Faculty Advancement & Success (FAS) Workshop Series

Getting a Strong Start to Your Academic Year (Watch the Video)

Tuesday, August 27

Faculty regularly engage with a wide variety of students while teaching, advising and mentoring. A number of factors can influence the success of this engagement for both faculty and students, including the learning and mentoring environments faculty create and the way they incorporate inclusive practices into their teaching, mentoring and assessment. Workshop participants joined their colleagues to discuss effective strategies and tools to create environments where their students can learn and thrive. Participants also discussed ways to develop practices that prioritize their own wellness as they begin the work of a new academic year.

Constructive Engagement With Difficult Topics

Wednesday, September 4

As faculty who navigate a wide range of sensitive topics with our students and colleagues, it is important to consider our role in fostering a learning environment that welcomes different perspectives inside and outside of our classrooms. Discussions can be difficult and fraught, especially with polarizing topics that are multifaceted, emotionally charged, and have a personal impact on members of our academic community in deep ways. The challenge for us as an educational community is to enhance understanding and build skills that lead to shared learning and constructive dialogue. In this workshop, participants heard from faculty peers and campus colleagues who regularly navigate charged dialogues in their schools, classrooms, labs and other academic environments. Panelists also shared effective practices and helpful resources to support rigorous and respectful debate that aims to advance our learning and understanding.

Understanding Duke's Policy Framework – Protests & Demonstrations

September 13, 2024

As we began the Fall 2024 semester, this session for faculty leaders shared insights gained after a year of frequent demonstrations and protest activity nationally and at Duke. We reviewed Duke’s policies on protests, demonstrations and campus events, which protect the right to peaceful assembly as a core value of our academic community. There was time for questions and discussion.

Advancement & Promotion (Tenure Track)

October 17, 2024

Current and past APT Committee members discussed the different stages of the tenure and promotion review process, components of the dossier and tips and effective strategies to successfully navigate the tenure and promotion process. This workshop was particularly relevant to tenure track assistant professors who are preparing for promotion to associate professor and for associate professors who are preparing for promotion to full professor with tenure. It covered a number of topics, including the standards for evaluating research, teaching, service and engaged scholarship.

Advancement & Promotion (Non-Tenure Track)

October 22, 2024

Experienced colleagues and peers discussed the reappointment and promotion process for different types of non-tenure track faculty, and provided examples of resources and opportunities for growth and advancement. This workshop covered a number of topics, including the variability of standards according to disciplines for evaluating progress, teaching, research or administrative excellence, and the challenges potentially impacting promotion and ways to navigate them.

Advancement and Promotion (Tenure Track Faculty) (Watch the Video)

October 3, 2023

Current and past APT Committee members discussed the different stages of the tenure and promotion review process, components of the dossier and tips and effective strategies to successfully navigate the tenure and promotion process. This workshop was particularly relevant to tenure track assistant professors who are preparing for promotion to associate professor and for associate professors who are preparing for promotion to full professor with tenure. It covered a number of topics, including the standards for evaluating research, teaching, service and engaged scholarship.

Advancement and Promotion (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) (Watch the Video)

October 31, 2023

Experienced colleagues and peers discussed the reappointment and promotion process for different types of non-tenure track faculty, and provided examples of resources and opportunities for growth and advancement. This workshop covered a number of topics, including the variability of standards according to disciplines for evaluating progress, teaching, research or administrative excellence, and the challenges potentially impacting promotion and ways to navigate them.

Navigating Sensitive Topics in Your Teaching and Research Spaces

December 7, 2023

Discussing contentious and difficult topics in the classroom is an essential part of the learning experience. These topics provide opportunities for deepening understanding of complex issues and learning about different perspectives and approaches, but they can also create dynamics that are not consistent with the values of constructive, respectful and inclusive dialogue. Faculty must also navigate the fine line between tenets of academic freedom and respectful engagement with students. In this interactive workshop, faculty discussed strategies and best practices to foster learning environments where such dialogue can take place, and talked about how to manage challenging conversations and interactions in the classroom.

