65% of higher ed success leaders say change management is the biggest challenge when launching new student success initiatives. (EAB)
That’s why faculty engagement is essential. Programs thrive when instructors are respected, involved, and supported from the start.
High-Quality Courses Start with Faculty Partnership
In our session, Faculty Buy-In Starts Here: A Guide to Engaging Instructors and Evaluating Online Courses Effectively, we made one thing clear: faculty engagement is the foundation of high-quality online courses that are sustainable over time.
When faculty are respected, included, and supported, institutions see:
- Stronger student outcomes because courses reflect faculty expertise and voice
- Smoother adoption of online and hybrid formats
- Greater sustainability as faculty stay invested in maintaining and improving courses
But when engagement lacks structure or support, institutions may encounter roadblocks: misaligned expectations, missed timelines, or uneven adoption across departments.
A Framework Leaders Can Use: Principles and Practices for Faculty Engagement
Faculty partnership begins long before the course is built. It’s about shared ownership and a collaborative process from day one. Leaders can anchor their approach in three core principles—and translate them into practical engagement strategies:
Respect
- Principle: Acknowledge faculty expertise and workload.
- Practice: Use streamlined checklists, templates, and short review cycles that make contributions efficient and meaningful.
Shared Ownership
- Principle: Keep faculty in the driver’s seat for content and instructional decisions.
- Practice: Reinforce this through kickoff meetings, concise project briefs, and clear roles that give faculty a voice at every stage.
Transparency
- Principle: Make timelines, expectations, and decision-making processes clear from day one.
- Practice: Share goals and guidelines openly, and provide regular updates so faculty know exactly where things stand.
Recognition
- Principle: Value faculty contributions as central to course quality.
- Practice: Celebrate wins publicly and highlight how faculty input has improved student experience.
This echoes findings from the Education Advisory Board (EAB), which notes that top-down approaches to new initiatives rarely succeed. Their research shows that institutions achieve smoother adoption when faculty and stakeholders are engaged from the very beginning, have options during implementation, and can clearly see how changes align with the institution’s strategic goals.
By combining principles with actionable practices, leaders shift the tone from compliance to collaboration, reinforcing how faculty are true partners in course quality and student success.
Case in Point: What Leaders Notice
Institutions that prioritize faculty voice throughout the design process report meaningful outcomes:
- Faculty are more invested, leading to smoother course launches and stronger adoption of online tools.
- Students see the difference in courses that feel current, consistent, and connected to faculty expertise.
- Institutions strengthen reputation and retention by aligning faculty collaboration with course quality metrics.
One faculty partner shared the difference a true course design partner can make: “The difference between good and great course designers is the ability to serve as the eyes of the students. We needed a vendor partner with a flexible approach to developing courses and working with faculty.”
Six Red Marbles does just that.
Looking Ahead
Faculty buy-in will remain a leadership priority as online and hybrid programs expand. The question isn’t whether faculty want to engage—it’s how institutions can create the right conditions to make engagement easy, meaningful, and rewarding.
Six Red Marbles is helping institutions do just that by:
- Designing faculty onboarding toolkits that set clear expectations
- Providing templates and checklists that streamline input without adding burden
- Creating feedback loops that highlight faculty contributions and ensure their input shapes program design
With the right approach, faculty engagement becomes one of your greatest assets in building quality learning experiences at scale.
What’s Next
We recorded our recent Design Smarter, Not Harder: A Modern Approach to Online Course Development and Review webinar, hosted by Lauren Davis and Geri Atanassova-Boft, to walk you through the process step-by-step—including real examples you can adapt for your own institution.
Download the Engaging Instructors and Evaluating Online Courses Guide
Whether you’re supporting a handful of faculty or hundreds across the institution, Six Red Marbles provides the frameworks, tools, and strategies to make faculty collaboration seamless. By reducing friction, honoring expertise, and keeping communication clear, you give your team more time to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality learning experiences for students.
- Book a free consultation or email us at highered@sixredmarbles.com
Source: EAB: 4 Ways to Build Faculty Buy-In for Student Success Initiatives