OFD provides programs and resources to ease your transition and support your professional development and wellbeing as you begin your career at UMass Amherst. Check out our Supporting Early Career Faculty & Librarians program!
UMass Amherst is an institutional member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. As such, institutional membership with the NCFDD is available to all faculty at no cost.
The NCFDD is an independent professional development, training and mentoring community of scholars and students from more than 450 colleges and universities. Its resources are intended to benefit faculty and students of color, as well as all who are in need of general mentoring and looking for support during their career transitions.
As members, individuals receive access to resources such as webinars, courses, discussion forums for peer mentoring, writing challenges, and more. The center also offers professional development training and intensive mentoring programs. To activate your membership, visit the NCFDD website.
Workplace Learning & Development promotes employee and organizational growth, development, and empowerment by providing innovative, high-quality programs and services. Including: Grants Administration, Training, University Budget Series, and Summit Financials Reporting.
Partnerships for Worker Education - On campus, across the Commonwealth, and nationwide, WLD develops partnerships with employers and unions that address the changing workplace: new skills for employees, as well as employee advancement, engagement, retention, and morale.
UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff have unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning's online course library. Explore on-demand courses and career development paths at a time and pace that fits your schedule.
UMass Amherst faculty and librarians also have free access to the New York Times.
Scholarly writing support is a core part of OFD's programming. We run Writing Circles, facilitated by OFD Scholarly Writing Fellows. We host writing retreats and workshops to provide designated time and resources to focus on your scholarly pursuits.
The W.E.B. Du Bois Library also houses the Faculty and Librarian Commons, a space dedicated to faculty and librarians for scholarly work.
Located on the 26th floor alongside the Office of Faculty Development, the Faculty and Librarian Commons offers ample space in a collaborative workroom with large tables and a great view of the Pioneer Valley.
Monthly Write-on-Sites and social events are often hosted here.
The Commons is open and accessible to faculty and librarians all hours that the W.E.B. Du Bois Library is open. Entry requires a valid UMass Amherst faculty or librarian UCard. Faculty who wish to access the space must submit a request through the Library's website
OFD's Mutual Mentoring program supports faculty at every career stage in developing robust professional networks. Mentoring is an effective method for promoting professional socialization, productivity, and satisfaction. The Mutual Mentoring model distinguishes itself from traditional mentoring relationship by encouraging faculty to cultivate collaborative networks of mentors who offer knowledge and share their experience within specific areas, such as research, teaching, tenure, or work-life balance.
The mutual mentoring program offers grants annually for mutual mentoring projects, while Mutual Mentoring 'Incubators' assist faculty with logistical support to form mutual mentoring groups for accountability and support in an area of common interest.
Faculty interested in meeting other colleagues with shared questions, interests and career concerns, should complete this Incubator Interest Form to indicate your specific interests. OFD will coordinate the formation of new small groups of like-minded faculty and schedule and facilitate the initial meetings.
Non-tenure track faculty are welcome to all events run by the Office that are open to faculty. In addition, we have a dedicated Supporting Non-Tenure-Track Faculty program that addresses the professional development needs of faculty on the continuing appointment track, including clinical faculty, extension faculty, and lecturers.
To support mid-career faculty, OFD regularly offers workshops and programs on topics such as sabbatical planning, transitions from assistant to associate professor to full professor and from lecturer to senior lecturer to senior lecturer II. Workshops on scholarly and research productivity, mentoring, and leadership skills are also regularly offered. Check out our Supporting Mid-Career Faculty & Librarians program for more information.
MSP also offers "Pre-Tenure", "Promotion to Full Professor", and "Senior Lecturer Promotion" workshops on their website.
For questions about professional development, please contact Leyla Keogh-Hameed (@email), Director of Faculty Development.