Overview

Auburn University is committed to the ongoing development of its faculty as teachers, scholars, and professionals. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs provides administrative oversight to the recruitment, development, and retention of faculty and oversees the policies pertaining to all faculty as outlined in the Auburn University Faculty Handbook.

In Fall 2021, Auburn University employed 1,443 full time faculty members. The 1,192 tenured and tenure-track faculty are supported by a small number of full- and part-time Instructors and Lecturers. According to Auburn University’s mission statement, the institution places a key emphasis on enabling its faculty to advance the reputation of its academic, research, and outreach programs as well as impacting the community. Advancing this mission has been a key component of Auburn University’s Strategic Plan in which the institution has accomplished several initiatives set forth to improve the professional development of Auburn faculty. An integral part to the success of this mission is providing faculty with professional development opportunities designed to enhance their roles as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.   

Programs that support the professional faculty development at Auburn University are identified in the following broad areas:

1. Institutional Policies for Faculty Annual Review
2. University Programs for Faculty Development
3. Grant Programs to Enhance Faculty Teaching, Research, and Outreach
4. Faculty Awards and Recognition Programs

Institutional Policies for Faculty Annual Review

As discussed previously in response to Comprehensive Standard 6.3 on faculty evaluation, Chapter 3 of the Auburn University Faculty Handbook outlines the criteria necessary for tenure and promotion. A key part of the annual performance evaluation involves the assessment of each faculty member’s effectiveness in fulfilling their duties and their participation in faculty development activities to enhance their skills. Each faculty member receives a written report that outlines the major points addressed during the annual evaluation and addresses opportunities for the faculty member to enhance his or her own professional growth and development.

In addition to the annual review, tenure-track faculty must complete a third-year review to discuss the faculty member’s progress towards achieving tenure, as indicated by the unit’s promotion and tenure guidelines. Departmental guidelines for faculty promotion and tenure require individual faculty within each unit to demonstrate continuing development in the areas of research, teaching, outreach, and service.

University Programs for Faculty Development

Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning

Established in 2003 to foster professional development among faculty and staff, the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (Biggio Center) offers a variety of programs and services designed to engage, support, and empower Auburn’s academic community in each phase of the scholarly teaching and transformative learning process. Faculty, both full-time and part-time, are notified about programs hosted by the Biggio Center through regular announcements disseminated in Auburn News, Biggio e-mail lists, MailChimp communications, social media, and postings on the Biggio Center website. Additionally, the Biggio Center sends communications for each program and service to targeted specific interest groups of faculty. These programs and services are open to all ranks and types of faculty members. See the provided table for faculty development programs and services participation rates for 2021-2022.

Development programs and services available to all faculty through the Biggio Center are organized by distance learning-specific and non-distance learning-specific opportunities. These include:

Distance Learning-Specific

• Course (Re)Design—The Biggio Center’s hallmark summer seminar, CRD aids faculty in redesigning a class using inclusive, student-centered learning principles. Faculty leaders guide groups of participants through course design assignments culminating in a microteaching demonstration followed by a self-reflection and peer feedback. This seminar applies to all modes of instruction and is communicated directly via email.
• Auburn Online—The Biggio Center’s Auburn Online unit partners with faculty to collaboratively design and build high-quality, engaging instructional content grounded in sound learning theory and design principles. This collaboration has four categories that have varying levels of professional development embedded throughout the process: New Build, Relaunch, Maintenance & Revision, and Redesign. Specifically, it provides instructional design, interactive learning assets, graphics/animations, transcripts, and closed captioning.
• Remote Instruction Resilience—The pandemic required all faculty and students to move to remote instruction with limited time and experience. This resource is a collection of practical examples from faculty and staff across Auburn’s campus. The examples are broadly categorized into three areas: Teach Well, Test Well, and Be Well. The goal of this resource is to “level up your teaching in the remote environment and find useful ideas to ensure your well-being and the well-being of your family, students, and community.”

Non-distance learning-specific

• New Faculty Orientation (NFO)—The New Faculty Orientation provides new faculty with an introduction to the teaching and learning culture at Auburn University and a discussion of related policies. The day-long event includes plenary sessions, a resource fair, and a luncheon. NFO is hosted prior to the start of fall and spring semesters. New faculty learn of this orientation through targeted through targeted communications upon submitting hiring paperwork.
• Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Orientation—Held at the start of fall and spring semesters, the GTA Orientation connects new graduate students with the teaching and learning culture at Auburn University and shares relevant policies that impact teaching decisions. For part of the session, participants are divided into STEM/Labs and Humanities groups where scenarios are used to discuss decision-making. New GTAs learn of this orientation through targeted communications upon submitting hiring paperwork,.
• New Faculty Scholars Program—All faculty within their first two years of employment at Auburn University are eligible to be nominated for, and participate in, the New Faculty Scholars Program. The program begins with an early-year retreat focusing on the professoriate and best practices for teaching effectiveness. Colleague circle mentoring groups are led by pairs of senior and junior faculty mentors. The program culminates in a spring retreat focusing on career path planning. In addition to email and website postings, this program is also communicated in AU News.
• Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program—PFF is designed to prepare future faculty by increasing Auburn University graduate student readiness to assume faculty roles, helping graduate students understand the expectations and functional realities of faculty life, developing wider institutional and personal networks, and making graduate study even more responsive to disciplinary and professional needs. This program has evolved into a self-paced, online resource with follow-up sessions provided in collaboration with department or college leadership as appropriate.
• EASL Academy—Engaged, Active Student Learning (EASL) courses feature active learning principles. Faculty and graduate students teaching in EASL classrooms learn innovative pedagogical techniques and instructional technology during a half-day session that demonstrates active learning. Participation in EASL Academy, Course (Re)Design, or a focused professional development seminar is required prior to teaching in an EASL classroom.
• Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs)— are faculty created and led groups to provide support and a discussion space for various interests. Topics have included: large lecture instructors, women faculty, active learning practitioners, STEM lab instructors, and others.
• Small Group Instructional Feedback (SGIF)— SGIF enables faculty to solicit feedback regarding instructional effectiveness through peer observations of teaching. Biggio Center staff or faculty fellows visit individual faculty member’s classroom for the first half of the class period, after which the instructor leaves and the consultant stays and solicits feedback from the students regarding the course. The discussion is based on two key questions: “What is going well with the course and the instructor’s teaching?” and “What is not going so well and could be improved?” Following the session, the consultant meets with the faculty member to share information gathered from the students.
• BigMid Electronic Feedback—In addition to the Small Group Instructional Feedback, the Biggio Center provides opportunities for faculty to receive mid-term comments from their students through BigMid Electronic Feedback. Faculty are provided with a unique URL to forward to students and request that they complete the survey. After pre-determined deadline, the anonymous responses are tallied and provided back to the instructor. Biggio Center staff or faculty fellows meet with the faculty member to discuss common themes in the feedback and possible strategies for improvements.
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Hackathon—A hackathon is a focused design sprint during which participants collaborate to identify problems and design solutions. This day-long, interactive workshop introduces faculty to the “what, why, and how” of SoTL with a special focus on identifying a research question, developing appropriate methods, and discovering where and how to access and interpret data related to teaching and learning. Led by an interdisciplinary team of facilitators from Biggio, University Writing, Office of Academic Assessment, Office of Institutional Research, Libraries, Office of the Vice President for Research, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics’ Discipline Based Educational Researchers, participants engage with a range of SoTL case studies and facilitated team-based challenges designed to introduce new (and experienced) faculty to the field of SoTL and provide a jumping-off point for getting started with a SoTL research project at Auburn.
• SoTL Project Development Institute (SPDI)—Faculty who are familiar with SoTL and ready to engage in a research study are invited to submit an application to be named a SoTL Fellow. Fellows meet monthly throughout the year to develop a study, collect data, and write an article for publication in a SoTL journal. In addition to monetary support for their SoTL project, SoTL Fellows receive additional support, information, and guidance from a range of campus experts and units. Faculty apply as individuals or as groups. Faculty explore a question they hope to answer about their students’ learning using evidence-based methods.
• Biggio Center Faculty Fellows—The Biggio Center appoints Faculty Fellows annually from departments and colleges across campus. Fellows develop skills in educational development and support the Biggio Center’s mission. Fellows receive a course buyout to allow time toward Biggio Center responsibilities, and typically Fellows are appointed for three years. Stated on the Biggio Center website,

