Two Transformative Programs for Faculty Members’ Professional Journeys
Not long after Tyson Brown came to Duke as an assistant professor, he took advantage of the university’s institutional membership in NCFDD, an organization providing professional development programs for faculty.
The 12-week Faculty Success Program uses coaching, peer support and accountability to help faculty reach their goals from writing and research productivity to time management and more.
Later, Brown chose to invest another 12 weeks in the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program, which provides space for a group of faculty at the associate professor rank to engage in a discovery process about what’s possible in their next chapter.
“Participating in the Faculty Success Program as an assistant professor and later in the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program as an associate professor played a key role in my career progression. Both programs equipped me with the tools to be strategic and intentional in aligning my time and energy with my scholarly and leadership goals, directly contributing to my success in securing grants, publishing impactful research and ultimately earning promotion to full professor.” –Tyson Brown, Professor of Sociology
Professors Nicole Barnes, Amy Schmid and eight other faculty made similar choices, opting to participate in both programs.
“The Faculty Success Program helped me solidify best practices for consistently moving forward with my research and writing when all the external structures of accountability support teaching and service. With the support of the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program, I identified the biggest struggles in my job and was able to build informed strategies for managing work stress.” –Nicole Barnes, Associate Professor of History
“In FSP, I learned to better organize my time, to make intentional and proactive decisions about how to balance service, teaching and research commitments so that my priorities are aligned with how I spend my time and energy. Pathfinders helped deepen self-knowledge and chart a long-term path, guiding me through the mindset shift needed during the transition from pre-tenure to post-tenure. The visioning I did in Pathfinders brought me successfully through to full professor. I maintain these self-reflective long-term planning practices, which keep my core values aligned with my professional activities.” –Amy Schmid, Professor of Biology
Many other Duke faculty have benefited from the Faculty Success Program and are now eligible for Pathfinders. Here’s what Alma Tinoco Ruiz got out of it:
“The Faculty Success Program helped me plan my semester more effectively and prioritize my writing. Before participating, I believed I needed large blocks of time to make progress, but I learned that writing even 30 minutes a day can steadily move me toward my goals. One of the most valuable tools I gained from the program is the strategic plan. Having a strategic plan for the semester has been incredibly helpful in keeping me focused and less overwhelmed.” –Alma Tinoco Ruiz, Royce and Jane Reynolds Assistant Professor of the Practice of Homiletics and Evangelism
About the NCFDD Institutional Membership
All Duke faculty are eligible for a subaccount membership to gain access to a suite of online webinars, courses and more. Two notable offerings are the Faculty Success Program and the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program; the Office for Faculty Advancement provides schools with matching funds for faculty participation. Interested faculty should contact their departments and schools for approval.
Main image: Tyson Brown, Nicole Barnes, Amy Schmid and Alma Tinoco Ruiz