ABSTRACT
When the focus of faculty development is defined most inclusively, it is aimed at teaching and learning and faculty work at the institutional level rather than only on the instructional development role. Within this broad scope, the “table” is the metaphor for those activities that influence the decisions surrounding teaching and learning and conditions of faculty work as well as the work itself. In change theory terms this means focusing on institutional arrangements and organizational structures that influence how decisions and initiatives get done. At most campuses, a faculty governance group addresses crucial issues pertaining to faculty work. There may also be special oversight groups, such as advisory committees on the academic calendar, committees on academic misconduct, and the human subjects review committee. Leadership seems to be a key element: the groups can be active or lethargic, depending on the motivation of those charged with convening them.
