Center for Teaching, Learning, and Development
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Office of Faculty Development

Office of Faculty Development

Whether you are early in your career or a seasoned educator, the Office of Faculty Development offers programs, resources, funding, and support to help you grow as an educator, scholar, and leader at WMU. Faculty-led and grounded in a by-faculty, for-faculty approach, OFD connects colleagues across WMU through professional learning, shared expertise, and community. Get in touch with OFD by contacting our email.   Visit our Grants, Awards and Programs.

Sangren signs

Check out the Fall 2026 OFD Programming Guide

Explore OFD programs and opportunities, including one-time sessions, cohort programs, year-long communities, and funding.

OFD Programming Guide
A person writing at a computer

Explore Writing, Scholarly Support, and Internal Funding Resources

Explore curated lists of funding resources, writing and scholarly productivity opportunities, and WMU resources.

Scholarly Productivity and Funding Resources

Faculty

OFD supports new and early-career faculty through New Faculty Orientation and the Early Career Faculty Seminar (ECFS). These programs help faculty connect with colleagues and campus resources and get off to a strong start at WMU.  Visit more Early Career Faculty Resources.

OFD provides professional consultation to support faculty preparing for tenure and promotion. Faculty should also regularly consult their department policy statement and the WMU-AAUP Agreement for requirements and guidance. Information can be found on the following sites: Academic Labor Relations tenure and promotion information, Department Policy Statements, WMU AAUP Chapter Tenure and Promotion Information.

OFD offers leadership development opportunities for faculty and staff through programs such as the Academic Leadership Academy (ALA) and the MAC Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP). These programs help participants explore leadership practices, build connections with colleagues, and prepare for current and future leadership roles.  

An array of resources from OFD and across to support faculty scholarly and creative activity. Visit the OFD-curated list of Writing & Scholarly Productivity Opportunities & Resources at WMU, including internal funding opportunities . 

  • Connect with colleagues who share your research interests with help from the University Libraries Data Librarian.
  • Participate in workshops, events, cohorts, scholar programs, and faculty learning communities offered by OFD and the Center for Teaching and Learning Development. Explore the Events and Opportunities to learn more.
  • Explore WMU interest and affinity groups (requires WMU login to access).

Instructional Development Grants provide funding for eligible bargaining unit faculty members and professional instructors (PIO) to support instructional innovation, course and curriculum development, and professional learning that enhance teaching and student learning.

Learn more and apply for Instructional Development Grants

Professional Instructors

OFD and CTLD are here to support all instructors at WMU, including you as a professional instructor (PIO) or part-time instructor. Visit the Professional Instructors page to explore orientation resources and commonly requested information. Contact the Office of Faculty Development to connect with your PIO faculty fellow or with any questions. 

Graduate Students

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs)

OFD provides programming and resources to support GTAs in their teaching roles at WMU. Dr. Meghann Meeusen, Faculty Fellow for GTA Success, leads these efforts in collaboration with campus partners. Learn more about OFD support for GTAs

Faculty Graduate Directors, Advisors, and Mentors

OFD supports faculty who advise and mentor graduate students through collaboration and recognition opportunities, including the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Mentor Award.

Visit the GTA program page for information
OLLI Graduate Teaching Fellow showing a student some prairie flowers

OFD Updates

The Office of Faculty Development is pleased to announce the Community-Engaged Teaching and Scholarship (CETS) Faculty Scholars for 2026-27. This interdisciplinary team of faculty leaders co-developed a framework for the Office of Faculty Development to launch CETS programming throughout the academic year. The initiative aims to strengthen community-engaged teaching, research, and public scholarship across disciplines at WMU.

 CETS Working Group Members

  • Alisa Perkins, World Religions and Cultures
  • Anna Popkova, Communication
  • Antoinette M. London-Johnson Wright, Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Nicholas L. Padilla, Environment, Geography, and Sustainability
  • Shannon L. McMorrow, Interdisciplinary Health Programs
  • Olivia Ngadjui, Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

The Office of Faculty Development welcomes eight faculty members to the 2026–2027 AI Faculty Scholars Program, a yearlong initiative exploring innovative, evidence-based, and ethical approaches to AI in teaching and research. Scholars will participate in an interdisciplinary faculty learning community and share their work during two faculty panels in February and March 2027. Dates and details will be announced.

  • AI Teaching Innovation Scholars: Amy Zufelt, Robyn Edwards, Dustin Altschul, and Rodrigo Aranda.

  • AI Research Scholars: Jessica Cataldo, Fritz Allhoff, Dave Watson, and Scott Cowley.

NCFDD

NCFDD is the leading provider of professional development in higher education. As part of Western's membership, all faculty, academic staff and graduate students have access to a variety of resources and events.

Visit the WMU NCFDD page for information on how to activate your membership and links to special WMU NCFDD events!
Visit the WMU NCFDD page

Professional Instructors

Explore PIO resources

Graduate Teaching Assistants

Explore GTA Resources

Mission and goals

The mission of Western Michigan University's Office of Faculty Development is to foster a culture of excellence at the University that promotes student success, faculty growth and vitality, and institutional excellence. The office will achieve this mission through collaborative efforts with various institutional units, and with programs designed to:

  • Provide leadership and support for innovation in teaching.
  • Sustain growth among faculty across career span and across disciplines.
  • Develop leadership capacity across all levels of the university.
  • Support and engage in scholarship that extends knowledge base in these arenas.

 

Instructional Development Grants

Instructional Development Grants provide funding for eligible full-time faculty and professional instructors (PIO) to support instructional innovation, course development, and professional learning that enhance teaching and student learning. Grant opportunities and application processes vary by faculty appointment type.

Learn more and apply for Instructional Development Grants