MEM, Faculty, Faculty Development

Faculty Development

Guidance to Write a
Philosophy of Education

The Philosophy of Education addresses your philosophy of instruction and learning. This

statement includes your goals for your learners and approaches to optimize teaching,

learning, and assessment. You should provide:

1. A description of how you believe people best learn.

2. A discussion of how your philosophy of learning is put into practice. That is, how does your

philosophy translate into actual instructional practice?

3. An explanation of assessment approaches (e.g. formative, summative, self-reflection, other)

that you use and why.

4. A discussion of how you incorporate new teaching and learning technology and strategies.

The following questions might help you brainstorm ideas:

• How do people learn? (Based on your experience and observations)

• Why do you teach the way that you do?

• How do you demonstrate a commitment to learner diversity and inclusion?

• How do you assess the effectiveness of your teaching?

• Do you remediate learners when necessary? If so, how?

Guidance for Writing a
Scholarly Statement

The Statement of Scholarly Work is required for all candidates seeking unprefixed faculty promotions. Below is the description of the Statement of Scholarly Work and the scholarship domains from USUI 1100A. Following that information is a guide to help write your statement.

From the 1100A

Statement of Scholarly Work:

The statement of scholarly work is the candidate's personal, guiding educational or research philosophy, appropriate to the faculty member's track and pathway. It should be concisely outlined in no more than two pages. The statement should describe the candidate's philosophy and how their achievements in the areas of research, teaching, clinical care (if appropriate), and service to the University are evidence of the impact and force of this philosophy. The statement should describe the direction of the candidate's scholarly work and what the individual feels are their most important contributions. (lines 2369-2375)

Scholarship Domains:

Scholarship of Discovery & Integration: The scholarship of discovery is original, disciplined research that advances, expands, or challenges established knowledge. It encompasses the pursuit of phenomena and observations that result in the generation of new knowledge. The scholarship of integration encourages innovative thinking that translates, combines and connects various disciplines through the process of creative synthesis or analysis that seeks to interpret, draw together, and bring new insight to bear on original research. It provides meaning to isolated facts and illuminates data by putting them in perspective and fitting them into larger intellectual patterns. It requires innovative thinking that integrates knowledge from various fields, bringing different perspectives to bear on central themes. (lines 53-61)

Scholarship of Teaching: The Scholarship of Teaching provides the research-derived and data-driven components that form the basis for the advancement of the professional educational process. It challenges, extends, and transforms the knowledge of discovery into something students comprehend while encouraging lifelong learning and critical thinking. As a scholarly enterprise, the creativity of teaching includes the development of innovative pedagogical practices and course materials. It strives to identify specific challenges involved in facilitating and enhancing student learning, to apply best practices for education with ongoing assessment of a variety of educational outcomes. (lines 133-141)

Scholarship of Application: The Scholarship of Application refers to the responsible implementation of knowledge gained from the other three scholarships. It involves scholarly engagement with society, building bridges between theory and practice by applying knowledge to address practical problems, and encompasses both professional and clinical service. The activity of scholarly application is dynamically related to the other scholarships. It is directly tied to one's special field of knowledge and can itself give rise to new intellectual understandings. (lines 161-166)

Guide for Writing a Statement of Scholarly Work

This guide outlines key elements to write a strong statement of scholarly work which will showcase your professional philosophy and achievements:

Introduction: Briefly introduce your professional philosophy with regard to education/teaching, research, and application. Align it with your specific faculty track and for tenure-ineligible faculty, pathway (e.g., Clinician-Educator, Clinician-Investigator, Researcher, Educator).

Example: "My educational philosophy centers on fostering critical thinking and

independent learning in students. In research, I prioritize collaborative and

interdisciplinary approaches..."

Scholarship in Action: Discuss each type of scholarship appropriate to your professional activities and contributions and how it relates to your overall professional philosophy, integrating appropriate details regarding service to USU. The format should be what best fits and most clearly communicates your professional philosophy, achievements and accomplishments. Some candidates organize their content by scholarship topic, while others organize their content by themes which guided their scholarship, connecting their professional philosophy and activities in the different scholarships.

● Scholarship of Discovery & Integration

            ○ Highlight Research: Explain how your research contributes to new knowledge in your

field (Discovery). Discuss how your research integrates ideas or methodologies from

other disciplines (Integration).

            ○ Provide Evidence: Use publications, presentations, and/or grants to demonstrate the

impact of your research. Note: this is not a place to list them all, rather highlight key

projects and include relevant citations.

            ○ Example: "My research on [topic] utilizes a novel approach that combines [methods

from different disciplines]. This approach advances knowledge in [field] through new

discoveries about [specific area] and also provides valuable insights for [related field]

by [explain how it connects]."

● Scholarship of Teaching

(note, if writing a philosophy of education, you will include more details there)

            ○ Describe Methods: Explain how your teaching practices promote learning.

            ○ Discuss Rationale: Address the bases for your teaching practices and discuss how your

role as an educator has evolved, and/or the impact you’ve had on educational programs.

            ○ Example: "I utilize active learning strategies such as [specific example] to encourage

student engagement and understanding. This approach has been successful, as

evidenced by [specific learning outcomes]."

● Scholarship of Application:

            ○ Connect Expertise: Explain how you apply your knowledge and expertise to address

practical issues and serve your professional community.

            ○ Showcase Service: Describe your involvement in professional and/or clinical activities

that demonstrate practical application of your expertise (at the departmental, school, university, and professional field levels of service).

            ○ Example: "My professional activities extend beyond the classroom. I actively

participate in [e.g. department, school, university, military, professional organization,

clinical settings] by [specific initiative]. This allows me to address/advance [specific

area] and contribute to positive change."

Future Direction:

Be sure to include information about what you plan to do. This can be done as its own

Reminders:

● Relevance to USU mission and activities: Be sure to relate your contributions (past, present, and future) to USU mission and activities, with clarity regarding your contributions relevant to the department, school, program in which you seek to be promoted.

● Tailor your statement: Adapt your statement to your professional philosophy,

experiences, and accomplishments. By demonstrating how you engage with all

appropriate areas of scholarship, you'll create a well-rounded picture of your academic

contributions and commitment to advancing knowledge and education.

● Most Important Contributions: Summarize what you consider your most significant

accomplishments, connecting them back to your overall professional philosophy.

● Purpose: Remember that the purpose of this statement is to describe your scholarship

and connect it to your experiences; it is NOT a personal statement and should NOT be a

relisting of your CV accomplishments.

● Clarity: Use clear, concise language with strong action verbs. Remember that the

statement has to be two pages or less. Whenever possible, quantify your achievements

(e.g., number of publications, grant funding received).

● Proofread Carefully: Ensure there are no typographical or grammatical errors.

Level 1, 2, 3 Teaching

Teaching is a central role for faculty members in MEM, SOM, USU. Faculty members are expected to teach at a “level” commensurate with their faculty rank. Details about roles, responsibilities, and levels of teaching are described in detail in USU Instruction 1100A. To summarize, faculty members at all ranks (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor) and all Pathways and Prefixes are expected to be able to teach competently at Level 1. Associate Professors and full Professors also are expected to contribute  to Level 2 teaching. Professors also are expected to contribute to Level 3 teaching. Briefly: