Message from the Office for Faculty Success |
Greetings Colleagues,
You will soon have an opportunity to participate in a survey of faculty job satisfaction. This survey research is part of a national program called the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), which has been operating from the Harvard Graduate School of Education since 2003.
We realize there are many surveys that faculty are asked to complete. COACHE is different in that it is designed to determine current job satisfaction compared to faculty at peer institutions. Your views are important to us as we work to attract and retain the best and brightest scholars and teachers, increase the satisfaction of all faculty, and make UNT a great place to work. Participation will entail completing a 25-minute web-based survey. You will be hearing more about COACHE in coming days.
Best,
Bertina Combes
Vice Provost for Faculty Success
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Upcoming Events in Faculty Success |
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Click on an event below to learn more and register. Be sure to check the
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We Want to Celebrate YOU! |
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External Award Submissions
We know that faculty have been hard at work not only creating courses for students but also advancing their academic careers. Please submit your external award recognitions from 2020 or 2021. External awards are considered to be awards given by entities outside of UNT.
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Anti-Bias and Cultural Awareness Program
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Phase 2: Implementation — Launching Mid-February |
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The second phase of the Anti-Bias and Cultural Awareness Program will be launched mid-February. In addition to bringing various guest speakers to campus, we will also be offering multiple workshops throughout the semester as options for faculty to complete the requirement. We listened to all of your suggestions and have made improvements to the program. Keep an eye out for updates in the coming weeks! |
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COACHE Survey Launching February 2021 |
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What is the COACHE survey?
Why are these surveys important?
The provost is fully committed to using the results to improve the workplace for faculty. These surveys are the first steps of a multi-year process intended to identify actionable policies and practices.
Who will be asked to participate in the COACHE process?
All full-time faculty (tenure-system, lecturers, clinical faculty and librarians).
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Joseph Oppong, Department of Geography and the Environment, was recently recognized by the American Association of Geographers (AAG). He was awarded the Ronald F. Abler Distinguished Service Award for exceptional service to the discipline of geography both in the United States and abroad. Oppong has helped reinvigorate and expand the roles of several of AAG’s key specialty groups, served multiple NSF panels, and been a steering committee member and US representative for the International Geographers Union’s Commission on Health and Environment.
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Faculty Collaboration Receives Top Honors |
Recent collaboration across the College of Music, the College of Visual Art and Design, and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences received top honors from the National Opera Association. The 2019 production at UNT took second place in the graduate level division VI category of NOA’s 2019-20 Opera Production Competition for the best college production in America.
The award recognizes the production and collaboration of UNT faculty in the arts across three different colleges.
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Jonathon Eaton, professor and Margot and Bill Winspear Chair in Opera Studies, directed the project, which translated Mozart's classic tale into the modern era taking themes from the #MeToo movement.
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As set designer, Donna Marquet in the Department of Dance and Theater reimagined the scenery using radical new elements including art projection.
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Barbara Trippeer in UNT's Department of Design coordinated the wonderful mixture of high fashion and character costumes using leading-edge technology from the CVAD Fab Lab.
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Lessons Learned from the Fall Semester |
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Partnering with the Dean of Students |
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As we arrive at the end of this less-than-perfect semester, it seems like a good time to consider lessons we may have learned and whether there might be ways that we could serve our students even better.
The office of the Dean of Students is a glad partner with UNT faculty on many issues, and we are grateful for the strong relationship that has existed for many years between Academic Affairs and DOS. Here are a couple of tips on how we might work together even more effectively:
Absence verification. Faculty sometimes refer students to DOS to help verify absences. This is appropriate for situations that can be documented, such as medical circumstances. However, DOS can’t help with situations that cannot be verified (for example, a student who missed a midterm because they slept through the alarm). These should not be referred to the DOS – the decision is ultimately the faculty member’s to make.
Grading/make-up work. There are times when a faculty member requests that the DOS determine what would be fair or what accommodations should be made for the student. The DOS can explain if accommodations have to be made (Title IX, military, etc.), but in most cases, it is ultimately up to the professor’s discretion. Beyond required accommodations, faculty should consult with their department chair if they need additional guidance.
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Non-Tenure Track Faculty Mentoring Network |
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NTFMN Canvas Page
New this semester, the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Mentoring Network has created a Canvas page to house information about our group. You can use this page to see information about upcoming events as well as access recordings of previous events (including those from Fall 2020). We’ve also begun curating resources that we think might be helpful for faculty.
The page is set up for open enrollment, and you can join using this link:
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Counseling and Testing Services |
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Free Training Sessions for Faculty and Staff |
Counseling and Testing Services (CTS) is offering a number of bi-weekly virtual workshops aimed at helping faculty and staff serve students and better use the resources of the CTS. Topics include practical resilience, mental health, and anxiety in uncertainty.
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Microphones in Classrooms
Heading into the spring semester, we have upgraded our microphone systems. We made these changes with safety, health and audio quality in mind. In the past, we have checked out both microphone cables and body packs to individual professors that could be synced to their classrooms. But now our body packs will stay in the classroom and instructors will need to plug their microphone cables into the top of that classroom’s bodypack. Our old bodypacks and mic cables looked like this:
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If you have an old microphone checked out with us, then you already have the microphone cable that you need. The microphone cable looks like this: |
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You will find that your classroom’s bodypack is in a charging dock along with a spare rechargeable battery pack. Both will be labeled with the room number that they need to stay in. Thank you for helping us to keep the bodypack and battery in the classroom and back on the charging dock for others to use for their classes as well. When you need to use the room's bodypack, you can plug in your mic cable to the bodypack and proceed with using the system.
