Onboarding/New Faculty Orientation

Based on climate data from 2016 (COACHE), our office provides ongoing efforts to improve the onboarding experience for new faculty. These efforts include communications and promotions of onboarding events, providing content, and suggesting improvements to programming.

Increased Assessment of Faculty Affairs Events

In an effort to improve our services, our office has increased assessments of events. Feedback is requested for office-related events as well as events we help sponsor. Data from this feedback has resulted in changes in topic offerings, program, and event details.

Faculty Recruitment

In collaboration with Human Resources, our office provides workshops on best practices in faculty searches and hiring to guide academic units in conducting an effective and efficient search. Launched in fall 2018, these workshops are offered each semester and share national best practices, tools, and resources. For the 2019-2020 academic year, we partnered with three faculty from the theatre department to redesign the workshops to include a live skit and discussion.

Tools to Improve Departmental Climate

Piloted as a course in spring 2019, The Dialogues, offered tools and activities to use in group settings to improve unit agency. In fall 2019, the most effective exercises and activities from the spring course were shared in campus workshops.

Activities to Improve Work-Life Integration

Based on data from 2016 (COACHE), our office continues to promote activities that improve work-life integration. From providing content to programs to recommending changes to current policies and procedures, our office understands the importance of and encourages a life-friendly work environment.

Targeted Initiatives to Support Non-Tenure Track Faculty

For 2019-2020, our office focused more attention to addressing the needs of part-time instructors, lecturers, faculty-in-residence, and research faculty.

Fairness in Advancement

We have created tools and guides to support departments in developing clear and transparent tenure and/or promotion standards/guidelines for tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty. Our office will continue to work with departments and colleges to create fair processes for advancement.

Networking and Community

In addition to offering professional development programming, the UNLV Faculty Center serves as a space for faculty affinity groups to network, meet, and host events.

Leadership Development

The curriculum of the Leadership Development Academy and chair training workshops have been improved to include more content related to faculty diversity topics.

Shared Governance

The Committee for Workplace Improvements for Part-Time Instructors (PTIs), established in summer of 2019, is charged with evaluating campus services and resources available to part-time instructors and responsible for making recommendations to appropriate academic and administrative units. The committee is comprised of faculty and staff from the President’s Office, the offices of Faculty Affairs and Human Resources, the UNLV Faculty Center, the Faculty Senate, and PTIs from across the institution.

Onboarding

In collaboration with campus units to host the PTI Orientation, the inaugural new faculty orientation for part-time instructors was held on August 23, 2019. The half-day event features campus talks from the offices of information technology, disability resources, human resources, faculty affairs, the faculty center, the faculty senate, and diversity initiatives. Colleges and departments also held unit-specific orientations to familiarize faculty to unit procedures and processes.

A PTI Faculty Manual lists campus services and resources of interest to part-time instructors.

Networking

The PTI mentoring group meets monthly to provide guidance and discussion on academic and personnel matters.

Onboarding

In partnership with the Onboarding Office, we revised the Getting Started for Academic Faculty Checklist to be more inclusive of the diverse responsibilities/duties of non-tenure track faculty. This checklist describes tasks to complete with your department chair/supervisor in the weeks leading up to your first day of work.

Networking, Community, and Shared Governance

Networking Events and Campus Forums

During 2019-2020, our office held networking events to build community for non-tenure track faculty, and we also coordinated campus forums to understand faculty’s work experiences.

Faculty-in-Residence Mentoring Group

Coordinated through the Faculty Center, the mentoring group meets monthly to provide guidance and discussion on academic and personnel matters.

Google Group and Listserv

A Google group titled Non-TT Faculty was created for our office to communicate directly with all lecturers, faculty-in-residence, and research faculty. All new faculty are automatically added to the listserv upon hire. Please add NonTTfaculty@unlv.edu to your email safe-list. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Non Tenure Track Advisory Board

Established in spring 2019, a call was sent inviting non-tenure track faculty having different appointment types to serve on the board to recommend improvements to non-tenure track promotion processes. Nineteen faculty across twelve different colleges and schools served on the board. In spring 2020, a new invitation to serve will be sent to all non-tenure track faculty. The focus for spring 2020 is onboarding processes.

New Webpage

A new webpage devoted to all matters regarding Non-Tenure Track Faculty was developed in fall 2019.

Promotion Processes

New Promotion Review Cycle Guide (scheduled to launch in 2020)

This guide will outline a promotion process specifically for lecturers, research faculty, and faculty-in-residence. This process was informed by non-tenure track faculty representing colleges and schools across campus.

Resources (guidebook, PPT slides, tips)

For units seeking to develop promotion standards, resources are available. These resources have also been shared directly with department chairs, supervisors, and associate deans of units that do not have promotion standards or guidelines.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity

In 2018, UNLV joined the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) as an Institutional Member. The NCFDD is a nationally-recognized, independent organization that provides online career development and mentoring resources for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students. In 2019, UNLV renewed its membership for a second year.

Branding, Self-Promotion, and Visibility

In collaboration with University Libraries, our office lead a committee on improving online reputation and increasing the visibility and impact of research. With the work of campus-wide committee members, a webpage was updated and an infographic was created for New Faculty Orientation.

UNLV Faculty Center

Established in 2018, the UNLV Faculty Center coordinates faculty development in the areas of research, teaching, and career planning at UNLV. The center promotes the professional development of all UNLV educators, researchers and other academic professionals through a program of research, consultation, events and resources. Campus units, both academic and administrative, work in collaboration to provide the center’s services. In addition, the center also offers mentoring, coaching, social and professional networking, and teaching consultations.

Management Training Academy

Launched in spring 2020, the Management Training Academy (MTA) is a series of courses that builds adaptable leaders who respond more effectively to diverse situations to increase productivity and organizational success. The Office of Faculty Affairs contributed to the development of the MTA and leads several courses offered in the hybrid series.

Leadership Coaching Program

Launched in spring 2020, the Leadership Coaching Program provides campus leaders (faculty and staff) with opportunities to refine existing skills and acquire new skills required to develop and lead a successful, effective organization. The Office of Faculty Affairs contributed to the development of the call for proposals from prospective coaches, and participated in the selection of coaches available to campus.