Supporting Faculty Excellence and Success

Faculty Colleagues,

As the fall semester draws to a close, I want to take a moment to thank you for all you do to make our university great. Your exceptional teaching is transforming lives. Your groundbreaking research, innovative scholarship, and boundless creativity are advancing knowledge and accelerating solutions to the grand challenges of our time. Your service and outreach activities are impacting communities locally and globally in ways that support our vision to be a public university for the public good.

Amidst all of our accomplishments, I recognize that this has been an uncertain and challenging time for higher education, and for many of you as you continue to do your good work. Reflecting our strategic commitment to invest in people and communities, the success and well-being of our faculty is a high priority for campus leadership, and I am sharing with you today some steps we are taking to help support you.

Faculty Evaluation and Promotion Process in Times of Disruption
To advance excellence in everything we do, we know that meaningful faculty reviews depend on understanding both a faculty member’s accomplishments and their future potential. We also understand that this year, some of you have experienced unexpected disruptions due to shifts in federal funding priorities and regulations; criticisms of certain types of research, scholarship or creative works; supply chain issues and travel restrictions; and other developments that could have long-term effects on your portfolios. It’s important that these circumstances are appropriately acknowledged and considered during evaluations.

The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA), in partnership with Associate Deans for Faculty Affairs and ADVANCE, has developed guidance and support resources for faculty reviews to address unexpected disruptions. These include clear steps and recommended actions built into our regular evaluative processes to help individuals and units navigate these nuances and consider the disruptions faculty members have encountered.

Faculty Support Team
We recognize that faculty sometimes encounter challenging or threatening situations in the course of their work. The University of Maryland’s Behavioral and Threat Assessment (BETA) Team, working in partnership with the University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD), serves as the primary resource for reviewing and assessing threats to the safety and well-being of our campus. Established procedures and protocols are in place to support faculty, staff, and students in the case of a perceived or known threat or concerning behavior arising in the course of university-related activities.

However, we also recognize that situations vary, and faculty may need additional support when situations fall outside of the scope of UMPD and BETA. To address this, we have created a University Faculty Support Team to provide a more holistic assistance structure. The team can assist in developing strategies and support plans, identifying and coordinating institutional resources, making referrals as needed, and maintaining ongoing follow-up to stay informed on a faculty member’s situation and concerns.

Ongoing Faculty Initiatives
Building on commitments to strengthen the faculty experience, OFA continues to advance several important initiatives designed to support faculty across all ranks and disciplines.

• We recently announced an $8.75 million investment in Research Resilience Initiatives designed to support scholars affected by recent shifts in the federal funding landscape, safeguard critical research capabilities, and bolster our rich research enterprise.
   
• OFA has collaborated with professional track (PTK) faculty members and others to advance administrative reforms related to appointment, evaluation, and promotion, salary guidelines and instructional workload. Additionally, OFA formed a PTK Faculty Advisory Group, comprising representatives from every college to facilitate ongoing dialogue.
   
• For our tenure-track faculty, we formed an Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) working group to consider revisions to the university's APT policy that better align our promotion criteria with our mission, values, and priorities.
   
• OFA has also launched multiple leadership development programs. These include Fearless Unit Leadership, a development program for academic leaders, and a new Fearless Leadership Foundations program for TTK and PTK faculty new to administrative responsibilities.

Thank you for your continued dedication as we chart a path ahead. I’m grateful for the conversations we’ve shared—and for the insights offered by chairs, directors and deans—which have guided our efforts to clarify faculty concerns and strengthen the systems that support our community. I hope these new processes and opportunities enhance your success and well-being as a valued member of our UMD faculty. As a university, we remain deeply committed to investing in people, and are truly grateful for the passion and excellence you bring each day as we move fearlessly forward.

Sincerely,