"That Didn't Go the Way I Thought It Would." How to Manage Yourself and Have More Productive Conversations with Colleagues (Ivy+ FAN)

December 14, 2023

This two-hour virtual workshop focused on conversations that may feel difficult, go awry or end without immediate resolution. Participants were encouraged to reflect on their own real-life examples and embrace a learning stance to expand understanding of the other’s point of view.

Student Support & Response Networks: Division of Student Affairs Panel Presentation

January 18, 2024

When faculty have concerns about a student’s well-being or behaviors, they may connect with a department or staff member in the Division of Student Affairs. What determines a successful referral outcome is less visible. During this presentation, faculty will learn about the network of student and community support services that collaborate and provide a range of resources for student success.

Faculty will have an opportunity to learn more about the national landscape and trends related to student well-being, explore the services and resources of each office, understand the impact of FERPA and HIPAA privacy concerns on communication, and hear panelists address student well-being through case vignettes.

The Prepared Faculty Leader: A Conversation with UPenn's John Jackson and Erika James (Ivy+ FAN)

January 23, 2024

This session features University of Pennsylvania Provost John L. Jackson, Jr. in conversation with Erika H. James, Dean of the Wharton School, about advice for faculty in leadership roles. Building on Dean James’ recent book (co-authored with Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University), The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any Crisis More Resilient Than Before (Wharton School Press), the session will offer tools and frameworks that faculty leaders can use to address, and learn from, crises.

Integrating Coaching into Your Mentoring

January 25, 2024

What’s the difference between mentoring and coaching? In US higher education, “mentoring” often implies role-modeling and offering advice, whereas coaching is an increasingly popular, evidence-based method to empower people to be accountable for their own growth and development. Unlike role models and advisors, coaches listen more than they talk. They ask powerful questions, and create lots of room for people to reflect and see things in new ways.

If you’d like more strategies in your mentoring toolkit—especially in cases where you’d like mentees to take more ownership of their progress—this workshop is for you. We will spend time in small groups developing our active listening skills, and also practice a few basic coaching conversation models. We will also discuss how mentors might apply a “coaching mindset” to their work as mentors more generally.

Navigating Your Way Forward as Midcareer Faculty: A two-part workshop sequence for tenured associate professors

February 9 and February 23, 2024

There is no “how-to” guide for flourishing at midcareer, because everyone’s trajectory is different. How will you juggle myriad service and leadership roles post-tenure, what’s next for your research and teaching, and how will you honor commitments and values outside of work? If these questions resonate with you, we invite you to join a small community of peers for two Friday mornings in February to think, reflect, and plan. We’ll consider what your strengths, values and aspirations are, and what it might look like for you to move forward in this stage of your life and career.

Workshop 1: How Did You Get Here? And Who are You Now?

Before moving forward, it’s necessary to take stock of where you are, and what you may need to leave behind. Faculty will have the opportunity to complete a career retrospective exercise, and engage in conversation about what they’ve accomplished, and what they’ve learned. They will also complete a values inventory, to consider what’s most important to them now (as opposed to what felt most important to them as a new PhD or junior faculty member). What’s changed for you, and what do you need to do to adapt to that change?   

Workshop 2: Moving Forward

Participants will engage in a visioning exercise, to clarify a way forward in alignment with what their values are. The remainder of the session will focus on setting (or reaffirming) goals for the midcareer stage, and identifying smaller, concrete actions needed to accomplish those goals. In small breakout groups, participants will share their goals with each other, engage in brainstorming to prepare for challenges, and exchange ideas and resources in support of each other’s goals.

The Role for Faculty in Advancing Open and Constructive Discourse on Campus About Complex Issues

April 2, 2024

As faculty who navigate a wide range of sensitive topics with our students and colleagues, it is important to consider our role in fostering a learning environment that welcomes different perspectives inside and outside of our classrooms. Discussions can be difficult and fraught, especially with polarizing topics such as the Middle East, which are multifaceted, emotionally charged, and have a personal impact on members of our academic community in deep ways. The challenge for us as an educational community is to enhance understanding and build skills that lead to shared learning and constructive dialogue.

