Center for Teaching Excellence

 

Program Description

Southern Methodist University is now proudly an institutional member of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD). The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) is an independent professional development, training, and mentoring organization that offers support, resources, and forums to its members. The NCFDD provides training, mentoring, and supportive communities for faculty, graduate students or professional students at colleges and universities across America.

Because SMU has an institutional membership, any faculty member or graduate student can access the NCFDD resources at any time. Access NCFDD resources by visiting their website. You will be required to create a login.

Faculty Success Program

The program is for tenure-track and tenured faculty who are looking for the perfect combination of empirically-tested methods to improve research productivity through intense accountability, coaching, and peer support and to propel their work-life balance and personal growth to a whole new level. Learn more at the Faculty Success Program webpage.

NCFDD Frequently Asked Questions

Who can benefit from NCFDD?

Any faculty member, graduate student or professional student can benefit from NCFDD resources. The foundational skills taught by the NCFDD curriculum are critical to all areas of academic success and transcend rank, discipline, race, and gender. The NCFDD curriculum is designed to directly address the unique challenges and obstacles that underrepresented scholars face. 

How can NCFDD support my development?

The NCFDD's core curriculum is designed to support and develop the 10 skills and strategies that lead to academic success. 

These include:

  • Every Semester Needs a Plan
  • Align Your Time with Your Priorities
  • How to Develop a Daily Writing Practice
  • Mastering Academic Time Management
  • Moving from Resistance to Writing
  • The Art of Saying "No"
  • Cultivating Your Network of Mentors & Sponsors
  • Overcoming Academic Perfectionism
  • Engaging in Healthy Conflict
  • Strategies for Dealing with Stress & Rejection

What kind of resources does NCFDD provide?

All registered users will have access to:

  • Weekly Monday Motivator
  • Monthly core curriculum webinars
  • Monthly guest expert webinars
  • Access to our Multi-Week Courses
  • Video recordings of all webinars so members can learn at their convenience
  • Private Discussion Forum for peer-mentoring & problem-solving
  • Access to Dissertation Success resources
  • Monthly accountability buddy match
  • Moderated monthly writing challenges
  • Access to Career Center where members can post and search job listings
  • Access to Member Library, which includes past webinar materials, referrals, and readings

How can I access NCFDD resources?

  1. Visit https://www.facultydiversity.org/institutions/smu
  2. Click "Activate My Membership"
  3. Complete the registration process.
  4. You will receive a welcome email within 24 business hours confirming that your account is now active and you can access NCFDD resources.

If you encounter any technical issues, please contact membership@facultydiversity.org.

What is the cost for NCFFD?

All faculty members and graduate students have access to NCFDD resources free of charge. Memberships are provided at no cost to you with the generous financial support from the Office of the Provost. SMU has an institutional membership, so an unlimited number of users can use these resources for their professional development.

How does the NCFDD membership benefit Southern Methodist University?

SMU's institutional membership in NCFDD reaffirms a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, the membership serves as a tool to provide continued support to faculty members and graduate students, especially those from underrepresented populations.