Dr. Amal Kumar
While faculty satisfaction is closely tied to student success, the faculty experience continues to be understudied, leaving institutions with fewer answers or best practices to address the unique challenges facing faculty in the workplace.To increase the knowledge and inquiry in this area of study, COACHE is committed to providing broad access to data for scholars as they begin their early research paths in higher education.
Using COACHE data to build a body of scholarship has allowed doctoral students and researchers to explore such topics as the experiences of faculty of color on the tenure track, which factors contribute to a sense of fit within academic departments, and even some deeper dives into the experiences of faculty within specific disciplines such as nursing and business.
Another notable example of COACHE’s efforts to support doctoral students while advancing the scholarship of higher education is Dr. Amal Kumar, who gained student work experience in the COACHE offices as a doctoral student and a postdoctoral research fellow. Dr. Kumar contributed to insightful research and publications, and helped strengthen COACHE’s engagement with the research community.
Describing his experience with COACHE as “real- world work with real-world impact,” Dr. Kumar discovered a deep interest in scholarship related to the faculty experience. The knowledge he gained has also supported his own personal experience as Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at the California State University, Sacramento.
Dr. Kumar notes much of what faculty need to know to successfully navigate the academic sector is not “written in a handbook” but rather embedded in a “hidden curriculum,” which can result in sometimes unseen inequities for faculty members.
COACHE’s research on inequities in faculty recruitment and retention is not only a vital area of inquiry for the sector, it has directly impacted Dr. Kumar’s own area of service as a faculty member. “I’ve been able to think more critically and be more intentional about the type of work I want to do and what impact I want to leave,” he says. He currently serves on a search committee as the affirmative action/equal opportunity representative.
Through access to its data, the COACHE team hopes to inspire more early scholars to further expand their interest in the faculty experience — which, as Dr. Kumar says, is truly the “other side of the coin” of student success.
This story appeared in COACHE’s recently released Impact Report, “Partners in Progress”. Read the full report here.