From:  Joseph R. Sherwin
We began collecting faculty profiles ate Jefferson around three years ago
after finding faculty reluctance to the BEST forms. The profiles were
self-generated text files which the ORA converted to WORD, indexed and
published in hardcopy. Initial response was about 25% of total faculty or 40%
of "research" faculty. We did not focus on research allowing faculty to
describe teaching, service and technical skills and including key references.
In the second year we went online through our ORA menu on our library system.
However, it was a very user unfriendly text dump which was impossible to
search. In spite of this it is the most used menu item on the library system
so people must be using it! Each year we forward copies to faculty for
revision and are up to 40% total faculty and about 2/3 of research faculty. We
cut and paste these descriptions for a variety of uses including tech transfer
etc. So the faculty see them being used which seems to generate interest.
Hardbound copies are sent to departments and any faculty can order a disc
version in what ever software he or she wants. This year we will transfer to
an ORACLE base to make it more friendly.

Joe Sherwin
Jefferson Medical College
xxxxxx@tjuvm.tju.edu