Skip to main content

Unfortunately we don't fully support your browser. If you have the option to, please upgrade to a newer version or use Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Safari 14 or newer. If you are unable to, and need support, please send us your feedback.

We'd appreciate your feedback.Tell us what you think!

Elsevier
Publish with us

Furthering impact through people and technology

Learn how a faculty information system empowers progress and addresses needs like gathering insights, evolving equity and improving efficiency and effectiveness.

Contact us to learn more

Perspectives of academic leaders

Higher education is facing complex global issues: pressure on budgets and funding, enrollment from local and international students, public perception about the value of a university degree and more. Compounding these financial and social challenges are alarming trends, including decreased faculty engagement, with more and more faculty leaving their posts sooner than planned, new PhDs increasingly opting to work outside of academia and slow progress in diversifying faculty. 

The future of higher education will be impacted by how academic leaders respond. And, while technology is not the only answer to resolve the array of interconnected challenges threatening colleges and universities, a proven faculty information system (FIS) that transforms how academic leaders leverage faculty information and engage academic staff sets the stage for institutional impact. 

What does a Faculty Information System (FIS) do?

A true FIS enables hiring, retention and promotion; equity, diversity and inclusion plans; accreditation and other administrative audits and reviews; and time-saving efficiency for faculty and administrators alike. An FIS that meets academic leaders’ current and future needs is not only a modern, efficient, collaborative and easy-to-use platform; it brings deep experience and understanding of academia. 

Leaders from institutions across the globe have much to say about how, when, and why their partnership with Interfolio—the category creator of the FIS—has empowered tangible forward progress and addressed their most pressing needs for insights, equity, and efficiency and effectiveness. 

Insights

Proving your institution’s value is imperative

Faculty work and achievements are the bread and butter of any college or university. Thus, for your institution to be seen in a positive light by funders, industry, students, current and potential faculty, and the public, you must showcase your faculty. Doing so will also bolster future strategic plans and clearly help prove value to those inside and outside your institution. Academic leaders share how faculty information systems have enabled them to showcase impact and demonstrate strategic value in several key areas. 

Clear reporting

Having an accurate picture of what’s really happening is a game-changer, as meaningful insights bring everything into greater focus. 

“It’s hard to get faculty involved in the conversation if you’re not adequately representing the scope of the work they do. With so many unfunded activities, there’s not a clear way to show that they are bringing in this revenue without a system for faculty information.”  Assistant Vice Chancellor, Public Urban Western Research University, North America 

“The institution is going through strategic change. We are moving to a much more strategic model of how we provide service and partner across campus. It’s multifaceted and starts with reporting.”  Academic Program Advisor, Nonprofit Academic Medical Center, North America 

Improving faculty satisfaction

With a faculty-first focus, supporting your institution’s greatest asset with a faculty information system generates strong reactions and outcomes. 

“We were going through strategic planning. Modernizing workplace and faculty satisfaction were key components.”  Director of Public Relations, Large Urban Public University, North America 

“From a cost-benefit perspective, our faculty are one of our institution’s biggest investments. To not have that stewarded in some sort of efficient, professional tool would be derelict on our part.”  Senior Associate Vice President, Private, Mid-Size Midwestern University, North America 

“We realize that our academic staff are our most important resource. As such, we have been proactively assessing how we can support all academics to develop and progress at our institution.”  Director, Academic Development and Workforce Transformation, Tech University, Asia Pacific 

Sustained competitive advantage

Great academic leaders are always looking for an edge—and to give their department, school and institution every opportunity to succeed. A faculty information system can support your institution’s efforts to attract and retain top teaching talent.  

“As a land grant institution, we are committed to supporting thriving agriculture, natural resources, people, and communities…through quality education, innovative research and impactful engagement. We are developing more effective, sustainable and equitable relationships with our communities to address the complex economic and social challenges facing [our state] and the world. Interfolio is part of how universities like ours tell this story.”  Vice Provost for Academic Personnel, Western R2 Public University, North America 

“As a truly international institution serving executives and aspiring business leaders, it’s imperative that we recruit and cultivate an academic workforce as global as the students we serve.”  Associate Dean, Business School, Asia Pacific 

It’s hard to get faculty involved in the conversation if you’re not adequately representing the scope of the work they do. With so many unfunded activities, there’s not a clear way to show that they are bringing in this revenue without a system for faculty information.

AVC

Assistant Vice Chancellor

Public Urban Western Research University, North America

Equity

Provosts and institutions need equitable foundations for strategic impact

Committing to equity requires institutional intervention. Leaders across higher education—at schools of all sizes, locations and focuses—are employing faculty information systems to improve and ensure greater fairness. 

