Hurley Administration Building on a snowy winter day

Faculty Success Newsletter

December 2024

Message from the Vice Provost for Faculty Success


Greetings Mean Green Colleagues,


As we wrap up another exciting semester, one of the highlights is celebrating student graduations! You may find your name on the Great Grads website, which showcases some of our graduating students. Students often shout out the faculty members who impact their lives at UNT.


Your Faculty Success team continues to support you through our 3Cs — cultivating your community, supporting your capabilities, and advancing and celebrating your career. This fall, we launched the reimagined Faculty Mentoring Program (read below for some spring meetings), created three focus area groups aligned with our COACHE 2024 Survey results, launched our Academic Workload Initiative, brought back our University Teaching and Learning Forum, and expanded our Conference Support funding to include professional faculty. We are also close to announcing our 2025 Salute to Faculty Excellence Award recipients and are green with pride to spotlight how our faculty soar in teaching, research, service, and leadership.


Our newest initiative is introducing Faculty Learning Communities (FLC), an opportunity for full-time faculty to join one or more faculty groups focused on professional development. The first step is to complete the FLC Inquiry Form, and Faculty Success will organize and connect these groups within a week of classes resuming in January. 


If you’ve not yet explored the National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development (NCFDD) free resources, I urge you to activate your membership. One of my favorites is “Every Semester Needs a Plan,” which is all about setting up a semester strategic plan to focus on your writing goals, manage work life, and balance your teaching and service responsibilities. Perhaps a good Winter Break exercise to start the spring term off on a good talon!


Finally, in case you missed it, this year's holiday video features UNT's incredibly talented One O'Clock Lab Band and reminds us that There's No Place Like UNT for the Holidays.


We wish you a happy, relaxing, and safe winter holiday from our nest to yours. 

Talons Up!

Holly Hutchins signature

Holly Hutchins, Ph.D. (she/her)

Vice Provost, Faculty Success

Portrait of Holly Hutchins

On the Calendar

Dec. 18

Counselor Consultation Hour for Faculty and Staff (Virtual)

Counseling and Testing Services

Jan. 6

Engage and Empower Students with iClicker from Day One

DSI CLEAR

Jan. 7

Tuesday Talon Tidbits

Faculty Success

Jan. 8

Start from Day One Empowering Authentic Student Voices: Enhancing Writing with Packback Deep Dives

DSI CLEAR

Jan. 9

Spring New Faculty Orientation

Faculty Success

Jan. 27

Application Deadline for Spring Conference Support

Faculty Success

Faculty Spotlights

A group of CVAD faculty and alumni are supporting Denton's local arts community at the Denton Maker Center, a unique space they opened this fall. Led by faculty members Umut Demirgüç Thurman and James Thurman — and featuring UNT faculty, staff, and alumni instructors — the center has already hosted dozens of workshops and offers a store where local artists sell their items.

Umut Demirgüç Thurman and James Thurman lead a class at the Denton Maker Center
Ram Dantu and Cihan Tunc lead a discussion with students

UNT researchers, led by computer science and engineering faculty members Dr. Ram Dantu and Dr. Cihan Tunc, received nearly $3 million in funding from the Department of Defense to modernize its hiring processes using AI, with the ultimate goal of safeguarding national security.

Caring Colleagues


As we head into Winter Break, warm up with these messages of gratitude from UNT faculty.


Spread some joy this season by thanking a faculty mentor or colleague.

Silhouette of a person holding a giant heart balloon

For Dr. Sian Brannon, UNT Libraries:

 

Sian was my faculty mentor for my first year at UNT and has continued to support, guide, and advocate for me as I head into my second year here. She cares deeply about the university and the libraries and helping her colleagues succeed. Plus, she's a lot of fun to work with!

 

Dr. Tiffany Davis Norris, Head of Research Support Services, UNT Libraries

For Dr. Jill Harold, Technical Communication:

 

Jill has been an invaluable colleague and Director whom I can consistently rely on for guidance and advice. Her dedication to education and ensuring faculty members always have the information and resources they need to effectively do their jobs is worthy of recognition.

