Early Career Faculty
The Office of Faculty Development and Teaching and Learning team is here to support you as faculty. Western Michigan University offers a comprehensive array of resources and support to help faculty succeed and to support their students. We’re happy to guide and connect you to resources across campus.
Below is a highlight of the resources, events, and offerings. For more information, contact the Office of Faculty Development.
Early Career Faculty Seminar
The Early Career Faculty Seminar (ECFS), hosted by the Office of Faculty Development, is a year-long program designed to equip new and early career faculty with the support and tools needed to thrive at Western Michigan University. Through monthly sessions, participants engage with university leaders, senior faculty, and campus partners through interactive sessions tailored to the unique needs of early-career faculty.
The program fosters cross-disciplinary networking, offering opportunities to build meaningful connections and collaborate. Faculty gain clarity on WMU’s expectations for teaching, research, and service, and receive guidance on crafting strong tenure and promotion dossiers. Additionally, ECFS supports faculty in developing strategies to balance productivity, student engagement, and personal well-being, offering personalized roadmaps for long-term success. Faculty completing a majority of the sessions will obtain a certificate of completion.
This seminar is ideal for new and pre-tenure faculty.
Early Career Faculty Resources
New Faculty Orientation
Western Michigan University's New Faculty Orientation (NFO) offered each Fall, is a three-day program designed to welcome new faculty, provide essential information about their roles, and foster a sense of belonging within the WMU community. Hosted by the Office of Faculty Development in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and with support from the Office of the President, NFO offers new faculty members the opportunity to connect with colleagues and learn about resources available to support their success.
New Employee Orientation (NEO) is a separate offering by Human Resources.
NCFDD
WMU has an institutional membership with NCFDD, the leading provider of professional development in higher education. As part of our membership, we can offer all faculty, academic staff and graduate students access to NCFDD. For information on how to activate your membership and orientation videos please visit our institutional memberships page.
Tenure and Promotion Information
As you work towards tenure and promotion, there are two resources that you should regularly consult: your department's policy statement and the WMU-AAUP Agreement. Every semester, the WMU-AAUP holds a tenure and promotion workshop. Still, you can also set up a confidential professional consultation with the Office of Faculty Development, where you can work with an experienced faculty member to plan your teaching and research agendas. New faculty members are invited to join the Early Career Faculty Seminar (ECFS), an annual offering. In the fall, invitations to sign up are sent to early-career faculty members.
Consultations, Facilitations & Supports
The Teaching and Learning Team offers consultations, facilitations, and support on teaching, tenure and promotion, and professional development. Contact us for more information about what is available to you.
Teaching & Learning Supports
The Teaching & Learning team, composed of the Office of Faculty Development, Instructional Design and Development, and the Instructional Technology Center, provides events, workshops, and consultations for faculty, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants. Almost all of our events and seminars are held online and recorded, allowing you to access sessions even if they occur at times when you are unavailable.
- Visit our Teaching & Learning Resources
- Teaching Resources
- Includes a semester to-do checklist and teaching guides helpful for new instructors.
- Events
- Opportunities are geared toward instructors, graduate assistants, and any others involved in creating learning experiences at Western Michigan University. Can't make it to an event? No problem! Explore our past event archive, which features materials shared during the session and/or a session recording.
- Instructional Technology Resources