Faculty information systems help boost academic health by supporting the promotion and retention of the right people while ensuring greater alignment with your faculty handbook and policies. Employing technology that empowers equity goals demonstrates exceptional leadership. 

Fairness for faculty

Having a “human touch” to your processes is usually desirable. But sometimes, it might unintentionally work against your institution’s objectives. It’s crucial to implement technology that supports, not hinders, your efforts.

“Teaching, research and service. We value all three things, but we value them in totality. It doesn’t need to be equal, but it needs to be fair. We have a drive to be more data-driven in our decision making.”  Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Small Northeastern Private University, North America 

“In a faculty promotion action, as a file travels through its decision-making journey, that paper file goes through review and documents are added as it passes from one hand to another. All sorts of stuff happens to it. By the time the President makes a decision on it, it is not the same file the faculty voted on. There are issues of justice, equity and fairness that get introduced into the process through having those paper files.” Associate Provost and Assistant Vice President, Large Urban Public University, North America 

Strategic hiring and diversity

Academia today widely recognizes the need to hire faculty that accurately reflect your institution’s cultural, racial, gender and ethnic community. That’s why many academic leaders are turning to faculty information systems to help them get where they need to be.

“Since I moved into the Provost’s role, I prioritized improving how we think about the faculty search process, especially the role of diversity, ultimately thinking about retention and how we can all do our jobs a bit better.”  Provost, Small Liberal Arts Mid-Atlantic College, North America 

“Equal Employment Opportunity information is part of the reporting that we produce. Having effective data to complete that reporting is a big piece of the puzzle.”  Associate Director of Faculty Affairs, Private Northeastern Ivy League University, North America 

Revolutionary progress

Achieving different, better outcomes requires considering different perspectives and tactics. Academic leaders need the right tools to help create the positive change they seek. 

“When you’re supporting a large faculty population, manual solutions aren’t always the best approach. You can lose a lot of opportunities for enhancement, revolution, innovation and creativity.”  Director, Provost’s Office, Urban Private University, North America 

“Adopting a digital FIS is reflective of one of our strategic goals to bolster our procedures and processes.”  Associate Vice President, Mid-Atlantic HBCU R2 University, North America 

We created a digital form that collects diversity data, which then allows us to easily pull a diversity report. We’ve used that report for so many things, including our annual required diversity report and diversity reports for accreditation.

AD

Assistant Director

Research and Faculty Office, Business School, Europe

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Optimized and reliable processes to ensure academic health

To adjust to the constant changes in workforce conditions, you need to provide trustworthy and efficient ways of working—and advancement—for your faculty and staff. 

Adopting a powerful, productive faculty information system is critical to achieving important milestones like hiring, tenure, committee service and promotion. Interfolio delivers quality, accuracy and productivity to the higher education community. 

Themes we have heard from our interviews with provosts and faculty affairs included: 

Audit improvement

How robust your information and workflow systems are means very little if they’re not also accurate. Interfolio gives you the best of both worlds. 

“We get audited regularly, like any public institution. Making sure the process was proper, and the ease of use to review applications electronically, versus printing documents—that is very helpful.”  Manager, Faculty Affairs, Large Public Southwestern Institution, North America 

“It’s all about empowering users with the necessary tools to be successful.”  Academic Affairs Director, Large Public, Mid-Atlantic Research University, North America 

Accreditation ease

Making things harder than necessary can be frustrating for everyone involved. When you find a faster, more effective, more rewarding way to go, it changes your entire experience. 

“We, like many institutions, are in the midst of a digital transformation. Supporting faculty work is a key reason for this evolution—we must shift our manual, paper-based processes for advancement and activity reporting to be digital and automated.”  Executive Director of Information Technology, School of Business at Large Southeastern Private University, North America 

“We were preparing for four major accreditation reviews within a short span of time, and we were still using paper.”  Vice President, Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, Southern HBCU Medical School, North America 

Optimizing faculty time

Every decision you make and every action you take is an investment in your institution’s ultimate success. The right tool, such as the Interfolio Faculty Information System, can help maximize your returns. 

“With this investment in Interfolio, we are supporting our faculty’s success, giving them additional resources and freeing up their time for teaching, research and service.”  Executive Director of Institutional Analytics, Effectiveness, and Strategic Planning, Southeastern Private Liberal Arts University, North America 

Our academic staff are our most important resource. We have been proactively assessing how we can support all academics to develop and progress. Interfolio allows us to evidence the important contributions of our academics over the entire staff lifecycle, allowing a more accessible, customized and equitable promotion process for all our staff, irrespective of academic discipline, job role or professional focus.

DADAWT

Director, Academic Development and Workforce Transformation

Public International University, Asia Pacific

University leaders: Gain insights, equity, and efficiency into your faculty and academic work and advance your institution.

Man looking at digital tablet with colleague