Professional Development in International Higher Education

Faculty professional development in international higher education institutions differs from such programs in secondary schools in that college faculty normally are required to add to the body of knowledge through published research. Depending on the distance from major higher education hubs in the US and UK, as well as the limited resources available, such faculty face more obstacles in trying to engage face-to-face with their colleagues from around the world. Generally, faculty development can take formal and often informal characteristics. The types of programs include theoretical programming, applied, and institutional. However, specific topics on college faculty development in addition to pedagogical, technological, and discipline-specific workshops, often include diversity training and adjunct faculty training. Increasingly international schools are adopting the model of Teaching and Learning Centers which are responsible for faculty development programs. Finally, international colleges often take advantage of regional consortia in order to share the costs of faculty professional development. The chapter outlines one international college’s PD program as an example.