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This Faculty Learning Community is for tenure track faculty from both CAS and Boler who are interested in learning more about the tenure and promotion process. We will meet monthly on Thursdays at 3:30 during both fall and spring semesters. During the first meeting in September, we will discuss topics that members are interested in exploring during the remaining meetings.  We will also have a soft agenda of topics to be covered throughout the year, such as: (1) teaching, (2) research, (3) service, (4) dossier preparation, (5) networking and finding the right people to support you in your journey, and (6) sharing and reviewing relevant materials.  Whether you are in your first or final year pre-tenure, our goal is to get you on a path not just to earn tenure, but also to intentionally build a successful and fulfilling career. 

Moving from an Associate to a Full Professorship is a significant professional evolution that requires introspection, strategy, and persistence. This leap represents a testament to one’s contributions to teaching, research, and service and recognizes the individual's stature and leadership within the academic community. Yet often candidates considering promotion to full professor have no idea where to start, and many institutions do not provide institutional guidance or mentoring to help illuminate the path. Moreover, no two roads to Full Professor look identical – and for a variety of reasons this is much more the case than with tenure cases. This learning community is designed to help you chart your course and think intentionally about the transition. We’ll meet in supportive community to talk through what successful promotion cases look like, and the many ways you can shape your career after tenure. We welcome anyone at any stage of the process (from recently tenured through long-time Associate Professors) and at any level of commitment to applying for promotion (“just thinking about it” to “plan to apply next year.”). 

In the later stages of their careers, faculty members often face unique challenges that can impact their professional growth and satisfaction. These challenges might include maintaining research productivity, adapting to evolving teaching methodologies, and navigating administrative responsibilities. Faculty may also be grappling with issues related to work-life balance and potential burnout. Support and peer mentoring can play a pivotal role: colleagues who have weathered similar storms can offer guidance, practical advice, and a sense of camaraderie that fosters resilience, while institutional support can rejuvenate faculty members' enthusiasm for their work and ensures the continuation of their valuable contributions to academia. 

Mentorship is a key component of education, yet few of us have been trained in guiding students, particularly through independent (or team) research, directed projects, and beyond. This learning community will be a space to share best practices (and horror stories!) in this potentially-transformational endeavor of mentoring undergraduate students as they navigate research, writing, and  projects–whether embedded in coursework, as Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, or for capstone experiences.

The Offices of Academic Affairs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging is pleased to sponsor five Inclusive Teaching Fellows each academic year. The goal of this program is to support faculty development and promote a culture of belonging in the classroom and beyond. Faculty fellows will be expected to attend and participate in all four sponsored Inclusive Teaching seminars/workshops, as well as one additional facilitated discussion each semester. Faculty fellows will then play a role in planning the subsequent year’s Inclusive Teaching seminar and workshop offerings. Each fellow will receive a $500 stipend for participating in all aspects of the program.