The Office of the Dean for Academic Affairs is offering to support the participation of about five tenure-track or tenured faculty in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) Summer Faculty Success Program (May 14 – August 5, 2023). Bowdoin College has an institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) that allows access to on-line resources and most online workshops.
The NCFDD Faculty Success Program is an intensive 12-week mentoring program that “is all about learning the secrets to increasing your research productivity, getting control of your time, and living a full and healthy life beyond your campus.”
To apply for Academic Affairs support for the Faculty Success Program, please respond to the following questions in 1-2 pages:
- How do you expect to benefit from participating in the program? Specifically, how does what you hope to gain align with your professional goals?
- How do you expect your participation might benefit your department, program, or Bowdoin? (For example, are there ways that you might share your experience or knowledge with others after the program? Or are there ways that your participation would foster support for diversity, equity, or inclusion on campus?)
- What were the benefits or challenges you found when participating in the NCFDD 14-day writing challenge or other NCFDD events? What were benefits or challenges you found when participating in other writing groups/experiences?
- Please comment on your ability and commitment to meet the Faculty Success Program expectations for the 12 weeks of the program:
- Regularly review the weekly trainings in the online community.
- Attend and actively participate in your Small Group Support and Accountability Calls.
- Complete the weekly homework assignments guided and supported by your Small Group Coach.
- Track daily progress on Writing, Research, and Personal Goals in a private online community.
Please email your application to acadaffs@bowdoin.edu by February 15. After completion of the Faculty Success Program, funded faculty are asked to submit a short report by September 15 that includes an overall assessment of the program, specific benefits of participating in the program, and a description of recommended practices or ideas that should be considered at Bowdoin.
In reviewing applications, we will prioritize the support of tenure track faculty but we do encourage tenured faculty to apply as well. Visiting and non-tenure-track faculty are not eligible.
A few comments from Bowdoin faculty who participated in the program:
“Provides a 12-week unique accountability structure with a discussion group, a coach and a head coach assigned to you ... Each week, you watch a tutorial video, complete an assignment (usually learning a productivity habit or engaging a reflective journaling practice), monitor your behavior using their sophisticated online system, and conduct a group call.”
“Especially beneficial was the program’s emphasis on strategic planning, holding weekly planning meetings, SMART goal-setting, and iterative assessment and readjustment of goals.”
“One of the programs strengths is that it allows people to talk emotionally, honestly, and confidentially about not just how they are doing with their work, but how they are feeling about their work.”
“I feel less stressed and in greater control of both professional and personal matters.”
Several Bowdoin faculty have participated in the NCFDD Summer Success Program and have graciously agreed to talk with people interested in the pursuing this opportunity. If you would like to talk with a Success Program alum, please let Dharni Vasudevan (dvasudev@bowdoin.edu) know and she will make the connection.
Please contact Dharni Vasudevan if you have questions about whether the Faculty Success Program might be a good match for you and how you approach your scholarship.