National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity
Program Description
The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) is an independent professional development center dedicated to helping faculty make successful transitions throughout their careers. Programs and services help faculty to increase writing productivity, establish and maintain work-life balance, create broad networks of collegial support on their campus, and develop a committed stance towards their institutional home. The NCFDD provides training, mentoring, and supportive communities for faculty, postdocs and graduate students at colleges and universities across America.
KSU has an institutional membership to NCFDD, so any faculty member, post-doctoral fellow, graduate student or professional student at KSU can access NCFDD resources at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who can benefit from NCFDD resources?
Any faculty member, post-doctoral fellow, graduate student, or professional student can benefit from NCFDD resources. The foundational skills taught by NCFDD curriculum are critical to all areas of academic success and transcend discipline, rank, race, and gender. However, NCFDD curriculum is specifically designed to directly address the unique challenges and obstacles that underrepresented scholars face.
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How can NCFDD support my development?
The NCFDD’s core curriculum is designed to support the development of the ten skills and strategies that lead to academic success. These include:
- Developing a consistent daily writing habit;
- Planning and prioritizing for success;
- Resolving conflict in a healthy way;
- Cultivating a broad network of mentors, sponsors and collaborators;
- Managing time in ways that are aligned with evaluation criteria;
- Getting organized to promote productivity;
- Learning the art of saying “no;" and
- Understanding the process for successful grant writing, journal, book publishing, etc..
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What kind of resources does NCFDD provide?
Below is a brief description of what is offered through KSU's institutional membership.
- Access to monthly Core Curriculum Webinars to guide academic professionals through the mastery of important skills (i.e., time management, a daily writing practice, semester goals and plan, stress management, etc.).
- Access to Guest Expert Webinars and Multi-Week Courses to meet the diverse needs of faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. Topics include specific skills-training, health and wellness, self-promotion, advice for teaching/learning, tips for advancing a research agenda, and other member-requested topics.
- Access to a Dissertation Success Curriculum to help graduate students overcome the three biggest obstacles to finishing a dissertation: perfectionism, procrastination, and isolation.
- Access to private Discussion Forums for peer-mentoring, problem-solving, and moderated writing challenges.
- Access to 14-Day Writing Challenges to develop a daily writing practice to boost writing productivity.
- Access to weekly emails, titled Monday Motivators, to remind users of important concepts taught within the core curriculum and to reinforce new practices.
- Access to the Member Library that includes past webinar materials and recommended readings.
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How do I activate my KSU sponsored membership?
- Go to https://www.facultydiversity.org/join
- In the white box below "Select your institution" scroll down to and click on "Kennesaw State University." Press continue.
- Click the "Activate My Membership" button on the Institutional Membership page for KSU.
- Complete the Account Information form making sure to use your Kennesaw State University "@kennesaw.edu" email address. Fill out the required fields including selection of a password and click “Continue”.
- Complete the Personal & Professional Information form with your respective title, discipline, and Kennesaw State University as your institution. When finished, click "Continue" to review your form.
- On the Review page, you can edit any of the previous information added as well as choosing the option to receive email announcements and updates from NCFDD. Click "Continue" once you've reviewed your form.
- At this point, your screen will display a message welcoming you as a NCFDD member. An email will be sent to your KSU email address where you will be asked to confirm your membership.
- To confirm your membership, activate your account by clicking the link in the email sent to you. If you didn't receive the email or if you have any questions, please contact the NCFDD at Membership@FacultyDiversity.org.
If you have any trouble registering or if you have questions about the membership, please visit https://www.facultydiversity.org/contact-us and submit your contact information so a NCFDD representative can get in touch with you.
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What is the cost for NCFDD?
All faculty members, postdocs and graduate students can take advantage of NCFDD resources free of charge. Kennesaw State University has an institutional membership to NCFDD allowing an unlimited number of eligible users access to these resources for their professional development.
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How does NCFDD membership benefit Kennesaw State University?
KSU's institutional membership in NCFDD reaffirms an institutional commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Moreover, membership can serve as a tool to help the campus retain and provide continued support to faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students, particularly those from underrepresented populations.
NCFDD Webinars