Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to Dave Cotter for helping me begin to learn the ropes of my new role as Director of Faculty Development.

Mostly, these emails are sent periodically to make everyone aware of what is being offered and is coming up in regard to Faculty Development resources. You can always click on our website to find events posted there as well. 

As I navigate my new role, I want to briefly say something about how I'm seeing my responsibilities in this new position.

Many of us are feeling increasingly overburdened and burned out due to the overall situation in Higher Education and what seems to be the always accumulating number of things we are asked to do in our faculty roles.  

I am hoping that what is offered in Faculty Development can be a resource for making our jobs easier, and if possible, helping us feel more connected to our intellectual passions. I took on this position because I myself, and many colleagues I talk to, feel stretched to the limits, disconnected from the energy we once had, and sometimes disconnected from our colleagues too. I wish we all were able to teach fewer courses, take on less advising work, and have more time to read, write, and think. I'm not offering that, but the College has developed an infrastructure to help us. 

What Denise Snyder offers in LDDI is a great example. Putting in a bit of time to learn new ways to design our courses can yield efficiency in assessment (less grading!  less time spent on grading!). Working with Mercedes Susi can make your grant proposals much more competitive (and you can find out what grants are possible!). Participating in a Faculty Research Network week-long summer course in New York city can give you a great new idea for a course, or segment of one. These seminars, for me, have also extended a lifeline back to my scholarly interests. Working with our expert library colleagues can save you from having to hold the hands of your students as they learn to do library research. Getting help from Tom Jordan and Joe Johnson on advising and student writing is not only valuable for students, but can also save us time and energy. 

Union has also joined other networks like the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium that offer resources and connections with faculty outside of Union. There is also the NCFDD (National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity) which is entirely online. I had not joined the NCFDD until just last week and I'm finding that what they offer there is remarkable.  Find out for yourself by taking two minutes to join. Instructions on how to join are at the end of this email.

I urge you to reach out to me personally if there is anything you think I should be pursuing in this position that could help you find, reconnect to, or enrich your own priorities.  

None of the events we offer are ones you have to add to your already overburdened schedules. But if you find the time, you may find they can save you time, or better yet, help you feel more connected to colleagues here at Union and beyond Union too.

Here's what's coming up:

10/16 HHMI IE3 All Faculty Luncheon, Hale Dining Room

Join Professor Nicole Theodosiou, project director of Union's HHMI IE3 grant, and her leadership team from 12–1:45 PM. in Hale Dining Room, where we will share our plans for year 3, hear from you about what your needs are, and engage in a discussion about what a Student Partners program could look like at Union. Lunch is free, complements of the HHMI grant.

10/17 Teach & Learn with Apple

All faculty are invited to learn from Apple’s leadership executive, Dr. Ian Camera for two engaging events designed to enhance your teaching with innovative Apple technology. 

Both events are sponsored by the Learning Design & Digital Innovation team. No need to RSVP for either event on 10/17—just come by. 

Part 1: iPad Power Up! 

When: Thursday, October 17
Time: 12:50 – 1:45 PM
Where: Wold 128

Discover cool tips & tricks, hidden features, and innovative ways to use iPads in your classroom and beyond. Bring your iPad (or borrow one from the Library—contact Amy Hathaway) and your questions! LUNCH WILL BE SERVED! 

Part 2: Beyond Reality: Apple Vision Pro Demo

When: Thursday, October 17
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Where: Imagine Lab (Wold, next to Starbucks)

Join an engaging guided demonstration of the new Apple Vision Pro! This is a fantastic opportunity for faculty members interested in exploring its features and capabilities.

10/22: Get an ORCID ID

Faculty, do you have an ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID)? An ORCID is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) that you can use as you engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities. The ORCID is used as a hub to connect researchers with their professional activities and contributions. Drop by the Wold Atrium on Oct. 22 from 10-1 to get your ORCID. Members of Schaffer Library will be available to help you register for an ORCID and learn more about what it can do for you.

To join NCFDD through Union's institutional membership:

As always, if you have ideas for events, or ones you would like to publicize, share them with facdev@union.edu. To keep  track of these you can sync up the Google calendar feature which will allow you to see Faculty Development events (including General Faculty Meetings, and Faculty Fora) right in your Google calendar. 

All the best,

Lori Marso