Faculty Development and Achievement: A Faculty’s View

A conceptual framework of career development based on professional rank was examined for its usefulness in describing three qualitatively different stages of career development of faculty. Sixty faculty at a large university were interviewed to obtain information about their aspirations, motivation, satisfaction and external expectations. Faculty interviewed generally progressed through a series of stages but the diversity of their professional life style increased with each rank. Implications of using rank to interpret faculty career paths were discussed.