Faculty Exchange Program Nicole Boyson Lori Gardinier Carolyn Lee-Parsons Carla Mattos Jade Zee

What is it? Job Swap program: A faculty member at NU swaps job with an employee at a partner institution The motivation of the exchange program is to enable Northeastern to maintain its brand and its edge in experiential learning & practice-oriented education & use-inspired research & as leader in coop.  

Vision: Future Faculty of 2025 “How can we develop our faculty, both interdisciplinary and non-traditional, to reach their highest potential?” “Future faculty must embody Northeastern’s goal of discovery and innovation freed of traditional limits.” “…will include faculty with split appointments across academia and other sectors.” What could the faculty of the future look like?

Faculty Exchange Program Academic and industry partnership to solve society’s challenges Redefine Develop Innovate research and education models

Who does it? Northeastern Partner institutions Faculty at all levels and colleges Tenured, tenure-track, full-time non-tenure Partner institutions Industry, non-governmental organizations, and governmental organizations Existing co-op relationships and other established collaborators

Benefits to faculty and institutional partners Expand and strengthen external relationships with institutional partners - potential for research collaborations and funding Enhance Northeastern’s reputation as a leader in experiential, collaborative research and education Invigorate careers with new experiences Recruitment and retention tool for incoming faculty

Benefits to students Engage directly with industry leaders in a classroom setting NEU instruction that links research and practice Innovative and cutting edge education that is relevant to current industry practice Interact with prospective employers

How do I apply? Joint application process detailing: goals of the exchange, roles, tasks, and an on-ramping strategy expected outcomes for both faculty and institutional partner Salaries and benefits continue to be paid by own institution Dedicated selection committee comprised of faculty, administrators, and external collaborators

Challenges Ensure that the exchange is considered ”scholarly enough” Establish a mechanism to safeguard evaluations including promotion, merit, and tenure ”Cultural” differences between sectors Decrease barriers in smaller departments and academic programs comprised of fewer core faculty members

Costs Time and personnel to review applications and administer the program Funds to maintain core course offerings vacated by faculty on the exchange Necessity for specialized expertise regarding intellectual property

Conclusion Faculty Exchange Program will allow Northeastern faculty and partner institutions to exchange roles All faculty will be encouraged and eligible to participate Will boost future interdisciplinary work Will enhance Northeastern’s reputation within the Boston community and beyond

Questions?

Case study (faculty exchange) Mike Pollastri of the Chemistry department took over the project of a GSK scientist on maternity leave 4-month project but recommends at least 6 months Mike was immersed in the culture of GSK, including involvement in all project discussion meetings He directly observed differences in the approach between Pfizer (his prior employer) and GSK, which he then passed along to his research group May lead to additional research collaborations and possible PhD degree track at Northeastern with GSK employees

Case study (industry exchange) Steve Lustig (new faculty member in Chemical Engineering): while at Dupont, collaborated with faculty at University of Delaware & served as adjunct faculty. Areas that industry seeks to collaborate with universities: - Subcontracts to access specific equipment, tools, & expertise that the company needs Certification or training of best employees to stay ahead of the curve; preferred means for gaining new expertise than hiring new PhDs (due to the socialization period).

Case study (industry exchange) Benjamin Harris works at Raytheon & is pursuing his PhD at Northeastern through a competitive PhD Fellowship.   The fellowship pays 50% of his salary at Raytheon for 4 years while he is a full-time PhD student.  When Ben completes his PhD, he will return to Raytheon & complete 3 years of service.   This is part of Raytheon's plan to infuse new talent in the company & to prepare a steady pipeline of engineers and scientists.

Existing Models of Non-tenure Track Full-time Faculty at Other Institutions: Motivation for other models: Purpose of tenure is to attract talent because of the job security it offers. These non-tenure full time faculty models offer security without tenure. Commonality: 1 to 3 yr contracts with longer contracts for vetted faculty Examples Florida Gulf Coast U (1997) Florida Polytechnic U (2012) Opened in 2007; Private, undergraduate institution 51 full-time faculty, 200 professional faculty who work in industry & also teach