We will have a bin outside our office at Chilton Hall, Room 243, to drop off old body packs that will not work with the new equipment. Please drop these off at your earliest convenience.
New COVID Hotline
UNT has made some changes to the COVID Hotline. For the latest information about UNT's COVID-19 response, please visit the UNT Health Alerts website.
IClicker Training
IClicker is a student polling solution that can be used for class engagement in both face-to-face and remote or online classes. IClicker training for faculty is available on demand and can be requested by visiting https://go.oncehub.com/iClickerWilliams or emailing [email protected].
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Call for Faculty Advocates |
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Do you want to help make a real difference in the lives of other faculty members? Enjoy working with a diverse range of people? Becoming a faculty advocate may be for you!
As a faculty advocate, you will develop skills that will contribute to your own professional development in the following areas:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Positive and balanced work ethic
- Networking with faculty advocates and mentors
- Organization and planning
- Problem-solving, analysis and investigation
- Leadership
- Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate
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- Service-Learning
- Global Learning
- Undergraduate Research
- Writing Intensive
- Capstone
- Collaborative Projects
- Learning Communities
- Internship
- Common Intellectual Experiences
- First-Year Seminar
If you answered yes, then you may be missing out on an opportunity to help students connect what they learn in your class to what it means for their future by recognizing students’ work as a micro-credential to appear on their learner record. Contact [email protected] to learn about creating a micro-credential for your class!
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News from the UNT Libraries |
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At UNT Libraries, we want students to know that we have more than just academic resources. We also have resources for self-help and wellness. The Help Yourself Campaign (HYC) initiative strives to connect UNT students with library resources on topics that may be difficult and stressful for individuals to learn about or discuss openly due to contextual factors in their lives.
To empower students in their journey toward seeking knowledge and wellness, we compile call numbers and campus resource information on the included campaign topics. On the topic pages in this guide, there are collection highlights that can be used in self-guided bibliotherapy.
We hope these resources empower students to locate and check out these resources from the library in addition to seeking help from student-serving offices on campus or in the Denton, DFW or national communities. We are always interested in adding resources and creating new pages.
In addition to this campaign, UNT Libraries also provides mindful study break programming to help students identify their stress and how their stress impacts their course work and overall wellbeing. Spring programs will be held via Zoom from 1 to 2 p.m. March 31 and April 21, 2021. Registration is encouraged. The program is also part of a research study on mindful programing in libraries.
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Building Student Resilience |
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Course policies help set clear expectations and boundaries for appropriate conduct and are essential for holding all students accountable to challenging standards. However, because policies are often written to outline expectations in a contractual manner with a focus on consequences for breaking them, course policies can sometimes unintentionally signal that students are seen only as “numbers” in the course or that the instructor assumes students will act unethically and irresponsibly. When policies unintentionally send these messages, it can especially lead racialized/minoritized and/or underserved students to experience lower social belonging and greater identity threat.
As you review your course policies, consider using various lenses when considering whether students can comply with your policies without an undue burden being placed on them. Generally speaking, a policy can be considered student-centered when it:
- Communicates respect and care for students as engaged and capable members of the learning community.
- Considers the diversity and complexity of students’ lived experiences by viewing students as individuals whose lives extend beyond the classroom and considering how their different roles can influence their classroom experiences.
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The beginning of a semester brings challenges for those new to campus, but safety should not be one of those challenges. The UNT Police Department strives to provide a safe working and learning environment. We patrol 24 hours a day, every day of the year — even when UNT is closed.
But, what can you do? The number one thing you can do to keep the campus safe is to call us when your instincts alert you to suspicious behavior or actions. This is more than seeing an unfamiliar person on campus — it means seeing a person act in a way that raises a red flag or causes concern. If the behavior or action needs to be addressed immediately, call 911. For an issue that may need to be talked through, we are available at our non-emergency number at 940-565-3000.
We offer online safety awareness presentations to help you, your students, or your academic group learn more about proactive actions you can take. Topics such as how to handle a disruptive individual, emergency readiness training, what to do if you suspect you are being followed/stalked, theft prevention and more can be found on our website.
Please reach out to our community relations officer David Causey at [email protected] or 940-369-7691 for more information. I also encourage you to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to learn more proactive safety tips.
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News from International Affairs |
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Study Abroad Workshop:
Designing a New Faculty Led Program
The UNT Study Abroad Office will be hosting two virtual workshops this spring for anyone who is interested in designing a faculty-led program. Register today!
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UNT Faculty Associate for Fulbright Programs
UNT International Affairs, in partnership with the Office for Faculty Success and the Toulouse Graduate School, has created a new position: Faculty Associate for Fulbright Programs.
The Faculty Associate for Fulbright Programs will support the Director of Global Partnerships and Engagement in the promotion of Fulbright opportunities to faculty and students. The term of the Faculty Associate for Fulbright Programs is March 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021 and includes a payment of $5,000. The application deadline is February 15, 2021. A link to the call for applications can be found at:
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Do have content you would like to share? |
If you have an article or suggestion that you would like to include in the Office for Faculty Success Newsletter, please contact us at [email protected]. |
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Stay in Touch with Faculty Success |
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Our office is responsible for and supports numerous programs to ensure that faculty at all levels are successful in their teaching, scholarly, and leadership endeavors.
We encourage you to explore our website for additional information on specific programming or contact us directly to learn more about the numerous opportunities available to UNT faculty. We are here to foster your success.
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