01.07.2026

FACULTY.UIC.EDU

OVPFA

In This Issue

Welcome again to the University of Illinois Chicago. We are delighted to have you join our faculty community and look forward to the contributions you will make to our teaching, research, and service mission. This newsletter is designed to support you as you begin your work at UIC and includes important information about human resources policies, faculty benefits, compliance requirements, and campus resources that will be essential to your success. We encourage you to review it carefully and keep it as a reference during your first year.

Mike Stieff
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

As you settle into your first year at UIC, it can be tough to get a clear sense of how your teaching is landing. The Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE) offers three complementary pathways for formative feedback, each designed to give you insight from a different perspective: peers, students, and CATE experts. Through Teaching Partners, you partner with a colleague of your choice who observes, reflects, and shares strategies, giving you supportive peer feedback and a built-in teaching community. Our Mid-Semester Student Feedback process provides research-informed, confidential insights directly from your students, helping you understand what’s working and what could be adjusted while there’s still time to make a difference. For a deeper dive, CATE in the Colleges embeds our educational developers within academic units to offer individualized consultations, tailored guidance, and expert feedback on course design and instruction. 

Together, these three opportunities can provide you with well-rounded feedback on your teaching and actionable next steps. Whether you’re refining a course, building confidence in the classroom, or simply looking for a sounding board, CATE is here to support your growth with formative feedback that’s practical and timely. 

The Instructional Design and Media Production Studio (IDMPS) helps instructors bring creativity and technology into their teaching. Through project partnerships, faculty can enhance course development skills and explore new approaches.

Our instructional designers specialize in assessment design, backward planning, and curriculum mapping. Media experts and state-of-the-art production spaces

support the creation of engaging content, such as micro-video lessons, screencasts, and lightboard annotations.

Interested in online, asynchronous courses? UIC’s Online Initiative expands access to education through collaborative course development. Inquire with your department head or college leadership if collaboration opportunities exist within your unit for developing new online, asynchronous courses through Extended Campus and The Studio. Connect with IDMPS and schedule a 15-minute virtual consultation to discuss ideas and goals.

Student evaluations are a voluntary, anonymous way for instructors to gather student feedback of their teaching and improve their course instruction delivery. Surveys are completed online near the end of the term based on the course evaluation timelines.

Students receive email invitations with a unique link and may also access surveys via the Blackboard Class Climate dashboard (note: UIC is transitioning to Canvas). Faculty  

are encouraged to explain the value of feedback and, when possible, set aside class time to boost participation.

Evaluation reports are emailed to instructors after grading deadlines (see the Academic Calendar) and should be saved for promotion & tenure, annual review, and course improvement purposes. Contact your departmental point of contact if a report is misplaced.

Have you taken the opportunity to learn about where to find information on the different benefits available to you as an employee and a faculty member? MyUIInfo has many important pieces of information related to general employment, including your profile information (address and personal information), your pay (earnings statements and W-2), your benefits (health coverage and retirement plans), as well as a link to your Notification of Appointment (NOA). Additionally, Section 5 and Section 6 of the UIC Faculty Handbook has key information on policies for faculty on appointments and leave time that may be useful during various career and life stages at UIC.

Start the new semester with resources designed to support you in your first year and beyond. Our Faculty Resources page brings together key information related to campus orientation, teaching guidance, onboarding tools, and campus policies – all in one place. Whether you are still getting settled or looking ahead to upcoming milestones, you will find helpful links, upcoming opportunities, and points of contact to assist you. We invite you to explore the page and bookmark it as a go-to reference throughout your time at UIC.

As you begin your new role, it’s important to think intentionally about building a strong professional network. Mentoring at UIC is designed to support faculty success through a constellation of relationships rather than a single, long-term match. Identifying the right mentors for specific needs – such as

research, teaching, leadership, or career development – can have a meaningful impact at different stages of your career.

To support this approach, the Campus-Wide Mentoring Taskforce has developed recommendations and resources that strengthen mentoring practices across the university. One such resource is the UIC Mentoring Map, an interactive tool that helps faculty identify potential mentors in key areas and shape a mentoring network aligned with their goals. We encourage you to explore the map, reflect on where guidance would be most valuable, and begin building a network that supports your long-term growth.

