Changing faculty perceptions and perspectives: A case study at a private, Midwestern, liberal arts university

This research was comprised of a case study conducted at Grand View University to determine faculty perceptions and perspectives of outcomes related to a Title III grant-funded, professional development program. The conceptual framework for the study was based on a systematic process called the logic model (W. K. Kellogg Foundation, 2004). A goal-free evaluation technique developed by Scriven in 1972 (Scriven, 1974) was the method utilized for conducting a utilization-focused evaluation (Patton, 1997). These evaluation processes were conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews of two focus groups and four key informants to determine the short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes of the program at this private, Midwestern, liberal arts university. Findings from the interviews revealed that the long-term effects on the university included a renewal of faculty commitment to teaching. Faculty involvement in professional development activities is now being used in hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions. In addition, there is a sustained retention of students, and classroom technology has become an expectation of the faculty