The long-term goal of this program is to engage faculty from all colleges, departments, and schools. As such, disciplinary diversity is of utmost importance in our selection criteria as is previous experience with Biggio Center programs such as the Summer Course (Re)Design seminar. Currently, our programming goals center on the development of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning culture at Auburn so faculty with SoTL experience are especially encouraged to apply.

Faculty Fellow Criteria include full-time faculty; participation in the Summer Course (Re)Design program; demonstrated commitment to student learning and student success; innovative and effective teaching practice; and skills in facilitation, collaboration, organization, and a commitment to teaching and learning.

• Professional Development Seminars—The Biggio Center collaborates with department and college leadership to deliver relevant seminars on topics including syllabus development, active learning pedagogy, instructional technology, testing services, and/or online course design. Faculty attendance is encouraged or required by department and/or college leadership.
• Active Learning Classroom Support—Undergraduate or graduate students are hired as Learning Consultants and trained to support faculty teaching in active learning classrooms.
• Audio/Video Production—Using state-of-the-art equipment, faculty are able to record Learning Glass videos in a recording studio, create professional talking-head videos with the help of a teleprompter, or record high-quality audio files for use in classes. Media production specialists provide post-production support including accessibility compliance.
• Exam Proctoring—Computerized exams are proctored in an NCTA certified on-campus testing facility. The proctors and facility features meet or exceed the National College Testing Association Professional Standards and Guidelines. The academic community benefits from support for faculty-led exams, asynchronous in-person exams, synchronous in-person exams, and virtual proctoring support. The regional community benefits from scheduling options for vendor-based examinations.

Human Resources Development

Human Resources provides programs that orient, train, and develop Auburn University employees by improving the skills, knowledge, abilities, and competencies necessary for individual and organizational efficiency and productivity as well as personal career growth. Courses are offered include:

• Professional Development—teamwork, organizational commitment, customer/stakeholder focus, diversity commitment, leadership, effective supervision, and effective communication
• Office Administration Professional Development
• Information Technology—desktop applications such as Word, Access, Excel and the University administrative systems
• Personal Growth Courses—Planning for Retirement, Healthy Eating, Preventing Identity Theft

The Office of the Vice President of University Outreach

One of the three pillars of Auburn University’s mission is outreach, the application of university expertise beyond the traditional campus setting to the benefit of external constituents. As part of the tenure and promotion process, Auburn faculty can count outreach as faculty scholarship per the Auburn University Faculty Handbook. To that end, the Office of the Vice President of University Outreach has a history of providing numerous resources to support faculty engagement as well as providing opportunities for faculty collaboration in University Outreach sponsored initiatives. The Assistant Vice President for University Outreach and Public Service is serving as the project director to launch Auburn University’s Rural Health Project. This project is collaboratively led by faculty in Counseling, Nursing, Pharmacy, Extension, and Human Sciences in partnership with Chambers County Commission and the City of LaFayette. Additionally, the VP of University Outreach provides travel stipends to faculty engaged in outreach projects and Outreach Global provides ongoing faculty development. The Office of Faculty Engagement hosts bi-monthly community of practice consortium gatherings to provide networking opportunities and professional development for faculty engaged in outreach.

