The NCFDD is an independent faculty development center that offers live and recorded webinars, courses, mentoring, and workshops on a wide variety of topics for faculty at different stages of their careers. Topics range from cultivating your network of mentors and sponsors, engaging in healthy conflict, overcoming academic perfection, mastering academic time management, the art of saying "no," and many others.
The NCFDD Faculty Success Program
The NCFDD's Faculty Success Program is a 12-week, intensive bootcamp where academics work directly with a coach and small group of other faculty to implement the skills and strategies to maximize their success. The program is for advanced post-docs, tenure-track faculty and tenured faculty who are looking for coaching and peer support to propel their research productivity and work-life balance to new levels. The NCFDD runs the program in spring, summer, and fall semesters.
The program includes:
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Weekly training modules where you learn the skills and strategies that increase productivity and promote work-life balance.
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Small Group Support & Accountability Conference Calls that enable you to connect deeply with other academics and your faculty coach to receive individualized guidance, problem solving and support.
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Access to an exclusive Faculty Success Program online community to track productivity, interact with other participating academics, ask questions, get feedback, share resources, exchange ideas, find support and more.
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Access to private coaching with the program's Master Coaches.
UMSLtypically sponsors 3 tenure-track or tenured faculty to participate in the Faculty Success Program (FSP) per year. The deadline to apply for fullest consideration for support for for the 2026 programs is October 1, 2025. Please click on the "apply" button below. Scholarship recipients may choose which session they will take part in - spring (January to April), summer (May to Augushttps://umsl.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Ve5uFEYGd1jGqWt), or fall (August to November) – and will be notified in mid-October.
Tenured alumni of the Faculty Success Program may apply for a scholarship to participate in Post-Tenure Pathfinders, which is a 12-week program that builds on the principles introduced in the Faculty Success Program by using the same application form. Priority, however, is given to first-time participants the Faculty Success Program. Pathfinders usually runs only in the summer.
Apply for Support for the NCFDD's 2026 Faculty Success Programs
Goals of the Program
The goals of the Faculty Success Program are to increase:
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Success in publication and securing external funding for research
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Confidence as independent scholars
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Healthy relationships with departmental colleagues
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Job satisfaction and commitment to the University of Missouri System
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Individualized support for under-represented faculty
Scholarships for the Faculty Success Program
UMSL Academic Affairs can provide a modest number of scholarships to faculty to cover the cost of attending the Faculty Success Program. Information about the scholarships is posted here and a distributed to faculty via email. For more information about the application process, contact Alice Hall at halla@umsl.edu.
Program Registration
If selected for a scholarship to participate in the Faculty Success Program, Academic Affairs will work with you to coordinate your program registration.
Yes, each of the following faculty members has taken part in the FSP and welcomes the opportunity to talk to others who are considering the program. You are encouraged to reach out to any of them directly for more information:
|
Name |
Unit |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Wilma Calvert |
Nursing |
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|
Aimee Dunlap |
Biology |
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|
Agata Freedle |
Educational Sciences and Professional Programs |
agatafreedle@umsl.edu |
|
Anita Manion |
Political Science |
maniona@umsl.edu |
|
Lauren Obermark |
English |
obermarkl@umsl.edu |
| Carissa Philippi | Psychological Sciences | philippic@umsl.edu |
| Stephanie Van Stee | Communication & Media | vanstees@umsl.edu |
|
Lara Zwarun |
Communication & Media |
Participating academics are expected to:
- Act as responsible, self-directed adult learners who are open to feedback
- Regularly review the weekly trainings in the online community
- Attend and actively participate in the Small Group Support & Accountability Calls
- Complete the weekly homework assignments guided and supported by your Small Group Faculty Coach
- Track daily progress on writing, research and personal goals in the program's private online community
The program lasts 12 weeks and requires weekly training modules, small group calls and personal daily tracking. It is estimated that participation will require about three hours per week and a commitment to write (work on research output) at least 30 minutes a day during the 12-week session.
Participating academics are placed in a small group with three other faculty of the same rank from different institutions. Each group is led by a Small Group Faculty Coach who is a professor at a different institution.
Yes. The application submission for 2026 will be open until the end of the spring 2026 semester. Qualified applicants who are interested in the summer or fall FSP sessions can be put on a waiting list in case a scholarship recipient is unable to participate and a spot opens. You are also encouraged to submit another application next year, before the “fullest consideration” deadline for that cycle. Applications for next year should open over the summer.
The NCFDD also has a program called Post-Tenure Pathfinders. This is a 12-week program for tenured alumni of the Faculty Success Program. Tenured alumni of that program can apply for a scholarship for Post-Tenure Pathfinders through the same application form. However, priority will be given to first-time participants in the Faculty Success Program. We do not provide scholarships for someone to take part in the Faculty Success Program for a second time. If you are not selected for a scholarship for Pathfinders, but would still like to register for the program on your own, please contact Alice Hall.