Academic Faculty

Introduction

The Rehabilitation 2030: Call for Action draws attention to the profound unmet need for rehabilitation around the world (WHO, 2017). The initiative highlights the importance of strengthening health systems and integrating rehabilitation at all levels of care. There are 10 priorities for action in this initiative focused on leadership, planning, service delivery models, universal coverage, research, networks, partnerships, and strengthening a multidisciplinary workforce through education.

Strengthening the rehabilitation workforce through education requires an additional workforce, e.g. the academic faculty who will prepare the rehabilitation workforce to competently provide the services. There is a faculty shortage worldwide, especially in lower resourced regions where the rehabilitation professions may be newly developing. Thus, as the world acknowledges the need for rehabilitation services in health systems, the need for qualified educators to prepare the next generation of clinicians is greater than ever. While qualified educators are integral to continuing professional development and community engagement, the focus of this course is on educators as faculty in academic institutions, i.e. universities and colleges.

Like most organizations, academic institutions are hierarchically organized and have multiple layers of roles and responsibilities for faculty. It is important to note that academic faculty are not solely dedicated to teaching and learning; but they also embody the vision and mission of the programme and academic institution, have duties related to working and/or chairing institutional and programme committees, producing scholarly research, mentoring both students and other faculty, and providing service to professional organizations, associations, and communities. These widespread duties require faculty to have special skillsets beyond their entry-level degree qualifications for clinical practice. In general, most academic programmes will designate faculty roles as (1) programme Director, (2) Core Academic Faculty, (3) Associated Faculty, (4) Clinical Education Coordinator, (5) Clinical Education Faculty.

The responsibilities and qualifications of the various academic roles are usually provided by national and/or international professional associations and accreditation councils (ASHA-CAA, 2023; CAA, 2019; CAOT, 2019; IALP, 2009; ISPO, 2018; NCOPE, 2021; OTBNZ, 2015; OTCA, 2018; PEAC, 2021; PTBNZ, 2019; SPA, 2019; TESQA, 2021; WHO, 2005; WPT, 2021; WFOT, 2017). The following sections represent the summary of accreditation standards from around the world and across rehabilitation professions, including considerations for the roles and responsibilities, as well as examples of qualifying criteria for academic faculty.

What faculty roles and responsibilities need to be considered for academic programmes?

Programme Director

The programme director (aka programme lead) typically demonstrates the academic and professional qualifications and relevant experience in higher education requisite for providing effective leadership for the programme, the programme faculty, and the students. The key roles for the programme director to consider include (but are not limited to):

• Promoting realistic strategic planning that is aligned to the vision and mission of the institution and profession
• Actively engaging in institutional and/or profession’s governance
• Effectively managing human and fiscal resources
• Communicating and negotiating for the benefit of the programme, including planning, budgeting, funding, programme faculty employment and termination, space, and appropriate academic and professional benefits, etc.
• Effectively managing conflict
• Assessing the education programme without bias
• Promoting and supporting the professional development of the faculty
• Understanding of and experience with curriculum content, design, and evaluation
• Engaging in active service on behalf of education, higher education, the larger community, and organizations related to their academic interest

Core Faculty

The core faculty are typically employed by the academic institution with most of their responsibilities assigned to the programme. The core faculty roles and responsibilities to consider include (but are not limited to):

• Plan, develop, deliver, and evaluate curriculum (classroom and laboratory)

• Establish academic regulations and to design, implement, and evaluate the curriculum

• Contribute to administrative/governance roles, including institution/programme governance and committee work and other education administration duties
• Coordinate and mentor associated faculty
• Advise and mentor students
• Evaluate expected student and programme outcomes
• Engage in scholarship activities
• Participate in service activities, including clinical practice, consultation, mentoring others, involvement in professional organizations, involvement in community organizations, etc.
• Maintain contemporary expertise through continuing professional development activities

Associated Faculty

The associated faculty have classroom and/or laboratory teaching responsibilities but are not core faculty. The associated faculty may include individuals with full-time appointments in the programme in which the professional programme resides or in other units of the institution, but who have primary responsibilities in programmes other than the professional programme. The associated faculty might also include individuals who are contracted to teach specific content areas in the classroom or laboratory.  The associated faculty roles and responsibilities to consider include (but are not limited to):

• Deliver didactic and/or practical content (classroom and laboratory)
• Evaluate student performance
• Maintain contemporary expertise through continuing professional development activities

Clinical Education Coordinator

The clinical education coordinator (aka Fieldwork coordinator) directs the clinical education activities of the programme. The clinical education coordinator (CEC) maintains the full role of a core faculty member, but also has special roles and responsibilities, including (but not limited to):

