November 6, 2018

Faculty, academic staff invited to explore professional development opportunities

All faculty, academic staff and administrators are invited to learn more about professional development opportunities — including membership in the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) — during an open house event on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from noon to 2 p.m. in Purdy/Kresge Library.

The open house — timed to celebrate with the first anniversary of Wayne State University’s institutional membership in NCFDD — is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office for Teaching and Learning. The event — which includes lunch — is free, but reservations are required.  

Participants will have the opportunity to network with colleagues who have used NCFDD resources and learn more about additional professional development resources available at the university. The event will also include table talks about strategies to support faculty success, including: writing productivity, networking and mentoring, the unwritten rules of the academy for junior faculty, leadership skills, career pathways, and more.

The event will also offer faculty and academic staff an opportunity to suggest future professional development programming. “We are eager to hear from faculty and staff about how we can support their professional and personal growth,” said Annmarie Cano, associate provost for faculty development and faculty success.  

Following support from Faculty Affairs and the Academic Senate, the Office of the Provost invested last year in an institutional membership with NCFDD, an independent organization founded by a former professor who realized that most universities offered little to no support to scholars, especially those from marginalized backgrounds who may not have access to informal networks that transmit the unwritten rules of the academy. This institutional membership allows all Wayne State faculty, academic staff, graduate students and administrators free access to webinars, writing challenges, accountability groups and more.

In addition to the NCFDD membership, the newly created Office of Faculty Development and Faculty Success offers a variety of free professional development resources, including new faculty coffee hours, chair chat sessions and seminars.

“Under the leadership of Provost Whitfield, we’re recognizing that faculty and academic staff success is essential to the mission of the university,” Cano said. “We value faculty and staff for their contributions to the life of the university and the communities in which we live, and understand that their success translates into student success.”

To learn more about Faculty Development and Faculty Success, or how to take advantage of the NCFDD institutional membership, contact Annmarie Cano at acano@wayne.edu.

Subscribe to Today@Wayne

Direct to your inbox twice a week