Published on Aug. 25, 2022
Chairs Retreat
The Office of the Provost hosted the annual Chairs Retreat on August 17 for both new and returning chairs. Alex Socarides, associate provost for academic programs, presented sessions on support for chairs, including weekly office hours, an annual professional development speaker, Chairs Council and chair cohorts. Candace Kuby, associate provost for faculty success, gave an overview of faculty awards, recognitions, and faculty development programs. Senior Vice Provost Matt Martens discussed MizzouForward, research and development leave and Promotion & Tenure. There were additional sessions in the afternoon on important initiatives, for 2022-2023, including external awards, supporting student success, assessing departmental service labor, and faculty and staff wellbeing. The retreat ended with a reception at the Residence on the Quad.
New Faculty Orientation
Workshops for new faculty began over the summer with virtual sessions in June on the topics of HR, benefits and wellness resources on campus. In July, the libraries and Teaching for Learning Center offered virtual presentations on supporting new faculty members. All of these previously held virtual sessions are still available for viewing on the New Faculty webpage.
The first in-person event was a welcome reception held on Tuesday, August 9th, at the Residence on the Quad. You can read more about this event on President Choi’s blog.
On August 10-11, new faculty attended in-person sessions of their orientation at Memorial Union. Each morning, there were speakers on topics such as the Division of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, building a community as new faculty, and Provost office support programs for new faculty. Roundtable discussions with administrators and colleagues were held over lunch. Breakout rooms had sessions on the libraries, NextGen Precision Health, the News Bureau, and international faculty at Mizzou. Each afternoon ended with either research or a teaching focus that all new faculty were welcome to stay for.
Several of the panelists and speakers had tips and recommendations for new faculty as they begin their first semester at Mizzou. A panel of recent new faculty called “If I Knew Then, What I Know Now” shared advice gleaned over the course of their first year. Protecting your time and your wellbeing was a common theme—suggestions included blocking out time for yourself, setting goals for the semester, and making connections with other faculty, both inside and outside of your department. Dr. Tom Spencer, Vice Chancellor for Research & Economic Development, recommended that faculty should “never be afraid to ask for help.” He presented on the research support, professional development and mentoring programs available to faculty through the Department of Research, Innovation & Impact.
An open house in Jesse Hall ended the orientation, where campus administration offices greeted new faculty and all were treated to Buck’s ice cream in the rotunda with President Choi and Provost Ramchand.
Video recordings of most of the in-person orientation sessions will be available soon on the New Faculty Canvas site.