5.1 Faculty Development

The University of Virginia offers a variety of faculty development opportunities throughout the year.

The Provost’s Office provides a broad range of academic career development opportunities and programs to support faculty at all stages of their careers in research, teaching, and service.

• Each fall, the University holds an annual orientation for all new members of the faculty (including those with tenured, tenure-eligible, and tenure-ineligible appointments). This orientation provides an opportunity for new faculty members to learn about resources available to them as well as to learn about the history and culture of the University and what is expected of them as faculty. New faculty orientation also provides an opportunity to interact with other faculty and the broader University community.
• The Leadership in Academic Matters (LAM) program equips and supports faculty to be effective leaders in a wide variety of roles at the University.
• Through performance and dialogue, UVA Acts promotes preventative practices that foster vibrant spaces for working and learning at the University of Virginia.
• Faculty writing retreats: Each summer, the Office of the Provost offers week-long writing retreats at Morven Farm, co-sponsored with faculty development programs of the Schools at UVA.
• The University of Virginia has joined the NCFDD. This gives all UVA faculty, postdocs, and graduate students a free membership to the Center, with access to events, workshops, and other resources offering support for writing, research, balancing your life as a professional, and much more.
• Search Committee and Promotion and Tenure Committee Bias Mitigation Workshops.
• The Center for Faculty Wellbeing and Development (Center FWD at UVA) provides mentoring programs for junior and mid-career faculty, faculty leadership development programs, mental health support resources for faculty (in partnership with FEAP and telehealth mental health resources through Aetna), community building opportunities for faculty, and confidential coaching for individuals and small groups, and support for writing, research, balancing your life as a professional, and much more. 
• The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) conducts teaching consultations, programs, and workshops regularly throughout the year.
• The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) provides a variety of services to support research development across the Grounds, as detailed in section 3.4.1.
• The Contemplative Sciences Center fuses contemplation, connection, and research to enhance flourishing.

In addition to the above Provost’s Office institutional support, promotion of faculty excellence takes many forms. School-level requirements and criteria, organizational culture, and expectations of faculty development and advancement differ by discipline. Support for practitioners is particularly heightened in professional schools. It is essential that the intricate work of promotion and support for faculty professional development takes place in individual schools or departments that offer their own programs and opportunities tailored to their faculty members. University faculty members are encouraged to contact their respective department chair and/or dean for information on opportunities for research funding, school-based professional development training, mentoring activities, release time for University service, and other faculty development activities.

Additionally, Human Resources Education and Training provides a series of integrated programs and services designed to prepare, equip, and support people to succeed in fulfilling their leadership roles.