The Experience FactorA Pilot Demographic Profile of HEI Faculty ($N=283$) and its Implications for Digital Training

Digital transformation in higher education is often framed as a technological challenge, yet faculty demographics represent a critical and underexamined variable. This study provides a pilot demographic profile of faculty involved in the SOULSS project and examines its implications for digital training strategies. Using a quantitative descriptive design, Phase 1 analyzes age distribution data from a multi-country faculty survey (N = 283). Phase 2 adds an exploratory validation probe conducted in 2025 (N = 18) to examine the relationship between age and years of teaching experience. Results reveal a strongly skewed profile: 67.9% of respondents are over 45 years old, with the largest segment in the 55+ group, and the majority reporting more than 16 years of teaching experience. These findings indicate that most faculty are pedagogical experts rather than novice instructors, but may be digital “late adopters.” Drawing on andragogy and the digital native–immigrant debate, the paper argues that generic digital literacy training is misaligned with this demographic reality. Instead, differentiated, experience-sensitive training models are required to support effective and sustainable digital adoption.