The Reich College of Education Developmental Community supports faculty at all career stages, helping them build and maintain healthy, productive, and meaningful careers.

Developmental Community Model

Our Developmental Community Model provides a framework for faculty growth through mentoring, professional learning communities, and collaborative engagement. It benefits both individual faculty and the college as a whole by fostering a supportive and connected community.

Learn more in Constellations of Support: A Community Development Model, published in To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, and review the program theory for the RCOE Developmental Community Model.

Activities & Programs

A variety of activities strengthen the Developmental Community, including:

  • RCOE Welcoming Day
  • RCOE Research Fair
  • Third-Year Review Panel
  • Annual Review writing workshops with annotated exemplars
  • Book groups and discussions
  • New faculty induction sessions

Mentoring Guild

The RCOE Mentoring Guild is a cornerstone of the Developmental Community Model. Inspired by traditional guilds of skilled artisans, it supports faculty development, satisfaction, and career growth through structured mentoring and professional guidance.

Through the Faculty Fellow for Mentoring Initiatives and the Mentoring Guild, faculty gain the tools to identify, cultivate, and expand their career support networks. Faculty reflect on their “developmental community maps” to recognize strengths, gaps, and opportunities in their professional networks.

The model is dynamic, continuously reviewed and refined to meet evolving individual and community needs.

Guild Membership

Mentoring Guild members are self-selected volunteers representing diverse departments, research interests, and experience levels. They meet twice monthly to plan programs and support faculty at all career stages. Guild mentors also serve as non-evaluative supports and departmental communication liaisons.

Current Faculty Fellows and Mentors