Thompson Center for Learning & Teaching Advancing excellence in teaching and learning at UM-Flint

August 1, 2016

Dear New Faculty Member,

Welcome to the University of Michigan–Flint! To introduce you to your new academic home, the

Office of the Provost and the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching (TCLT) invite you to

participate in an array of activities designed to welcome and help acclimate you to faculty life at UM-

Flint.

New Faculty Orientation – open to all incoming faculty (additional information enclosed)

Wednesday, August 24, 2016 – 9:00 am – 2:15 pm, TCLT, 134 Thompson Library.

Registration and continental breakfast will be available beginning at 8:30 am. Lunch

provided. Parking permits and university ID cards (Mcard) will be provided.

Flint Bus Tour will follow 2:30 – 4:00 pm. The tour will provide insight into the strengths

and challenges of the city and highlight possibilities for engagement. An overview of the

services and support available through University Outreach will be shared.

Human Resource Benefit Orientation Sessions – all new faculty with an appointment of 50% or

greater are required to participate in one of the following sessions (additional information enclosed).

Tuesday, August 30, 1:00 – 3:30 pm, Michigan Rooms, A-B, University Center (UCEN)

Wednesday, August 31, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm, TCLT, 134 Thompson Library

Annual Workshop and Academic Affairs Convocation – open to all faculty and staff.

Thursday, September 1, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Happenings Room, UCEN - Annual Pre-

Convocation Workshop, Why Failure is Essential for Student Learning. Continental

breakfast available at 8:30 am. Lunch provided.

Thursday, September 1, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, University Theatre, 238 French Hall – Academic

Affairs Convocation. Light refreshments available at 1:30 pm.

Registration for all events is required and appreciated prior to August 20, 2016. Registration is

available online at go.umflint.edu/nfo or by phone at (810) 237-6508.

Please review the additional materials enclosed. Directions to campus can be accessed using the

interactive campus map available online at www.umflint.edu/maps/.

We look forward to personally welcoming you as we help you launch what we hope will be a long

and rewarding career at the University of Michigan–Flint.

Best wishes,

Tracy Wacker

Director

303 E. Kearsley Street, 134 Thompson Library, Flint, MI 48502 ~ 810-237-6508 ~ www.umflint.edu/tclt

University of Michigan-Flint

New Faculty Orientation

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

TCLT Seminar Room, 134 Thompson Library (1st floor)

8:30 – 9:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 am Welcome and University Overview

Tracy Wacker, Director Thompson Center for Learning & Teaching (TCLT)

9:15 – 10:30 am Supporting Student Success

Tracy Wacker, Director, TCLT Aimi Moss, Director, Student Success Center

10:30 – 10:45 am Break

10:45 – 11:15 am Developing Mentoring Networks

Heather Laube, TCLT Faculty Fellow for Faculty Mentoring Associate Professor of Sociology

11:15 – 11:30 am Faculty Resource Guide

David Linden, Staff Writer, TCLT

11:30 - 12:00 pm Discussion: Faculty Life at UM-Flint

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

Remarks by Provost Douglas Knerr

~ Following lunch faculty are invited to attend one of the following workshops ~

1:15 – 2:15 pm Blackboard Basics Office of Extended Learning Staff OR The Promising Syllabus: Effective Syllabus Design Tracy Wacker, Director, TCLT

2:30 – 4:00 pm Flint Bus Tour

Hosted by University Outreach

The tour will provide insight into the strengths and challenges of the city

and highlight possibilities for engagement. An overview of the services

and support available through University Outreach will be shared.

Registration required: go.umflint.edu/nfo

Note: Faculty will be able to obtain their parking permit and university ID card during lunch.

The Office of the Provost and the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching (TCLT) invite youto the University of Michigan-Flint’s annual Pre-Convocation Workshop and Fall Convocation

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

PRE-CONVOCATION WORKSHOP8:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast • Program 9 a.m. to noon - Happenings Room, UCEN

Please register online at: go.umflint.edu/preconvo or by phone at (810) 237-6508

WHY FAILURE IS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENT LEARNINGEverybody knows that scientists walk into their labs and immediately make world-changing discoveries, right? And isn’t it true that writers, too, create their magnum opus on the first attempt? Of course not. As academics, we long ago realized that research, discovery, and learning are lengthy processes marked by stops, starts, and a fair degree of failure before we come close to success, however that might be defined by our respective fields and universities. Higher education, on the other hand, does not often allow for this process of learning to play out. Students are frequently asked to achieve, on their first attempts, stellar results on high-stakes, high-pressure assessments. New research on the science of learning is beginning to show us that this strategy does not work well, because it is not how human beings naturally learn. We need to make mistakes before we can get the right answers.

