Are All Forms Of Scholarship Considered Equal?

Abstract

Boyer’s four forms of scholarship were detailed in his 1990 book Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. In the 18 years since publication of that book, universities struggle with changing the promotion and tenure criteria to include all four forms of scholarship. Faculty members often focus on publications as they prepare for promotion and tenure. They are not comfortable immersing themselves in other forms of scholarship, like engagement, for fear it may be viewed unfavorably by the university and/or the review committee. This paper focuses on the scholarship of engagement as it struggles to break through the institutional barrier and become an accepted form of scholarship.