Mentoring is also a core component of UIC’s faculty development framework. Faculty are encouraged to establish individual mentoring plans early in their careers and revisit them as they approach mid-probationary and Promotion & Tenure (P&T) reviews. Each faculty member should consult their Unit Executive Officer (UEO) regarding unit- or college-level mentoring policies and expectations.

At the university level, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (OVPFA) oversees the UIC Mentoring Policy and provides foundational resources, including P&T mentoring workshops offered as faculty prepare for review.

Looking ahead to building your scholarly visibility and positioning yourself for future national or international recognition? Our Pathways to Highly Prestigious Awards page is a great place to start. These resources are designed to help faculty understand award nomination processes, timelines, and best practices – and can support early conversations with department heads or mentors about long-term goals. Have questions or need help getting started? Don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Promotion and Tenure (P&T) norms and criteria are essential for every faculty member to review and understand early in their career at UIC. Norms and criteria serve as the framework for evaluating progress toward promotion and/or tenure. They are used as a rubric for mid-probationary and pre-promotion reviews, and ultimately the P&T review.

It is strongly recommended to discuss norms and criteria with the Unit Executive Officer (UEO), such as a department head or chair, to ensure clarity and alignment. UEOs should provide unit- and college-level norms and criteria promptly. If they have not yet been received, reach out to your UEO. A clear understanding of what is expected is key to planning a successful academic trajectory.

Accurate documentation of your professional activities is essential for annual evaluations, mid-probationary and pre-promotion reviews, and the Promotion & Tenure (P&T) review. Starting early ensures you are prepared when these milestones arrive.

To streamline this process, UIC is implementing Interfolio, a comprehensive platform designed to support faculty reporting and review. Two key modules will be introduced:

The work to implement Interfolio at UIC is underway, with the goal of launching the system for the 2026–27 academic year. More information, including demo videos and learning resources, will be available on the OVPFA website soon.

UIC is committed to supporting your scholarly success, visibility, and long-term professional growth. As you begin your career at UIC, we encourage you to explore the tools available through Academic Analytics that can help you showcase your work and identify future opportunities.

Faculty Insight is available to all tenured and tenure-track faculty, providing customizable research profiles built from verified data on publications, grants, and scholarly contributions. Medical Insight is 

available to all faculty within the College of Medicine. These platforms can help you:

These tools are valuable for planning your scholarly trajectory and initiating conversations with your department head or mentor about long-term goals. If you have questions or notice missing or inaccurate information in your profile, please contact Jeff Neel for assistance.

As part of your onboarding, we encourage you to activate your complimentary institutional membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). Membership provides on-demand core curriculum, evidence-based productivity tools, and professional development resources designed to support your success at every career stage. Activate your account at ncfdd.org and explore resources immediately available to you. 

Upcoming Recommended Events: NCFDD is offering two early-semester sessions focused on aligning your time with your priorities and setting a realistic plan for the term: 

Additional On-Demand NCFDD Resources Include: Core Curriculum modules on scholarly productivity, strategies for healthy work habits, and navigating faculty roles, the Hidden Handbook with quick tips, and on-demand webinars such as 5 Secrets to a Super Productive Semester help you get your semester and your academic career off to a great start! We encourage new faculty to take advantage of these resources from NCFDD as you establish routines, plan for milestones, and strengthen your professional support systems here at UIC. 

If you were unable to join us for New Faculty Orientation – or would like a look back at the day – we invite you to view photos from the event now posted online. The gallery offers a snapshot of the energy, engagement, and connections formed as we welcomed our newest colleagues. We hope you enjoy revisiting these moments from the start of the academic year. The Gallery password is: provostwelcome25

Consider starting your new wellness routine right here on campus! UIC Recreation & Wellbeing invites all faculty and staff to enjoy the upcoming Try-It-Free weeks at the Student Recreation Facility (SRF) and the Sport & Fitness Center (SFC).

In partnership with Creative and Digital Services, Strategic Marketing and Communications offers two days each semester for faculty and staff to receive professional, free headshots. You must sign up in advance and on-site image previewing is available to select your preferred final image during the photo session.