Name
Campus Communities: Supporting Faculty Across the Career Arc
Date & Time
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 2:50 PM - 3:20 PM
Description
Background and Aim:
In today’s academic landscape, meaningful cross-campus connections are essential for faculty success, yet many faculty experience isolation within their disciplines. For music and music teacher education faculty, this separation can be particularly pronounced, as their work is sometimes misunderstood by faculty in different disciplines. Campus Communities address this challenge by fostering dialogue and collaboration.
Co-presented with my institution’s Director of Faculty Success and Development, this session outlines the design of ten Campus Communities and demonstrates how they support faculty development, strengthen cross-campus connections, and promote career-long success. Evaluation of the piloted Campus Communities during the current academic year provides opportunities to incorporate participant feedback for continued refinement.
Method and Purpose:
As a Provost Fellow, I collaborated with the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and the Director of Faculty Success and Development on a qualitative project to design ten Campus Communities supporting faculty across the career span. The year-long design process was informed by models from peer institutions and national organizations, including Academic Impressions and the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. The project team met regularly to review resources, identify priority topics, design each Campus Community, develop participant evaluation tools, and establish a sustainable rotation schedule.
The Campus Communities were intentionally designed with flexible structures. Some focus on targeted topics—such as navigating tenure and promotion or succeeding in tenure-track roles—and are offered as short-term, semester-based groups. Others address broader themes, including academic leadership and career-stage success (early, mid-career, and late), and meet across an academic year.
During the current academic year, five Campus Communities are being piloted with ongoing evaluation, including qualitative feedback from facilitators and participants. The Early-Career Campus Community, which we co-facilitate, includes music faculty who are invited to reflect on topics such as faculty belonging across departments. Data from the pilot year will be analyzed to refine the Campus Communities and establish an institutional model that can be replicated elsewhere.
Results and Conclusion:
This qualitative project yielded insight into the varied expectations, challenges, and needs of faculty across colleges and career stages. Participants engage in reflective dialogue, report increased understanding of key professional topics, and form professional and research relationships beyond their home departments. Early results indicate reduced isolation, increased faculty belonging, and the value of intentional faculty development in strengthening both individual careers and institutional vitality.
Location Name
512A
Full Address
Palais des Congres - Montréal Convention Centre
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
1001, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal QC H2Z 1H2
Canada
Session Type
Paper Presentation
Presenting Author(s)
Lori Gray