In this article, the authors discuss some manifestations of agency in the faculty career and the potential importance of its role in faculty career development. They define faculty professional growth as a change occurring in a person throughout his or her career and life that allows him or her to bring new and diverse knowledge, skills, values, and professional orientation to his or her work. This definition positions faculty growth as ongoing and in a constant state of becoming. To help ground faculty professional growth in practice, they developed a framework that explores four of its key aspects: (1) learning; (2) agency; (3) professional relationships; and (4) commitment. These four aspects grew out of a literature review of the academic profession, hundreds of interviews and observations of faculty, and interviews with directors of faculty development centers. Case-study data of hundreds of faculty members in various institutional types and career stages reveal that faculty can assume agency in their professional lives--and, thereby, improve their well-being and the quality of their work environment--through strategic career management efforts and the development of relationships and networks.