Author: NCFDD
Faculty development has become a growing priority at research universities as expectations around scholarship, mentoring, leadership, teaching, and research productivity continue expanding across higher education.
Many institutions already offer substantial professional development resources for faculty. Workshops, mentoring opportunities, writing support, leadership programming, and wellness initiatives often exist across multiple offices and departments.
The challenge increasingly facing universities is not simply offering more faculty development programs. It is helping faculty more clearly navigate, access, and engage with the support already available to them.
As faculty responsibilities become more complex, many research universities are beginning to rethink how development is organized across campus.
Faculty Development Is Becoming More Coordinated
At many institutions, development resources have historically evolved across different departments, offices, and leadership initiatives over time.
That approach can create valuable opportunities for faculty, but it can also make professional development resources difficult to navigate, particularly for faculty balancing research, teaching, mentoring, service, and administrative responsibilities simultaneously.
Increasingly, universities are focusing on:
- Centralizing faculty development resources
- Creating clearer pathways into professional development opportunities
- Organizing support around faculty needs and career stages
- Expanding faculty writing support and mentoring resources
- Helping department leaders guide faculty toward relevant programs
This shift reflects a broader recognition that development is not only about programming. Visibility, organization, and accessibility also shape whether faculty engage consistently with available support.
How UTRGV Expanded Faculty Development Across Campus
At the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), these questions became increasingly important as the university expanded its research activity and institutional ambitions.
After partnering with NCFDD in 2024, UTRGV’s Office of Faculty Affairs began building a more centralized faculty development experience designed to help faculty more easily engage with professional development resources connected to writing productivity, mentoring, leadership development, strategic planning, and career growth.
Resources were curated and organized through a centralized faculty development hub designed to simplify navigation and create clearer entry points into support opportunities across campus.
“When I first logged in, my reaction was, ‘Where do we start?’” said Robert K. Dearth, Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.
That question helped shape the university’s broader approach to faculty support.
“The institution needs to be the guide,” Dearth said.
Rather than expecting faculty to independently search across disconnected systems and resources, the university focused on creating a more guided and navigable faculty development experience connected to common academic priorities and professional goals.
How Faculty Writing Support Strengthened Faculty Development Engagement
One of the first major faculty engagement initiatives introduced through the system was a campus-wide 14-Day Writing Challenge.
Faculty committed to writing for at least 30 minutes each weekday for two weeks while tracking progress through an accountability platform.
The initiative gave faculty a manageable way to reconnect with scholarly work while also introducing them to broader professional development opportunities available through the partnership.
Participation expanded significantly as the initiative spread across campus through faculty affairs communications and outreach from department chairs and deans. Registrations grew from 16 participants to 108 participants over time, representing a 575% increase.
Institutional engagement with development resources also increased by 79% across the university.
Faculty described making progress on manuscripts, rebuilding writing routines, and benefiting from the accountability built into the challenge. One participant reflected, “I always put other things first, and writing was a second- or lower-priority. During this period, I felt some pressure in a good way and dedicated time to write.”
The Future of Faculty Development at Research Universities
As research universities continue expanding expectations around faculty productivity, mentoring, leadership, and scholarship, many institutions are reassessing how faculty development operates across campus.
In many cases, the conversation is shifting away from isolated programming efforts and toward more connected faculty support systems that help faculty more clearly understand:
- what resources exist
- where to begin
- how professional development opportunities connect to their goals
- which programs align with their current needs
UTRGV’s experience offers one example of how research universities are building more coordinated approaches to development while continuing to evolve alongside institutional priorities.
Read the Full UTRGV Case Study
The full case study explores:
- How UTRGV organized its development hub
- The role of faculty writing support in increasing engagement
- Participation and growth metrics over time
- Lessons for institutions expanding development capacity