05.06.2026

FACULTY.UIC.EDU

OVPFA

Welcome to the May edition of the Faculty Affairs Newsletter. This issue brings together timely updates, recognitions, and resources to support faculty as we transition toward the close of the academic year and look ahead to summer. Inside, you will find highlights celebrating faculty achievements, important information about promotion and tenure and Interfolio implementation, upcoming review and reporting deadlines, and opportunities for professional growth, instructional innovation, and wellbeing across campus.

Mike Stieff
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

OVPFA extends its congratulations to the faculty leaders who completed the 2025–2026 Faculty Administrator Leadership Program (FALP). This year‑long program prepares emerging faculty administrators by strengthening leadership skills, expanding institutional knowledge, and fostering peer networks essential to effective academic leadership at UIC.

We commend this year’s cohort for their sustained commitment to reflective practice, collaboration, and professional growth. Their participation represents a meaningful investment in the future of shared governance and academic leadership at the university. OVPFA is grateful for their engagement and looks forward to the impact they will continue to make across campus in leadership roles.

AAAS Fellows (from left) Jun Sun, Zaijie Wang, Nancy Freitag, and Philip Yu.

OVPFA congratulates Nancy Freitag, Jun Sun, Zaijie Wang, and Philip Yu on their election as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is among the highest distinctions in the scientific community, recognizing extraordinary contributions to science and its applications to society.

These UIC faculty members now join a distinguished community of AAAS Fellows that includes leaders such as Maria Mitchell, Steven Chu, Ellen Ochoa, Irwin M. Jacobs, Alan Alda, Mae Jemison, and Ayanna Howard. We proudly celebrate their achievements and the global impact of their scholarship.

Have you or a colleague received a prestigious external award this year? OVPFA invites faculty to submit external award information for recognition at the 2026–2027

Faculty Awards Ceremony and Reception. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.

Recognizing external honors helps celebrate faculty excellence and ensures institutional acknowledgment of achievements across disciplines. Submission deadline: Friday, September 25, 2026

OVPFA continues to make steady progress on the implementation of Interfolio at UIC. As part of the two‑phase rollout, the Review, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) module launched in April and is now required for Promotion and Tenure reviews in AY 2026–2027. Training recordings, support resources, and user guidance are available on the

OVPFA website for both faculty and administrators. These materials are designed to support a smooth transition and clarify new workflows.

Looking ahead to the fall term, the Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR), Web Profiles, and Dossier modules will launch in September. FAR will be available for annual faculty evaluations in AY 2026–2027 and will be integrated into the P&T process beginning in AY 2027–2028.

Use of FAR will be required for the AY 2027–2028 P&T review cycle and will replace the current UIC P&T Dossier Forms. Faculty will automatically generate a “P&T Vita” using their FAR data for submission in RPT. Data entered in MyActivities before June 1 will migrate into FAR profiles for faculty review and confirmation.

OVPFA has announced modifications to Promotion and Tenure (P&T) guidelines, forms, and processes for the AY 2026–2027 review cycle, including the implementation of Interfolio’s Review, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) module. RPT represents a significant change in how P&T cases are assembled and submitted.

Updated P&T materials were posted in April. Detailed instructions for all roles are available in P&T Guidelines, Part IV. A summary of all modifications and process updates is available on the OVPFA website for both faculty and administrators.

The AY 2025–2026 P&T review cycle will conclude shortly. Chancellor notifications will be issued to candidates by May 8. To honor newly promoted and tenured faculty, OVPFA will host its annual celebration for faculty, University Executive Officers, and deans this fall. Faculty recipients will also be announced in the OVPFA Fall Newsletter and posted online.

OVPFA reminds faculty and academic leaders of several upcoming review and reporting deadlines.

Mid‑Probationary Reviews for tenure‑track faculty and Senior Rank Promotion Reporting Forms for lecturers and instructors are due to OVPFA by May 22. These reviews 

play an important role in ensuring transparency, developmental feedback, and compliance with campus policies. Detailed guidance is available on the OVPFA website.

In addition, colleges must complete certifications for all annual faculty evaluations for AY 2025–2026 by June 30. Procedures for the Annual Evaluations of Faculty policy have been updated to include a recommended evaluation timeline and confirmation of probationary year details by Unit Executive Officers (UEO).

Deans are responsible for certifying the completion of all evaluations within their college using the Annual Evaluation of Faculty Certification Form. Colleges using MyActivities must ensure that all faculty enter their data by June 1. The system will lock in June to allow migration of data into Interfolio’s Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR) system.

Faculty will review and update their FAR profiles in the fall. FAR may be used for annual evaluations in AY 2026–2027.

The administration windows for the Summer 2026 Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) surveys across all summer course sessions are now available.

Summer 2026 SET survey open and close dates:

Faculty are encouraged to plan course activities to allow students sufficient time to complete evaluations during these windows. Timely participation supports the collection of meaningful feedback that informs instructional improvement and faculty development.

Summer provides instructors with valuable time to make intentional, manageable updates to their courses. OVPFA encourages faculty to take advantage of support offered through the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE), which is offering a series of pedagogy‑focused Zoom workshops throughout the summer. 

