Fall 2022 Faculty Development Programs
The Faculty Development Program (FDP) is designed to support the development and promotion of tenure-track, tenured and professional track faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences.
This year, the FDP program will continue to have four distinct programming tracks:
Orientation, Junior Faculty, Mid-Career Faculty and Faculty of Color. Although the individual sessions are designed for a target audience, college faculty
are welcome to attend any session that might be of interest.
Registration is now open for Fall 2022 Sessions.
Junior Faculty Track
Now in its fourth year, the Junior Faculty program track will introduce participants to the resources of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), as well as other practical tips and information needed to be successful in their research, teaching, and service endeavors. Participants will cover a range of topics focused on strategic planning, productivity, work-life balance, and building healthy and supportive relationships.
While all junior faculty in the College are welcomed to participate, CAS tenure-track faculty in their second year or after are strongly encouraged to attend.
Fall 2022 Sessions:
All sessions will be held in person in Gambrell 429.
- Friday, 9/16, 11am-12:30pm: Taking Stock of Your Mentorship and Contacts Network
We often hear that having a mentor is important. But rather than having one mentor on which you rely for everything, we benefit more from thinking of mentorship as a village – as cultivating a network of different people with different expertise, experiences, and positionalities that can provide focused, just-in-time guidance on all facets of our (professional) lives. In this session, participants will hear from Qiana Whitted, Professor of English and African American Studies, and Claudia Benitez-Nelson, Senior Associate Dean for College Initiatives and Interdisciplinary Programs, who will share experiences and guidance on initiating mentorship relationships. Participants will also work with a mentorship network map to take account of those mentors already identified as resources, as well as discover - and work to fill in - those mentoring areas where support lacks. - Friday, 10/21, 11am-12:30pm: Mentoring Graduate and Undergraduate Students
A major part of our responsibilities as faculty is to mentor graduate and/or undergraduate students in work outside the classroom, especially as they undertake research or other independent study or perform teaching or assistant responsibilities in labs or recitations. A positive mentoring experience can be mutually beneficial for faculty and student, but what does such a reciprocal relationship look like and how can we adapt our approaches to meet various student needs and abilities? In this workshop, Professor Mike Matthews, who is a facilitator in the “Entering Mentoring” program here at USC, will discuss some proven best practices from that program, as well as some of his personal experiences and observations with mentoring students. - Friday, 11/18, 11am-12:30pm: Making a Plan for Steady Success
Do you ever show up to your office saying, “What am I going to work on today?” You have many goals - submit that article or proposal or finally grade that stack of essays - but what you may not have are the detailed plans needed to realize those goals. It’s easy to push complex tasks off your plate simply because you don’t know where or how to start (and never starting just perpetuates worry and avoidance). This meeting will focus on how to portion the time you have, planning out your semester by week, day, even to the hour, to meet your goals by breaking them into smaller manageable pieces. Implementing this planning process will help increase your productivity, avoid distractions, and create sustainable work habits that can minimize burnout and increase work-life balance. Bring to this session your laptop or paper, your calendar, and your goals (in mind), as we’ll spend the session mapping out plans for a balanced and productive spring semester.
For registration information, see the Faculty Development Program website.
Questions or Suggestions? Please contact Dr. Hannah Rule (ruleh@mailbox.sc.edu) or Dr. Sheryl Wiskur (wiskur@mailbox.sc.edu).
Mid-Career Faculty Track
To help associate professors prepare for promotion to full, the Mid-Career Faculty program track will draw on the resources of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) in order to provide practical advice and resources for post-tenure faculty who are planning the next phase of their careers.
Sessions will cover a range of topics, including productivity, work-life balance, strategic planning, networking, assessment of promotion criteria, and identifying good mentors. While all associate professors in the College are welcomed to participate, post-tenure faculty who are beginning to work towards promotion to full are especially encouraged to attend.
Fall 2022 Sessions:
All sessions will be held in person in Gambrell 429.
- Tues, 9/13, 12-1pm: Introductory Session
This session will be dedicated to building a relationship between the facilitators and the participants in order to find the best plan of action for future sessions. The facilitators will briefly review the topics that may be covered in the future and provide a needs assessment to discover what the participants level of interest may be for each promotion-related topic, such as finding meaning after tenure, navigating service mid-career, and planning your path to promotion. This session will take place in Gambrell and lunch will be provided. - Tues, 10/11, 12-1pm: Topic TBD
- Tues, 11/15, 12-1pm: Topic TBD
- Tues, 12/13, 12-1pm: Topic TBD
Questions or Suggestions? Please contact Dr. Andrew Graciano (graciano@mailbox.sc.edu) or Dr. Amanda Fairchild (afairchi@mailbox.sc.edu).
Faculty Of Color Network
The Faculty of Color Network provides an empowering space for CAS faculty – tenure-track and professional faculty – who belong to one or more under-represented ethnic and/or racial communities to build and maintain a fulfilling career in the academy. With the support of Dr. Mylene Culbreath, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, faculty will work together to: (1) discuss issues and provide information vital to the personal well-being, professional development, and the retention of CAS Faculty of Color; (2) serve as a conduit for advocating the concerns and needs of Faculty of Color to the Dean’s office and others; and (3) serve as a means to enact and reinforce the support systems of CAS Faculty of Color.
This year, the Faculty of Color Network will be co-chaired by Dr. Qiana Whitted, Professor of English and African American Studies, and Dr. Todd Shaw, Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies.
If you would like to join the CAS Faculty of Color Network, please contact Brianna Ashford-Carroll (ashfordb@mailbox.sc.edu) in the Office of the Dean.
Complete program information, session dates/times, and registration links for all programs can be found on the CAS Faculty Development Program website.
Questions?
Please contact Brianna Ashford-Carroll in the Office of the Dean at ashfordb@mailbox.sc.edu with any questions.