UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs; Teaching and Learning with Technology; the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence; the Office for Research Protections; and the University Libraries have announced programs for new full-time Penn State faculty. These offerings include initiatives to foster professional growth, build a sense of belonging, and facilitate connections within the University community.
"We are thrilled to partner with colleagues across the University to launch comprehensive opportunities, which combine orientation, mentoring, technology training and skill-building to help ensure a successful start for our new faculty members," said Kathy Bieschke, vice provost for Faculty Affairs. "By providing a supportive environment and valuable resources, we aim to empower our faculty to excel in their roles and contribute to our institution's mission of excellence in education, research and service."
New Faculty Orientation
The New Faculty Orientation (NFO) will consist of a one-afternoon, virtual, live event to be held on Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 1 to 5 p.m., and an accompanying Teams site. The orientation will feature Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and other executives, highlighting the institution's mission as a land-grant university, its multi-campus structure, and its commitment to teaching, research and faculty success. Faculty members will also be able to select their own learning experience and participate in breakouts relevant to teaching at Penn State, the use of technology and AI in the classroom, and interdisciplinary research, facilitating a deeper understanding of the University's vibrant educational community.
New Faculty Canvas Site
The public-facing New Faculty Canvas Site provides vital information for new faculty members, offering insights into more than 25 offices and entities across the University. President Neeli Bendapudi has recorded a warm welcome video, expressing support to new faculty as they start their journey at Penn State.
New Faculty Network
The New Faculty Network, run by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, is a mentoring program to support professional growth and foster connections within the University. By leveraging the expertise of mentors from the Penn State Emerging Academic Leaders program (PSEAL), this program focuses on academic and professional development, knowledge sharing, guidance and enhancing academic performance.
‘Prep & Practice’ Sessions
Teaching and Learning with Technology is partnering with the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and IT Learning and Development to host two “Prep & Practice” sessions to help further empower new faculty members. These sessions will help equip faculty with the necessary skills and knowledge to use technology effectively in their teaching practices. Faculty will learn about syllabus requirements and recommendations, best practices for organizing course content in Canvas, setting up assignments and grade books, and providing meaningful feedback to students.
- “Preparing your Penn State Syllabus," will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 10 to 11 a.m. or 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
- “Introduction to Canvas” will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. or Tuesday, Aug. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Provost Endorsement Program
The Provost Endorsement Program aims to make current large-scale professional development opportunities more easily discoverable and accessible to faculty across all Penn State campuses and colleges and to promote the growth of rich professional development opportunities.
New faculty are invited to participate in any of the programs. The highlighted program below may be specifically beneficial for new faculty.
“Embracing Teaching and Learning with Technology for New Faculty to Penn State" provides access to key teaching and learning with technology resources and support for faculty who are early in their careers at Penn State. Faculty enhance their knowledge of essential teaching and learning technologies, connect with peers across the commonwealth who are also new to the University, and learn about administrative units that support and provide faculty resources to faculty.
Schreyer Institute monthly conversations
The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence invites new faculty at the Commonwealth Campuses to participate in monthly conversations with their peers and Schreyer Institute consultants. Throughout the academic year, group members will discuss topics such as engaging students in the classroom, finding mentors, advising students and using student feedback. In this supportive, collegial community, participants can network with other new faculty members and meet experienced Penn State educators who will share their lessons learned and unique perspectives.
Research integrity and compliance workshops
The Office for Research Protections (ORP) is offering a series of workshops on research integrity and compliance, including how to submit research protocols to the IRB and IACUC for those working with human subjects or animals. The ORP offers additional workshops on navigating the CATS systems and on a variety of research ethics topics.
Copyright and open access workshops
The University Libraries is offering workshops for new faculty on understanding copyright, Penn State’s Open Access Policy, and Open Education Resources (OER) and low-cost materials at the University. Additionally, the libraries offer programming aimed at affordable course transformation, including faculty fellowships and programming and resources on data management and sharing.
For more information about opportunities for new faculty, contact Ann Clements, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs-Faculty Development, at acc13@psu.edu.