 

Bradley Kralik, Adjunct Faculty, Technical Communication

For Dr. Haley Zettler, Criminal Justice:

 

Haley is my faculty mentor and exceeds what it means to be a mentor. She has answered every single question I have had, has shared beneficial resources with me, and has patiently walked me through a number of tasks — without hesitation. As a first year assistant professor on the tenure track, Haley has reassured me that I am where I need to be and I feel grateful to have her as a mentor (and down the hall). Thanks for your support, Haley!

 

Alessa Juarez, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

An interdisciplinary team of UNT researchers led by Dr. Elias Mpofu, professor of rehabilitation and health services, will study the real-world community living priorities and capabilities of adults ages 55 and older with autism. They hope the results of their project, funded by the U.S. National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, leads to more fulfilling life situations.

Faculty Mentoring Program

Faculty mentoring open discussions


Faculty Success encourages all participants in the UNT Faculty Mentoring Program to complete a new asynchronous faculty mentoring training.


Faculty members who complete the training are invited to participate in an open discussion with colleagues at 1 p.m. Jan. 21 (Faculty Lounge, Union 249) or 1 p.m. Jan. 22 (request a Teams link). And if you complete the training by Jan. 22, you will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of Avesta tickets!


If you have any questions about the training or the UNT Faculty Mentoring Program, please email marcella.clinard@unt.edu.

Hurley tower framed by trees

Campus News

American Athletic Conference Research Grant Program

As members of the American Athletic Conference, UNT researchers are eligible to apply for the 2025-26 Research Grants program, which offers up to $15,000 in funding for scholarly work related to student-athlete well-being. The conference is particularly interested in collaboration across AAC institutions. A letter of support from a senior member of the Athletics department is required.

North Texas flag flying in the stands during UNT football game

To learn more, contact UNT’s Faculty Athletic Representative, Dr. Christy Crutsinger. Proposals are due Jan. 19, 2025.

OER Development Grants

 

As part of UNT's support for affordability, the UNT Libraries is pleased to announce a call for applications for OER grants to support the use of open educational resources in UNT courses. This program supports UNT faculty who do one or both of the following for a course that they expect to teach at UNT in the future:

  • Newly adopt or adapt an openly licensed textbook or other OER
  • Adopt, adapt, or create ancillary materials to an existing open textbook or other OER

Grants of $1,000-5,000 may be awarded, depending on the scope of the project. Visit the Open Access at UNT website for eligibility, grant terms and a link to the application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until May 1, 2025.


If you have questions, please contact scholarlycommunication@unt.edu.

Summer 2025 Fulbright-Hays Seminar applications due Jan. 7, 2025

US Fulbright Program logo of blue globe

The Fulbright-Hays Seminar, Building Bridges Across the Aegean: Cultural Heritage and Sustainability Seminar in Greece and Türkiye, provides U.S. educators with an opportunity to participate in a four-week seminar examining sustainability, climate change, cultural heritage preservation and sustainable tourism for the purpose of internationalizing curriculum and courses.

From the UNT Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate is vital to ensuring faculty participation in shared governance of the university, promoting and protecting academic freedom for faculty, overseeing curriculum, reviewing university policies, coordinating with administration to communicate information regarding matters pertinent to faculty, and recommending improvements in the work environment at UNT. Serving on the Faculty Senate and/or on its many standing committees counts as service to the university under workload agreements and demonstrates faculty commitment to the UNT System values We Care, Better Together, and Show Your Fire.


We invite you to become our partner in improving the university and making the faculty perspective heard. Feel free to reach out to your Faculty Senate group and at-large representatives, officers, or the Senate office with questions or concerns.

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Stay Connected

We want to hear from you!


If you have suggestions or items you'd like us to feature in our newsletter, please email faculty.success@unt.edu by the 25th of each month. You also can find us on X: @UNTFacSuccess.


Faculty Success supports UNT faculty in developing their professional community, enriching their capabilities and advancing their careers.

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