encourage faculty to teach more distance education courses, training is essential.
Training can be a controversial topic on some campuses. There is generally no controversy about the need for training and the importance of having it available. The controversy arises when faculty are required to get training. In the examples above, Broome County Community College requires training, but the other institutions simply make it available. Training relates directly to the quality of courses. The students, in particular, suffer when a faculty member is inadequately trained to use the technology that they have available (SBCTC, 2007).