Professional Development Seminars

We offer a holistic array of professional development seminars and panels to support faculty and academic staff success. Offerings include in-person viewings of NCFDD webinars during Wayne State faculty and staff can interact, compare notes, and support each other's success; seminars on strategies to improve scholarly productivity, networking and mentoring, work-life balance, and cultivating a positive workplace culture; and seminars focused on career advancement in which successful colleagues discuss their strategies for career and leadership development. Programming for the 2021-22 academic year can be found below.

Click here to view previously offered professional development seminars.

2021-22 Professional Development Programming

Be sure to check back frequently, as we add programming throughout the semester.

• NCFDD: Every Semester Needs a Plan | Sept. 24, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

  Participants will leave this workshop with a clear assessment and plan that includes realistic goals and expectations, clear milestones to assess achievement, and tips on how to re-evaluate as the semester progresses. Join Associate Professor of Nursing Debra Schutte as she covers this popular NCFDD webinar with WSU faculty and academic staff!

  RSVP for Every Semester Needs a Plan, Sept. 24, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

  This is a virtual session and will be recorded; we recommend that you register even if you cannot attend at the scheduled time.

• Parenthood on the Tenure/ESS Track | Oct. 5, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

  This two-part session includes an overview of legal and contractual issues in preparing for parenthood. The first hour includes a discussion of FMLA and "modified duties" as laid out in the WSU-AAUP contract. The second hour includes a panel and interactive discussion with faculty and staff who will share the everyday challenges and rewards of parenting on the tenure track. Come for one or both parts of this session. This seminar is co-sponsored with Office for Teaching and Learning.
  
  By attending this session, you will be able to:
  
  1) Identify your legal and contractual rights with regard to parental and family leave
  2) Employ strategies to navigate work-family challenges both before and after the arrival of a child
  3) Build your network of faculty and staff who have successfully navigated this personal and career transition
  
  Panelists include:

  Sarah Doyle, Academic Advisor III, Social Work
  Michelle Fecteau, Executive Director, AAUP-AFT 6075
  Lars Johnson, Assistant Professor, Psychology
  Rebecca Russell, Academic Advisor III, Biological Sciences
  Danielle Aubert, Associate Professor, Graphic Design

  RSVP for Parenthood on the Tenure/ESS Track, Oct. 5, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

  Public health conditions and university rules permitting, this session is scheduled to take place in person.

• New Faculty Series: Academic & Grading Policies | Oct. 22, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

  Join the Registrar’s Office as they discuss academic and grading policies at Wayne State University. Participants can expect to learn about scheduling, early academic assessment, and student participation policies. Please come with any questions you may have.

  Presented by Kurt Kruschinska, University Registrar

  RSVP for Academic & Grading Policies, Oct. 22, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

  This is a virtual session and will be recorded; we recommend that you register even if you cannot attend at the scheduled time.

• New Faculty Series: Student Disability Services | Nov. 12, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

  Join us for this informational seminar with Student Disability Services (SDS). During this session, faculty will see an overview of disability services, including SDS procedures, faculty and student rights & responsibilities, how faculty can support students with disabilities, and course accessibility. Representatives will also be available for a Q&A.

  Presented by Cherise Frost, Director, Student Disability Services

  RSVP for Student Disability Services, Nov. 12, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

  This is a virtual session and will be recorded; we recommend that you register even if you cannot attend at the scheduled time.

• Writing for The Conversation | Dec. 1, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

  The Conversation is a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing expert news analysis by faculty members with other news organizations. The Conversation has published a number of high-quality articles by WSU faculty who have shared their research expertise. Learn more about how to pitch and craft articles for this publication from a panel of WSU faculty who have published for The Conversation. Come for all or part of this session.
  
  By attending this session you will be able to:
  
  -Identify the benefits to your career of writing for The Conversation.
  -Describe the working relationship between editors and faculty writers.
  -Identify the types of articles that are sought by The Conversation.
  -Craft and submit a pitch for The Conversation based on guidance from the panel.
  
  Panelists will include:
  Arash Javanbakht, Associate Professor (Clinical Scholar), Psychiatry

  RSVP for Writing for The Conversation, Dec. 1, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

  Public health conditions and university rules permitting, this session is scheduled to take place in person.

• New Faculty Series: International Opportunities for New Faculty | Dec. 10, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

  Interested to learn how you could teach or conduct research with partners abroad as a WSU faculty member? Maybe you would like to connect students - in person or virtually - for a cross-cultural experience? For this and all things international, our Office of International Programs (OIP) is here to help. In this session, new faculty will learn what opportunities are available within OIP, like faculty-led study abroad programs and institutional partnerships. Even when international travel is on hold, OIP staff are still growing WSU’s efforts outside the U.S. and are ready to support your activities abroad. OIP staff will also discuss resources available for faculty travel, such as Fulbright Scholar Awards, and the process to develop new short-term programs for incoming visitors.

  Presented by Ahmad Ezzeddine, Associate Vice President for Educational Outreach and International Programs; and Heidi Prillwitz, Associate Director.

  RSVP for International Opportunities for New Faculty, Dec. 10, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

  This is a virtual session and will be recorded; we recommend that you register even if you cannot attend at the scheduled time.