News

Tenure & Promotion Navigation Workshop

Date: Wednesday, November 4
Time: 12:00 – 1:30pm

Location: Howard Thurman Center, 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 206

A major part of the Tenure and Promotion journey is learning how to navigate through the process. Drawing from the Faculty Development T&P Guide, participants will become familiar with the different types of reviews conducted throughout the promotion process at BU. Additionally, newly tenured faculty, representing multiple departments on campus, will be on deck to share their personal navigation stories and answer questions from participants.


Journal Publishing Workshop (Part 2)

Date: Tuesday, October 20
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm
Location: Duan Center for Computing and Data Science, 665 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 1700

This session of the Journal Publishing Workshop Series will help you navigate the submission and peer review processes, and also build a compelling narrative about your research impact.

STEM and social science faculty within their first five years might find this workshop especially useful, but all are welcome. Attendance at the first workshop in the series is not required for participation.


Journal Publishing Workshop (Part 1)

When applying for tenure and promotion, your research impact is key to developing your dossier. During the first part of our Journal Publishing Workshop, faculty learned how to create a strategic publication plan that aligns with their promotion timeline and departmental expectations.

For those who weren't available to attend, we've complied resources from the workshop to help you learn how to manage your writing timeline, identify target journals, and gain concrete strategies for publishing success.

Event Takeaways

  1. Journal Publishing Worksheet
  2. Journal Publishing Presentation

Publishing Resources

 

Tenure & Promotion Logistics Workshop

Date: Monday, October 5
Time: 12:00 - 1:30pm

Location: Duan Center for Computing and Data Science, 665 Commonwealth Ave, Room 1646

BU Faculty Development invites tenure-track faculty members to a workshop designed to discuss the logistics of the Tenure & Promotion process at Boston University. Participants will learn about the overall standards and criteria of the tenure and promotion process. In addition, each participant will receive a digital Faculty Development tenure and promotion Guide that includes the following information on dossier contents/preparation and types of reviews (e.g. external/internal reviewer selection criteria and flowcharts of review levels/timelines). Most of this workshop focuses on preparing dossier contents.


If you have a disability (including but not limited to learning or attention, mental health, concussion, vision, mobility, hearing, physical or other health related), require communication access services for the deaf or hard of hearing, or believe that you require a reasonable accommodation for another reason please contact bufacdev@bu.edu.

Faculty Resource Fair (Charles River Campus)

Date: Wednesday, August 26
Time: 11 am - 1 pm (Open to all BU Faculty after 11:30 am)
Location: Duan Center for Computing and Data Science, 17th Floor, 665 Commonwealth Avenue

BU Faculty Development is excited to invite you to the annual Faculty Resource Fair on Wednesday, August 26.

This resource fair is meant to introduce and reacquaint faculty with campus resources and partners that aid in faculty research, teaching and learning. The first portion of the fair is reserved for new faculty as part of the Faculty First Institute orientation programming. After 11:30 am, the fair will open to all faculty who wish to participate. The fair will give faculty the opportunity to network, connect with the greater BU community, and find resources for the classroom and beyond.

Beverages will be served throughout the event and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP using the form below.


Faculty First Institute

Date: Wednesday, August 26 - Thursday, August 27
Location: Duan Center for Computing and Data Science, 665 Commonwealth Avenue, 17th Floor

BU Faculty Development is launching the Faculty First Institute (FFI), a comprehensive approach to onboarding new faculty across colleges, ranks, and disciplines in summer 2026. FFI strives to provide a robust yet manageable introduction to BU that helps all new faculty feel supported, informed, and poised to do great things.

FFI's organizers will invite all new faculty to participate in a series of resource and skill-based activities on August 26 and 27. View the itinerary below:

August 26

  • Faculty Resource Fair
    • 11:00 - 11:30 am: New faculty cohort has advanced access
    • 11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Doors open to all BU faculty

August 27

  • 10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Conducting Research at BU
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm: New Faculty Lunch
  • 1:00 - 4:15 pm: Teaching & Learning sessions:
    • 1:15 - 2:45 pm: (Session 1) Starting Strong: Laying a foundation for success in the BU Classroom
    • 3:00 - 4:15 pm: (Session 2) Supporting Student Success: Assessment & feedback
  • 4:15 - 4:30 pm: Break
  • 4:45 - 5:30 pm: Early Career Faculty Panel
  • 5:30 - 6:30 pm: Faculty Reception

Introducing the Faculty Development Advisory Board 

We are pleased to announce the formation of a Faculty Development Advisory Board, created to assist the Faculty Development team as it supports school and college programming and designs new offerings, all intended to support faculty across all stages of their careers. This group will help ensure that Faculty Development’s programs, priorities, and investments are responsive to Boston University’s strategic framework and grounded in our shared commitment to excellence, inclusion, and impact. 

