The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences (McCAS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Mid-Career Advancement Fellowship (MCAF), an intensive faculty development program aimed at moving advanced Associate Professors (i.e., those who have been at rank for 10 years or more) to Full Professor status within 2-3 years of participation in the program. 

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the College will select four advanced Associate Professors from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences to participate in the program. Preference will be given to advanced Associate Professors in the College who have taken on exceptional service or administrative loads and/or have endured extenuating circumstances personally or professionally that have slowed down their progress to promotion. Preference will also be given to those who have participated in the McCAS Faculty Development Program series or have otherwise demonstrated recent productivity or other signs of readiness for the intensive. 

Eligibility: 

• Ten years or more at the Associate Professor rank with tenure 

• Seven years or more in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences 

• Not open to anyone who has received McCAS support for either the NCFDD Faculty Success Program (FSP) or Post-tenure Pathfinders program within the last three years (see McCAS Faculty Development Webpage ) 

• Cannot be enrolled concurrently in the Humanities Collaborative Research Fellows Program or a recipient of this fellowship within the last three years 

Benefits: 

• Small cohort support with assigned accountability partners 
• Coaching support (virtual) 
• Wellness support (in-person) 
• Discipline-based mentor (virtual or in-person) 
• Half-time teaching release 
  • In consultation with the Chair/Program Director 
• Full-time release from service 
  • Some exceptions may be permitted for work on graduate student committees 
• One-time $10k research fund, can be used to cover: 
  • Research/travel support 
  • Additional coaching or mentoring beyond what is covered by the program 
  • One additional course buyout with approval from Chair/Program Director 
  • Summer salary up to $7500, including fringe 

Accountability:  

• Weekly in-person meetings: Regular attendance at weekly in-person meetings with the McCAS Associate Dean for Faculty Development and other fellows 

• Accountability partner check-ins: Frequency and modality to be determined by the participants 

• Mentor check-ins: Monthly check-ins with mentor and feedback on writing at least twice per semester 

• Progress Reports: Progress reports submitted at the end of each semester  

Note: Failure to adhere to these accountability measures may result in termination from the program and/or suspension of funds distributed via the program.  

Continuity: 

• At the end of the academic year, faculty can receive up to $5k in additional funding with the submission of a proposal detailing new research  

• Faculty are only eligible to apply for additional funding if the research goals outlined in their initial success plan have been met 

Sample Activities:  

• Daily check-ins with accountability partner (virtual or in-person) 
• Weekly check-in sessions with Associate Dean for Faculty Development and other fellows (in-person) 
  • Sharing, peer review 
  • Writing support, e.g.,  
    • Overcoming imposter syndrome 
    • Writing messy drafts 
    • Tackling writer’s block 
    • Avoiding procrastination 
• Monthly Wellness Sessions (in-person)  
  • Team Building Activities  
  • Somatic Exercises 
  • Guided Meditation 
  • Wellness walks 
  • Free writing activities 
• Monthly check-ins with mentor (virtual or in-person) 
• Monthly coaching sessions (virtual) 

Application for the 2026-27 academic year: 

The following materials should be submitted via the online application portal. 

• Success plan: A description of the research/scholarship/creative activity needed to prepare for promotion, along with a semester-to-semester breakdown of your research goals for the academic year 
• Graduate student commitments: A list of the current number of graduate students, their year in the program, their anticipated graduation year, and the anticipated time commitment per week for graduate student mentoring 
• Current CV  
• Additional information (optional): Any additional information that you would like to share with the review committee. (Note: This information will be visible to your Chair/Program Director and members of the Dean’s Office)  
• Chair’s letter of support; 1-2 pages addressing: 
  • Viability of the success plan 
  • Applicant’s service contributions 
  • Applicant’s overall readiness for the program (i.e., in terms of recent productivity, participation in professional development opportunities, etc.) 
  • Capacity and willingness of the program/department to cover teaching/service release 
  • If more than one person from a given department applies, the College will reach out after the application deadline to request a ranking from the Chair,
• Signature of concurrence from head of secondary unit (for jointly appointed faculty) 
  • Letter of support from head of secondary unit (optional) 

Application deadline: All materials must be received by April 3, 2026 

Questions: Contact Interim Senior Associate Dean Dr. Tracey L. Weldon at weldont@mailbox.sc.edu or 803-544-1196.