• Develop, conduct, coordinate, and evaluate the clinical education component of the curriculum
• Maintain written agreements between the academic institution and clinical education site
• Maintain knowledge of clinical education professional regulations
• Engage with the academic and clinical community to inform the understanding of current practice patterns, effective CE practices, and determinants of health care delivery
• Lead core faculty who assume responsibilities for clinical education as part of their workload
• Communicate and coordinate the clinical education sites
• Communicate and prepare the clinical education faculty to effectively engage with students

Clinical Education Faculty

The clinical education faculty (aka practice educators, clinical instructors) are clinicians who teach the student in the clinical practice setting. While the academic programme may not employ these individuals, they do agree to certain standards of behavior through contractual arrangements for their services. They are typically in the same rehabilitation field as the student. Criteria to become a clinical education faculty will vary dependent upon profession and location. The clinical faculty roles and responsibilities to consider include (but are not limited to):

• Teach and evaluate students in the clinical practice setting
• Communicate with the clinical education coordinator in a timely manner

Collective Faculty

The collective faculty is the sum of all the faculty roles. The collective faculty needs to be sufficient in number and specialization to meet programme goals, expected programme outcomes, and to allow each faculty member to perform their responsibilities  for teaching, scholarship, and service.

What criteria need to be considered when qualifying faculty for their assigned academic roles?

Qualifying academic faculty varies and is dependent upon their assigned roles and responsibilities. Qualifications for the various roles will vary by programme and profession, but areas that are frequently identified in accreditation criteria include: (1) Academic Degree (2) Designated Academic Rank, (2) Active Licensure, (3) Experience in Academia, (4) Experience in Clinical Practice, (5) Experience in Leadership, (6) Experience in Leadership, (7) Scholarship Agenda, (8) Contemporary knowledge and skills, (9) Effective teaching and learning skills, (10) Continuing Professional Development, and (11) Appointment type. Table 1 provides the general considerations for qualifying faculty for their roles in the rehabilitation professions.

Table 1. Summary of accreditation standards for qualifying academic faculty for a rehabilitation profession (ASHA-CAA, 2023; CAA, 2019; CAOT, 2019; IALP, 2009; ISPO, 2018; NCOPE, 2021; OTBNZ, 2015; OTCA, 2018; PEAC, 2021; PTBNZ, 2019; SPA, 2019; TESQA, 2021; WHO, 2005; WPT, 2021; WFOT, 2017).

Qualification Consideration	programme Director	Core Academic Faculty	Associated Faculty	Clinical Education Coordinator	Clinical Education Faculty
Designated Academic Degree	Doctoral (PhD, EdD, EdD, DSc, ScD); or at or 1degree level higher than degree	Dependent on the type of degree programme (entry-level versus post-entry level education); or based on policies established by the governing authorities for education; or can require specialization and certification in specific area of practice	Varies, but usually at least at degree programme level	Doctoral (clinical or academic)	Varies, but usually at least at degree programme level
Designated Academic Rank	Professor; or Associate Professor; or specialty training like NCOPE online training for P&O	Varies
Active Professional Licensure/Credentials^
Experience: Academia	Can be designated as 3+ or 6+ years
Experience: Clinical Practice	Can be designated as 5+ or 8+ years		Can be designated as 1+ or 3+ years	Often a designated number of years: 2+-4+ years	A designated minimum number of years of clinical practice and/or clinical competence
Experience: Leadership				Organizational, interpersonal, problem-solving, and counseling skills
Experience: Administration				Demonstrated effectiveness in developing, conducting, and coordinating a clinical education programme
Scholarship Agenda/Record
Active Service*			Active service and consultation related to teaching areas
Contemporary knowledge and skills		Specific to assigned teaching content	Specific to assigned teaching content
Effective teaching and learning skills					Clinical teaching effectiveness; Effectiveness as a role model
Continuing Professional Development		Specific to assigned teaching content	Specific to assigned teaching content		(might include completion of clinical educator training/certification)
Appointment/Tenure	Full-Time and/or Tenured	Varies		Full-Time and/or Tenured

What do I do with this information?

The faculty roles, responsibilities, and qualifications for academic programmes will be influenced by regional contexts and needs, type of rehabilitation profession, academic institution governance, rules and regulations of legislative bodies, and professional associations. It does not matter if the academic programme is developing or is well-established. It is vital that there are thoughtful plans for recruiting and employing faculty who not only have the necessary skills and qualifications, but also embody the mission and vision of the programme and academic institution. So, reflect on what needs to be considered when establishing the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications for the academic programme; Establish guidelines for the expected roles, responsibilities, and qualifications; Confirm that the guidelines meet the programme’s needs; Create an amazing collective faculty that will meet the needs of the programme, institution, and community.