Core Commitment 2

Foster Staff and Faculty Flourishing

The rich student experience we envision—and the lasting partnerships we aim to cultivate—are only possible through the talent, dedication, and imagination of our people.

This commitment affirms that Oxford’s faculty and staff are not simply stewards of our mission, but its co-authors and catalysts. Their leadership, creativity, and care will shape not only the future of our college, but the lives of every student we serve.


Shield Seven
Advancing Staff Excellence

We will establish inclusive leadership pathways and career development programs that support staff growth, retention, and internal mobility.

  • Create comprehensive leadership development programs and career advancement pathways that cultivate staff expertise and build a thriving internal talent pipeline.

  • Establish a Staff Excellence Fund that allows for professional growth, skill development, and innovative thinking across all staff roles and departments.

Shield Eight
Advancing Faculty Excellence

We will enhance faculty excellence by cultivating scholar-educators who lead in teaching, research, and service while advancing Oxford’s distinctive liberal arts mission.

  • Launch the Grantseekers Cohort Program that amplifies research impact and increases external funding in support of Oxford’s academic priorities.

  • Develop comprehensive leadership initiatives that equip faculty to guide institutional efforts and shape the future of academic excellence.

  • Expand faculty development initiatives that enrich disciplinary expertise, foster cross-disciplinary research and teaching, and promote inclusive and evidence-based pedagogy.
  • Evaluate and align faculty workload expectations to ensure transparency, equity, long-term well-being, and professional fulfillment.

Shield Nine
A Culture of Shared Commitment

We will enhance the professional experience of faculty and staff by establishing clear structures, fostering open dialogue, and allocating resources thoughtfully to ensure that every member of our community feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

  • Reinvigorate the residential college experience by creating opportunities for meaningful connection—through shared events, informal gatherings, and inclusive traditions that foster a stronger sense of community and belonging.

  • Encourage deeper interpersonal connection among faculty and staff to enhance understanding of one another as co-educators, to engage in collaborative problem-solving, and to build a more cohesive campus culture.

  • Affirm and strengthen faculty governance as a cornerstone of shared responsibility and institutional effectiveness.

Commitment 3 Update: Achievements

Foster staff and faculty flourishing.

  • The Staff Excellence Fund reflects Oxford College’s commitment to investing in the growth, development, and success of its staff. The Fund provides dedicated resources to support professional development opportunities that strengthen individual capabilities, expand knowledge and skills, and enhance employees’ ability to contribute meaningfully to Oxford’s mission. Through the Staff Excellence Fund, eligible staff may pursue development experiences such as conferences, workshops, professional certifications, specialized training, and other learning opportunities aligned with their current responsibilities, professional growth, or future development. The Fund is designed to expand access to meaningful professional development and ensure that opportunities for growth are available across roles and departments. More than an investment in individual learning, the Staff Excellence Fund strengthens Oxford’s collective capacity. Employees are encouraged to bring new knowledge, ideas, and practices back to their teams and the broader College community, creating opportunities for learning to extend beyond the individual participant. By intentionally investing in staff development, Oxford seeks to foster a culture of continuous learning, excellence, and shared growth—one where employees are supported in developing their talents, expanding their contributions, and helping shape the future of the College.

  • The Grant Seekers Cohort program is an academic year-long faculty cohort program including periodic cohort meetings discussing the fundamentals of grants, an overview of external funding resources, proposals and award life cycles, and proposal feedback. The program was piloted in 2025-26 with four faculty members participating across disciplines. A new cohort begins this fall.

Commitment 3 Update: Upcoming tasks

Foster staff and faculty flourishing.

  • The Oxford Staff Development Road Map will create an intentional pathway for staff to grow, contribute, and lead throughout their careers at Oxford. Grounded in Emory's core competencies, the Road Map connects learning with meaningful opportunities to apply new skills, engage across the college, and develop leadership capacity. Through a combination of professional learning, experiential development, cross-functional opportunities, mentoring, coaching, and leadership experiences, staff will be empowered to take greater ownership of their professional growth while contributing their talents to Oxford's evolving needs and strategic priorities.

  • The Road Map is designed around a simple progression: Learn. Apply. Engage. Lead. Employees build foundational knowledge, put learning into practice, broaden their contributions across the Oxford community, and ultimately have opportunities to share expertise and lead others. By making development opportunities more visible, accessible, and intentional, the Staff Development Road Map advances Oxford's commitment to staff excellence while strengthening the internal talent and leadership pipeline needed for the College's future

  • The Faculty & Staff Connection and Collaboration Initiative, a structured, multi-year framework designed to strengthen interpersonal relationships, cross-departmental collaboration, and collective problem-solving, will be piloted in 2026-27. This initiative aims to create an environment where employees feel seen, supported, and connected across roles leading to improved morale, innovation, and shared ownership of Oxford’s mission.

  • It is designed to strengthen relationships, build trust, and create a more connected and collaborative campus community. Grounded in Oxford’s commitment to faculty and staff flourishing, the initiative creates intentional opportunities for employees to connect across roles and departments, learn from one another, and work together around shared priorities.

  • Through experiences such as cross-functional dialogue and networking, collaborative problem-solving, peer recognition, storytelling, and shared learning opportunities, the initiative moves connection and collaboration beyond individual interactions and embeds them into the culture of the College. At its core, the initiative is built around four dimensions: Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate, and Cultivate.

  • Together, these areas provide opportunities for faculty and staff to build meaningful relationships, contribute their perspectives and talents, recognize the contributions of others, and strengthen the skills needed for effective collaboration. By making connection and collaboration intentional, accessible, and ongoing, Oxford seeks to foster a community where faculty and staff feel valued, supported, and connected and where working across traditional boundaries strengthens our collective ability to advance Oxford’s mission.

  • A Faculty Leadership Development Pathways program will be designed to provide faculty with the tools to intentionally develop leadership capacity whether a faculty member is leading a two-person working group or a college-wide program, thus cultivating a sustained culture of faculty leadership at Oxford College. The program recognizes that leadership takes many forms, and that faculty at every career stage have something to contribute and something to gain from deliberate, structured leadership development. Faculty will have the option to choose the pathway that best matches their interests and goals, be it leadership at a small scale, within their discipline, or at the administrative level. Anticipated launch of this initiative is Spring 2027.

  • Using the Oxford Faculty Handbook (revised September 2025) as the basis, a Faculty Development Framework will highlight core competencies for faculty excellence and matches them with internal or external growth opportunities in teaching, scholarship, professional development, and service. The framework is not a one-time initiative, but a living structure for continuous assessment and improvement, guiding regular reflection on the effectiveness, accessibility, and relevance of faculty development opportunities. The framework will be finalized soon, with programming related to the framework launching in AY2027-28.