Office of the Provost

NCFDD Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program

The Office of the Provost offers matching funds to support eligible faculty members to participate in the NCFDD Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program. Details are outlined below.

The University of Illinois is an institutional member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). The Center provides all Illinois faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students free access to a number of the NCFDD’s programs and resources. The NCFDD programs and resources deal with various aspects of academic life and professional development.

Overview

The NCFDD Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program is a 12-week, online-based program that provides space for recently tenured faculty to pause, engage in a discovery process about what’s possible in their next chapter, and build the support network necessary to move powerfully in that new direction. The program is intended for:

• Faculty members who have already completed the Faculty Success Program.
• Recently tenured faculty members who want to find their post-tenure pathway.
• Tenured mid-career faculty members who want to plan their next chapter.

Program Outcomes

1. Reconnect with who you are and what you love.
2. Explore your potential post-tenure possibilities.
3. Make the identity transition from “junior” to “senior” faculty.
4. Decide who you will become as a person with power on your campus.
5. Release mindsets that were effective pre-tenure but will no longer serve you.
6. Pick a post-tenure pathway.
7. Construct a new mentoring network for your path.
8. Plan for your success.
9. Participate in an intensely supportive community that processes day-to-day challenges, pushes individuals when they need it, and celebrates members’ successes as they occur.

Session Dates

The NCFDD Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program is a 12-week session. See the information below for Summer 2023:

• SUMMER Session: mid-May – early-August (Early/discounted registration date: mid-April)

Cost

Standard tuition is $3,450 per participant.

Program Support

The Office of the Provost provides up to $2,000 per person in funding assistance for two tenured, full-time faculty members who meet the criterion to participate in this program. Faculty will be required to pay for the difference of the remaining tuition cost, such as with matching funds from the faculty member’s home department, college, their start-up funds, or other sources.

Faculty members may apply for funding assistance. See application information below.

Calendar

Applicants must note the timelines of both the Office of the Provost, as well as NCFDD registration, in order to participate in the Faculty Success Program. (Please note that matching grants cannot be applied retroactively.)

May 10 – Deadline to apply for matching funds from the Office of the Provost.

Faculty Members who wish to participate in NCFDD’s Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program must register individually, according to the appropriate NCFDD timeline:

Eligibility

Full-time, tenured faculty members at Illinois who have already completed NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program are eligible to apply for program support funding. Faculty may apply for funding each year, but can receive these funds only once.

Expectations and Requirements for Recipients of Program Funding Support

Faculty who receive funding support are expected to complete the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program and to participate in the weekly calls and exercises, as described in the program.

Also, within a year following completion of the program, recipients either individually or in small groups are expected to share with others in the university community what they learned from their participation in NCFDD’s Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program. Sample activities include:

• Facilitate a weekly or monthly writing group with graduate students or faculty in your department or college;
• Host one of NCFDD’s virtual workshops for faculty and students in your department or college;
• Create a podcast or write a professional blog for your department’s or college’s communication outlets (e.g., social media accounts) on relevant topics related to lessons learned from your participation in the program (e.g., career planning);
• Via a brown-bag seminar or colloquium, present to students, staff, or faculty in your department or college, relevant lessons learned from your participation in the program (e.g., time management);
• Agree to lead a workshop or participate in a panel session for campus-wide seminars on related topics organized by campus units (e.g., Office of the Provost’s faculty seminar series, CITL workshops, Graduate College, etc.);
• Develop and distribute a handout, poster, or other visual or audio-based materials to students, staff, or faculty in your department or college on relevant topics related to lessons learned from your participation in the program (e.g., work-life balance).

Application for Funding

Complete the online form to apply for funding from the Office of the Provost. Applications must be received by the May 10 deadline.