Building Faculty Learning Communities

Changing our colleges and universities into learning institutionshas become increasingly important at the same time it has becomemore difficult. Faculty learning communities have proven tobe effective for addressing institutional challenges, frompreparing the faculty of the future and reinvigorating seniorfaculty, to implementing new courses, curricula, and campusinitiatives on diversity and technology. The results of facultylearning community programs parallel for faculty members theresults of student learning communities for students, such asretention, deeper learning, respect for other cultures, and greatercivic participation. The chapters in this issue of New Directions forTeaching and Learning describe from a practitioner'sperspective the history, development, implementation, and resultsof faculty learning communities across a wide range of institutionsand purposes. Institutions are invited to use this volume toinitiate faculty learning communities on their campuses. This is the 97th issue of the quarterly journal NewDirections for Teaching and Learning.