Universities invest considerable funds into recruiting new faculty. For research faculty, the startup package can frequently be in the range of $500,000 to $1,000,000. In addition, new faculty require additional time, mentoring, and support. While rates for achieving tenure vary depending upon disciplines and institutions, success rates for this investment in new faculty can be as low as 10% at some schools and on average about 50% overall.

Despite the investment, thousands of higher education faculty members begin a job every year with little or no training. In fact, in most disciplines, Ph.D. training programs provide minimal preparation for academic careers. This disconnect between the training provided and the skills necessary to thrive in most academic careers can lead to frustration and job dissatisfaction.

Given the large initial investment and the lack of previous skills training, it is prudent for academic leaders to support first-year faculty beyond orientations, especially when it comes to balancing teaching and research workload. Expert faculty coaches with extensive experience in higher education can provide a safe, supportive environment for faculty to explore challenges and development opportunities that are necessary for their career advancement.