In this special episode of COACHECast, Jeannie Kim, Assistant Director of Research at COACHE, steps in as guest host to interview Dr. Todd Benson, Executive Director and Principal Investigator at COACHE. The conversation centers on faculty retention and exit, exploring COACHE’s decade-long research in this area and delving into the insights such studies offer higher education institutions.

"There are more career opportunities for these faculty members beyond the traditional tenure track positions. If they're willing to be more flexible, then I think the institutions have to think about how they're going to be more flexible as well."

Dr. Benson explains the importance of systematically analyzing faculty departures and retentions since the processes are often ad hoc, influenced by biases, and lack transparency or clear criteria. He introduces the "three Cs" framework—Cost, Causes, and Conduct—to understand and assess faculty exits. The discussion highlights key findings: a significant portion of faculty consider leaving for years before making a move, the impact of professional development, and the reputational effects of how institutions treat departing faculty.

Benson describes the COACHE Retention and Exit Study methodology, including its focus on those who received outside offers and the value of rich open-text responses. He emphasizes the importance of proactive engagement—regular, candid conversations can effectively prevent unwanted departures. Together, Kim and Benson discuss actionable insights for institutional leaders, such as enhancing process clarity, addressing hidden drivers beyond salary, and recent improvements to COACHE’s reporting tools for partner campuses.

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COACHECast speaks with Geoff Watson, CEO of NCFDD, about the power of mentoring, how leaders in higher education can prioritize it to support their faculty, and how to bridge the gap to make it effective. An organization that empowers faculty for lasting success through programs and coaching, NCFDD partnered with COACHE on the recent white paper “Redefining Mentoring in Higher Education”. 

“What we're hearing from faculty in all types of institutions at all different points of their career is exactly what the data shows, which is mentoring is incredibly important, but the effectiveness of mentoring is not quite there.”

Watson and host Dr. Todd Benson, Executive Director and Principal Investigator at COACHE, discuss how mentoring can not only improve faculty satisfaction and performance but also impact a range of key dimensions for individuals and institutions. They explore findings from the white paper, including meeting the increasingly diverse needs of faculty through bidirectional mentoring in place of the traditional one-directional “guru” model, how to optimize mentoring, and the importance of measuring its impact on faculty. Watson also shares the three things that NCFDD would advise institutions to do as they are either rethinking their current approach to mentoring or starting a new approach.  

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COACHECast speaks with Dr. Holly Hutchins, Vice Provost for Faculty Success, University of North Texas. Vice Provost Hutchins’ academic background is in human resource development where her focus has been on training transfer and faculty talent development. She is a proud UNT alumna and completed her Ph.D. in 2004. Before returning to UNT as Vice Provost, she was professor and department chair at the University of Houston. 

“You just make sure you're doing more than you're saying. So let your actions show. And a lot of times you may advocate in places that they will never know that you were that one in the room.”     

Dr. Hutchins outlines her experience with the distributed leadership model to ensure all stakeholders are in the decision-making process. Dr. Hutchins also shares how she effectively advocates for faculty interest and support in an era of increasing public skepticism toward higher education, and more. 

Hosted by Dr. Todd Benson, Executive Director and Principal Investigator at COACHE. 

About Dr. Holly Hutchins

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Dr. Andrea Romero is Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at the University of Arizona and has served in this role since 2019. Dr. Romero is also a faculty affiliate in psychology, Mexican American studies, gender and women’s studies, and Latin American studies. She serves as current president of the APLU’s Committee on Faculty Affairs. 

“It is about that narrative... how do we understand ourselves? What is our story, and what do we want to make that story be in the future?” 

Dr. Romero discusses her experiences in community-based research, the ways in which this work has influenced her leadership and collaboration with faculty, and how — as an expert in research — she shares complex data with stakeholder groups in ways that make it meaningful for all. She also highlights why the work of the Committee on Faculty Affairs is so valuable as a community of practice. 

Hosted by Dr. Todd Benson, Executive Director and Principal Investigator at COACHE.

About Dr. Andrea Romero

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​​​​​​​APLU Events

TRANSCRIPT
Access the transcript here.

COACHECast speaks with Dr. Nancy Brickhouse, Vice President and Provost at Baylor University. Prior to coming to Baylor in 2019, Nancy previously served as Provost at St. Louis University, and before this spent 27 years in various faculty and administrative roles at the University of Delaware. 

“You’ve got to learn where you are and you’ve got to learn who your people are. And only then can you gain their trust in a way that will help them aspire to do the things that we need faculty to do.” 

