Exploring success factors for professional development of mid-career faculty in higher education: a faculty-led approach

This qualitative study explores the impact of a summer intensive writing boot camp on mid-career faculty members’ scholarship productivity and identifies essential components believed to be most helpful by participants. The boot camp addressed challenges faced by mid-career faculty, including isolated writing tasks, unclear career trajectories, and difficulties in prioritizing scholarship amidst evolving teaching and service responsibilities. The study attributed success of the program to its structured yet faculty-driven approach, balancing accountability and flexibility to meet faculty members’ diverse needs. The study emphasizes the importance of developing a program that promotes internal motivation within the writing boot camp by granting faculty control over learning paths and logistics (autonomy), fostering competence through skill development resources (competence), and encouraging relatedness through positive social connections in scholarship (relatedness). The findings highlight the significance of the presence of others and team accountability positively influenced writing productivity and motivation. Ultimately, the boot camp provided a range of motivational factors that empowered mid-career faculty in their scholarly journeys.