Faculty Development Programs at Shahid Beheshti University ; Insufficient Strengths

Abstract Introduction: Faculty development programs include all types of systematic support to improve faculty members as teachers, researchers, and citizens of universities, professions, and larger societies. Developing systematic and innovative faculty development programs is among the ways of improving the academic system. Due to the significance of such programs and their effective role in the quality of academic systems, it is essential for university managers to enhance the quality of such programs. Identifying and assessing the strengths of such programs can serve as an accelerator in setting guidelines for holding higher quality programs. For this reason, the present study was an attempt to identify the strengths of faculty development programs from the perspective of faculty members themselves, as the immediate stakeholders of the programs. Methodology: Using semi-structured interviews in a qualitative and phenomenological design, 29 lecturers at Shahid Beheshti University were asked about their attitudes on the strengths of the faculty development programs. The transcribed interviews were coded using the Strauss and Corbin framework. Results: Three strengths were identified for the programs: “prominent Lecturers”, “suitable topics and content” and “effective teaching-learning methods”. Conclusion: Identification of only three strengths for faculty development programs  indicates that the mentioned programs lack the necessary quality and that fundamental revisions in policy-making, planning, and implementation are called for.