Dr. Brickhouse shares insights on how having a strong institutional mission has supported faculty engagement, how Baylor leadership has been able to deeply involve faculty in their strategic planning process, how the institution is building community and belonging for underrepresented minority faculty, and more.
 
Hosted by Dr. Todd Benson, Executive Director and Principal Investigator at COACHE.

About Dr. Nancy Brickhouse

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COACHECast speaks with Dr. Mark Rieger, who is currently on sabbatical from his position as Executive Vice President and Provost at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Fort Myers, FL. Prior to joining FGCU, Dr. Rieger Dean and Director of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware, and held leadership positions at the University of Florida and the University of Georgia. 

“It would be great if people would stop calling folks non-tenure track. Nobody wants to be described by what they aren't. ‘Hi, I'm Mark. I'm not a good tennis player. Good to meet you.’ ” 

Dr. Rieger shares insights about the benefits and challenges of being in a university without any tenured faculty roles — and what institutions of all kinds can learn from it; why he is an advocate for greater flexibility to move between job tracks; how the FGCU team delivered a best-in-class response rate in the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey, and much more. 
 
Hosted by Dr. Todd Benson, Executive Director and Principal Investigator at COACHE. 

About Dr. Mark Rieger

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Dr. Dawn Bratsch-Prince is Associate Provost for Faculty at Iowa State University, which includes her oversight of the Office of Institution Research, the ISU Ombuds Office, and the ISU ADVANCE Program. She is also a founding member of the Committee on Faculty Affairs (CFA) at APLU. 

“We can hire fantastic representative faculty from all 50 states, from all demographics, but if we can't retain them then our efforts are pointless.” 

In a candid conversation, Dr. Bratsch-Prince provides insights about challenges she has faced in her role, and discusses the sensitive issue of harassing behavior or bullying among faculty members in higher ed. She also shares how and why she strove to create an overall community of practice for higher education leaders through the CFA. 

Dr. Bratsch-Prince came to the university as a member of the faculty in 1990. Prior to her appointment as Associate Provost, she served from 2007-2010 as Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and as chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures from 2002-2008. 

About Dr. Dawn Bratsch-Prince

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Dr. Susan Carlson is Professor Emerita, University of California, Davis and Vice Provost Emerita, UC Office of the President, where she served in the role of Vice Provost from 2010 to 2022. Prior to joining UC, Dr. Carlson was Associate Provost for Faculty Advancement and Diversity for almost 10 years at Iowa State University. 

“You’re changing culture in this work, and you’re often redefining academic priorities. There’s a lot of sensitivity when you raise issues of maybe everything’s not right.” 

With more than 20 years in leadership positions, Dr. Carlson shares how she was able to advance efforts to build diverse faculty at universities. She focuses on the importance of both policy and funding to ensure sustainable change, as well as how building a network has been valuable in contributing to her achievements. 

Dr. Pat Farrell, former provost at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Lehigh University, hosts this five-part series on leading through change in higher education. 

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Dr. Lisa Sullivan is Provost and Dean of Faculty, Mount Holyoke College, and has been in her role since July 2022. She previously served for six years as Vice President for Academic Affairs and the R. Michael Shanahan Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Mudd College, as well as a Professor of Economic History. 

“The opportunity to hear those different voices, to make them visible in processes that have garnered trust...it’s a critical element for institutional improvement.” 

Dr. Sullivan shares her experiences in helping to drive institution-wide changes that shape and support culture, as well as ensuring different voices are involved in the change process. She reflects on stepping into the role of provost when new to the institution, how to support a new generation of leaders in the face of changing demands, and more.  

Dr. Pat Farrell, former provost at the University of Wisconsin—Madison and Lehigh University, hosts this five-part series on leading through change in higher education. 

About Dr. Lisa Sullivan

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Dr. Beau Breslin is Professor of Government at Skidmore College, where he has spent most of career and held the position Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs between 2011-2018.

“You have to be a good listener. You have to be empathetic. These are the things that build credibility and build political capital.” 

Dr. Breslin shares his perspectives from his time in the role as Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, including his thoughts about addressing resistance to change, being nimble, how nonacceptance of an idea can ultimately lead to better outcomes, and more. 

Dr. Pat Farrell, former provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Lehigh University, hosts this five-part series on leading through change in higher education.

About Dr. Beau Breslin

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A Constitution for the Living: Imagining How Five Generations of Americans Would Rewrite the Nation’s Fundamental Law. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2021