In Summer 2023, Worcester State sponsored 4 Distinguished Graduate Fellows through a Massachusetts Department of Higher Education pilot program that aims to support early career development for ALANA/BIPOC (African, Latinx, Asian, Native American and/or Black, Indigenous, People of Color) graduate students on the path to professorships.The 10-week “Welcoming, Inclusive, and Supportive Environments Program,” or WISE, is open to any doctoral or MFA student in any U.S. program outside of Worcester State doing research or creative work. Supported by the Department of Higher Education’s Higher Education Innovation Fund, fellows are paired with a Worcester State faculty member for mentoring with a focus on diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice. Check out the WSU News celebrating the Summer 2023 cohort.
2023 WISE Fellows
2023 WISE Mentors
New faculty development kicks off with an intensive August workshop and is then anchored in a year-long “New Faculty Seminar Series” that serves as both an induction to the WSU community and cultivation of a personal pedagogy toolkit. In participating, new faculty experience a cohort community while also gaining exposure to a wide range of experienced colleagues across disciplines.
New Faculty Fall 2025 Series
Thursday, October 23 @ 2:30PM
Friday, October 24 @ 11:00AM
Thursday, October 30 @ 2:30 PM
Topics and questions TBD! Questions? Contract cteachlearn@worcester.edu
This tenure-track faculty development program focuses on teaching effectiveness and innovation, while also cultivating faculty leaders and building connectedness across the university community. As part of a competitive application process, each participant commits to a three-semester learning community that results in a teaching and learning project. Funding is provided by the President’s Office strategic planning initiative.
2022 Fellows
2023 Fellows
Faculty Mentors
The Mid Career Leadership Learning Community invites tenured faculty to prepare for the myriad of higher ed leadership roles: department chair, director of a professional organization, editor of a journal, academic affairs administrator, or program facilitator. Within this learning community, participants engage in a leadership curriculum that values different leadership styles, network with WSU colleagues outside their departments as well as external higher ed stakeholders, and collaborate on inter-disciplinary projects aligned with institutional priorities. In Summer 2025, Mid Career faculty traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Teaching Professor Annual Conference thanks to support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Student Success Funds.
Mid Career Leadership Learning Community 2024-25:
We are gathering a group of faculty who are well into their careers — perhaps ten or more years post-tenure, perhaps full professors, or perhaps simply at a point where some of the goals that shaped the earlier parts of our careers have already been achieved. Many of us are looking for different or new ways to engage with the WSU community. We are creating an informal learning community where we can talk together about where we are in our careers and what we might want to do next. Contact Charlie Fox or Mary Fowler to receive information about the next meeting.