In this workshop, you will hear from faculty peers and campus colleagues who regularly navigate charged dialogues in their schools, classrooms, labs and other academic environments. Panelists will also share effective practices and helpful resources to support rigorous and respectful debate that aims to advance our learning and understanding. 

Fostering an Inclusive Research and Learning Environment for Your Students (Watch the Video)

September 15, 2022

Faculty regularly engage with students from different backgrounds while teaching, advising and mentoring. A number of factors can influence the success of this engagement for both the faculty and the student, including the learning environments that faculty create and the way that they incorporate equitable practices into their teaching, mentoring and assessment practices. Faculty joined their colleagues to discuss effective strategies and tools to create equitable and engaging environments for students at Duke.

Taking Stock of Your Faculty Career - For Regular Rank Non-Tenure Track Faculty

November 2, 2022 and November 15, 2022

• assess what’s different since (or because of) the pandemic
• consider what’s needed to move forward
• consider new priorities and goals
• identify a network of mentors to help get there

Advancement and Promotion (Tenure Track) (Watch the Video)

November 3, 2022

Current and past APT Committee members discussed the different stages of the tenure and promotion review process, components of the dossier, and tips and effective strategies to successfully navigate the tenure and promotion process. The workshop was particularly relevant to tenure track assistant professors who are preparing for promotion to associate professor and for tenured associate professors who are preparing for promotion to full professor. It covered a number of topics, including the standards for evaluating research, teaching, impact, and different types of service and engaged scholarship, the impact of COVID-19 on research plans and progress, and the recent updates to APT guidelines.

Advancement and Promotion (Non-Tenure Track) (Watch the Video)

December 1, 2022

Experienced colleagues and peers discussed the reappointment and promotion process for different types of non-tenure track faculty, and provided examples of resources and opportunities for growth and advancement. The workshop covered a number of topics, including the variability of standards according to disciplines for evaluating progress, teaching, research or administrative excellence and the challenges that may potentially impact promotion and ways to mitigate them.

Discussing Difficult and Sensitive Topics in Your Teaching and Research Spaces

January 18, 2023

Discussing contentious and difficult topics in the classroom and in research environments can be an essential part of the learning experience. These topics provide opportunities for deepening understanding of complex issues and learning about different perspectives and approaches, but they can also create dynamics that are not consistent with the values of constructive, respectful and inclusive dialogue. Faculty must also navigate the fine line between the important tenets of academic freedom and respectful engagement with all students. In this interactive workshop, faculty discussed strategies and best practices to foster learning environments where such meaningful and constructive dialogues can take place, and how to manage challenging conversations and interactions in the classroom.

Integrating Coaching into Your Mentoring

February 9, 2023

Fostering an Equitable Climate in Your Unit as Faculty

February 21, 2023

In classrooms, labs, committees and meetings, faculty serve as educators, mentors and leaders who set the tone and establish relationships with faculty colleagues, staff and students. These relationships impact the climate in their schools and departments. In this workshop, participants discussed strategies and practices that can lead to an improved climate and greater engagement in academic units. Discussion points included:

• Improving relationships and collaborations between faculty colleagues across ranks and different faculty appointments
• Managing and retaining staff, empowering their roles and supporting their professional success
• Working across faculty, staff and students to collectively address climate issues in departments and schools
• Effective strategies and resources to support differently-abled students

Engaging with Our Community Partners (Watch the Video)

February 24, 2023

An increasing number of faculty are involved in engaged scholarship as they leverage their expertise in partnership with the Durham community and other regional, national, and international communities to address their critical needs and priorities. Duke recognizes the value of this form of scholarship and has recently incorporated it into our promotion guidelines. In this workshop, participants learned from colleagues about their experiences collaborating with local partners through engaged scholarship. Faculty shared more about their own community engaged activities, while also highlighting campus resources and best practices for partnering with communities in thoughtful, respectful and impactful ways through teaching and research.

