Ethics CEU: Intersectional Gender and Race/Ethnicity Related to Employment Insecurity among Full-Time University Faculty: Equity Issues

        Douglas L. Robertson (Ph.D., Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 1978) is Tenured Full  Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, School of  Education and Human Development, College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, at Florida International University, a public metropolitan research university in Miami with highest research activity (R1) and engaged Carnegie designations (fall 2018 enrollment, 58,000; 82% minority, 64% Hispanic; 91% commuter).  From 2008 to 2016, Dr. Robertson was the University Dean of Undergraduate Education. From 2011 to 2015, Dr. Robertson served as university lead for the Graduation Success Initiative (GSI), a complex set of institution-wide, student success interventions that improved the six-year graduation rate by 16 points in its four years of existence and that in November, 2013, won the Most Visible Progress (MVP) Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).  Since 2009, Dr. Robertson has been the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of six student success grants totaling over $4.6 million.  From 2014 to 2016, he was FIU’s Founding Operational Lead for the innovative Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities, in partnership with the University of Central Florida (Orlando) and the University of South Florida (Tampa Bay).                Dr. Robertson has been actively involved in significant innovations in American higher education for 45 years, including both undergraduate and graduate education, and has over 32 years of experience as an academic administrator (12 years private, 20 years public).  He has chaired an academic department, co-directed a liberal arts division, administered doctoral and masters programs, been a university dean, and served for 18 years (1999-2016) on the executive staff of nine university Chief Academic Officers.                For over 40 years, he has worked with a wide variety of faculty from every category of institutional type (two-year, baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral) in support of their ability to teach better. He has helped to start or reorganize five university faculty development centers and has supervised four of them.              He has been a tenured Full Professor at five universities (Portland State University, University of Nevada--Las Vegas, Eastern Kentucky University, Northern Kentucky University, and Florida International University) and has extensive experience in faculty governance. Four out of five of these universities are metropolitan universities, and two of them (Portland State University and Northern Kentucky University) were among the 13 universities that Carnegie used as prototypes to establish its Engaged University designation. At FIU, he has served as a Senator in the University Faculty Senate, a member of the University Faculty Senate Steering  Committees, and Chair of the Faculty Senate Budget Committee, as well as a member of the Steering Committee of the Faculty Assembly of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education. At Portland State University (1989-1999), he was tenured Full Professor and Core Graduate Faculty in the Graduate College of Education, where he taught required doctoral courses in leadership, adult development, adult learning, and higher education, and chaired or served on 175 doctoral and masters committees, as well as serving in the Faculty Senate.                Dr. Robertson has authored or co-edited eight books, with his first book, Self-Directed Growth (1988), still in continuous print (34 years) in its original edition. In total, he has authored or coauthored over 175 scholarly or creative publications and presentations.  Dr. Robertson has served as the Senior Editor of the book series on college teaching published by New Forums Press.  For 14 years (2007-2020), he was the Editor of Thriving in Academe, the section on college teaching in the National Education Association’s Higher Education Advocate (circulation: 150,000 college and university faculty, plus website downloads).  He served a four-year term as Editor of To Improve the Academy (two years as Associate Editor, 2003-2005; and two years as Editor, 2005-2007).  He is currently serving, or recently served, on the Editorial Boards of the Behavioral Development Bulletin, Innovative Higher Education, Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Journal of Faculty Development, Kentucky Journal on Excellence in College Teaching and Learning, Learning Communities Journal, and To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.                Dr. Robertson was a member of the Steering Committee for General Education Reform (2012-2014) for the joint commission of the Florida State University System (universities) and State College System of Florida (community colleges) and chaired the Social Science Faculty Sub-Committee. In addition, he has been a member of the Council of Undergraduate Deans for the Florida State University System (2008-2016) and served a term as its Vice Chair.  For seven years (2001-2008), he worked closely with senior staff at the Kentucky state system of higher education (Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education) and served on a number of Kentucky state system working groups (e.g., technological delivery systems, regional stewardship, civic engagement, presidential leadership academies, and faculty development).  He chaired the Kentucky state system’s Faculty Development Work Group for two years (2004-2006) and served as Vice Chair the preceding year (2003-2004).                Dr. Robertson held a five-year appointment (2002-2007) as a Fulbright Senior Specialist Candidate, during which time he belonged to a pool of experts who were available to provide consultations for overseas universities.  An active consultant since the 1970s, Dr. Robertson has provided 175 trainings or consultations to a broad range of educational, health care, human service, governmental, and business organizations.                Dr. Robertson served a three-year term (2007-2010) on the Core Committee (Board of  Directors) of the primary international association for faculty development, the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD).  He has served on the POD Publication Committee for 12`years (2007-2018) and chaired it for three years (2007-2010).  In addition, he has served on POD’s Outreach Committee, Awards Committee, and Long-Range Planning Committee.  In 2008, Dr. Robertson was one of twenty invited participants who were convened in a special, four-day symposium on spirituality in higher education, called “Uncovering the Heart of Higher Education Symposium,” sponsored by the Fetzer Institute,  California Institute for Integral Studies, and the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, and held at the Fetzer Institute’s Seasons Retreat Center, in Kalamazoo, Michigan (other participants included Alexander and Helen Astin and other nationally and internationally distinguished leaders in higher education).             He has been involved in leadership roles in six regional accreditations in three different accreditation associations (Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, NWASC; Western Association of Schools and Colleges, WASC; and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SACS), and served on the Leadership Team of Florida International University’s successful 2010 SACS reaffirmation. In 2006, he was approved to serve as a SACS Evaluator.  In addition, he served on the Steering Committee and chaired the Academic Integrity Subcommittee for FIU’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Self Study (2010-2011).                 Dr. Robertson taught his first college course in 1971, and he has won several teaching awards along the way.