06/01/2022
By Julie Nash

Once again, we are pleased to help support tenured or tenure-track Faculty members with the opportunity to participate in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) Faculty Success Program, which helps tenure-track and tenured faculty cultivate the skills necessary to increase research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The Fall Session runs from August 28-November 19, 2022.

This past year, the Provost's Office has partially supported 13 faculty members to participate in two sessions of this program.

As a Faculty Success Program Participant, you will learn to:

  • Set achievable personal and professional goals that align with UMass Lowell’s priorities and your own values.
  • Create a realistic and concrete plan to meet your goals.
  • Establish and maintain a healthy and sustainable daily writing habit.
  • Develop a publication portfolio (helpful for promotion).
  • Better manage your time spent on teaching, service, research, and writing so that it aligns with your goals.
  • Identify obstacles that are holding you back and strategies to move through them.
  • Prioritize your physical and emotional health.

Deadline to apply for funds from the Office of the Provost: June 8, 2022.

Cost: Standard tuition is $4,650 per participant. Early Bird tuition rate is $4,250. Bulk discounts are offered through NCFDD, so the total cost may less.

Provost's Office Support: The Provost's Office will provide a limited number of $2,000 Fellowships for full-time, tenure-stream faculty to participate in this program. Faculty who are not selected for funding for Fall will be prioritized for future participation. Faculty will be required to pay the difference of the remaining tuition cost, using a combination of their Professional Development funds, matching funds from the faculty member’s home department, college, start-up funds, or other sources. Please reach out to your department chair to initiate a discussion.

Expectations and Requirements for Recipients of Program Funding Support: Faculty who receive Provost's Office funding are expected to complete the Faculty Success Program and to participate in the weekly calls and exercises, as described in the program.

The application is fairly simple and asks you to discuss what you hope to get out of participation in the program. Applications must be received by the June 8 deadline.

Within a year following completion of the program, recipients either individually or in small groups are expected to share with colleagues something they learned from their participation. Sample activities include:

  • Agree to lead a workshop or participate in a panel session for campus-wide seminars on related topics (e.g., Faculty Symposium, CELT workshops, etc.)
  • Create a podcast or write a professional blog for your department’s or college’s communication outlets (e.g., social media accounts, newsletter) on relevant topics related to lessons learned from your participation in the program (e.g., career planning).
  • Via a brown-bag seminar or colloquium, present to students, staff, or faculty in your department or college, relevant lessons learned from your participation in the program (e.g., time management).
  • Facilitate a weekly or monthly writing group with graduate students or faculty in your department or college.
  • Host one of NCFDD’s virtual workshops for faculty and students in your department or college.

Eligibility:
Full-time, tenure-stream faculty members at UMass Lowell are eligible to apply for funding.

Still Not Sure?
Consulting the "Resolving Ambivalence" page of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity website may help you determine whether a decision is right for you. We recently spoke to the first cohort, who all praised the experience and said that they increased their productivity and their work-life balance. Here is some of the feedback we received:

"I wish I had been required to do this during my first year here."
"It is rare to get this kind of mentoring as an Associate Professor. It has kick-started my research again."
"No matter where you work, the challenges of being a faculty member are similar."
"I learned I don't have to be perfect at everything. Some things it's okay to be just okay."
"I learned that I don't have to work on Saturday. Who knew that was possible?"
"It is intense and I resisted that at first, but I'm glad I gave in to it."

We can also put you in touch with a colleague who has participated this year.

About NCFDD:
UMass Lowell is an institutional member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), which provides all of UML’s faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students free access to a number of the NCFDD’s programs and resources. If you haven’t signed up for a membership, please do so in order to take advantage of the available NCFDD’s programs and resources to support faculty, including support for academic life and professional development.

If you have questions, contact Director of Faculty Success: Shaima_Ragab@uml.edu.