Faculty Forward Professional Development Series
Offered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty, Faculty Forward is a series of professional development workshops designed to introduce faculty and postdocs to a range of CMU offices, resources, and support services across the university. Topics vary by session and include timely discussions related to teaching, research, service, and other key areas of professional growth.
All faculty and postdocs are welcome and can register for any sessions of interest. Upon registration, participants will receive a confirmation email along with additional details closer to the event date.
Spring 2026 Sessions
Funding Your Research and Scholarship: Life Cycle of a Research Award and Competing for (Federal) Funding
Presented by Office of the Vice President for Research
Monday, January 26, 2026, from 10 - 11:30 a.m. ET
McKenna, Cohen University Center
Navigating the world of research funding can feel overwhelming, with a variety of agencies, funding types, and sponsors, alongside the complexities of CMU’s research infrastructure. This workshop offers a clear roadmap to the lifecycle of a typical research award and highlights the key differences among sponsor types, including federal agencies, industry partners, mission-driven organizations, and early-career awards. We will also take a closer look at strategies for competing for federal funding, the most common source of support for faculty research.
Getting Started - An Overview of the Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Process
Presented by the Office for the Vice Provost for Faculty
Monday, February 2, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET
Danforth Conference Room, Cohen University Center + Zoom (hybrid)
Getting started with the RPT process can feel daunting, even overwhelming. In this interactive session, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty will provide a clear overview of university expectations and policies related to RPT. A panel of associate deans from across schools and colleges will be on hand to answer questions and offer practical insights. Faculty will leave with concrete guidance and actionable steps to confidently begin their RPT journey.
Post-Tenure Pathfinders: How and Why to Chart Your Own Path After Winning Tenure
Presented by NCFDD
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from 1 - 3 p.m. ET
Zoom
Winning tenure can be a thrilling experience after many years of hard work. However, many newly tenured faculty describe feeling confused about their next steps, unclear where they should invest their energy, and unsure how to respond to immediately escalating service requests. The workshop explores common mistakes and challenges, pathways post-tenure, and support systems, as well as offers space to pause and reflect on future possibilities. Open to associate and full professors.
Conversations Across Culture & Positionality: Enhancing Your Interactions with Students & Colleagues
Presented by Office of the Vice Provost for Community, Culture, and Engagement
Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 3 - 4:30 p.m. ET
Connan Room, Cohen University Center
Join this workshop to build awareness, knowledge, skills and strategies that can be implemented in your daily interactions with students and colleagues. Cultivating cultural awareness and humility as well as learning how to more thoughtfully engage within and across power dynamics are necessary skills within our global community of 21st century scholars and practitioners. Participants will interrogate prevailing cultural norms and expectations, consider how to design more inclusive environments that enhance psychological safety, and learn strategies and resources that will help improve your daily practice within and outside of the classroom.
End of the Year Celebration
Presented by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty
Monday, April 27, 2026, from 2 - 4 p.m. ET
Danforth Conference Room and Lounge, Cohon University Center
Join us to celebrate our final session of the year! This year, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. As part of our celebration, we are having an end of year event to recognize the office and its impact on CMU faculty and postdocs. Our event will include a brief presentation of our office’s history, remarks from faculty and leadership, and a networking reception to celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty and postdocs. Light refreshments and cupcakes will be served.
Please RSVP to help us better estimate refreshments. Open to all CMU faculty and postdocs. Presented as part of the Faculty Forward Professional Development Series.
Registration
Past Events
Fall 2025 Faculty Forward Professional Development Series
Supporting Student Well-Being: Faculty Professional Development in Recognizing and Assisting Students in Distress
This session provided key insights into CMU students’ mental health experiences, clarified the faculty role in offering appropriate support, and highlighted the campus resources available to assist students.
Building a Productive and Sustainable Scholarly Writing Practice
This session offered research-based strategies for improving academic writing productivity and building sustainable habits, included interactive activities to identify approaches suited to individual writing styles, and provided practical tools to enhance focus, efficiency, and long-term success.
Building Your Online Scholarly Identity & Visibility
This session presented strategic approaches for building a credible online identity across platforms like ORCID, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, and Scholars at CMU, offered practical guidance for maintaining consistent academic branding and sharing research with broader audiences, and included peer review and planning activities to develop a personalized long-term visibility strategy.
Getting Through Finals – Faculty Grab and Go Breakfast
This final session of the year brought faculty together to network, reflect on key takeaways, and look ahead to the upcoming break, with breakfast available to enjoy on-site or take to go as participants recharged at the semester’s end.