The Influence of Innovation in Faculty Work
Update: A second paper, authored by Susan Bartel in collaboration with fellow Stephens professor Tina Ehrhardt, has also been accepted for presentation at the USDLA conference. Titled “Onboard! Moving from Orienting to Us to Onboarding for You,” the paper is focused on orientation and building a culture of graduate school in an online environment. (Onboarding is a term in human resources for organizational socialization.)
Erhardt is an Assistant Professor in Stephens' Graduate Business Programs. She has a MBA and a M.Ed. in Higher Education and Adult Learning, and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
In her dissertation studies, Stephens professor Susan Bartel, chair of Stephens' Graduate Business Programs, is exploring the shifting paradigms and changing roles of faculty in higher education today.
"Innovation requires shifting paradigms and seeing the world in a new way," she says. "Mental models, or paradigms, are hidden assumptions and beliefs about how the world looks. When these deeply held experiences and attitudes are challenged it can make people uncomfortable and resistant to change. Faculty are at the core of innovation as the creators and perpetuators of innovation. If an institution’s capacity for survival requires an ability to adapt to sudden change and to take advantage of new opportunities then it is imperative that we better understand the dynamics of innovation and its influence on faculty leadership in successful implementation of developing a new world in higher education."
Bartel is a doctoral candidate in Leadership, Organizational Analysis and Policy at the University of Missouri. She earned an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology and a B.S. in Education and Business. She also is accredited in public relations.
Research Presentation at the U.S. Distance Learning Association's National Conference
As part of her research, Bartel is exploring faculty innovation in online learning. She has been selected by peer review to present that portion of her research (a paper titled "A View from Inside: The Faculty Experience of Innovation") at the United States Distance Learning Association's national conference, held April 29-May 2, in St. Louis. Bartel will discuss the idea that most institutions offer technical training for faculty but very little attention has been given to understanding the effect it has on faculty whose identity and work are more closely associated with traditional education.
Stephens College is the only mid-Missouri college (and only women’s college) to rank in the Top 15 nationally in three of the main categories assessed in the 2012 U.S. News & World Report's first-ever edition of the nation’s Top Online Education Program rankings.
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