Welcome New Faculty

Registration for 2009 New Faculty Orientation has closed. Information about 2010 New Faculty Orientation will be posted as it becomes available.

The Office of the Provost welcomes you to New Faculty Orientation to be held on August 18, 2009. At Orientation new full time faculty will learn about the wonderful UH students; meet the campus leadership; and hear important information on available resources. The Orientation is also a great opportunity to meet colleagues from many departments and colleges. We also have a resource fair with representatives from various UH offices that provide materials and answer questions about life at UH.

New full time faculty are required to participate in two orientations, each having very different purposes –
New Faculty (Academic) Orientation and Human Resources Orientation.

The good news is that both orientations have been combined in this single event. For your convenience, the following links provide orientation details and allow you to register (Orientation Information and Registration).

We look forward to meeting you on August 18.

GETTING OFF TO A GREAT START!

Whether you have many years of university experience or just completed your PhD, you are encouraged to attend various learning opportunities being held at the beginning of the fall semester. Dates and times plus registration information will be sent to you starting in August.

Effectively Using the On-line Faculty Center - This hands-on demonstration training prepares faculty and instructors to use the MyUH Faculty Center. This center includes access to class rosters, email communication with students and grading. Following a typical academic calendar, this training prepares end users to associate key functions in the Faculty Center with pertinent semester dates. Topics covered include: signing into My.UH, navigating to the Faculty Center, class and catalog information, grades and Faculty Center email communication.

Division of Research Workshop - The Division of Research will convene a workshop in early October that is designed for new faculty. New faculty will learn about resources that are available in the Division of Research to help develop a research program. Topics that will be discussed are: how to locate funding sources, how to process a proposal, how to develop proposal budgets, how to coordinate with human subjects and animal care committees, how to apply for internal grants and UH procedures regarding the development of intellectual property and technology transfer.

Assistant Professor Forum - Faculty Senate will hold an Assistant Professor Forum sometime in late October-early November. The Forum is an ongoing event designed to elicit comments and suggestions from Assistant Professors on University strategic decision making. Invited participants take part in a morning focus group session and then join their fellow Assistant Professors campus-wide for an afternoon meeting with both the President and Provost focusing on issues that affect Assistant Professors at UH.

QEP Curriculum Development Grant Workshop & Best Practices Showcase - The purpose of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Curriculum Development Grant Program is to support the enhancement of existing undergraduate courses or develop new courses that incorporate inquiry-based pedagogy or research practicum training. Learn about the QEP grant program guidelines and application process. Participate in roundtable discussions with potential collaborators from the UH Libraries, Writing Center, Educational Technology. Learn about best practices from faculty who have implemented research-enhanced courses with QEP funding.

Faculty/Librarian Partnerships - Learn about the many ways you can collaborate with librarians to improve student information skills that lead to their research success - and enhance your QEP-funded course or your application for a QEP grant. From semester-long partnerships to tailored online resources for your course, you will find an option that fits your students' particular needs. Following the presentation, roundtable lunch discussions will provide an opportunity to begin exploring the best ways that subject librarians can partner with you to improve student research, and learn more about successful faculty-librarian partnerships.

Faculty/Writing Specialist Partnerships - The Writing Center Staff will discuss current research and best practices regarding the following topics: Writing Assignment Design and Evaluation Rubric Planning, Writing as Contextual to Each Discipline, Writing to Encourage Critical Thinking, Effective and Efficient Grading: Recommendations and Strategies for Reducing Time Spent Grading Papers.

Faculty/Instructional Designer Partnerships - Instructional designers will share technology resources and tools available for electronic course material delivery. Resources include eInstruction Clicker, Turnitin, Wimba Live Classroom, and podcasting. Topics will also include Blackboard Vista and how to use instructional technology to enhance teaching and the student learning experience.

FDIP Grant Workshop - The Faculty Development Initiative Program (FDIP) provides support to faculty engaged in innovative teaching with technology. The annual grant program provides funding for individual or team faculty projects. In addition, a FDIP Technology and Retention Research award is offered as an incentive for a faculty team to integrate technology into the teaching/learning environment for the purpose of improving student retention. Learn about the FDIP grant guidelines and application process. Learn about models of teaching with technology from faculty with past FDIP-funded projects.

Faculty Technology Showcase - Ever wonder how other faculty are using technology? The Faculty Technology Showcase, hosted by FDIS and College Instructional Designers, will present faculty members from across disciplines presenting innovations and enhancements they have used in their own courses. Faculty learn from their peers how technology can help provide a connection between students and content; how technology can provide solutions to problems with content delivery; and even how, sometimes, technology isn't the answer!