Scholarship successes reflect faculty and instructors’ contributions to community and professional understanding across all seven colleges

University of Phoenix celebrates the achievements and thought leadership of its more than 2,300 faculty and instructors across all seven colleges producing 2,027 instances of scholarship in 2024. Focused on the career aspirations of working adult learners, University of Phoenix operates under a practitioner model for faculty and instructors, requiring experience as practitioners in their fields of expertise to lead and teach in programs across the College of Business and Information Technology, College of Nursing, College of Education, College of Health Professions, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Doctoral Studies, and College of General Studies.

“At University of Phoenix, we take pride in our faculty who are not only academicians, but also seasoned professionals in their respective fields,” states John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer. “We understand that learning is a continuous process encompassing both classroom settings, as well as modern workplaces. The wide-ranging scholarship of our faculty and their ongoing professional experience allows students to learn from examples that are timely and applicable, bridging the gap between academic theory and industry practices.”

University of Phoenix practitioner faculty bring more than an advanced degree to the classroom. As working professionals who are encouraged to stay current in their professions and participate in academic and scholarly activities, the University’s faculty bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Recognizing the role and value that practitioner–scholars bring to the classroom, University of Phoenix fosters a culture of research, scholarship and professional currency among faculty. The University operates a faculty scholarship model based on Boyer’s model that recognizes scholarship across four domains: discovery, application, integration, and teaching and learning.

• Discovery: building new knowledge through traditional forms of academic research
• Application: aiding society and professions in addressing problems
• Integration: interpreting the use of knowledge across disciplines
• Teaching and learning: studying and improving teaching models and practices to achieve optimal learning

The seven colleges produced faculty scholarship activities over the year through presentations, publication, community, and professional service. The university requires scholarship by all master's level instructors in all colleges, and every faculty must meet the University’s practitioner faculty requirements.

Jacquelyn Kelly, Ph.D., associate dean, College of General Studies, worked with a team of University faculty and researchers on a study accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, Pedagogy in Health Promotion. “Our collaboration on this study highlights the innovative work we’ve done in supporting student health and self-advocacy with the use of character personas,” she states. “The publication validates and disseminates our approach to supporting student success, and we are pleased to engage in work that can benefit the broader educational community.”

College of Business and Information Technology faculty Claude Toland published a peer-reviewed article in Education Technology Insights examining the ways in which leaders can empower their employees to be both innovative and involved in managing change processes for organizations. Toland notes in the piece that “in order for organizations to succeed in the 21^st century, organizations need to cultivate 21^st century leaders at all levels, including areas of innovation, creativeness, commitment, and the willingness to transfer skills to employees.”

The College of Doctoral Studies houses four research centers: Center for Leadership & Entrepreneurial Research, Center for Organizational Wellness, Engagement and Belonging, Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research, and the University of Phoenix Career Institute®. The University of Phoenix Career Institute® fields the annual Career Optimism Index® study as well as the Mothers Overcome More® Report. Faculty from the College, fellows from the research centers, and faculty, instructors and leaders across the University contribute through a multitude of white papers and studies drawn from Index findings, as well as other critical research content in education, workforce, diversity and inclusion, and leadership studies.

Faculty at the University offer both academic credentials and industry experience to the students they serve, with an average of 29.3 years of professional experience and 16.1 years of teaching experience with University of Phoenix. Professional experience of University faculty include that of chief executives, presidents, consultants, executive directors, and principals.

Practitioner faculty and academic leaders bring industry-relevant experience to the classroom. Learn more here about academic leadership at University of Phoenix.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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