OPINION:In a moment of uncertainty and growing public scrutiny, colleges should be investing in faculty to drive student success

Faculty: The Untapped Engine for Student Success Amidst Higher Ed Turmoil

In a landscape marked by enrollment volatility, shrinking budgets, and a public questioning the very value of a college degree, higher education institutions are facing unprecedented pressure. While the focus often shifts to technological solutions and infrastructure upgrades, a critical element driving student outcomes is being overlooked: the faculty.

The Overlooked Powerhouse of Learning

Decades of research consistently highlight the profound impact of how instructors design, deliver, and support the learning process. This pedagogical approach is one of higher education's most potent tools for fostering student persistence and ensuring degree completion. When institutions empower their faculty with the resources to innovate and implement evidence-based educational reforms, students demonstrably achieve higher pass rates, increasing their likelihood of continuing their studies and ultimately graduating.

Despite this clear evidence, the professional development of faculty remains a chronically underfunded area. For many educators, opportunities for learning are fragmented, often limited to optional workshops, isolated training sessions, or infrequent conference attendance. This approach suggests a misconception that teaching is an innate talent rather than a complex, evolving practice that thrives with continuous, dedicated support.

Investing in Teaching: A Strategic Imperative

Achieving meaningful improvements in student learning and completion through faculty development is not a quick or easy endeavor. Institutions that witness significant gains consistently make deep, sustained investments in this area, irrespective of their type or financial standing. They cultivate long-term engagement with faculty, foster vibrant communities of practice, and explicitly connect professional learning initiatives to tangible student outcomes.

These forward-thinking institutions recognize that enhancing teaching quality demands the same level of strategic seriousness as refining advising systems, redesigning foundational academic pathways, or adopting new technologies. For over a decade, colleges have prioritized student completion, bolstering data systems, enhancing advising models, and expanding academic support structures. However, faculty professional learning has not received commensurate attention, a gap that must be addressed.

To truly advance, institutions must move beyond piecemeal efforts and commit to comprehensive, evidence-based faculty development programs that are intrinsically aligned with their overarching institutional goals. This necessitates a holistic approach, integrating teaching strategies, assessment methods, technological integration, and student support services so that advancements in one area amplify progress in others.

Furthermore, professional learning must be embedded within the core operational systems of institutions, rather than relegated to the periphery where it is easily marginalized or ignored. This strategic integration ensures that faculty development is seen as an essential component of institutional strategy, not an optional add-on.

Pioneering Models for Faculty Growth

At Louisiana State University, Shreveport, the commitment to improving teaching is not treated as a secondary initiative but as fundamental to student success. Faculty are provided with high-impact professional learning opportunities designed to strengthen instruction, particularly in the crucial gateway courses where students are most likely to encounter challenges. The university deliberately aligns its faculty development efforts with a strategic plan aimed at enhancing student learning and improving outcomes in courses critical for degree attainment.

The most effective faculty development initiatives are characterized by their practicality and a clear focus on measurable results. Faculty are encouraged to develop concrete plans, which may include redesigning curricula, restructuring courses, or revising assessment strategies. They then receive dedicated support to analyze how these changes influence student learning and persistence, creating a cycle of informed improvement.

This professional development is firmly grounded in research that identifies effective learning strategies, both broadly applicable and specific to the unique context of each institution. Crucially, it cannot be viewed as a one-time event. The continuous improvement of teaching is an ongoing process, built through iterative cycles of experimentation, feedback, reflection, and refinement.

Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Texas Southern University, a historically Black institution in Houston, has established a center dedicated to supporting the ongoing professional growth of its educators. This center treats faculty development as an integral part of the university's academic infrastructure, focusing on empowering instructors to enhance their classroom practices in ways that directly impact student outcomes. It also provides vital support for faculty who take on leadership roles in teaching within their respective departments.

However, for faculty to fully engage in this transformative work, they require a foundation of psychological and career safety. Educators must be assured that leaders will not penalize them for taking innovative approaches that may not yield immediate success, and they must be actively encouraged to persist in their efforts. This fosters an environment where experimentation is valued and learning is seen as a natural part of professional growth.

Institutions and policymakers committed to robust faculty development must therefore cultivate conditions that enable genuine growth. This involves building institutional cultures where leaders and faculty alike expect, rather than merely tolerate, learning through experimentation. Such an environment empowers educators to take calculated risks and embrace new pedagogical approaches.

Addressing Faculty Well-being for Sustainable Success

Beyond pedagogical advancement, faculty development must also encompass the critical dimensions of well-being and sustainability. Emerging research indicates that a significant portion of college faculty and staff have contemplated leaving their positions due to burnout, escalating workloads, and pervasive stress. When educational institutions invest in professional learning that acknowledges the mental labor inherent in teaching and provides space for reflection, growth, and personal development, they are not only supporting their faculty but also safeguarding the long-term capacity and resilience of their institutions.

Sustaining and enhancing college completion rates will undoubtedly require a multifaceted approach involving numerous strategies. Yet, none of these strategies can achieve their full potential without meaningful and consistent investment in the dedicated individuals who teach and support students on a daily basis. Colleges cannot credibly claim to value teaching while simultaneously expecting faculty to refine their craft on their own time and with minimal institutional support.

For higher education leaders aspiring to make lasting progress in improving college completion, it is imperative to ensure that faculty development, oriented towards student success, is placed at the very heart of their strategic efforts, rather than treated as an afterthought. This commitment to faculty is a commitment to the future of learning and the success of every student.