The College provides ongoing programs of faculty development specifically for faculty members in the early years of their careers. These programs are designed to provide just-in-time help with the sorts of issues that typically arise in the first few years as faculty settle into new roles. Each of these sessions includes brief presentations by key faculty and staff members but is designed to provide lots of opportunity for questions and collegial conversation.
First-Year Faculty
September: Evaluating Student Work
How do you know if your grading standards are appropriate? How can you provide effective feedback—not just grades? How do you handle situations in which students challenge a grade?
October: Getting Feedback on Your Teaching
How can you most effectively get feedback on teaching from both students and colleagues? How do you design a helpful evaluation form (mid-course or end-of-course)? What resources are available to help get the most out of teaching observations? How should you interpret the feedback you receive, especially when it is challenging? How can you constructively respond to evaluation information?
November: Teaching the Whole Student
What social and emotional challenges do students face in college and how do we take account of them? How do you recognize when students’ personal issues are affecting their work? When and how should you direct them to appropriate resources?
January: Writing Recommendation Letters (open to 1st and 2nd year faculty)
Writing letters of recommendation becomes an important part of our role as teachers. We will look at sample letters, and have advice from faculty members who are skilled in this practice.
- Packet on Recommendations – 2025
- Tool that helps detect gender bias in recommendation letters
- Articles about avoiding gender bias when writing recommendations
February: Cultivating Community while Setting Boundaries
How can you create a classroom atmosphere that fosters a sense of belonging among students? How do you do this while setting clear and appropriate boundaries about your availability? What do you project about yourself in the classroom? How do you find a balance between projecting authority with students and cultivating friendly relationships with them? Please join us to discuss both challenges and strategies for overcoming them.
April: Moodle and Other Instructional Technologies – What are my options?
At this session the academic technologists talk about the Moodle Microskills course, UDL principles, and how to manage files connected to teaching from one system to another (e.g., I taught somewhere else and I want to put stuff from there into Moodle, I am going to use a different system soon)
May: Reflecting on your Teaching
As you think back over this first year of teaching, what was successful and what was not as successful as you had hoped? What would you like to change about your courses for next year? Come share your experiences, and discuss strategies and resources for reflecting on your teaching, connecting your reflection with feedback, and revising courses in a sustainable way.
Second-Year Faculty
October: Fall check-in and Finding Balance
Come to reconnect after summer, and share stories of your adventures in recharging and planning for the new year. We’ll check in on how the term is starting, and talk about setting goals for a balanced load, especially now that committee work and advising are part of the equation.
January: Writing Recommendation Letters (open to 1st and 2nd year faculty)
Writing letters of recommendation becomes an important part of our role as teachers. We will look at sample letters, and have advice from faculty members who are skilled in this practice.
- Packet on Recommendations – 2025
- Tool that helps detect gender bias in recommendation letters
- Articles about avoiding gender bias when writing recommendations
February: Teaching during a review
In this session, we will take on the topic of teaching during 3rd year review observations. How will you talk with your students about the review process? In what ways can you prepare to have additional faculty in the room? How will this affect the classroom dynamic and your efforts to build community and trust with students?
May: Anticipating the 3rd year review
What can you expect from the 3rd year review process? How can you best prepare for it and get the most out of it? Former members of the Faculty Personnel Committee will join us to talk about writing an effective prospectus.