University leaders encouraged new faculty members Aug. 21 to embrace U-M’s interdisciplinary community to cultivate their scholarly pursuits and foster student success and equity across campus.
More than 200 faculty members filled the Michigan League Ballroom for the annual campuswide New Faculty Orientation, sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching.
President Santa J. Ono opened the event by welcoming new faculty to the university and congratulating them on joining a community dedicated to scholarly excellence.
“You are joining, I think you know, an extraordinary institution, but it is an extraordinary institution, first and foremost, because of the faculty of the university,” Ono said.
He encouraged faculty members to take advantage of U-M’s interdisciplinary community and its vast resources to add their own mark on the university’s legacy of academic excellence.
“So, take time to talk to people in other schools. Dare to go into places together that no one has ever been before, because that’s the secret of a great university, and that’s the reason why so many that have preceded you have really disrupted and transformed knowledge, scholarship and teaching,” Ono said.
Provost Laurie McCauley said new faculty members will have opportunities to conduct groundbreaking research, impact and mentor students, and interact with fellow academics throughout the university.
“No matter what your academic home is, I’m confident you will find colleagues who are eager to meet you and work together,” McCauley said. “I’m confident you’ll find robust support for your creative practice and research, and I’m confident that a short walk across our campus can often uplift your spirits and provide inspiration and relaxation.”
McCauley said new faculty members have countless opportunities to engage with the local and campus community, and she encouraged them to get involved with the university’s Year of Democracy and Civic Engagement.
“It’s no secret that you’re arriving on our campus at a time when societal tensions run high. No large university has escaped the upheaval of the last year, and we’re now nearing a presidential election,” McCauley said. “So, it’s more important than ever that we as faculty in a great university model the civil discourse, the nuanced approaches, and the respect for one another that we hope to nurture in our students and see in society more broadly.”
The CRLT Players, an interactive theater troupe, presented performances designed to help faculty address the elements of equity-focused teaching: critical engagement of difference, academic belonging, transparency, structured interactions, and flexibility.
Actors re-created instances where students felt isolated due to their teachers’ assumptions about their economic status, intelligence, or sexuality and gender, and a video performance illustrated the importance of a clear, detailed syllabus.
Faculty members then joined breakout groups for discussions led by CRLT consultants and experienced U-M faculty members. Session topics included “Research-Based Practices for College Teaching,” “Teaching to Promote Student Mental Health and Well-Being” and “Leveraging Group Work and Teams to Enhance Student Learning.”
A luncheon featured remarks from campus leaders.
Arthur Lupia, interim vice president for research and innovation, told new faculty members about the resources they can call upon in his office, which funds research, helps faculty find funding, offers grant writing and editing workshops, and offers an array of further resources to help research flourish.
Faculty Senate Chair Rebekah Modrak, professor of art and design in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, explained the organization of faculty governance at U-M and encouraged all new faculty members to get involved to help develop educational policy on campus.
“We really need faculty involvement, especially this year, to ensure that you have rights for academic freedom,” Modrak said.
The event concluded with an Information Fair with representatives from key university offices.
