09/25/2024
By Julie Nash
The Office of the Provost is 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. We have sponsored a total of 28 faculty members since Spring 2022, and the feedback we are receiving has been very positive
As a Faculty Success Program participant, you will learn how 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.
The 2025 spring session runs from Jan. 27, 2025 - April 6, 2025.
Deadline to apply for funds from the Office of the Provost: Oct. 15, 2024.
NCFDD Priority Registration Deadline: Oct. 17, 2024. The Provost’s Office will handle the logistics of applicants’ registrations with the NCFDD Office. The priority registration rate is $4,495.
Provost's Office Support
The Provost’s Office will provide $2,250 fellowships for full-time, tenure-stream faculty to participate in this program. Faculty will be required to pay the difference of the remaining tuition cost ($2,245), 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 directly to initiate a discussion.
Application for Funding
Complete this online form to apply for funding. Applications must be received by the internal deadline of Oct. 15. Faculty members who receive the funding will be notified of the decision by Oct. 18. The Provost’s Office will coordinate submitting the applications with the NCFDD’s office.
Expectations and Requirements for Recipients of Program Funding Support:
- Faculty who receive Faculty Success funding are expected to complete the Faculty Success Program and to participate in the weekly calls and exercises, as described in the program.
- Within a year following completion of the program, recipients either individually or in small groups will be asked to share with the university community their learning outcomes 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 and facilitate a discussion about one of NCFDD’s virtual workshops for faculty in your department or college.
Eligibility
Full-time, tenure-stream faculty members at UMass Lowell are eligible to apply for program support funding.
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. To activate your membership, visit the NCFDD website.
If you have questions, contact Shaima_Ragab@uml.edu.
Faculty Testimonials on the Faculty Success Program:
“I'm happy to report that the program increased my productivity (one accepted peer-reviewed article, two R&Rs, and one book chapter with graduate students), and I also learned (hands-on) skills to help with work-life balance. Overall, I highly recommend this program to anyone wanting to improve their productivity through mentorship and accountability while maintaining a healthy work-life balance”.
Joselyne Chenane Nkogo, Associate Professor, School of Criminology and Justice Studies
“The Faculty Success Program is amazing. Having a weekly accountability group has forced me to prioritize my writing and research. I have already revised one manuscript and am researching journals to submit it to now. I really think that this is a great resource especially for new faculty members. We have done strategic planning setting goals for both professional and personal lives as well as map out our goals into weekly chunks”.
Phitsamay Uy, Associate Professor, College of Education
“The program does provide concrete steps that are helping me advance both my personal and professional, while also working towards a work-life balance. I am very glad I am able to participate in the program thus far.”
Kelilah Wolkowicz, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
“I’m really impressed will all of the individualized attention and support. I can see how we’ll be setting new habits that will definitely pay off by the end of the program.”
Natalie Steinel, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
“I'm very pleased with the program. I find it very beneficial. It helps me set my priorities professional and personal and create a plan that is realistic and balanced. I only wish I had this opportunity when I received promotion and tenure”.
Ainat Koren, Professor, Solomont School of Nursing