CETL Program Gives Faculty Keys to Success

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Through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the dean’s offices and the Office of the Provost, the third cohort of 12 faculty members just completed the  National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity summer 2025 Faculty Success Program.

The program offers 10 weeks of individual and small-group online support where professors refine their skills in productivity, academic excellence and time management in order to achieve their professional goals using a work-life balance framework. The Faculty Success Program teaches participants how to avoid burnout; manage the multiple priorities of teaching, research and service; prepare for promotions; and establish sustainable routines of writing and conducting research. 

Faculty Experiences

The third cohort had many transformative experiences. Below are highlights from two of the faculty members. 

David Dulceany, assistant professor of Hispanic studies, joined the program to improve his writing productivity and work-life balance. 

“I achieved my goal of establishing and maintaining a daily writing habit,” says Dulceany. “I was also pleasantly surprised with how many tools the program gave me to support my work-life balance. I am experiencing a vast reduction in stress, exhaustion and burnout.” 

The most transformative part of the program for Dulceany was the lesson on expending greater energy on tasks with greater significance and conserving energy on tasks with less significance. The structured, multifaceted and evidence-based strategies for success transformed his approach to his work, especially with his transition from visiting assistant professor to tenure track.

For LaTasha Chaffin, assistant professor of political science, the program proved beneficial and relevant to her professional journey. She participated in the FSP to increase her time-management skills and boost productivity in her writing and research for an edited book chapter she is working on. 

“The challenges are always dedicating time to writing within a busy schedule while I am teaching, grading, conducting service work and fulfilling other professional administrative duties,” says Chaffin. “NCFDD helped me to develop some strategies to better manage these responsibilities and still build in writing time.” 

Chaffin says the program helped her establish weekly and semesterly plans and introducing her to new accountability mechanisms that enabled her to better manage her workload. She appreciates the time spent with an experienced FSP coach and supportive cohort members.

“You have to try the recommended strategies to see if they are effective for you,” says Chaffin. “The program works if you participate in it fully.”

Supporting Faculty

The positive impact of the FSP demonstrates the value of the College’s partnership with NCFDD. FSP is just one of many programs CETL offers to help faculty enhance their professional and personal skills.

“I am thrilled we can support our faculty members’ participation in the Faculty Success Program,” says Suzanne Austin, executive vice president of academic affairs and provost of the College of Charleston. “Not only do they receive personalized academic coaching, but they also have the opportunity to form supportive communities and expand their network while developing and achieving their goals. The FSP experience is an excellent way for faculty to heighten their research and teaching skills so that they are one step closer to their career objectives.”

Below are the faculty members who participated in the summer 2025 program: 

• Elizabeth Bick, Assistant Professor, Department of Studio Art 
• LaTasha DeHaan Chaffin, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science 
• David Dulceany, Assistant Professor, Department of Hispanic Studies 
• Tiffany Harris, Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education 
• Aaisha Haykal, Manager of Archival Services, Librarian II, Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture
• Nicholas Hindy, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology 
• Morgan Hughey, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences and Administration 
• Jun Li, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science 
• Roy Martin, Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting 
• Heather McDonald, Instructor, Arts Management Program 
• Parvez Rashid, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science 
• Elena Rodriguez, Instructional Coordinator, Librarian II, Research and Instructional Services, CofC Libraries

Faculty interested in learning more about professional and personal development programs should visit the CETL Hub site.

Ugochi Mercy Udochu is a senior psychology major, a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and a 1967 Legacy Program Ambassador.