Support for teaching and research is critical to Wichita State University’s mission to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. The establishment of an office dedicated to retaining, supporting and developing faculty talent is a significant step toward that.   

The Office for Faculty Advancement, Retention and Excellence (FARE), funded in part by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is opening this semester. Its goals include supporting student success, collaborative and externally funded research, and attracting and retaining a diverse faculty body. Success in meeting these goals will elevate Wichita State’s efforts to become an R1 research institution. 

The FARE office will collaborate with several departments across campus to deliver programs and services to support faculty, including Office of the Provost, College of Applied Studies, Office of Instructional Resources, Media Resources Center, Office of Hispanic Serving Initiatives and Office of Research.   

“FARE will be an umbrella and coordinating office for most of the activities that have to do with faculty in terms of helping them with their career,” said Janet Twomey, director of FARE. “It will be a hub for all faculty activities that are working toward the university’s mission and goals.” 

Support from the provost’s office was important to ensure a university-wide vision toward supporting faculty development, said Provost Shirley Lefever.  

“FARE is a place for professional development and also a place to connect with resources available for faculty,” said Jennifer Friend, dean of the College of Applied Studies. “Having a central faculty office provides opportunities for inter-disciplinary research and inter-disciplinary teaching.” 

The NSF grant, awarded in June, is for the university’s ADVANCE project, “REACH for Excellence: WSU’s ADVANCE Adaptation Initiative for Equity in STEM Faculty.” Part of the proposal called for the establishment of FARE. 

The project aims “to implement policies, practices and programs that will improve recruitment and advancement of women faculty with multiple marginalized identities.” The project is a response to the challenges highlighted in WSU’s previous institutional assessment. While the ADVANCE project will be centered on STEM faculty, all faculty members will have the opportunity to benefit from programming through FARE. 

“We see ourselves as being really instrumental in moving faculty forward, so they can be drivers in becoming an R1 research institution,” Twomey said. “The hope is we will impact everyone.” 

Programming through FARE will also support Wichita State’s goal to become a Hispanic Serving Institution. Currently, 18.3% of undergraduate students identify as Hispanic, which earns WSU status as an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. The university plans to reach 25%, which would make it a Hispanic Serving Institution as designated by the U.S. Department of Education. 

“A lot of the ADVANCE grant is looking at diversifying our faculty,” Friend said. “That’s another goal of FARE, to promote those Hispanic Serving Initiatives and attract a diverse and qualified faculty pool.” 

 FARE will host an open house from 4-5:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in room 112 in Jardine Hall. The campus community is invited to attend.  

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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