What is Coaching, and How Can it Help Faculty?

April 6, 2023

In this lunchtime information session for faculty and department chairs, Maria Wisdom, Director of Faculty Mentoring and Coaching Programs, discussed her ongoing coaching work with Duke faculty across all disciplines. Participants learned what coaching is, and what makes it different from mentoring. They discussed the kinds of issues and situations faculty most commonly bring to coaching, and explain how faculty can take advantage of OFA coaching programs.

Amplifying Your Voice Inside and Outside the University (Watch the Video)

April 13, 2023

In this workshop, participants learned about opportunities to broaden their influence and amplify the impact of their scholarship inside and outside of the university. Experienced faculty shared resources and effective strategies that have supported their success with expanding their presence in major Duke initiatives, and in media, policy, and other forms of external engagement.

Discussing Difficult and Controversial Topics in the Classroom (Read the Article)

April 14, 2022

Discussing contentious and difficult topics in the classroom is an essential part of the learning experience. These topics provide opportunities for deepening understanding of complex issues and learning about different perspectives and approaches, but they can also create dynamics that are not consistent with the values of constructive, respectful and inclusive dialogue. Faculty must also navigate the fine line between tenets of academic freedom and respectful engagement with students. In this interactive workshop, faculty discussed strategies and best practices to foster learning environments where such dialogue can take place, and discussed how to manage challenging conversations and interactions in the classroom.

Taking Advantage of Opportunities for Faculty Support and Career Guidance

March 24, 2022

As faculty advance through their careers, they regularly face a number of personal questions about their professional advancement and productivity, approaches to mentoring and managing their research teams, and working to create a positive culture in classrooms and labs. Join this session to learn about opportunities for faculty to receive support and guidance from professional coaches and mentoring programs to assist in making career decisions.

Building Your Academic Networks and Partnerships (Watch the Video)

February 17, 2022

Thriving faculty members typically draw on robust intellectual communities and strong professional networks. In this workshop, faculty members at different points in the career arc will share their experiences regarding key aspects of building networks and partnerships, both within and beyond Duke. How does one connect with new scholars and groups, or identify potential collaborators? When should one accept invitations to join projects? What are the advantages and challenges associated with developing research relationships with community organizations and engagement interests? How can one best deploy the varied but disparate Duke resources to support faculty? Engage with your colleagues about these and similar questions related to the role of intellectual community and collaboration in faculty success.

Churn: Life in the Increasingly Diverse World of Higher Education and How to Make It Work (Read the Article)

February 4, 2022

As our campuses diversify, we are brought together into states of “churn.” Stanford psychologist Claude Steele uses this term to describe the mental and physical stress we can feel in a situation over possibly being seen and treated in terms of negative images of our group. Senior diversity officers and faculty leaders across the Faculty Advancement Network engaged Steele in the application of “churn” to faculty’s interactions at our universities — with chairs, students, postdocs, search committees, administrators and each other.

Lessons for Faculty and Academic Leaders Learned From the Pandemic (Read the Article)

February 3, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to stretch faculty across a number of parameters, including teaching and mentoring across virtual platforms while providing additional support and guidance for students and staff. Faculty also continue to navigate their own challenging losses in research productivity while handling personal and family dynamics. However, these challenges are leading to the creation of many creative systems, effective management approaches and collaborative solutions that will have lasting impacts on the research and learning environment at Duke. Colleagues and institutional leaders discussed lessons and practices that emerged from the unique challenges collectively faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Engaging with the Community (Watch the Video)

January 20, 2022

In this workshop, participants learned about opportunities for engaging with the Durham and the neighboring communities. Experienced faculty will shared campus resources and best practices for partnering with the community in thoughtful, respectful and impactful ways and incorporating community engagement in research and teaching.

