One of the most important and exciting things we do is hire new faculty. As a community, we invest a great deal of time and effort into the selection of promising new tenure-track and career faculty, all with impressive records due to their hard work and previous success. We believe in our investment, and are committed to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for our new faculty so that they enjoy a successful, long and fulfilling career with us at UO.
We know there are a number of challenges for new faculty. Many have left behind their communities of support and are taking on new teaching or scholarly responsibilities. The path ahead is not always clear regarding how to successfully balance job responsibilities with home life, or how to build the necessary record of success for promotion and/or tenure. We can help.
We offer many programs for new faculty, and we encourage faculty at all categories, ranks and stages of their career to participate (i.e.: career instructional or research faculty, librarians, and tenure-related faculty). The goal is to help you build community and thrive at the UO, regardless of whether you are new to the academy or experienced but new to UO. You can select just one or two, or participate in all of the unique programs described below.
Specifically, our goal is to assist new faculty with:
- Thriving in work and life
- Writing productivity
- Inclusive, engaged and research-informed teaching
- Self-efficacy regarding the promotion and/or tenure process
- Developing a network of mentors
- Building community
In addition to the programs described below, there is a New Faculty Success - Community Canvas site with modules full of helpful information such as policies related to syllabi and Canvas use, where to get help finding or submitting grants, navigating promotion or tenure, connecting with your faculty union, and more. For access, please email OtP@uoregon.edu. We also host New Faculty Socials twice per term so you can build relationships with other faculty in an informal environment.
Although you are welcome to participate in these programs in any order you wish, folks often ask us to suggest an order, so we have done that below.
Suggested for Year 1
This full-day event in September includes opportunities to meet campus leaders, engage in sessions that support a strong start in scholarship and teaching, and learn some tips for developing a network of mentors. The day is dynamic and ensures new faculty can begin to get to know one another and build their UO network. We offer parallel onboarding days on the Eugene and Portland campuses.
Beginnings: Practical Course Design for New Faculty (Eugene campus in person, Portland campus remote)
Apply for this weekly series organized around the steps you’ll take as you prepare and teach your courses. We’ll advance through syllabus creation, Canvas course design, class management, and more, offering best practice advice and a chance to build your network of teaching mentors as you give and receive feedback, including with faculty colleagues, academic leaders, and educational developers in the Teaching Engagement Program and UO Online. Applications are due Oct. 1. (In person for Eugene participants, and remote for Portland participants).
Suggested for Year 2
September Institute for New Faculty
During this 3-day Institute new faculty are introduced to UO’s culture of inclusion, teaching, mentorship, scholarship and leadership. This hybrid experience includes in-person interactive community building experiences each day, supported by asynchronous learning via the New Faculty Success - Community Canvas site.
UO New Faculty Success Program (Eugene campus in person, Portland campus remote)
Faculty are invited to apply for this cohort-based program that meets monthly October-June. New faculty will have the opportunity to build community with one another as well as seasoned UO faculty panelists. In addition, the UO New Faculty Success Program will engage the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity core curriculum webinar series focused on how to thrive in the academy to complement local discussions about best practices for success at the University of Oregon. In 2024-25 there will be both a remote and in-person cohort for this program. Applications open now through Oct. 1.
Suggested for Year 3
National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
Thanks to the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Yvette Alex-Assensoh, all faculty have free access to many resources from the NCFDD. They also offer a “bootcamp” called the NCFDD Faculty Success Program. This program does have a cost associated with it. It is a 12-week online program designed to teach tenure-related faculty the skills to increase writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Talk to your Dean’s office about available cost sharing for your participation in this program.