Mid-Career Faculty Institute

Mid-Career Faculty Institute Program

• Finding Your Mid-Career Mojo: Academic Identity, Mission and Vision
• Academic Leadership Pathways: Managing Multiple Roles as a Faculty Member and Administrator
• Moving From Associate Professor to Full Professor

Welcome
Provost/Associate Provost for Faculty

Finding Your Mid-Career Mojo: Academic Identity, Mission and Vision

Early on, faculty members have one primary objective – achieving the research, teaching and service record needed to earn tenure. Once over that hurdle, a number of possibilities and questions open up:

• How will you focus your research moving forward?
• Will this next stage be a continuation of earlier work, or with the increased freedom that comes with job security, are there new areas you want to explore?
• Will you always be a researcher first and foremost, or do you aspire to leadership roles?
• Are you satisfied with publishing in academic venues or do you want to speak to a broader audience?
• How will you focus your service work?  
  • Is building a stronger department your first priority?
  • Do you want to have a hand in shaping your discipline by editing a top journal?
  • Will you take on a leadership role in your professional association?
  • Are you passionate about supporting DEI efforts in your school or college?  

In this interactive workshop, mid-career faculty members will engage in a series of writing exercises and discussions to clarify their academic identity, mission and vision. Participants also will identify initial steps to align their time and focus to support their most important goals.

Academic Leadership Pathways: Managing Multiple Roles as a Faculty Member and Administrator

A panel of academic leaders will discuss how they navigate roles as faculty and administrative leader

• Discuss motivation for leadership roles, as well as concerns and benefits
• Learn about panelists’ experiences in administrative roles and the skills required for success
• Discuss how to maintain a research agenda and continue to manage a research team and how to continue teaching and mentoring students

Panelists:

• Kelly Michelson, Director of the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities (Institute for Public Health and Medicine), and Professor of Bioethics and Humanities, Professor of Pediatrics, Feinberg
• Miriam Petty, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, The Graduate School, and Associate Professor of Radio/Television/Film, School of Communication
• Vijay Viswanathan, Associate Dean and Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications, Medill
• Catherine Woolley, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Neurobiology, Weinberg

Moving From Associate Professor to Full Professor

For some faculty, the promotion process from associate professor to full professor can be less clear than the tenure process. A panel of chairs, former chairs and/or recently promoted faculty will discuss how to navigate this process successfully. Faculty will learn:

• Where to find out what is required for promotion to full professor and when to start that process
• How to set priorities that improve your chances for promotion
• How to set criteria for service requests that align with the promotion process
• Where to obtain guidance and feedback on progress
• Tips for preparing a successful dossier

Panelists:

• Sumit Dhar, moderator, Associate Provost for Faculty and Professor of Hearing Sciences, School of Communication
• Ravi Allada, Professor and Chair of Neurobiology, Weinberg
• Gerry Cadava, Professor of History, Weinberg
• Michelle Shumate, Professor of Communication Studies, School of Communication