Promoting an Equitable Learning and Research Environment for Your Students (Read the Article)

November 16, 2021

Faculty regularly engage with students from different backgrounds while teaching, advising and mentoring. A number of factors can influence the success of this engagement for both the faculty and the student, including the learning environments that faculty create and the way that they incorporate equitable practices into their teaching, mentoring and assessment practices. Join your colleagues to discuss effective strategies and tools to create equitable and engaging environments for students at Duke.

Effective Faculty Leadership Under Challenging Circumstances

November 4, 2021

Leadership touches all aspects of academic life: leadership in teaching, research and service, and faculty leadership comes in different forms: faculty serve as department chairs, directors of graduate studies, principal investigators on research teams, chairs and members of search committees and national commissions or associations, to name just a few roles. The current pandemic has been challenging for faculty and academic leaders on both personal and professional levels. Some of the challenges include building and maintaining a sense of community with shared goals among the key members of our units. The situation has been especially challenging for new community members, such as new students, faculty and staff. While difficult, challenging circumstances can offer the opportunity to improve normal work practices in ways impossible to consider except in times of extreme duress. Participants in this workshop learned how to acknowledge challenges and overcome key obstacles, establish trust and a shared sense of community and build a culture where colleagues become partners and co-leaders with the goal of not only addressing current problems, but also fostering an openness to new approaches to delivering on our education, research and engagement missions. Participants also had the opportunity to share their own approaches to working with their teams and maintaining a sense of community during the current challenges. During the workshop information was shared on follow up one-on-one coaching sessions offered by certified coaches, as well as group coaching opportunities.

Advancement and Promotion

October 26, 2021

Experienced colleagues and peers to discuss the reappointment and promotion process for different types of non-tenure track faculty, and provide examples of resources and opportunities for growth and advancement. The workshop will cover a number of topics, including the variability of standards according to disciplines for evaluating progress, teaching, research or administrative excellence; the impact of COVID-19 on research and teaching; and the types of biases that may potentially impact promotion and ways to mitigate them.

Tenure and Promotion (Watch the Video)

October 19, 2021

Current and past APT Committee members discussed the different stages of the tenure and promotion review process, components of a dossier, and tips and strategies to successfully navigate the tenure and promotion process. The workshop was particularly for tenure track assistant professors who are preparing for promotion to associate professor and for tenured associate professors who are preparing for promotion to full professor. It covered a number of topics, including the standards for evaluating research, teaching, different types of service and engaged scholarship, the impact of COVID-19 on research plans and progress, and the types of biases that may potentially impact candidates’ dossiers and ways to mitigate them.

Navigating Professional and Personal/Family Challenges During the Pandemic (Watch the Video)

September 10, 2021

In the constantly evolving pandemic environment, all members of our university community, particularly faculty and staff with young children, are trying to meet their professional obligations and attend to their well-being and that of their loved ones. To discuss those challenges and share information about resources and approaches, a group of Duke faculty members and medical and mental health experts were available to share their expertise and advice and address questions.

Work and Well-Being at Duke During the Pandemic: A Report from the ROUSE Study

April 29, 2021

Duke researchers Tyson Brown, Rachel Kranton and Duncan Thomas described the motivation underlying and the results from their ongoing study ROUSE (Reopen our University Safely and Effectively). The discussion emphasized differences in COVID-related impacts on students, faculty and staff, placing the results in the broader local and national contexts.

Writing Opinion Pieces for Media Outlets (Watch the Video)

March 25, 2021

All interested faculty members were invited to join this online workshop. Topics included a quick overview of the current media landscape; what considerations go into writing an op-ed; how to make your piece stand out; how to find a home for it; and how Duke University Communications staff can help.

Revisiting Mentorship: Strategies for BIPOC Early Career Faculty (Watch the Video)

March 11, 2021

Traditional didactic mentorship approaches rarely meet all the needs of early career BIPOC faculty. Using case studies, this workshop explored scenarios such as challenging senior faculty, dealing with abusive behavior and establishing boundaries. Participants discussed how power relations in academia produce uneven dynamics including service workload imbalances, feelings of invisibility and imposter syndrome. The workshop offered suggestions for mitigating these challenges and outline strategic approaches for self-protection, perseverance and balance.

