On many campuses, mentoring is widely valued but loosely defined. It’s often left to individual departments or informal pairings, without much structure or accountability. While...
Read MoreMentoring
From Uncertainty to Clarity: Inside the First Department Chair Success Program
For new and experienced department chairs alike, leadership can feel isolating. You’re expected to manage conflict, mentor faculty, make strategic decisions, and balance countless priorities—often...
Read MoreMentoring Gaps with Real Consequences: Who’s Affected and What Institutions Should Know
Author: NCFDD Mentoring is widely recognized as essential to faculty success, but not all faculty experience it as effective or equitable. In our recent collaboration...
Read MoreBeyond the Guru: Rethinking what Mentorship Looks Like in Higher Ed
Author: NCFDD For a long time, academic mentorship has followed a familiar formula: a junior scholar is paired with a more senior colleague—someone with experience,...
Read MoreRedefining Mentoring in Higher Education
A white paper from NCFDD and COACHE What does effective mentoring actually look like, how can institutions prioritize it, and how can you obtain it?...
Read MoreWhy Faculty Mentoring Still Isn’t Working (And What We Can Do About It)
Author: NCFDD If you ask most faculty whether mentoring matters, the answer is almost always yes. But if you ask whether their mentoring experiences are...
Read MoreMentoring Up: Pro-actively Engaging With Your Mentors Begins With Assessing Yourself
Author: Steve Lee, PhD In an upcoming workshop, I’ll be offering some strategies to help faculty find and manage relationships with mentors. My approach has been...
Read MoreTop 5 Priorities for Faculty Success
Actionable Insights to Help Your Institution Lead, Support, and Sustain Faculty Success in 2025 Learn the five critical areas where institutions can empower faculty to...
Read MoreDon’t Talk About Mentoring
Author: Kerry Ann Rockquemore, PhD Originally published on Inside Higher Ed. I was recently in a meeting with a president, chief diversity officer and dean at...
Read MoreMid-Career Mentoring
Author: Kerry Ann Rockquemore, PhD Originally posted on Inside Higher Ed. In the spirit of continuing to question the tired and dysfunctional myths about mentoring that...
Read MoreRelated Solutions
Administrators
Faculty Retention
Retaining top faculty requires more than competitive salaries—it demands a culture of support, development, and belonging. Our evidence-based programs help institutions create environments where faculty feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Faculty
Faculty Wellbeing
Burnout and stress are at an all-time high. NCFDD provides resources and programs that help faculty manage workload, set boundaries, and prioritize well-being—leading to greater job satisfaction and long-term success.

Faculty
Mentoring Solutions
Traditional mentoring structures often leave faculty without the support they need. Our innovative, scalable approach ensures that every faculty member has access to mentorship that fosters growth, connection, and career advancement.

Related Programs
Institutional Membership
NCFDD’s Institutional Membership provides access to research-based mentoring frameworks, peer support networks, and tools like the Mentor Map to help you build a strong, diverse mentoring network. Whether you need guidance on research, teaching, or career advancement, these resources help you connect with the right mentors at the right time. With the structure and support of Institutional Membership, you can develop meaningful professional relationships that foster growth and long-term success.
Designed for:
Graduate students | Early Career | Alt-ac | Tenure Track | Mid-Career Faculty | Senior Faculty
Department Chair Success Program
The Department Chair Success Program (CSP) provides essential support by connecting chairs with expert mentors and small peer cohorts, curated through NCFDD’s personalized matching process. Through guided discussions, real-world application of leadership strategies, and direct mentorship from an experienced department chair coach, participants gain the skills, confidence, and community needed to navigate their roles effectively while fostering a strong mentoring culture within their departments.
Designed for:
Mid-Career Faculty | Faculty Leaders | Senior Faculty