The strategic plan of the University of Missouri calls for renewed emphasis on student learning and the creation of learner-centered environments. As major step in achieving this vision, the University of Missouri (UM) system launched the New Faculty Teaching Scholars (NFTS) Program in 2001-2002. It is a system-wide development program for early career faculty on its four campuses: Columbia, Rolla, St. Louis, and Kansas City. The program is open to tenure-track faculty from any discipline within the first few years of their appointment. Participation carries institutional recognition and backing because nominations rise through academic administrative layers, with final selection made by campus program directors representing the system Vice-President for Academic Affairs. The NFTS program sponsors three system-wide retreats (on course-design, teaching renewal, and academic portfolios) and campus-based activities scheduled throughout the year. These enable new faculty to interact and collaborate with other new scholars who are based across the system. They become acquainted with the process of student learning and its assessment, are exposed to a variety of teaching pedagogies, and interact with excellent teachers on their own campuses. All of these experiences help new faculty improve their effectiveness in promoting actual student learning in a variety of teaching environments, while promoting system-wide collegiality. The scholars also learn how to increase their teaching efficiency so that they can more effectively balance their time among teaching, research, and service responsibilities. This paper will provide an overview of the NFTS program. Assessment results, based on the evaluation of the 2001-2002 program, will be summarized and analyzed. Lessons learned will be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on aspects, benefits and modifications to the NFTS approach that can be used to enhance the professional development of engineering faculty at any institution.
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