Professional Development

Working with the Office of Faculty Development, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is working to ensure opportunities for faculty of all backgrounds to nurture advancement and promotion in their career development. ODI and OFD conduct regular assessments of faculty needs and develop programs in response to stated needs. Additionally, ODI and OFD analyze promotion trends and isolate any areas where there may be inequity and work to remove those barriers.

Faculty Development Survey

A recent survey of faculty needs and faculty development resulted in overall positive responses and demonstrated common themes supporting UNR Med as an attractive workplace: strong and caring leadership, helpful and collaborative colleagues, and a work environment that allows for growth while also respecting personal lives. The executive summary is as follows.

Conclusions

Overall, responses to the survey were positive and demonstrated common themes supporting UNR Med as an attractive workplace: strong and caring leadership, helpful and collaborative colleagues, and a work environment that allows for growth while also respecting personal lives. Many participants also appreciated that UNR Med is located in an affordable mid-sized city conducive for outdoor activities. These four features (colleagues, location, work environment, and leadership) were the most highly cited reasons for both accepting a position at UNR Med as well as staying at UNR Med. These factors also appeared to be important for all demographic groups with no significant differences between academic and administrative faculty.

Two questions in the survey specifically asked participants to comment on programming needs for both professional development and on matters of diversity and inclusion. We found few significant differences in programming needs based on demographic groups. There was a common concern regarding lack of funding and lack of protected time for professional development, particularly among the respondents who self-identified as Black/African American and/or Hispanic/Latino. More often than not, the currently offered opportunities appear to be valued by the participants, however, there is a desire for enhancing the visibility and accessibility of the programs offered. Regarding the programs for diversity and inclusion, we found a smaller but noticeable interest in social events as well as mindfulness/wellness programs.

Faculty Development Through the Association of American Medical Colleges

The AAMC offers numerous resources for faculty and their career development and advancement, including meetings and dates, leadership and training, and webinars.