Why an Advisory Board? 

As higher education evolves, so too do faculty needs. Changing research expectations, teaching modalities, institutional priorities, and the realities of balancing professional and personal responsibilities are just a few of the issues faculty face. To help faculty meet those challenges effectively, the Faculty Development team needs structured, ongoing input from both faculty and those who support them. 

The Advisory Board is designed to provide that input. It creates a regular forum for thoughtful engagement, allowing the Faculty Development team to test ideas, identify emerging needs, and refine initiatives. Just as importantly, it will help to ensure that Faculty Development remains aligned with what matters most to faculty. 

What Will the Board Do? 

The Faculty Development Advisory Board will: 

  • Provide strategic guidance to the Faculty Development team
  • Identify faculty needs, both immediate and long-term
  • Review and offer input on proposed initiatives, helping to shape their design and impact
  • Contribute to the development of a strategic plan for faculty development efforts
  • Serve as a sounding board for new ideas and ongoing challenges
  • Share diverse perspectives from across disciplines, career stages, and experiences
  • Act as ambassadors, helping to communicate opportunities to and obtain feedback from colleagues

An initial area of focus for the Board will be engaging with the findings and recommendations of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Caregiving Study, particularly as they relate to faculty support and institutional policy. 

Why It Matters 

Strong faculty development is essential to academic excellence. It supports innovation in research and teaching, strengthens recruitment and retention, and helps build a community in which all faculty can thrive. The Advisory Board will help ensure that our efforts are well-designed, inclusive, and effective. 

We Want to Hear from You 

While the Advisory Board will play an important role, it is not a substitute for broad faculty input—it is a conduit for it. We encourage you to share your ideas, concerns, and suggestions: 

  • What support would make the greatest difference in your work?  
  • Where do you see gaps in current offerings?  
  • What should we prioritize in the coming years?  

You can share feedback directly using the form below. There will also be additional opportunities for input as we develop our strategic plan.


Faculty Development Advisory Board Feedback

The Faculty Development Advisory Board is not a substitute for broad faculty input—it is a conduit for it. We encourage you to share your ideas, concerns, and suggestions.

Ex: Faculty Development/Actions Team Member, Dean, Chair, Faculty, etc.

Every Semester Needs a Plan

Friday, April 24 | 10 am - 12 pm
Zoom

The most successful faculty achieve excellence through setting goals, employing a range of resources, and planning effectively. BU Faculty Development welcomes faculty to attend the virtual workshop "Every Semester Needs a Plan."

Early and mid-career faculty, faculty in mentee roles, and faculty mentors will benefit most from this workshop.

This workshop will help participants do the following:

  • Identify personal and professional goals for current or future semesters
  • Discuss the steps to create a strategic plan based on goal setting
  • Establish the types of community, support, and accountability faculty need
  • Take time out of their schedule to complete a strategic plan for current or future semesters

When faculty register for the workshop, they will receive Zoom information.

Second Time Around: Writing your Second (or Third!) Book

Date: Wednesday, April 1
Time: 12:00 – 1:30pm
Location: 755 Commonwealth Avenue, Conference Room 101
RSVP

BU Faculty Development is excited to provide faculty with a structured opportunity to learn about strategies for completing second and third books, and to learn more about ways to secure potential funding for their projects.

Our panel of highly accomplished scholars includes Professor Japonica Brown-Saracino (Sociology), Professor and BU Faculty Development Faculty Fellow Margarita Guillory (Religion), Professor Susanne Sreedhar (Philosophy), and Professor Chad Wiliams (History). Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP in advance!

Lunch will be provided.

Spring 2026 New Faculty on Tap

Wednesday, April 1 | 4 - 6 pm
Metcalf Trustee Ballroom, 1 Silber Way, 9th Floor

BU Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs present the 2nd New Faculty on Tap which highlights and celebrates the research and teaching of BU faculty hired within the past year. Inspired by the popular Research on Tap events hosted by the Office of Research, we are excited to create a forum for sharing knowledge and building community.

New Faculty on Tap will feature a series of 4-minute “microtalks,” where new faculty will present on topics related to their research or teaching. The presentations will be followed by a reception, providing an excellent opportunity for new faculty to network and engage with the presenters.

If you have any questions about the event please email BU Faculty Development and a staff member will respond in a timely fashion: bufacdev@bu.edu.


Meet the Presenters