NCFDD: Faculty Want More Support From Their Institutions

This week, NCFDD—a professional development organization for university faculty—released the findings of its 2026 State of Faculty Development Survey, which aims to assess the current faculty experience in higher ed and how faculty development priorities are changing. For this year’s survey, NCFDD collected responses from more than 1,000 faculty and academic leaders across more than 300 colleges and universities in the U.S.

Nearly two-thirds (63.9%) of respondents said that their personal wellbeing had declined over the past year, with early-career and adjunct faculty and faculty and research-intensive institutions hit hardest. Respondents pointed to limited autonomy, concerns about job security, and rising service expectations as primary drivers.

At the same time, faculty feel they aren’t getting the support they need—personal or professional—to be successful.

• While the majority of respondents identified faculty wellbeing (77%) and mentoring and faculty development (69%) as a top priority, just over 10% reported strong institutional investment in those areas.

• More than two-thirds of faculty report that professional development has become more important to them in the past year. However, 7 in 10 respondents (71.2%) felt that institutional professional development funding had decreased; under 16% reported any increase in funding.

Many faculty reported turning elsewhere for support. 64% of respondents rely on peer or social networks, compared to 31% who lean on institution-wide networks outside of their department. Faculty have even paid out of pocket for supports that fill the gap. [The EDU Ledger]

Why it Matters

“Faculty are being asked to do more than ever at a moment when institutions are grappling with real financial constraints,” said Dr. Brian Bridges, former New Jersey secretary of higher education and W/A senior advisor. “It has important consequences for teaching quality, research capacity and student success. If institutions are serious about strengthening outcomes and rebuilding trust in higher education, investing in faculty support must be part of the equation.”

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