About the Program
A cohort of some of Carolina’s outstanding mid-career and senior faculty will have the opportunity to develop greater insight into provost-level campus strategic initiatives and academic processes, strategic planning, budget issues, and challenges in higher education. Selected Faculty Leaders will participate in professional development activities designed to expose them to higher education processes, issues, ideas, challenges at the executive level and prepare them for leadership roles.
Faculty Leaders are appointed for two-year terms. The departments of selected Faculty Leaders will be provided with 25 percent salary release funds each year to cover the time commitment required for participation, and Faculty Leaders will receive an annual stipend in year two of the program. Faculty Leaders also will be provided with a modest discretionary travel and/or training budget. These resources can be used to fund activities on campus, to learn about organizational and leadership structures and processes at other institutions of higher education, to participate in formal training opportunities, and to attend relevant conferences in higher education.
Faculty Leaders will work within the Provost Office of Faculty Affairs (FA) and will support projects, initiatives and programs that center around faculty community and belonging, faculty wellbeing and faculty recognition, among other areas. Applicants who are selected will first be asked to work with their mentor(s) during the development phase of the program to finalize a project that will be conducted with the guidance of up to two mentors. Mentors will be senior campus leaders, and project areas should be of mutual interest to the Fellow and mentor(s) and result in a specific product (or set of products) that contribute to or advance the work of the Office of Faculty Affairs and support faculty broadly at Carolina.
Faculty Leaders will have the opportunity to shadow the provost and their mentors in meetings or other activities that are relevant to the Faculty Leaders’ areas of interest or to their project area and will have the opportunity to attend provost leadership team meetings.
Eligibility
Applicants must be full-time (.75 FTE or greater) faculty in any track, at the rank of associate or full professor. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in academic leadership at the department, school, or university level. Applicants must have the written support of their department head or dean to apply and must be willing to commit approximately 25 percent of their time over the course of the program period to program activities, including their project.
To Apply
Applications for the 2023 cohort are now closed. Please direct any questions regarding the program to PDFL@unc.edu
2023-2025 Inaugural Cohort
We are pleased to announce the 2023-2025 inaugural cohort of Provost Distinguished Faculty Leaders. We invite you to learn more about these outstanding Carolina faculty.