Evaluation of First-Year Faculty Learning Communities on Teaching Effectiveness and Scholarship: An Exploratory Study.

Faculty in their early careers discover unique and unanticipated concerns in navigating academia and attempting to create life balance. These needs must be addressed to ensure retention and success in the tenure process. This exploratory study found the creation of first-year faculty learning communities (FLCs) provides needed, integral, and engaging support to encourage balance in teaching effectiveness, scholarship, and service and to increase confidence in comprehending a university's tenure process. More broadly, offices of faculty development on university campuses should prioritize long- term, evidence-based support to assist new faculty as they transition into the demands of a tenure-track position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]