LAS New Faculty Teaching Program

We invite faculty and instructional staff who are in their first 3 years employed in the College of LAS to participate in the LAS New Faculty Teaching Program to gain foundational knowledge of best teaching practices, implement and gain feedback on teaching practices, and find support among LAS faculty peers --  we welcome any LAS faculty or staff who teach courses to participate, including tenure stream, specialized faculty, academic professionals, program coordinators, academic advisors, postdoctoral researchers, at any ranks.

Program Overview

The Fall 2026 Cohort of the LAS New Faculty Program will consist of 10 sessions on Thursdays, 12:30 - 1:50pm from Thursday, September 3 - Thursday, November 19, 2026 (2 off-weeks, to be determined) at Lincoln Hall.

Each 80-minute session will consist of an interactive presentation on best teaching practices along with small group discussion, question & answer panels, and/or workshop time. Topics include student learning outcomes, student engagement, assessing student progress, lesson planning, summative assessment, academic integrity, digital accessibility, and reflective teaching practices. 

Sessions are led by the Dean's Fellow for Educational Excellence, LAS Educational Excellence Mentors (experienced LAS faculty members), and guest speakers.

Lunch will be provided at each session for participants.

Eligibility & applications

Seating is limited, so applications are solicited. All faculty and staff ranks, appointment types, and experience level are welcome, including tenure-stream faculty, specialized faculty, academic professionals, academic advisors, postdocs, visiting faculty, as long as they meet the following criteria:

• Are, or will be, teaching a course in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS)
• Are in their first 3 years of teaching in the College of LAS (hired from January 2024 to present)
• Will commit to the "Participation Expectations" (below)

Submit your application here: Fall 2026 Application for LAS New Faculty Teaching Program.

• Priority deadline for full consideration: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
• Rolling deadline if seats are still available: Monday, August 31, 2026, 12:00pm

Participation expectations

Participants are expected to make the following commitments:

• Attend at least 7 of the 10 sessions
• Please plan your schedule to accommodate arriving on time and staying for the entire session; attendance will be recorded for "program completion" and program metrics.
• Come to sessions prepared to be an active participant (i.e., no multitasking)
• Be respectful of diverse perspectives on teaching and "best" practices

Opportunities

Participants who successfully engage and complete the program will benefit in multiple ways:

• Receive a badge from LAS on Accredible to share on LinkedIn and other social media platforms
• List completion of the program as an accomplishment/professional activity for your Annual Faculty Review and Promotion dossier; department Executive Officers will be notified of successful completion of their faculty
• Be a part of a teaching community with your cohort and beyond
• (Optional) Develop a basic teaching portfolio and receive feedback from experienced faculty
• (Optional) Priority to participate in classroom observation or feedback groups in Spring 2027