University Outreach developed and currently maintains AuburnServes, which is a network featuring community partners available for service-learning courses and co-curricular activities. Through this network, University Outreach offers a virtual volunteer fair and community partner training opportunities.  University Outreach provides engaged student experiences directly to students as well as supporting faculty in developing engaged courses. As an example, University Outreach sponsors Campus Kitchen, a student-led organization providing meals to those who experience food insecurity. Faculty members teach community-based courses in areas such as art, history, and literature through Outreach’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). OLLI members also participate regularly as subjects in faculty research projects.

Outreach’s Office of Professional and Continuing Education has college partnerships that engage nursing, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, liberal arts, and others in developing content for youth camps. Many faculty members deliver EagleCast programming which reaches hundreds of attendees monthly and support business leadership and management programming as well as Global Leadership Training Initiatives. Outreach’s Government and Economic Development Institute engages faculty in entrepreneurship training as well as special projects such as the ADECA surplus process project. Outreach’s Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement has developed an Outreach Ambassador program which provides university students from varying disciplines with opportunities to support outreach initiatives and events throughout the year. University Outreach maintains membership and leadership in the Engagement Scholarship Consortium as well as the Gulf-South Summit. During this assessment period, University Outreach created the Outreach Programs & Projects Network to capture faculty members’ outreach programs, projects, and initiatives. Additionally, University Outreach has enhanced the features of Auburn Across Alabama, mapping Auburn University faculty’s outreach impacts across the state. University Outreach hosts Auburn Across Alabama Experience bus tours to engage faculty and staff more intentionally with community-based assets and challenges across the state.

Auburn’s Diversity Education and Engagement

Coordinated through the Office of Inclusion and Diversity and directed by the Director of Diversity Education and Engagement (DEE), DEE provides education and consultative services to support Auburn University toward the most productive, vibrant, collaborative, and welcoming environment for all. This unit uses research-informed strategy to address challenges at varying scales and contribute to the organizational learning and strategic goals of the Auburn University campus.

Specific DEE programs include:

• Diversity Education and Consultative Services—Diversity Consultation assists faculty and staff with planning and coaching to maximizing opportunities to become more equitable and inclusive throughout our campus. We are committed to providing outstanding research-informed support that creates sustainable change. Diversity Education offers educational sessions and experience to increase the knowledge, skills, and awareness related to diversity, equity, and inclusion for faculty, staff, and students at Auburn University. These offerings use research-informed content and active learning strategies toward deep learning and skill development. Auburn University offers various modalities for faculty, staff, and students, including synchronous (face-to-face and virtual) offerings and asynchronous offerings. This also includes train-the-trainer opportunities.
• Faculty Success Program— Underrepresented faculty are sponsored by the Office of Inclusion and Diversity to participate in a 12-week online program designed to equip tenure-track and tenured faculty with the skills needed to increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Faculty will receive weekly training from coaches certified by the National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development and are invited to participate in on-campus workshops as well.

Grant Programs to Enhance Faculty Teaching, Research, and Outreach

Several funding programs are available to facilitate faculty advances in instruction, research, outreach, and service that support the institution’s commitment to developing its faculty.

Breeden Endowment Grants

The Breeden Endowment grants offer a competitive program that provides funds to encourage the enhancement of teaching and learning through financial support of selected projects. Tenured and tenure-track faculty from any discipline, or faculty from the Lecturer or Clinician title series are eligible to participate. The Request for Proposals is issued early each spring for projects to be completed during the following academic year. A total of 13 Breeden Grants were awarded during 2020. Faculty can receive up to $30,000 total and is administered by the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.

Competitive Outreach Scholarship Grants

The Competitive Outreach Scholarship Program Grants (COSG) provide funds designed to encourage faculty initiatives in addressing critical needs in the state of Alabama and beyond. The grants are open to full-time tenured, tenure-track or clinical faculty members whose departments consider scholarly productivity in the conferment of promotion. Due to budgetary constraints, COS grants are offered as funding is available. Auburn University faculty continue to be encouraged to apply for discretionary support for their outreach and engagement projects; these have been funded on an “at will” basis by the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach.

