New Faculty Learning Community
Details
Under the best of circumstances, starting at a new university can be difficult. But that's what you have to do, and the Faculty Development Center is here to help support you as as you do so. In this learning community, we'll discuss how to lay the groundwork for a successful career, in terms of teaching, research, and service, and how you find the right balance. (We'll also discuss work-life balance as well!). Together, we will support one another as we dive into an unknowable but exciting future.
This community meets once a month for about 75 minutes during the academic year.
Program Format
In monthly meetings, we will discuss how to get your EMU career off to a successful start. We will explore how to work through (and embrace!) challenges in teaching, how to get your research agenda off to a good start in conjunction with your other responsibilities (with special emphasis on applying for internal research awards), and how to serve the institution without letting service take over your life. We’ll consider different visions for success at the university, and what you need to do to achieve your vision of the successful career. I hope we can foster a mutually supportive environment in which to openly discuss the challenges, and opportunities, we face in our work.
The seminar will meet once a month. Individual meetings with the facilitator will also help participants to think through the challenges, and joys, of being a new faculty seminar.
The seminar will be facilitated by Jeffrey Bernstein, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center. While he has very few regrets about his time at Eastern, there are some things he wishes he had heard early on that might have made the difference. He’s now eager to share these thoughts with you.
Meeting Information
Meetings will be held on Fridays at 1:00 PM with four dates in fall and four dates in winter semester. Winter dates will be determined at a later time. Meetings will be held in person in 109B Halle (Zoom options available; in-person attendance strongly encouraged).
Sessions will be held on the following dates with their listed agenda:
- September 20: Checking in; how are we managing; survival stategies
- October 11: Research productivity at EMU
- November 1: Setting yourself up for tenure and promotion
- December 13: Taking stock of teaching at EMU; thinking ahead to next semester