New Faculty Orientation

Overview

This new faculty orientation program was designed with the needs of new hires in mind. It utilizes adult learning theory to involve faculty and give them the tools they need to be confident and successful in their role.

  • Audience: new faculty members

  • Responsibilities: research, curriculum development, training implementation, ongoing faculty support

  • Tools Used: Miro, Canva, Zoom  

infographic of new faculty orientation showing problem and solution for onboarding

Problem and Solution 

New hire orientations used to be online lectures, which often led to employees not retaining information or losing focus. By using small group onboarding and one-on-one meetings, employees felt supported in a collaborative community they could model for their students.

My goal was to make employees active participants in their own onboarding instead of passive listeners.

The Process 

Research & Design

I began the project by reviewing existing online materials with an onboarding SME. We identified essential content and removed excess information. Using faculty data and online research, I pinpointed current teaching challenges and goals. I then created a content outline, detailing the delivery method for each item.

  • New Faculty Orientation goals, aims, and objectives
  • part one of a table showing the activities and information that will support the objectives of identifying resources and developing a new hire first year plan.

Development & Implementation   

After getting approval from my SME as well as input from my peers, I developed the materials necessary to support a new hire orientation. Using the onboarding content outline, a welcome email template was created to include all the pre-zoom information they needed to prepare.

I also designed a schedule and facilitator guide for the whole group meeting to ensure everyone’s time was respected and all important content was accessed.

  • facilitator guide for new faculty orientation including the description, lesson objectives, and pre-session checklist
  • facilitator guide for new faculty orientation including the overview, introductions, break out rooms, and meeting wrap up

In addition to the 1-hour group new hire orientation, I designed and developed one-on-one goal-setting meetings for new hires, with planned check-ins throughout their first semester of teaching. During these meetings, a foundational working relationship was established while identifying each new hire's strengths and areas for improvement. We developed their SMART goals and created a support plan based on their needs and goals.

Smart goals graphic organizer asking faculty to set a smart goal for an area of growth in their teaching.

Evaluation  

Qualitative data from faculty interviews and surveys showed that they felt comfortable asking questions and using university resources. Faculty engagement increased, and my assigned caseload had a 100% retention rate over one academic year.

When faculty needed redirection, their response was positive due to the trust built early on. Additionally, these faculty members became more confident in presenting new, innovative ideas.

Reflection

This project reinforced the importance of engaging the learners early and often in their learning journey to build autonomy and trust. On a personal level, I loved building relationships with new faculty members and helping them feel supported in their roles.

Whenever I design training for employees, I keep the end customer in mind. In this project, students would be the end customers so I focused on helping faculty members feel confident and build skills so they could provide students with the best service and support possible.

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