In this presentation, Dr. Joshua Eyler, Adjunct Associate Professor of Humanities, Rice University, will review some of the most important findings in this new area of inquiry and suggest ways that we can generate “opportunities for failure” in our courses so that our students may learn more effectively. Participants are asked to bring with them materials for the classes they’ll be teaching in the fall such as syllabi, course outlines, etc.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FALL CONVOCATION1:30 p.m. Refreshments - University Theatre Atrium • 2 p.m. Program - University Theatre

UNIVERSITY SPONSORED FACULTY AWARDS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEMENT CHEN, Professor of AccountingDavid M. French Professor Award

HIBA WEHBE-ALAMAH, Associate Professor of NursingTeaching Excellence Award

JAMI ANDERSON, Professor of PhilosophyScholarly or Creative Achievement Award

SUZANNE SELIG, Professor of Public HealthDistinguished Service Award

PAMELA ROSS McCLAIN, Assistant Professor of EducationAlvin D. Loving Junior Faculty Initiative Award

VICTORIA MORCKEL, Assistant Professorof Earth and Resource Science

Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Junior Women Faculty Award

JESSICA TISCHLER, Associate Professor of ChemistryLawrence D. Kugler Academic Advisor Excellence Award

KRISTEN CAMPBELL, Program CoordinatorWomen’s Educational Center

Dorothea E. Wyatt Award

AMY YORKE, Assistant Professor of Physical TherapyDr. Lois Matz Rosen Junior Faculty Excellence

in Teaching Award

ANNIE WHITLOCK, Assistant Professor of EducationOlivia P. Maynard and Olof Karlstrom Faculty Award

for Civic Engagement

DENNIS VIELE, Lecturer of Biology2016-17 Collegiate Lecturer Award

MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE UNIVERSITIESSPONSORED FACULTY AWARD

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------JOSEPH SUCIC, Professor of Biology

University of Michigan-Flint Nominee for the Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year

We look forward to your participation in welcoming our new faculty and supporting those colleagues who are being honored for a faculty award, service award, or achieving promotion and/or tenure!

Thompson Center for

Learning & Teaching New Faculty Institute

FALL 2016

In support of your new position with the University of Michigan-Flint, the Thompson Center for Learning & Teaching (TCLT) invites you to participate in the New Faculty Institute.

This program promises to provide highly practical information about university services, stimulating conversation about pedagogical practices, and a network of support from other new faculty members.

The following sessions have been planned for the fall semester. Registration is available at www.umflint.edu/tclt/upcomingevents.

Friday, September 9, 2016, 11:30 am—1:00 pm (lunch provided) TCLT Seminar Room, 134 Thompson Library

Before You Sign-Things You Need to Know from the Registrar’s

Office: An Overview for Faculty — This session will provide faculty with the knowledge and understanding needed to effectively advise students as they make decisions that affect their enrollment and academic progress.

Wednesday, September 14, 5:00—7:00 pm (cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception) Flint Farmer’s Market—Market Tap (2nd floor)

Faculty Social — Come enjoy one of downtown Flint’s finest venues and meet your colleagues. Open to all UM-Flint faculty.

Thursday, September 29, 5:30-6:30 pm (light refreshments provided) TCLT Seminar Room, 134 Thompson Library

How to Write Clear Exams and Prompts— Guidelines for writing clear exams and prompts to improve students’ understanding will be shared.

Friday, October 7, 2016, 11:30 am—1:00 pm (lunch provided) TCLT Seminar Room, 134 Thompson Library

Proposal Development for Internal Grant Funds — An overview of the funds available through the TCLT, Office of Research & Sponsored Programs, and University Outreach will be provided. Tips for developing strong proposals will be shared.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 1:00—2:30 pm (lunch provided) TCLT Seminar Room, 134 Thompson Library

Resources for Teaching International Students— Learn about the UM-Flint on-campus collaborative approach and resources that help international students to adjust socially, culturally and academically.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 12:30-2:30 pm (lunch provided)

TCLT Seminar Room, 134 Thompson Library

Writing Your Philosophy of Teaching Statement — This workshop will address the main features of the teaching philosophy statement and allow for formative feedback from the facilitator and your peers. An optional open lab will follow the workshop from 2:30-4:00 pm to allow for continued development and consultation.

Thompson Center for

Learning & Teaching

University of Michigan-Flint

303 E. Kearsley St., 134 FWTL

Flint, MI 48502

Phone: 810-237-6508

Fax: 810-424-5602

E-mail: tclt-email@umflint.edu

www.umflint.edu/tclt

What’s next?

The institute will continue

in the Winter 2017

semester and be led by

Heather Laube, TCLT

Faculty Fellow for Faculty

Mentoring.

Schedule forthcoming.