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|Faculty Enrichment Programs
hosted by the Office of the Provost
Teaching Circles | Instructional Support Sessions
Scholarly Support Sessions | Faculty Mentoring Program
Teaching Circles 2007-2008
Teaching Circles are an opportunity for faculty to get together in an informal setting and discuss issues related to teaching and learning. Each circle consists of a small group of faculty (5 to 12 people) who share a common interest. All faculty, including part time and non-tenure track folks, are invited to join. Each circle will meet twice during the fall and three times during the spring. A facilitator will remind members about meetings and keep the group on track but the facilitator is not expected to prepare a presentation or lecture. All circle members play an equal role in contributing to the circle discussion. Last year was the pilot year for this program, and a total of 45 faculty participated in the four circles. For 07-08, there are six circle options.
The ultimate goal of the circles is to improve the teaching experience for faculty and to enhance the learning experience for students. Through meaningful conversations about teaching, faculty are able to share ideas and strategies. Since the circles are designed to be cross disciplinary, faculty from across the campus work together. Faculty also establish a sense of community with each other and are able to offer support.
To find out more about this initiative or to join a circle, contact Linda Wilson, Assistant Provost, at l.wilson@uta.edu or X2-3838. The deadline for submitting application forms for 07-08 is Tuesday, October 16th.
Instructional Support Sessions Fall 2007
The Instructional Support Sessions are presented by Dr. Mary Lynn Crow, Professor in the College of Education and member of the UT Arlington Academy of Distinguished Teachers. The sessions are open to all faculty, including those who are non-tenure track or part time. At each session, techniques are demonstrated and faculty have the opportunity to participate in the demonstrations. The sessions are listed below, and it is not necessary to attend all the sessions. Pre-registration is required by contacting Mary Peoples in the Office of the Provost at 2-6139 or mpeoples@uta.edu. Handouts and refreshments are provided.
Problem-Based Learning
Friday, October 19
1:00-4:00 p.m.
101 Trimble Hall
Problem-Based Learning involves teaching by posing complex authentic problems which students might encounter in real life. Working in small groups, students work toward solving the problem. This approach responds to the movement toward active learning and a growing expectation that students will be able to use information, not just acquire it. Join us and consider using this powerful classroom process.
Designing Better Ways to Measure Learning Outcomes
Friday, November 2
1:00-4:00 p.m.
101 Trimble Hall
Once you have determined learning outcomes for your course, how do you measure them? How do you determine whether or not and to what extent your students have accomplished the learning outcomes? Check lists, rating scales, and rubrics can be useful. Rubrics, for example, explain to students the criteria against which their work will be judged and makes public the key criteria that students can use in developing, revisiting and judging their own work (Huba and Freed).
Using Small Group Activities in the Classroom
Friday, November 30
1:00-4:00 p.m.
101 Trimble Hall
Cooperative learning? Collaborative learning? Small group interactions? When are they useful? When are they just an excuse for not teaching a well-planned lesson? Can students learn to lead their own small groups? How can students be effectively placed into groups? Research-supported activities will be explained and demonstrated in this session.
Scholarly Support Sessions 2007-2008
The Scholarly Support Sessions are designed to assist tenure-track faculty with their research and creative activities as they move toward tenure and promotion. Seven panel discussion sessions will be held during Fall 07-Spring 08. The discussions feature successful scholars from across the campus plus key administrators. The session topics are listed below and the dates will be posted as they are confirmed. A schedule of events will also be sent to all tenure-track faculty. It is not necessary to attend all sessions.
Lunch is provided prior to each session to allow tenure-track faculty the opportunity to network with each other. Pre-registration is required by contacting Mary Peoples in the Office of the Provost at 2-6139 or mpeoples@uta.edu. For additional information, contact Linda Wilson, Assistant Provost, at l.wilson@uta.edu or X2-3838.
- External Funding and Grant Development
Kelsey Downum, Interim Vice President for Research, and Jeremy Forsberg, Director of Research Administration, will explain the services provided by the Office of Research to assist faculty in their research and creative activities. - The Faculty Profile and Collaboration
Individuals from the Office of Research will demonstrate the recently developed “faculty profile” tool and discuss how it can be used to facilitate research collaboration. - Interdisciplinary Research I
A panel of faculty from various academic units who are involved in interdisciplinary research will talk about building partnerships and discuss their experiences including how they found each other and the advantages of working across departmental lines. - Interdisciplinary Research II
A second panel of faculty from various academic units who are involved in interdisciplinary research will talk about building partnerships and discuss their experiences including how they found each other and the advantages of working across departmental lines. (While the topic is the same, this is not a repeat of the session above.) - Strategies for Developing Scholarship and Creative Activities
A panel of Distinguished Scholars and other senior faculty from across campus will discuss strategies for research and creative activities that have worked for them and pitfalls to avoid. - Understanding Tenure and Promotion Requirements and Procedures
Interim Provost Elsenbaumer, Dean Cohen, and Interim Vice President Downum will explain the Tenure and Promotion process at UT Arlington and answer questions. Academic Deans will also be available to answer questions. - Tenure and Promotion from the Perspective of Recently Tenured Faculty
A panel of four recently tenured faculty from a variety of disciplines across campus will share their experiences and strategies for success.
Faculty Mentoring Program 2007-2008
The purpose of the university-wide Faculty Mentoring Program is to create a link between newly-appointed, tenure-track faculty and respected, tenured UT Arlington faculty. It is anticipated that the program will improve the overall university experience for mentored faculty, compared with non-mentored faculty.
Specific objectives of the program are to:
- Accelerate the time required for new faculty to acclimate to the university
- Increase the level of productivity for new faculty
- Enhance the likelihood of retaining new faculty
- Facilitate the achievement of tenure and promotion for new faculty
- Improve the quality of education provided to students
These outcomes are consistent with literature which reports that mentored faculty experience higher levels of job satisfaction, better student evaluations, greater academic productivity, and stronger likelihood of remaining at a particular university than non-mentored faculty. In addition, the benefits of mentoring are reciprocal with faculty mentors acknowledging considerable personal and professional satisfaction from involvement in such a program.
Each fall, tenure-track faculty who have been at UT Arlington for three years or less have the option of requesting a mentor. Mentors are matched with mentees from outside their college or school and optional social events are available as part of the program. For 2007-2008, 49 tenure-track faculty are matched with a mentor. For more information about the program, contact Linda Wilson, Assistant Provost, at l.wilson@uta.edu or X2-3838.