Inclusive Excellence Programming Grant

This grant program encourages students, faculty, and staff to create new opportunities to explore, advance, and understand topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Inclusive Excellence Programming Grant is specifically designed to provide seed funding for new, innovative, and impactful approaches that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and related concepts. Examples of programs that may be supported include lectures, symposia, workshops, conferences, performances, visit/preview days, and other programmatic and engagement efforts.

Office of International Programs Faculty Grants

The Office of International Programs offers grants to encourage faculty to travel abroad and advance the university’s efforts to create new international programs and opportunities for students. Faculty use funds to investigate, develop, and finalize details for their proposed programs. Currently, all faculty internationalization grants from the Office of International Programs are on hold due to Covid-related budget cuts. Once financially recovered from pandemic revenue decreases, the grant program will be reinstated in accordance with Auburn University’s recently approved Strategic Internationalization Plan. Those grants will be structured to focus on internationalization of courses and curricula; study abroad program creation; international internship creation; and faculty and staff group travel to strategic regions/partners led by the Office of International Programs. Past grant programs include:

• Global Partners Program Grants—Provides funds to faculty so they may obtain the professional international experiences needed to strengthen their teaching and research programs and enrich departmental contributions to Auburn University students and constituents in a global society. Recipients can use the funds to travel abroad to investigate, develop, and finalize details for their proposed programs. Faculty can receive up to $5,000 per award and these are administered by the Office of International Programs.
• Study Abroad Development Grants—Provides grants to individual faculty or small groups of faculty from departments to increase student participation in study abroad programs. Funds are allocated to provide international travel expenses to faculty to support new study abroad programs that support the college/school’s internationalization efforts. Faculty can receive up to $5,000 per award and these are administered by the Office of International Programs.
• Student Exchange Development Grants—Allocates funds for individual faculty or small faculty groups representing departments to increase overseas study, internship, or research experiences for Auburn University students. The goal of the grant is to support the institution’s international initiatives through developing new student exchange programs with international universities. Faculty can receive up to $5,000 per award and these are administered by the Office of International Programs.
• International Collaborative Teaching Grants—Funds individual faculty, or small faculty groups representing departments, to create on-campus international experiences for Auburn University students. Funds are used to establish collaborative programming among Auburn University students and students at oversees universities. Faculty can receive up to $5,000 per award and these are administered by the Office of International Programs.

Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development

Within the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, the Office of Proposal Services and Faculty Support (PSFS) assists faculty and staff in the broad aspects of proposal development for their research, scholarly, and creative programs. The multifaceted mission of PSFS includes finding targeted funding opportunities for faculty to promote research across campus; proposal development services for large, interdisciplinary projects; faculty engagement and education to help faculty better respond to the changing funding climate; and educating university administrators and support staff through a research mentoring program, COMPASS, to better serve the research goals of Auburn University.

• Creative Work and Social Impact Scholarship Funding Program (CWSIS)—Fosters innovation and discovery and builds faculty reputation and competitiveness. This competitive program supports scholarship in areas of creative work and social impact that have strong potential to enhance program and university rankings and bring greater visibility and recognition of our faculty and institution. Two faculty members were awarded Creative Work and Social Impact Scholarship Funding in 2021.
• Research Support Program (RSP)—Intended to be an annual cycle funding program to foster the development and growth of innovative and transformational research activities. The RSP builds on faculty expertise, stimulates interdisciplinary collaborations, and strengthens seed research activities. Eight faculty members were awarded by the Research Support Program in 2021.
• SEC Faculty Travel Grant Program—Intended to enhance faculty collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between SEC universities. It gives faculty from one SEC university the opportunity to travel to another SEC campus to exchange ideas, develop grant proposals, and conduct research. This award is up to $10,000 per year and is administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Professional Improvement Leave

