The evaluation of faculty development programs in the United States. A fifty-year retrospective (1970s-2020)

Abstract

This article provides a chronological review of models and studies on the evaluation of faculty development programs in the United States. The article is organized by decades, from the pre-1970s to 2020. The scope of the review, by design, is limited to a sampling of influential work, both classic and recent literature. An emergent theme from the review is that we now have robust models, criteria, and examples of how to better assess the quality, outcomes, and impact of faculty development programs. At the same time, what often is lacking are staff, time, skills, or resources to do so. This gap serves to highlight important questions for future research and practice.