Building Community: From Faculty Development to Pedagogical Innovation and Beyond

Abstract

This chapter offers a compelling case study of one center’s approach to building community around teaching and learning. The 20-year history of the Faculty Development Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, draws on theories of organizational development to document the importance of matching faculty development approaches to an evolving institutional culture and vision. The authors recount stories of connecting with faculty through the professional practice of creating courses and curricula and, later, through the scholarly work involved in pedagogical innovation. By forming interrelationships with integral institutional units and responding to institutional needs and priorities, the Faculty Development Center works within the community to act as a generative force in advancing the university’s vision of inclusive excellence in undergraduate education.