Resources (Blog Post)

Strengthening Faculty Support Systems Beyond Informal Networks

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Faculty support systems in higher education and institutional strategy

Author: NCFDD Faculty support systems are central to research productivity, mentoring continuity, academic leadership development, and long term faculty retention strategies. Any effective faculty development strategy depends on them functioning reliably across departments and career stages. The State of Faculty Development 2026 findings suggest that while many institutions have formal support systems in place, a … Read more

What Productive Faculty Do Differently at the Start of the Week

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faculty member productive planning week

Author: NCFDD For many faculty, Monday begins in reaction mode. Emails pile up. Meetings take over the calendar. Urgent requests quickly set the tone for the week. By Wednesday, it’s easy to feel busy without being sure what actually moved forward. This is where faculty weekly planning makes a difference. Highly productive faculty don’t necessarily … Read more

Faculty Development Support Is Now Essential for Institutional Stability

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Faculty development support and institutional stability in higher education

For many years, faculty development was positioned as enrichment. Valuable, but optional. Helpful, but not central. Something institutions offered to support individual growth rather than to sustain core academic functions. Findings from the State of Faculty Development 2026 survey suggest that framing no longer reflects faculty reality. Increasingly, faculty describe professional development as necessary support … Read more

New Survey: Faculty Support Falls While Pressure Rises, Faculty Well-Being Declines Dramatically Amid Funding Cuts

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More than 70% of faculty report cuts in professional development while nearly two-thirds report declining well-being, raising concerns about long-term impacts on teaching, research and student success DETROIT (MARCH 26, 2026) — NCFDD—a faculty success organization founded in 2010 that partners with 300+ institutions to reduce isolation, increase research productivity, and support sustainable academic career paths—today … Read more

Designing Stability in an Unstable Academic Environment

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Faculty member working at a desk, representing research productivity in an unstable academic environment

Author: NCFDD Academic careers have always involved a degree of uncertainty. But for many faculty, the current environment feels especially difficult to navigate. Funding landscapes shift. Leadership changes. Expectations expand. Priorities move quickly. As a result, many faculty are asking a practical question: how do you maintain research productivity and steady progress in an academic … Read more

How to Balance Teaching and Research During the Semester

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faculty balancing teaching and research responsibilities during the semester

Author: NCFDD Balancing teaching and research during the semester is one of the most persistent challenges faculty face. Many begin the term with clear research goals, only to find their schedules quickly filled with course preparation, grading, meetings, and student support. As teaching responsibilities expand, research time often becomes harder to protect. Without intentional planning, … Read more

Strengthening Faculty Support Systems Beyond Informal Networks

by
Faculty support systems in higher education and institutional strategy

Author: NCFDD Faculty support systems are central to research productivity, mentoring continuity, academic leadership development, and long term faculty retention strategies. Any effective faculty development strategy depends on them functioning reliably across departments and career stages. The State of Faculty Development 2026 findings suggest that while many institutions have formal support systems in place, a … Read more

Faculty Development Support Is Now Essential for Institutional Stability

by
Faculty development support and institutional stability in higher education

Author: NCFDD For many years, faculty development was positioned as enrichment. Valuable, but optional. Helpful, but not central. Something institutions offered to support individual growth rather than to sustain core academic functions. Findings from the State of Faculty Development 2026 survey suggest that framing no longer reflects faculty reality. Increasingly, faculty describe professional development as … Read more

Knowing Your Worth: Negotiating Academic Contracts under Budgetary Constraints

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Faculty member negotiating academic job offer and contract terms

Authors: Jocelyn Olcott & Lori Flores One of the principal challenges that we face when deciding whether to take a new position at an academic institution is how to negotiate the best possible terms of employment. Whether senior or entry-level, in an academic or non-academic position, tenure-track or not, most job offers come with an … Read more