New Faculty Program 2021-22
About the New Faculty Program
Congratulations on joining the faculty at The Ohio State University! The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) is eager to help you launch your teaching, research and service as a Buckeye. Ohio State is excited to be back in person this autumn and looks forward to meeting everyone at New Faculty Orientation (NFO).
This university-level orientation is meant for all newly hired faculty of all ranks and tracks. This event complements any orientation programming offered by your unit, and you are highly encouraged to engage in both.
Ohio State’s New Faculty Program consists of a two-day orientation and an ongoing topical workshop series. All new faculty are welcome at every event, though registration is required. The Office of Academic Affairs will regularly communicate these opportunities via email.
New Faculty Program is designed to prepare all new faculty to confidently begin or continue their work in line with the university’s mission:
- Creating and discovering knowledge to improve the well-being of our state, regional, national and global communities;
- Educating students through a comprehensive array of distinguished academic programs;
- Preparing a diverse student body to be leaders and engaged citizens;
- Fostering a culture of engagement and service.
Ohio State is a large university, with countless resources available to new faculty – too many to pass along in a two-day orientation. For that reason, the New Faculty Program has been divided into a two-day orientation to provide a practical jumpstart and workshops during the spring term to examine important topics more closely.
New Faculty Orientation
Day 1 - Wednesday, August 18
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.)
On Day 1 of orientation, you will learn about Ohio State and many of the resources available to you, including how to launch your first year as a researcher and create an environment for success. You will also hear from fellow faculty who have been in your shoes about building and finding community at Ohio State.
Day 2 - Thursday, August 19
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.)
Ohio State is committed to the advancement of teaching and learning as a core goal of its institutional mission—and Day 2 of New Faculty Orientation aims to support new faculty as they step into their new teaching roles at the university. Led by the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning, the day features workshops on a range of topics, including active learning approaches; effective strategies in lab/field and clinical settings; designing courses and modules in Carmen; and teaching through a diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) framework. New faculty will also have an opportunity to learn more about the Institute’s New Faculty Foundation, Impact, Transformation (FIT) Program and meet FIT mentors.
Helpful resources for new faculty
Frequently Asked Questions
All new tenure-track, clinical/teaching/practice, research, and associated faculty from all Ohio State campuses are encouraged and welcome to attend New Faculty Orientation. This includes those new to the faculty role and those new to Ohio State.
Registration for New Faculty Orientation is required. An email with details about the event will be sent to all registered participants in the weeks prior to New Faculty Orientation.
New Faculty Orientation will be held in the Ohio Union. Several parking and travel options are available for NFO attendees:
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visit CampusParc to purchase a parking pass
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If you have purchased a parking pass, you will park at the Ohio Union South Garage
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If you have not purchased a parking pass, you will park at the Ohio Union North Garage
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the Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) is a free transit service provided by The Ohio State University Transportation and Traffic Management. CABS is dedicated to providing clean, reliable, and hassle-free transportation on and around Ohio State’s Columbus Campus
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the Central Ohio Transportation Authority (COTA) offers discounted fares to Ohio State faculty, staff, and students
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the Columbus area, including Ohio State, is a bike-friendly community. You may choose to find street parking around the campus area and bike to NFO
Although not required, all new tenure-track, clinical/teaching/practice, research, and associated faculty from all Ohio State campuses are strongly encouraged to attend New Faculty Orientation.
The Office of Academic Affairs will provide live captioning for events during orientation. If you require other accommodations such as interpretation to participate in orientation, please contact the OAA digital accessibility coordinator at admin-oaadac@osu.edu or indicate your needs during registration. Requests made 10 days prior to the event will generally allow seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.
New faculty should reach out to their department chair (or dean/director of regional campuses) with questions about department and college orientations. New Faculty Orientation is meant to complement any unit-level orientation programming.
OAA’s New Faculty Orientation provides an overview of resources available to all new faculty across the university. College and department orientations will give new faculty more unit-specific and procedural information.
The Office of Academic Affairs is principally responsible for New Faculty Orientation although the event comes together through the invaluable work of many different offices, chiefly the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. OAA thanks the members of the NFO planning committee for their work in planning this year’s event, including:
- Helen Malone
Vice Provost for Academic Policy and Faculty Resources
Office of Academic Affairs - Kay Halasek
Director, Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning - Stephen Begala
Digital Communications Strategist, Office of Academic Affairs - Madeleine Thomas
Communications Specialist, Office of Academic Affairs - Jody Poth
Program Director, Programs and Partnerships, Office of Academic Affairs - Jason Homan
Program Coordinator, Events and Programs, Office of Academic Affairs - Jo’Vanna Zanders
Executive Assistant, Office of Academic Affairs - Laura Cotton
Program Coordinator, Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning
The New Faculty Workshops will occur in the spring, from January through April, and focus primarily on promotion and tenure processes, particularly relating to documenting your teaching, mentoring, research, and service. These sessions offer faculty a chance to focus on individual aspects of faculty life through interaction with leaders and experts from across campus. Additional information about this workshop series will be communicated to new faculty at a later date.
The Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) offers workshops throughout the year that focus primarily on teaching and instructional practices and mentoring resources for faculty. New faculty are encouraged to take advantage of ITL offerings throughout their teaching practice at Ohio State. Additional information about ITL programming can be found on the ITL website.
The year-long FIT Program comprises both FIT mentoring cohorts and customized programming for new faculty to support them in their teaching roles at Ohio State. FIT mentoring cohorts of three to four new faculty members are led by experienced faculty at the university, all of whom are seasoned—and recognized—teachers and mentors. Cohorts typically meet monthly throughout the academic year.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted campus life in many ways. New Faculty Orientation will follow the university’s safe and healthy guidelines for events and gatherings. Additional information about autumn campus reactivation, vaccine information and safety protocols can be found on the university’s Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.