Social Media for Faculty (Watch the Video)

March 11, 2021

This workshop was designed for faculty who are interested in establishing or refining their social media presence to effectively engage in public discourse and share their own research. All levels were welcome, from beginners through experienced users. Duke’s social media director walked faculty members through best practices and platform options, discuss examples from a range of Duke faculty and take questions. Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke Professor of African and African American Studies and Professor of English, was on hand to share his insights and experiences.

Effectively Managing Your Research Group

February 11, 2021

This discussion was designed for faculty who lead research groups and serve as managers to students, staff and colleagues across all academic disciplines on campus. Faculty heard from leaders and faculty colleagues about approaches to cultivate a rigorous, ethical, intellectually engaging and inclusive research environment. Discussions also included strategies to navigate challenging situations, and explored approaches to modify management practices to accommodate virtual and hybrid platforms.

Engaging in Difficult Conversations (Read the Article)

January 27, 2021

Participants learned skills for handling personnel matters with fairness and professionalism; and tools for resolving broken commitments and bad behavior. This interactive session focused on skill development and practice with peers through discussion of scenarios.

Keeping Afloat: Strategies for BIPOC Early Career Faculty

December 4, 2020

The session included a moderated panel discussion, thematic opt-in breakout sessions and a reconvening with the full group to share insights. This workshop also introduced BIPOC junior faculty to the Faculty Advancement Network — a new collective resource — and provided a forum to seek input on future workshops to be scheduled for Winter/Spring 2021.

Preparing for Promotion and Tenure at Duke (Read the Article and Watch the Video)

November 12, 2020

Current and past APT Committee members discussed the different stages of the tenure and promotion review process, components of a dossier and tips and strategies to successfully navigate the tenure and promotion process. The workshop covered a number of topics, including the standards for evaluating research, teaching and service excellence, the impact of COVID-19 on research plans and progress and the types of biases that may potentially impact candidates’ dossiers and ways to mitigate them.

Your Role as Faculty in Confronting Racism and Fostering an Equitable Climate (Read the Article)

October 22, 2020

Discussions around race in academia reflect the ongoing challenges we experience in broader society, and faculty often hold important roles at the forefront of the discourse. Faculty engage with race in both personal and professional relationships with colleagues and collaborators, with students through classroom discourse and as mentors and as managers of staff in our academic units. In this workshop, participants considered the ways race specifically influences their work and interactions with others, and also practiced skills and strategies leading to more equitable practices.

Finding a Balance: Juggling Competing Professional and Personal Priorities and Maintaining Wellness (Read the Article)

September 9, 2020

Faculty are used to managing competing priorities on a daily basis, however the ongoing health pandemic has both modified and augmented this challenge. In addition to modifying their teaching and research activities, many faculty are having to balance their work with additional domestic responsibilities including homeschooling and elderly care. In this interactive session, faculty explored strategies for balancing personal and professional commitments and maintaining well-being.

Adapting Inclusive Student Engagement and Mentoring Practices Across Hybrid and Virtual Learning

August 20, 2020

Faculty are in the midst of unprecedented times, and our teaching, mentoring and student engagement practices must reflect the current realities we face with hybrid and virtual courses, societal discontent and overall increases in levels of stress and anxiety. In this session, faculty discussed practical ways to optimize their interactions with students and mentees of different backgrounds across virtual and hybrid learning models.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Financial Model of Duke University (Watch the Video)

July 9, 2020

Tim Walsh, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, discussed the budget models Duke and its schools use to manage their revenue and expenses, and how the university manages the financial challenges caused by COVID-19 and protecting its core educational and research mission.

Overview of Duke University Budget (Watch the Video)

July 7, 2020

Tim Walsh, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, presented an overview of the different components of Duke University finances and the various sources of revenues and expense obligations. Faculty learned first-hand about these critical areas of Duke’s financial operations.