We invite you to join the New Faculty Institute (NFI) 2014-2015, a series of six conversations over the full academic year. We’ll provide cookies & drinks; you bring your good ideas. See fall plan and agenda below for more details.
This year, four of the NFI meetings will be held in conjunction with Teaching Conversations: How Learning Works. These groups will meet together — same place and time – see below. To stimulate discussion, we’ll use chapters from How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principle for Smart Teaching. (The book was in the bag at orientations, but if you don’t have it the chapters for meeting #1 will be available in in D2L.) One of the most beneficial aspects of these teaching conversations will be the camaraderie of sharing our experiences and our best ideas from our classroom practices.
CERTIFICATES
If you participate in the NFI program, you can garner two certificates to include in your promotion and tenure portfolio: New Faculty Institute Certificate and Teaching Academy Certificate (the culmination of those Teaching Conversations).
In order to earn these certificates, you
- Attend meetings on your campus (see below)
- Contribute to online discussions for NFI
- Submit a reflective analysis in April/May 2015
a. New Faculty Institute Certificate: Write a three-page summary statement that is a first draft of a summary document required in the promotion and tenure portfolio. This statement outlines your philosophy, goals, progress, and plans related to teaching, research, and service.
b. For the Teaching Academy Certificate: Write a two-page summary outlining the relevance of How Learning Works to your pedagogy.
FALL 2014 PLAN
For the NFI, we will hold the two of above-mentioned “teaching conversations” in the fall and a third meeting in November or December to talk about preparing your first Faculty Annual Report. The “teaching conversations” will focus on How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. To register, please RSVP to the Teaching Conversationson your campus. Once you RSVP, you will get access to the D2L site which will have the reading available. Soon, the book will also be on reserve in the libraries, and the first reading selection will be in D2L.
AGENDA for New Faculty Institute 2014-2015
Fall Meeting #1: Introduction and Conclusion of How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching
Fall Meeting #2: Chapters 1 & 2 of How Learning Works (impact of prior knowledge and methods of organizing knowledge)
Fall Meeting #3: New faculty and mentor lunch and discussion of Faculty Annual Report and the successful path for promotion and tenure. Dates decided later.
Spring Meeting #1: Chapters 3 & 4 of How Learning Works (student motivation and mastery)
Spring Meeting #2: Chapters 5 & 6 of How Learning Works (practice, feedback, and course climate)
Spring Meeting #3 : Creating Work-Life Balance (selected readings from Boice’s Advice for New Faculty Members) for a successful career
April/May: Submit summary statement outlining your philosophy, goals, progress, and plans related to teaching, research, and service.
FALL DATES
Cumming Campus (CC)
Thursday, October 02, 2014 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | CC: Room 246
Thursday, November 20, 2014 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | CC: Room 246
Dahlonega Campus (DC)
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | DC: Library Technology Center 382
Thursday, October 16, 2014 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | DC: Library Technology Center 382
Gainesville Campus (GC)
Monday, September 29, 2014 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | GC: Nesbitt 4105
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | GC: Nesbitt 4105
Oconee Campus (OC)
Monday, September 22, 2014 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | OC: Classroom 320
Monday, October 20, 2014 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | OC: Classroom 320
Note also NFI includes an online meeting space with useful materials for new faculty; this is in D2L (Desire2Learn). In essence, you’re invited to see your peers from our orientations again during these three face-to-face meetings each semester and virtually in online discussions. We blend these formats so that faculty can participate in one or both venues. To get access, please register via RSVP to the Teaching Conversations on your campus.
In short, the NFI introduces newly-hired faculty to the UNG missions of “quality education, service, inquiry and creativity.” The NFI facilitates acclimation to the institution and promotes teaching excellence and professional development.
To register, please RSVP to the Teaching Conversations on your campus. Once you RSVP, you will get access to the D2L site. The book will also be on reserve in the libraries, and the first reading selection will be in D2L.
We look forward to seeing you.