Attract and retain top talent for your higher ed faculty
[ Webinar ] Tuesday, October 22, 2 pm ET

EM-WB-2024-09-24-Attract-and-retain-top-talent.png

Faculty turnover continues to impact many colleges and universities across the nation, hindering their ability to advance student outcomes, align curriculums with market needs, and maintain continuous academic innovation.

In this panel discussion, four higher education professionals discuss how they attract and retain faculty members at their universities. Join us to equip yourself with actionable insights and practical tools for creating a more engaged, satisfied, and loyal faculty body for continued institutional success.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Identify and recruit faculty candidates who align with your institution's mission and values.
  • Structure onboarding to foster a sense of belonging and accelerate the integration of new faculty members into your academic community.
  • Reduce faculty burnout and turnover using strategies like professional development opportunities, work-life balance initiatives, creating a supportive and inclusive work environment, and more.
  • Overcome various other challenges that many institutions face in hiring and retaining accomplished faculty amid increased competition for top talent.

This previously recorded webinar is presented in partnership with Inside Higher Ed.


About the speakers

IHE Faculty retention webinar headshots (3).pngMickey Hepner, Ph.D., Dean, College of Business at Austin Peay State University

Mickey Hepner is the Dean of the College of Business at Austin Peay State University, a position he has held since 2018. Before joining APSU, Dr. Hepner was the Dean of the College of Business at the University of Central Oklahoma. At APSU, he has championed initiatives to improve student outcomes, expand professional development opportunities and strengthen industry partnerships.


IHE Faculty retention webinar headshots (2).pngDavid Whaley, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education and Human Services at Murray State University

Dr. David Whaley is Professor and Dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Murray State University in Murray, KY. Prior to arriving in Kentucky 13 years ago, David served as the Associate Dean for teacher education at Iowa State University. He also served as the Director of Educator Licensing at Colorado State University for 16 years. Dr. Whaley’s research emphasis has been on changes in leadership policies and the resulting impact on educator preparation. Previously, he investigated the status and impact of practices related to the admission and retention of teacher education candidates. Dr. Whaley has taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses, including “Research Methods,” “School Law,” and “Curriculum Development.” He has supervised over 125 student teachers since first entering the professoriate in 1985 after finishing his Ph.D. at Cornell University. Previous to that, he was a secondary teacher in northern California.


IHE Faculty retention webinar headshots (1).pngAngelique Smith, Ph.D., Senior Director, Faculty Affairs and Development at Full Sail University

Angelique is a dedicated academic leader with over 20 years of experience in faculty development, instructional design, learning technology and academic compliance. She has an insatiable appetite for helping others maximize their potential. Her efforts have been pivotal in developing online programs that meet the needs of diverse learners and performance improvements throughout an organization. Her leadership extends to managing large-scale projects including the implementation of learning management and human capital management systems. With a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration: Education Leadership, she has used her research to foster supportive learning environments and collaboration with faculty while honoring their well-being. Her work is characterized by a commitment to equity, innovation and the continuous improvement of higher education practices to support student success.


IHE Faculty retention webinar headshots.pngMelissa G. Welborn, Senior Director, Faculty Review Systems at Clemson University

Melissa Welborn manages faculty review systems at Clemson University. She serves as the architect and system administrator for faculty activity reporting, annual reviews, tenure and promotion, and course evaluation systems. She works with over 1800 full-time faculty and administrators and ensures processes flow smoothly. She also analyzes key faculty metrics such as hiring statistics, turnover and faculty career life cycles. Melissa has a master's of Public Administration and a bachelor’s in English from the University of Georgia. This fall, she has enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Clemson in Rhetorics, Communication and Information Design. Her research interests include optimizing human resources data presentation in dashboards for decision-making and public interest.







Ready to get started? Sign up now!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Prioritize through predictions

Our predictive model results lead to proactive discussions with students about why they may struggle – or succeed – in their educational journey and help you develop a guided pathway for them to get back on track.

Confidence in connectivity

Seamless integrations with student information, learning management, financial, and survey systems remove the risk of duplicate data and errors, while also streamlining process management.

Support students anytime, anywhere

Our native mobile app guides students on their individualized journeys to success. Students can download the app instantly for an effective support system from day one.

We're here for you

Our award-winning client services team will help you every step of the way, from implementation to advanced uses — 24/7.

Ian Slater
Vice President for Student Development

"Watermark helps us keep the students we've worked so hard to recruit and see them across the finish line, which in turn improves the bottom line of the college."

Pamela Madden
Director of Retention

"Everything was siloed in our college... no one really had access to everything. With Watermark, we were able to pull everything into one location, which gives faculty, staff, advisors, and leadership the same tool. They can see everything holistically."

Cameron Harmon Ed.D.
Dean of Math and Sciences, Head of Transfer Advising Center

"It is so nice to finally have one place to house all of this information, I can't tell you. It's like night and day. We love it."