At Wheaton, there are a variety of opportunities for faculty to engage and develop professionally in their teaching, advising, scholarship, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) skills and competencies. Along with the faculty development resources listed below, you can find further opportunities for faculty development at our Collaborative Center for Teaching and Learning. In addition, resources for external funding opportunities can be found at Corporate Foundation and Relations.

More information for external funding can be found under the Office of the Provost section of insideWheaton.

DEAL Senate

DEAL Senate is one of three committees that make up DEAL (Diversity & Equity Access Leadership) which is an umbrella entity that supports, promotes, and monitors campus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work.  This committee provides faculty, who are interested in leading DEI work in their department and division, with an opportunity to work with and learn from other faculty, staff, and student DEI liaisons. DEAL Senate also provides opportunities for DEI liaisons to engage in professional development exercises and discussion to expand their DEI toolkit of skills and competencies.  (Contact: [email protected])

Faculty FlashTalks

Faculty Flash Talks are one hour gatherings of faculty 2-3 times per semester where several faculty share their current research in 5 minute “flash” presentations, followed by 10 minutes of questions from colleagues. Flash talks are an opportunity for faculty to get to know one another as scholars and creative artists in a fun and relaxed environment. (Contacts: Dana M. Polanichka or Aubrey Westfall)

Funding for Tenure-Track and Full-Time Faculty

  • Travel and Research Funds: All full-time faculty are eligible annually to apply for $1,400 in professional development funds.
  • Wheaton Research Partnership: Faculty can receive up to $800 per academic year to hire a student employee to support research initiatives.  These awards are chosen through the Faculty Scholarship and Promotion Committee in partnership with the Provost’s Office.
  • External Grants: All full-time faculty are eligible to apply for external grants facilitated through the College’s Corporate and Foundation Relations team and/orthrough the Faculty Scholarship and Promotion Committee.
  • Library, Technology and Learning Committee (LTLC) Funds: The Library, Technology and Learning Committee administers three funding opportunities for faculty: Academic Innovation Funds; Open Educational Resource Stipends; and Research Computing Funds.  More information is available here: Faculty Funding Opportunities from the Library, Technology and Learning Committee (LTLC).
  • Specific Departmental or Programmatic Funds: These funds are available to faculty, at the discretion of the department or program.

Implicit Bias Training For Faculty Searches

This training is offered throughout the academic year for faculty search committees. The purpose of this training is to increase awareness for how implicit bias can impact the search process and to decrease implicit bias for all phases of the process.  Three sessions are offered in the fall semester to coincide with the phases of the search process: job ad placement, evaluating applicants, and interviewing/ selecting candidates.  The final session, welcoming new faculty and retention, is offered in the spring semester. (Contact: Office of the Provost)

New Faculty Orientation Seminar

The goal of this seminar is to introduce new faculty to colleagues across academic departments and administrative offices, and to give them a sense of the history and the unique context of the Wheaton community.  We hope that the seminar eases their transition to Wheaton by providing useful and practical information about the College.  Though there will be a program planned for each session, including presenters from various sectors of the college, there will also be time for discussion and opportunities to raise issues you might be facing in or out of the classroom (Contact: Office of the Provost)

Theatre of the Oppressed Full-Day Workshop

Through humor and play, this workshop provides faculty with the opportunity to engage in challenging and thought provoking conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion.  By using Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, faculty are able to engage in self-reflection about their privilege and positionality, both on campus and in their personal lives, using their whole bodies.  This workshop also provides  faculty with an opportunity to expand their DEI skills and competencies to create a more positive educational environment for students and a healthier workplace for colleagues.  (Contact: Office of the Provost)

Write Now, Right Now

WNRN is the hub for a variety of faculty research and creative work initiatives. Its core is a space (DC1347), open daily, where faculty co-write (which means writing, reading, revising, coding, drawing, or doing whatever else pushes their work forward).  Tea, coffee, and camaraderie are provided, and all are welcome for as long or as short as desired! Additional related initiatives, include the Faculty Success Summit, the Faculty FlashTalks, writing sprints, and workshops. (Contacts: Dana M. Polanichka or Aubrey Westfall)