Career planning communities encompass a range of configurations and styles of faculty engagement in which faculty empower faculty in extended dialog, inquiry, and discovery around topics of common concern or interest. There are three types of faculty communities for Career Planning of varying scope, scale, and intensity:
Madison Fellows
This semester-long program invites members of the JMU faculty with various perspectives and from varied academic disciplines to participate in a small, intentional community where intellectual debate and cross-fertilization can flourish. Minimally, group members meet twice each month for planning, discussions, guided readings, and/or presentations.
Click here to see more about Madison Fellowships in Career Planning.
Intergroup Dialogues
Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) is a nationally recognized, evidence-based program that brings together small groups of individuals with different social identities to share their experiences and gain deeper understanding of each other. (Social identities refer to salient sociological constructs such as gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability/dis-ability, spirituality/religion, or other belief systems – including political affiliation.) The opportunity to explicitly engage in meaningful, in-depth dialogue about these matters deepens our capacity for genuine relationships with colleagues, students, and others of different backgrounds and experiences.
Neither a debate format nor a purely intellectual discussion, the model uses the dialogue method developed by the Program on Intergroup Relations at the University of Michigan. This program has been recognized by the American Association of Higher Education and the American College Personnel Association for its effectiveness, in addition to its endorsement by President Clinton’s Initiative on Race and the US Department of Education’s Gender Association. At JMU, Intergroup Dialogues are among an array of programs and efforts emerging from President Alger’s ongoing focus on enhancing diversity initiatives and strengthening JMU's culture of inclusivity.
Intergroup Dialogue on Gender (Spring 2020)
Faculty Interest Groups (FIGs)
Faculty Interest Groups (FIGs) create an informal forum for learning and dialogue related to topics proposed by faculty. FIGs are faculty driven and meet identified needs of JMU instructional faculty. The Center for Faculty Innovation assists with publicizing the FIG, facilitating registration, and securing meeting space as needed. FIGs provide JMU faculty with opportunities for networking and forming cross-disciplinary connections related to a topic(s) of mutual interest.
At any point during the academic year, a JMU faculty member can propose a FIG related to a teaching, scholarship, or career development interest.
Use the button below to propose a FIG related to career planning/development,
FIG Proposal
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