These sessions emphasize practical uses of Canvas to support student engagement, instructional transparency, and meaningful feedback. Faculty will also find additional flexible learning opportunities, including the popular short course Refreshing Your Assignments for the Age of AI. This course now offers a certificate for participants who complete the short course requirements.

Whether you are making small refinements or considering larger instructional updates, CATE’s summer programming is designed to meet faculty where they are and support effective, evidence‑based teaching practices.

Faculty looking to enhance their courses without undertaking a full redesign are encouraged to explore resources offered by the Instructional Design and Media Production Studio (IDMPS).

The IDMPS Quick Win Series is a growing 

set of short, research‑informed guides and videos developed through extensive collaboration with UIC faculty. These resources offer actionable strategies that can be implemented immediately and address topics such as equitable grading practices, authentic assessment design, student‑centered learning activities, and engaging course structure.

Faculty teaching or revising online courses may also benefit from enrolling in Designing and Teaching an Online Course, a free, self‑paced Canvas course. This offering provides practical tools and resources that can be adopted incrementally, without requiring a major course overhaul.

Faculty with questions or who would like to talk through instructional options are encouraged to connect directly with the IDMPS team.

OVPFA is pleased to share two new Administrator Toolkits developed to support department heads and chairs in their leadership roles. These toolkits provide practical strategies, guidance, and resources to strengthen confidence and effectiveness in academic administration. The newly released toolkits focus on:

These resources also complement the final session of the Professional Development and Success Series for Department Heads and Chairs. The concluding session, RAPID Decision Making, will be held virtually on May 19, 2026. OVPFA encourages department heads and chairs to explore the new toolkits and join the session to close out the series.

OVPFA highlights a useful on‑demand professional development resource available through Academic Analytics: Coffee Break Webinar Recaps. Academic Analytics offers brief, focused webinars throughout the year on topics relevant to faculty and academic leaders, including research development, benchmarking, and strategic academic planning. For those unable to attend live sessions, the Coffee Break recap blog posts provide concise summaries and practical takeaways that can be readily applied. Faculty and administrators are encouraged to explore past recaps and consider registering for future Coffee Break sessions to stay informed about emerging tools, trends, and best practices in academic planning and assessment.

OVPFA invites faculty to take advantage of UIC’s institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), a virtual mentoring and professional development resource available at no cost to faculty. For many, summer offers a quieter moment to reconnect with professional goals and explore resources that may have felt out of reach during the academic year. 

NCFDD provides a wide range of programming designed with faculty realities in mind, including live and on‑demand webinars, structured writing support, and opportunities for peer connection. Faculty are encouraged to engage in ways that best support their needs and capacity. OVPFA reminds faculty that professional growth does not require navigating isolated or intensive efforts. Even brief engagement with available resources can create meaningful momentum. 

Micro‑Action Challenge: Take five minutes to explore one NCFDD resource you have not used before – watch a webinar, request a writing buddy, browse the community space, or join a virtual writing session.

Nine‑month faculty members working during the summer are reminded to review their Notification of Appointment to ensure accuracy. This information is available through the “My Employment” section of My UI Info.

Faculty working more than two months and receiving more than two‑ninths compensation are also required to review and electronically sign a Summer Exception Form. This form is initiated by the faculty member’s unit or college human resources office and must be approved in advance of services being provided, in accordance with the Guidelines for Summer Appointments.

Faculty with questions about summer appointments or required documentation are encouraged to contact their unit or college HR office for assistance.

OVPFA invites faculty to stay connected through the Faculty Affairs LinkedIn page, where we share updates on faculty achievements, leadership initiatives, professional development opportunities, and milestones across campus. The page highlights faculty accomplishments, amplifies innovative work happening throughout the university, and provides another avenue for staying engaged beyond individual units. Following and interacting with our posts also helps extend the visibility of faculty contributions across the broader academic community.

The University Senate has issued guidance regarding the use of instructor‑authored teaching materials that financially benefit the instructor. Consistent with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Senate notes that assigning materials from which an instructor earns

compensation may create a real or perceived conflict of interest that can undermine trust and transparency in the academic environment.

To manage these situations, the Senate recommends that colleges establish review procedures that include Unit Executive Officer review of the activity through the University’s Conflict of Interest system and, when appropriate, peer review of the materials. When instructor‑authored materials are approved for use, the Senate further recommends that any royalties or profits generated from student purchases be donated to the UIC Library Fund or a university‑level student scholarship fund. These measures support academic integrity while ensuring responsible stewardship of instructional materials.

UIC Recreation and Wellbeing invites faculty and staff to enjoy free access to campus recreation facilities during Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, held on the second Friday of each month. This includes access to the Student Recreation 

Facility on the east campus and the Sport and Fitness Center on the west campus, along with special programming.

Friday, May 8, marks the final Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day this academic year. OVPFA encourages faculty to take advantage of this opportunity to move, recharge, and connect while exploring the wide range of wellness resources available at UIC.