University of Richmond - Office of the Provost

Thriving at Mid-Career: A faculty development series for mid-career faculty.

March 17, in person in the Faculty Hub

Two options - 9:30-10:45 am or 1:30-2:45 pm. This page is to register for the 1:30 pm session.

Leveraging the Power of the Sabbatical: The sabbatical is a powerful faculty development resource that supports the thriving of tenured faculty and the institutions in which they are employed. However, despite substantial benefits for faculty members and their institutions, there are few resources available to provide strategic guidance on the sabbatical experience, particularly in a post-pandemic era. In this session, Vicki Baker and Linda Boland will discuss three phases of the sabbatical and offer tools and strategies to navigate within and across these phases. The session will also be helpful to assistant professors planning ahead for a future mid-course leave or faculty embarking on a second, third, or last sabbatical.

More about the "thriving at mid-career" series here:

Mid-career faculty play critical roles at UR and in their academic disciplines. Post-tenure, faculty may find increased service roles, a reduction in supports available at the early career stage, uncertainty about the advancement timeline and expectations, and lingering challenges due to the global pandemic. Some may seek a better balance between personal and professional lives and a greater sense of purpose. To support mid-career faculty, we’ve developed a monthly series on Thriving at Mid-Career.

           From January through April, faculty may join in one or more sessions to support needs such as developing a persuasive voice, growing as a leader, leveraging the power of a sabbatical, and collaborating effectively. The sessions were conceived based on work done in the Mid-Career Faculty Summit held in Fall 2021 and Fall 2022. Despite the focus on mid-career, faculty at other career stages may also benefit and are welcome to participate in the “thriving” series; in addition, mid-career faculty or newly tenured faculty who have not yet participated in the Summit are invited to participate. We also welcome non-tenure track faculty who would benefit from the sessions.

           The lead facilitator for the “thriving” series is Vicki L. Baker, Ph.D., (Albion College), author of Managing your Academic Career: A Guide to Re-Envision Mid-Career (Routledge, 2022) and Charting your Path to Full: A Guide for Women Associate Professors (Rutgers University Press, 2020) and the lead author in Developing Faculty at Liberal Arts Colleges (Rutgers University Press, 2017).

           Sessions include a presentation and time for discussion and sharing with colleagues. The last 15 minutes of each session will generally be reserved for additional Q & A so that the main goals are met in one hour. Faculty may register for as many sessions as they wish- one or more! Questions? Please contact Linda Boland, Associate Provost for Faculty.