University of Phoenix Celebrates Faculty Thought Leadership Producing 1,240 Instances of Scholarship in 2023

Scholarship successes reflect faculty and instructors’ contributions to community and professional understanding across all seven colleges

University of Phoenix celebrates the achievements and thought leadership of its more than 2,400 faculty and instructors across all seven colleges producing 1,240 instances of scholarship in 2023. Focused on the career aspirations of working adult learners, University of Phoenix operates under a practitioner model for faculty and instructors, requiring experience as practitioners in their fields of expertise to lead and teach in programs across the College of Business and Information Technology, College of Nursing, College of Education, College of Health Professions, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Doctoral Studies, and College of General Studies.

“Our practitioner faculty bring their wealth of technical and social experience to the classroom for our working adult learners,” states John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer. “Lifelong learning happens in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the community, and the depth and breadth of scholarship by our faculty demonstrates their individual commitment to learning and contributing to knowledge in each of these spaces.”

University of Phoenix practitioner faculty bring more than an advanced degree to the classroom. As working professionals who are encouraged to stay current in their professions and participate in academic and scholarly activities, the University’s faculty bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Recognizing the role and value that practitioner–scholars bring to the classroom, University of Phoenix fosters a culture of research, scholarship and professional currency among faculty. The University operates a faculty scholarship model based on Boyer’s model that recognizes scholarship across four domains: discovery, application, integration, and teaching and learning.

• Discovery: building new knowledge through traditional forms of academic research
• Application: aiding society and professions in addressing problems
• Integration: interpreting the use of knowledge across disciplines
• Teaching and learning: studying and improving teaching models and practices to achieve optimal learning

The seven colleges produced faculty scholarship activities over the year through presentations, publication, community, and professional service. The university requires scholarship by all master's level instructors in all colleges, and every faculty must meet the University’s practitioner faculty requirements.

Jacquelyn Kelly, Ph.D., associate dean, College of General Studies, worked with a team of inter-institutional faculty and researchers producing a study that was accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, Education Sciences. “Our collaboration on this study shows how this team built a virtual learning experience and contributes to virtual pedagogy by offering a fully tested development process,” she states. “The publication validates and disseminates our knowledge to benefit the broader educational community.”

College of Doctoral Studies faculty Mansureh Kebritchi, Ph.D, chair, Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR), Mark McCaslin, Ph.D., and Ryan Rominger, Ph.D., published a study based on the experience of the College’s doctoral students, “Contributing Factors for Success of Nontraditional Students at Online Doctoral Programs,” in the publication, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice. “This study offered insights on a model for student success that inform its revision by including an understanding of the value of student Grit, the value of program-student goal alignment, and the impact of the broader context of a supportive, flexible doctoral program structure,” Kebritchi shared.

The College of Doctoral Studies houses four research centers: Center for Leadership Studies & Organizational Research, Center for Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Research, Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research, and the Career Institute®. The Career Institute fields the annual Career Optimism Index® study, as well as the newly established Mothers Overcome More™ (M.O.M.) Report™. Faculty from the College, fellows from the research centers, and faculty, instructors and leaders across the University contribute through a multitude of white papers and studies drawn from Index findings, as well as other critical research content in education, workforce, diversity and inclusion, and leadership studies.

Faculty at the University offer both academic credentials and industry experience to the students they serve, with an average of 29.3 years of professional experience and 15.9 years of teaching experience with University of Phoenix. Professional experience of University faculty include that of chief executives, presidents, consultants, executive directors, and principals.

Practitioner faculty and academic leaders bring industry-relevant experience to the classroom. Learn more here about academic leadership at University of Phoenix.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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