Faculty development in liberal arts colleges: a look at divisional trends, preferences, and needs

This research explores faculty development through the lens of academic division as an important, career defining characteristic of the professoriate. Relying on data from a longitudinal, mixed-methods study, the authors examined faculty development trends and needed supports in a consortium of 13 liberal arts colleges (LACs). As part of this research, the authors feature the Alignment Framework for Faculty Development in Liberal Arts Colleges to help administrators, faculty developers, and faculty members situate faculty development efforts at the intersection of institutional goals and priorities and individual needs. Implications for research and practice are offered.