Faculty competency framework: Towards a better learning profession

In order to prepare tomorrow's professionals for challenging and rewarding careers, the role of faculty in higher education is of exceptional importance. A professional teacher should possess essential competencies that develop as a result of changing needs of our educational community, diversity of student groups and rapid industrial growth. These competencies will serve as basis for one's development as a teacher. Most important is the teachers' passion for continuous learning and self-improvement. In this era of knowledge expansion, globalization, high technology and rapid social transformation, the belief in effective learning as a continuous process is a fundamental belief of professionalism in teaching. Competencies represent an amalgamation of professional and personal skill sets of an individual [1]. Over the span of their career, faculty members need to adapt to the technological developments in the allied areas to be highly competent. In this paper, we have identified some of the essential competency that should be acquired to be a successful faculty.