NFI Schedule & Materials
2025-2026 New Faculty Institute
Leader: Dr. Michael Sheriff, Director, Office of Faculty Development
Email: msheriff@umassd.edu
Offices: LIB 215 (in the OFD suite) and SENG 330B
Phone: x6534
Office hours: Individual meetings available by appointment (please email)
All NFI meetings take place on Wednesdays from 3pm-5pm in the Office of Faculty Development (Library 212) Seminar Room (unless noted otherwise).
The OFD will provide coffee, tea, soft drinks, and snacks at all sessions!
Many sessions will include interactive trainings and tutorials, so please bring your laptops.
Additional information and materials can be found at New Faculty Institute.
September
Wednesday, Sept. 10: Welcome to UMass Dartmouth
In this initial session we will introduce ourselves, what department we are in, what we are going to teach, and what our scholarship involves.
At 3.30pm, we will be joined by Associate Provosts Shannon Jenkins and Sarah Cosgrove, Vice Chancellor Kimberly Scott, Craig Elkins from College Now, Traci Almeida from our Early College program, and Meghan Fair co-Director of our CAS transition course to introduce you to our school and our students.
We will then answer any pressing questions you may have regarding teaching, Canvas use, COIN access, etc. to ensure you are up and running!
We will end this session by writing out our expectations in teaching, the student body, and scholarship. How do we imagine this year will progress?
Wednesday, Sept. 17: Fundamentals and Best Practices for Teaching
The first hour of this session will focus on how to create a syllabus and course design, clarify how you prioritize course content and activities, and guide the course structure.
In the second hour, CITS’s Instructional Development Team will join us to discuss the services, resources, and workshops that they provide, provide an overview of Canvas, and answer any questions related to its use.
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Student Engagement in a Distracting World
This session will consider strategies to engage students in the classroom and help them navigate challenges, be attentive in a world of continuous distraction, and, ideally, master the material you cover. Whether you teach a larger lecture course, a smaller seminar, or a hand-on practicum, we all share the common goal of engaging our students. Come prepared with your successes to share and inspire and with your challenges for workshopping.
October
Wednesday, Oct. 1: Overview of Student Support and Success (Academic Affairs)
As faculty members, we have our students’ best interests in mind and we want to help them achieve success in concrete and meaningful ways. In this session we will review the numerous services that are available to students both in and out of the classroom.
Associate Provost Sarah Cosgrove, Sokratis Koumas, Sr. Director of the Academic Resource Center, and Ashley Beardsley, Director of the Writing and Multiliteracy Center, will discuss Academic Affairs and the many academic resources available to our students, including the Academic Resource Center, PAL program, Office of Student Accessibility Services, and the WMC.
At 4pm, we will be joined by Dean Nancy Godleski, along with Kari Mofford, Jo-Ann Cooley, Sonia Pacheco, Emma Wood, and Lorraine Heffernan from the Claire T. Carney Library to give an overview of the library resources for students and faculty
Wednesday, Oct. 8: One Month In & Welcome Reception
To start this session, we will meet in the OFD to reflect on how our first month as new faculty has gone. We will share our difficulties, solutions, and successes! We are not alone in this, and sharing can help us discover new strategies going forward. We will be joined by myself, and Assistant Directors Julie Bowman and Katie Krafft.
At 4:00 p.m., we will proceed downstairs to the Grand Reading Room for our annual New Faculty Welcome Reception. We will be joined by Provost Ram Bala, Associate Provost Shannon Jenkins, members of the Office of Faculty Development, College Deans, Department Chairs, and your fellow faculty members. All new faculty will be formally welcomed to the university and introduced by their respective deans — all over wine and cheese!
Wednesday, Oct. 15: NFI Social and Scholarship on Tap
Details forthcoming.
Wednesday, Oct. 22:
Associate Provosts Sarah Cosgrove and Shannon Jenkins, and Dr. Erin Bromage will join us to strategies for effective student advising and maximizing student success, what is roster verification and why is it important, what actions can be taken when a student contests a grade, asks for an incomplete, or plagiarizes, and student conduct and dispute resolution. They will also discuss the use of Slate for student advising.
At 4pm, we will then be joined by Audra Callahan and Ben Bauman from the Registrar’s Office to introduce COIN with a focus on academic advising and grade entry.
Wednesday, Oct. 29: No NFI Meeting this week
Wednesday is Mental Health Day, no classes.
November
Wednesday, Nov. 5: Overview of Student and Faculty Support Communities (Division of Student Affairs)
Join us as we discuss the many support communities across campus for both faculty and students.
Vice Chancellor Kimberly Scott and members of the Division of Student Affairs will share information pertaining to the services and facilities students (and faculty) can take advantage of, including Frederick Douglass Unity House, Career Center, Counseling Center, Health Services, and many other departments within Student Affairs.
At 4pm, Mary Beckwith, David Gomes, and Andre Silva from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will share important information regarding Title IX and DEI initiatives on our campus.
Wednesday, Nov. 12: Sponsored Research and Research Compliance: Processes, Opportunities, and Supports
Join Chief Research Officer Yanlai Chen, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Megan Hennessey-Greene, Research Development Manager Jennifer Glass, Intellectual Property Consultant Rebecca Menapace, Director of Foundation Relations Michele Bolton, and Director of Institutional Ethics and Compliance Stephanie Pena to discuss each unit, how they can support your research, what steps are necessary as your begin to build your research program, and how to ensure you are in compliance.
Wednesday, Nov. 19: NFI Social and Scholarship on Tap at Crow’s Nest pub.
Come and learn about the scholarship of your new peers.
Wednesday, Nov. 26: Maximizing Faculty Success; Meeting with Provosts and Deans
Meet with Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian, Associate Provost Shannon Jenkins, and the deans of your respective colleges to discuss topics related to teaching, scholarship, and service. Looking ahead and planning for the future with a focus on personnel actions, including FARs, contract renewals, tenure, and promotion. We will also discuss strategies for shaping effective teaching, research, and service narratives as well as gathering and documenting supporting evidence.
December
Wednesday, Dec. 3: Reflecting on the Semester
Join us for the last NFI of the semester. We will reflect on our original expectations for the semester, what we have learned, our challenges, and our successes. We will set new goals and expectations for the coming semester.