New Faculty Development Program

New Faculty Development Program

The cupola on top of Love Library lit up red

Nebraska's New Faculty Development Program is designed to welcome new and recently hired faculty to the university, assist you in becoming acquainted with our community and programs, and provide advice on getting off to a productive and fulfilling start to your career at Nebraska.

New Faculty Orientation

July 1 —Nebraska’s New Faculty Development Program kicks off with a Canvas Course that introduces new faculty to the university in an asynchronous online manner throughout the summer.

August 16 — New faculty will join together in-person at Nebraska Innovation Campus for an interactive, all-day event, which will include sessions with campus leadership, an information fair, and a panel of “recently new” faculty.

Following orientation, all faculty are invited to kick-off the fall semester with Faculty Club Night at The Mill Coffee and Bistro on Nebraska's Innovation Campus from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

A detailed invitation will be emailed with more information.

Additional onboarding resources are available at hr.unl.edu/onboarding.

The Mill Coffee and Bistro at NIC

New Faculty Development Workshops

The Executive Vice Chancellor’s Office offers a series of New Faculty Development Workshops throughout the academic year to enable a deeper dive on topics of importance to new faculty. While primarily targeted toward first-year faculty, invitations to these workshops are also extended to those in their second and third years. Attend at least five workshops (tenure-track faculty, research faculty, and faculty of practice) or four workshops (lecturers) over the course of your first three years on different topics and receive a certificate of completion.

All New Faculty Development Workshops will be held virtually via Zoom with the exception of an in-person workshop on May 2, 2024. Detailed invitations for each workshop will be emailed before the event.

Teaching at Nebraska

September 21, 2023

Student success in any course requires high levels of engagement. In this workshop, the Center for Transformative Teaching will explore what faculty can do to ensure students have opportunities to interact meaningfully with instructors, course materials, and with each other. They will also discuss how best to facilitate active learning and deep discussion while maintaining an inclusive classroom environment. The workshop will provide information about high-impact practices like Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning as well as resources available to help instructors gain professional development, such as the Reflective Practitioner Program. Faculty will be led through thoughtful reflection about incorporating the ideas into their own courses. Workshop led by CTT Instructional Designers.

Research at Nebraska

October 19, 2023

This workshop focuses on practical advice and resources from the Office of Research and Economic Development to help new faculty successfully launch their research career at the university, including internal funding opportunities; capacity-building and faculty research development programs; support for proposal development, grants and contracts; research compliance; collaborating with the private sector; and facilitating transfer of university inventions from the lab to the marketplace. Workshop led by ORED leaders.

Engaging and Mentoring Students in High-Impact Practices

November 16, 2023

The American Association for Colleges and Universities has identified several high-impact practices that have been demonstrated to transform students’ personal development and educational growth. This interactive workshop will introduce faculty to numerous opportunities to teach, mentor and engage students through these practices, such as undergraduate research, education abroad, the honors program, learning communities, and internships. Several faculty and staff will describe their experiences in a panel format followed by small group discussions that feature more about these opportunities. Workshop led by Undergraduate Education leaders.

Mentoring & Teaching Graduate Students

February 15, 2024

This workshop is designed to equip faculty with the essential knowledge and skills to effectively guide and support graduate students in their academic and professional development. Recognizing the unique challenges and responsibilities involved in mentoring students at the graduate level, this workshop will provide a comprehensive framework for fostering a productive and inclusive mentorship environment. Participants will delve into various aspects of teaching and mentoring graduate students, and explore best practices, strategies, and techniques. Through a combination of presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities, attendees will gain practical insights and actionable tools to enhance their mentoring capabilities. Workshop led by Lisa Rohde, Associate Director, Teaching and Research Development in the Office of Graduate Studies.

Diversity and Inclusion: From Strategies to Practice

March 21, 2024

Presented by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, this workshop provides an overview of the office and its operations; the initiative and collaborations it has developed in support of diversity-based faculty efforts; and its ongoing commitment to inclusive excellence. It also provides foundational principles for equity-based teaching methodologies, which illustrate strategies to infuse inclusive excellence into curriculum for various learning modalities. Participants will learn about internal and external campus and community resources for continuous engagement, interaction, professional development, and best inclusive practices. Workshop led by ODI Leadership.

Preparing Now for Promotion and/or Tenure

May 2, 2024 - In-person

New faculty will learn what they can do now to prepare for the promotion and/or tenure process. This workshop is for tenure-track faculty, professors of practice, research faculty, and extension educators. Representatives from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the colleges will be available to discuss institute- and college-specific requirements. Workshop led by Rich Bischoff, Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Academic Leader Success, and Christopher Marks, Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs.