Here's how you can retain talented faculty members in Higher Education through feedback and evaluation.

In my opinion, instead of early engagement, young individuals should be paired with senior mentors within the same institution. This approach will provide them with a clear vision of their journey, instill seriousness about their career, and foster responsibility towards their institution's goals.

Stepping into Saint Louis University's Chemical and Mining Engineering Department felt like stepping into a world where my passion for education and research could truly flourish. Right from the start the faculty members are great, providing not just guidance, but a sense of belonging. Their mentorship was instrumental as I navigated the complexities of teaching. The collaborative work culture within the department was palpable, fostering an environment where ideas were freely exchanged and collective efforts thrived. Together, we meticulously crafted a program that not only met academic standards but also anticipated the evolving needs of the industry, ensuring our students were well-prepared for the challenges ahead.

Instill a buddy system, where they can be supported by a more experienced colleague. Preferably one with the skills of mentoring and interest in doing the role. Plus have a proper constructive programme of induction where appropriate objectives are set by both the newcomer and the management. This can then be assessed, reviewed over the period of probation as required. Remembering that this should be recorded, signed and dated with both members present. Then there should be an ongoing programme of recognisable development with set review dates in place not ad hoc meets. Again recorded to show a progress of development and support.

In conversations with faculty members and administrators, I've observed that institutions that prioritize regular feedback see higher levels of faculty engagement and satisfaction. One actionable insight is to establish a structured feedback system that includes regular one-on-one meetings with the Dean. These meetings provide an opportunity for personalized feedback tailored to individual goals. Encouraging faculty to engage in peer observations and constructive feedback exchanges fosters a sense of collective responsibility for continuous improvement. By operationalizing these actionable insights, institutions can maximize the impact of feedback and evaluation processes in retaining and empowering their talented faculty members.

This is also a crucial aspect for young talents, especially in this generation. Otherwise, their academic growth will stagnate within limited knowledge, and they must be nurtured regularly. Moreover, they should share these training experiences with their peers. This will foster a productive environment.

A programme of development offered to everyone is great but individuals may need to be or should be encouraged to take the opportunities that comes up. Making sure that all are reminded of what is available and when. If you know your team on an individual basis you will learn and understand the direction they may want to or could go in. This requires you to develop a relationship where individuals feel confident that they will have options and that they are supported, guided and pushed if necessary along the pathway they want to journey on. This way you build a team of people who are happy, inspired and feel that they belong ensuring longevity in employment.

It’s been a while since I was a Dean. What rang true were peer observations and better communication from the administration. As faculty, we learned so much from watching our colleagues teach. And they appreciated our discussions post-observation. It was not tied to anything official. Just good, honest growth. As for communication, I recently completed a research project at a university and found that the administrators and faculty attributed an institutional success to completely different parties. If the faculty had been engaged in communication, not only would they have better understood what was happening, but they would have been exponentially improved it. Over-share. Let folk ignore it. But don’t hide it. One family!

Crie uma cultura de feedback construtivo. Ofere?a avalia??es regulares e abrangentes. Personalize o feedback: Ofere?a feedback personalizado e individualizado, reconhecendo os pontos fortes dos docentes e identificando áreas para crescimento e desenvolvimento. Forne?a oportunidades de desenvolvimento profissional: Com base nas avalia??es e feedback recebidos, ofere?a oportunidades de desenvolvimento profissional para ajudar os docentes a aprimorarem suas habilidades e alcan?arem seu pleno potencial. Promova um ambiente de apoio e colabora??o: Crie um ambiente onde os docentes se sintam apoiados, valorizados e incentivados a colaborar entre si e com os colegas para melhorar continuamente a qualidade do ensino e da pesquisa.