Cultivating Collaborative Excellence: A Program Evaluation of a Faculty Development Initiative Over 4 Years

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Faculty Development
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Post-COVID-19 pandemic faculty shortages and decreased engagement necessitated innovative solutions.
• The Division of General Dentistry (DGD) at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry initiated a faculty development program in 2021.
• The Life-Long Learners' Program (L3P) was designed to address these challenges by fostering scholarly productivity and academic advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the L3P in enhancing faculty scholarly productivity, academic advancement, and collaborative culture.
• To assess faculty perceptions of the program's impact on their professional growth and motivation.
• To measure objective outcomes such as publications and promotion timelines.

Main Methods:

• A structured, two-quarter program provided protected time, mentoring, and a customized scholarly development syllabus.
• Faculty participants were selected based on service, promotion readiness, and engagement.
• Program evaluation utilized the Kirkpatrick Model, including a 13-item survey, open-ended questions, and tracking of publications and promotion timelines.

Main Results:

• A 100% survey response rate indicated strong participant agreement on enhanced self-reflection, scholarly skills, and motivation.
• All participants reported gains in teaching strategies, collaborative learning, and academic confidence.
• Objective outcomes included promotion timelines of 7-18 months, peer-reviewed publications, and continued student research mentorship.

Conclusions:

• The L3P effectively promoted faculty growth, scholarly output, and a sense of community within the DGD.
• The program's success highlights the value of tailored faculty development initiatives for academic career advancement.
• The L3P provides a model for fostering a collaborative institutional culture in dental education.