UK Becomes Member of National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 13, 2019) — The University of Kentucky remains committed in its efforts to cultivate a diverse, inclusive environment geared toward enhancing faculty success and productivity to better serve the Commonwealth and beyond.
As a part of these efforts, the university has joined an organization — the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) — to help its faculty achieve extraordinary writing and research outcomes while maintaining a balanced and healthy life off campus.
The NCFDD is an independent professional development, training and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs and graduate students, dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. All 11 of UK’s benchmark institutions are members; in addition, UK joins 11 of the other 13 SEC universities that are part of the NCFDD community.
The initiative will be administered through the UK Office of Faculty Advancement.
“While participating in the NCFDD Faculty Success Program, I learned evidence-based strategies that helped me develop a high level of scholarly productivity. The program connected me with diverse peers across the nation who shared my experience as a faculty of color and supported my scholarship goals, yet held me accountable during weekly calls,” said Lovoria Williams, associate professor at the UK College of Nursing. “The University of Kentucky’s membership in the NCFDD exemplifies a university-wide commitment to the recruitment, retention and success of diverse faculty. The broad network of national mentors, sponsors and collaborators offered by the NCFDD extends UK’s capacity to support and retain faculty of color.”
As a member of NCFDD, UK faculty members will receive access to the full NCFDD core curriculum, expert webinars, intensive multi-week courses, private discussion forums and more.
In addition, NCFDD provides a boot camp program for tenure-track and tenured faculty members who are seeking a combination of empirically tested skills to improve and propel their careers. It provides on-campus workshops during which a wide range of topics are covered, addressing core dilemmas in academia.
“Our goal in joining the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity is to further empower our faculty to excel in their wildest ambitions,” said Provost David Blackwell. “Our efforts to create an environment of belonging and inclusion is never finished; that’s our role as the University for Kentucky.”
University faculty can enroll as a member here.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.