If you’ve served as a department chair, you know the role is unlike anything else in academia. It sits at a crossroads: part administrator, part faculty peer, part conflict resolver, part strategist. On any given day, you might be handling budget requests, onboarding a new faculty member, addressing student concerns, fielding institutional mandates, and navigating … Read more
Continuing the Conversation: NCFDD and COACHE on Rethinking Faculty Mentoring Earlier this year, NCFDD and Harvard’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) released a joint white paper—Redefining Mentoring in Higher Education—that challenged long-held assumptions about what effective faculty mentoring looks like. Drawing on COACHE survey data and NCFDD field-tested strategies and programs, the … Read more
Writing is core to academic success, but it’s often the first thing to get pushed aside when schedules fill up. Teaching, service, mentoring, administrative tasks, and life outside of work can easily crowd out even the most well-intentioned writing plans. For faculty and academic leaders alike, the challenge isn’t knowing that writing matters: it’s figuring … Read more
Since its inception, the Faculty Success Program (FSP) has supported thousands of academics across disciplines, institutions, and identities as they navigate the demands of scholarly writing, research productivity, and sustainable work-life integration. From assistant professors just beginning their careers to full professors seeking renewed focus, FSP provides a proven structure and community to help faculty … Read more
For many faculty, stepping into a department chair role can feel like a detour—an administrative obligation that pulls time and energy away from research, teaching, and personal goals. But the chair position doesn’t have to be a pause in your career. When approached with intention, it can be a strategic opportunity for growth, visibility, and … Read more
Author: Fred A. Bonner II, EdD For researchers in general, and tenure-track faculty in particular, perhaps the most critical task they must engage is to develop a clear and concise research agenda that will serve as the scaffolding for a career in Academe or also the workforce beyond the Academy. From developing a researchable topic to … Read more
Connect Your Strategic Priorities to Targeted Faculty Development Your institution’s goals — from increasing faculty retention and research output to fostering a culture of support — all depend on one thing: your faculty’s success. That’s where NCFDD comes in. We work with colleges and universities to align their strategic priorities with proven, research-based faculty development … Read more
What Does a Happy Future Look Like? Let’s Talk at AASCU 2025. 📍 July 15-17, 2025 | Indianapolis, IN As public universities navigate rising uncertainty—tight budgets, shifting demographics, AI disruptions, and growing skepticism about higher education—one thing is clear: faculty well-being is central to institutional resilience. That’s why we’re heading to the 2025 AASCU Summer … Read more
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 without any formal preparation. That’s exactly why we launched the Department Chair Success Program (CSP). After welcoming our inaugural cohort, one thing became clear: when chairs are supported, everything changes. … Read more
Author: NCFDD For many faculty, the biggest barrier to consistent writing isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s time. Or more accurately, how time feels. Unstructured. Fragmented. Constantly overtaken by urgent demands. It’s easy to blame teaching loads or service expectations (and yes, those are real). But underneath the surface, many faculty wrestle with deeper issues: guilt … Read more