As stated in Chapter 3, section 8 of the Auburn University Faculty Handbook, a tenured faculty member is eligible for a professional improvement leave after six calendar years of full-time employment. Individual faculty submit applications for Professional Improvement Leave through department heads and deans according to the Provost’s Office annual call. Seventeen faculty were approved for Professional Improvement Leave for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Faculty Awards and Recognition Programs

Alumni Professorships

The Alumni Professorships recognizes tenured faculty members annually with direct responsibilities in two or more of the institutional missions of instruction, research, and outreach. The selected professors must have demonstrated exceptionally meritorious performance, distinctive competence, and potential for continued high productivity and excellence in at least two of the three institutional missions. Each award is $3,500 and is administered by the Auburn Alumni Association)

Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards

The Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards are awarded to faculty who demonstrate excellence in: quality of teaching; knowledge of subject; interest in students and availability to them; impact on the nominator's personal educational experience; and influence within Auburn University. Recipients are nominated by students, alumni, and colleagues. Three Auburn faculty were awarded Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards in 2020. Each award is $1,000 and is administered by the Auburn University Alumni Association.

Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach

The Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach honors the engagement of exemplary faculty members and demonstrates the tremendous impact Auburn’s outreach has on our community, state, nation, and beyond. This award is presented annually to one Auburn faculty member for distinguished outreach contributions which exemplify the qualities and purposes of reciprocal and beneficial community engagement, and which exceed expectations for the person’s career stage and job responsibilities. This award is $5,000 and is administered by the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach.

Creative Research and Scholarship Awards

The Creative Research and Scholarship Awards honors faculty who have distinguished themselves through research, scholarly works, and/or creative contributions to their fields. The award will recognize either the accomplishments of a career in research and scholarly activities or one extremely important, creative, and influential work of particularly high significance. Each award is $5,000 and is administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Departmental Award for Excellence in Education

The Departmental Award for Excellence in Education recognizes the efforts of departmental faculty for their commitment to improving education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. On behalf of the Office of the Provost, the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and the University Senate Teaching Effectiveness Committee administer this award. The Department of Art and Art History in the College of Liberal Arts received the Departmental Award for Excellence in Education in 2020.

Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lectureship Award

This award recognizes faculty for their service in support of graduate education and excellence in research. The recipients are nominated by deans and faculty, and they are chosen by the Graduate Faculty Council. Each award is $2,000 and is administered by the Auburn University Alumni Association.

Endowed Faculty Positions

Each year, the university recognizes faculty selected to receive prestigious endowed positions, including professorships, chairs, and eminent scholars. As of Fall 2021, the university maintains more than 200 endowed positions across the academic units in addition to five new professorships funded by the Auburn Alumni Association each year. Endowed position terms and allocations vary per the donor agreements; however, the Provost’s Office hosts a recognition event each fall for faculty who are newly appointed or reappointed each year. In addition to information included with donor impact reports, faculty are also provided with guidelines for how endowed funds are to be used and how outcomes should be shared with units, colleges/schools, and donors.

External Faculty Consulting Award

The External Faculty Consulting Award was created in 2010 to recognize one outstanding faculty member’s contributions to government, business, and industry through consulting. Each award is $2,500 and is administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Leischuck Teaching Award recognizes the engagement of two full-time, tenured faculty members who have demonstrated effective and innovative teaching methods and a continuing commitment to student success through advising and mentoring inside and outside of the classroom. Each award is $10,000 and is administered by the Office of the President.

President’s Outstanding Collaborative Units Award

Created in 2010, the Outstanding Collaborative Units Award recognizes faculty whose collaborative efforts result in unique exemplary service or academic excellence within the University and the community. Members of Auburn University’s Creed to Succeed Initiative received the Outstanding Collaborative Units Award in 2020. This award is $5,000 divided equally among the recipients and is administered by the Office of the President.

Provost's Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring

The award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship was established to recognize a member of the Auburn faculty for his or her efforts in mentoring undergraduate students in research and creative endeavors. This award is $1,000 and is administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Office of the Vice President for Research.