Cultivating excellence, diversity and inclusion throughout the academic journey
Faculty Development at the University of Washington is a highly collaborative effort involving various offices and units, including the Office of Academic Personnel, ADVANCE center, the Office of Faculty Advancement and schools and colleges throughout the University.
Faculty development, encompassing both individual growth and institutional change, aims at enhancing the skills, knowledge, and effectiveness of faculty members. Through tailored workshops, mentorship programs, and resources, we empower faculty to excel in teaching, scholarship, and service. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, we support faculty in reaching their full potential and advancing academic excellence. Our commitment to professional development ensures that UW faculty remain at the forefront of innovation and make lasting contributions to the university community and beyond.
Faculty Development Program
At the UW, we believe excellence requires a diverse faculty engaged in research, teaching, mentoring, and training. The Faculty Development Program, created by UW Presidential Term Professor Alexes Harris, fosters a supportive environment where faculty can build social and research networks across disciplines and discuss their experiences and goals. Department chairs nominate new faculty to participate in this program, reflecting our commitment to a sense of belonging throughout the UW.
New Academic Leader Onboarding
The annual New Academic Leaders Onboarding program, designed to prepare new leaders for their roles. This engaging program covers essential topics such as UW planning and resources, strategic data use, conflict management, faculty-employee relations, student conduct, global affairs, leadership responsibilities, and key faculty success factors including promotion and tenure. The 2024 session took place on September 17 and 18. Session resources are available online, accessible with a UW NetID.
Office for Faculty Advancement
The Office for Faculty Advancement (OFA) provides tools and resources to enhance diversity and build an inclusive faculty. Key programs include a Handbook and Toolkit for faculty searches, funding initiatives to support diverse faculty recruitment in STEM and other disciplines, and retention initiatives for faculty contributing to diversity and inclusion efforts. These programs aim to strengthen campus-wide excellence through diversity.
ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change
UW ADVANCE supports STEM faculty, focusing on women, through career development, mentoring, and leadership consultation in three core UW colleges. The program aims to enhance campus culture for women faculty to thrive. Key activities include professional development workshops for pre-tenure and mid-career faculty, quarterly leadership workshops for department leaders, and mentoring lunches featuring conversations with women leaders on career and leadership topics.
Faculty Success Program
The NCFDD Faculty Success Program is a 12-week boot camp designed to help tenure-track and tenured faculty achieve personal and professional goals. The Office for Faculty Advancement offers one-third tuition support for faculty who register before the early bird deadline and submit a Support Proposal Form. The Faculty Success Program is open to all UW faculty with an active NCFDD account, priority is given to assistant and associate professors seeking tenure or promotion.
NCFDD
The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) offers national-level support through UW’s institutional membership. You can access programs like the Faculty Success Program, which provides coaching, peer support, and strategies for academic achievement and work-life balance.
Opportunity Spotlight
The Big Ten Academic Alliance offers leadership development programs for faculty and administrators from large R1 universities, drawing on member institutions’ expertise to enhance campus programs. The Academic Leadership Program (ALP) is a year-long initiative that enhances leadership and managerial skills for university-level academic leaders. The Department Executive Officer Program (DEO) is a hybrid program for new department heads and chairs, focusing on conflict resolution, communication, faculty development, and problem-solving. The Deans Leadership Program (DLP) is a six-month intensive program for new deans, addressing critical issues during their initial months and years.
News
Effective Practices for Assessing Faculty Application Materials
November 19, 2024
Presented by: Chadwick Allen and Joyce Yen UW ADVANCE and the Office for Faculty Advancement, both of which are now part of the Office of Academic Personnel, partnered & offered a fall workshop on Effective Practices for Assessing Faculty Application Materials in October 2024. This workshop addressed mitigating bias in evaluation, using assessment rubrics, and…
Preparing for Faculty Hiring in our Current Climate
November 19, 2024
Presented by: Chadwick Allen and Joyce Yen Each workshop covered: Brief review of current policy, legal, and political climate for faculty hiring; Planning ahead for forming search committees, faculty search guidelines and charge, writing job ads, drafting assessment rubrics, and devising an active outreach plan; Focused discussion about situations where committee members have prior professional and personal…
Troubleshooting Faculty Searches: A Focused Discussion on DEI Statements and Known Applicants
November 19, 2024
UW ADVANCE and the OFFICE FOR FACULTY ADVANCEMENT partnered to offer a Spring Webinar on troubleshooting faculty searches. This event was intended for anyone who is leading a unit that is hiring, chairing a search committee, or serving on a search committee. The webinar focuses on two common challenges: assessing DEI statements and evaluating known…