Fosters closer and personalized education for students that work with faculty. Raises national stature of the institution when faculty are recognized as national experts. Helps programs meet accreditation standards. Might lead to a Teaching vs. Research culture and division of faculty doing such different activities. Requires long-term planning for management of personnel in any one unit.
Appropriate software is available.
Advantages of accessibility outweigh disadvantages of initial investment and cost of updating. Need for accurate and current data to answer increasingly complex questions will continue to increase. Mid-level managers, including department chairs, will accept the responsibility of maintaining the system. Accessible data should include faculty demographics, load distribution, service responsibilities, release time for research, release time for administration, sabbatical and other contractual details, and the information contained in standard annual reports. May require substantial initial investment.