Faculty Success | Office of the Provost (2024)

About Us

The Women & Gender Equity Network (WGEN) is an organization that supports faculty at all stages of their careers by providing professional development, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Through programming, WGEN seeks to:​

• Research facilitation (networking for research support and collaboration)

• Teaching facilitation (networking for teaching support and collaboration)

MONDAY - Salute to TEACHING Excellence

Salute to Faculty Excellence week kicks off on September 22 in the Gateway Ballroom with a fun-filled, fast-paced morning. UNT's Distinguished Teaching Professors will ignite discussion in a Pecha Kucha,(meaning “chit chat” in Japanese.) Each professor will answerthe provocative questions: "When did the light go on and what did you see?" using only 20 slidesin six minutes and 40 seconds.You maywant to try a Pecha Kucha in your class this semester so come and check it out. Registration is required and seating is limited so reserve your seat now.Breakfast will be served at 7:45 a.m. and presentations will be given from 8:15-9:45 a.m. Sponsored by the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign.

TUESDAY - Salute to NEW Faculty

FacultyCONNECT is designed for first, second and third year faculty to explore collaborations, strengthen university relationships, and learn more about support services available at UNT.At this meet and greet luncheon scheduled for September 23, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (Gateway 43/47). New faculty will have the opportunity to learn about UNT's Mutual Mentoring Program and strategies for being a good mentee. Welcome new faculty. Please register today!

WEDNESDAY- Salute to RESEARCH Excellence

The Office for Faculty Success, in collaboration with the Office of Research & Economic Development, is pleased to announce the Distinguished Research Lecture on September 24, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Gateway 43/47). The featured lecturer is Dr. Richard Rogers, Regents Professor of Psychology and recipient of the 2014 UNT Foundation Eminent Faculty Award. Rogers is hailed as the ‘international authority’ in the field of forensic psychology. His lecture will highlighthis cutting edge research on Miranda warnings, challenge the audience’s own understanding of their Miranda rights, and perhaps bust a few audience misconceptions.

THURSDAY - Salute to LEADERSHIP Excellence

The 2014-15 Leadership Fellows will kick-off their year long program on September 25, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.,(Gateway Boardroom). The UNT Leadership Fellows program, founded in 2008, has supported over 40 faculty members who have shown interest and demonstrate potential in academic administration. Congratulations to our 2014-15 fellows: Stephen F. Austin, Vocal Studies; Sian Brannon, UNT Libraries; Nandika D'Souza, Mechanical and Energy Engineering/Materials Science Engineering; Michael Grieg, Political Science; Jiyoung Kim, Merchandising & Digital Retailing; David Molina, Economics; Brian Richardson, Communication Studies.

FRIDAY - Salute to FACULTY Excellence

QEP Forums Slated for September

In the fall of 2013, the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Leadership Team asked the UNT community for suggestions about how we can improve instruction and you responded with over 300 great ideas. These innovative ideas have been culled down from 300 to four and now it is time for some difficult decision making. Will our QEP focus be... Global Engagement? Career Pathways? Community Engagement? or Undergraduate Research? Please attend one of the open forums this monthto learn moreand share your thoughts.

The number of foreign-born faculty in U.S. institutions of higher education has beensteadily increasing for several decades. Many foreign-bornfaculty complete their advanced degrees in the US and are subsequently recruitedby universities across the nation for their expertise and skills. Do you identify yourself as a foreign-born faculty member? Would you like to join an interdisciplinary mentoring group to help you navigate your academic career? Meetings will begin in October and will be held on the second Friday of each month.Contact Marianna.Strzelecka@unt.edu to join this dynamic mentor network.

Women's Faculty NetworkLaunches Fall Program

The Women's Faculty Network (WFN) will host its first meeting on October 17, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., (Gateway Center Ballroom). The session will include a panel discussion from members of the Opportunity Analysis Committee who will discuss highlights from the in-depth review of UNT's distribution of resources. Members will also share "Stories from the Road," network with colleagues across campus, and identify new faculty members to mentor. Register today! WFN Leadership Team members are: Kimi King (Political Science), Sheri Broyles (Journalism), Tracy Everbach (Journalism), Terri Sundberg (Instrumental Studies), and Carol Revelle (Teacher Education & Administration).

Lecturers on the Move

Did you know that there are over 250 full-time lecturers at UNT who are impacting student lives, contributing to their discipline and making a difference in their communities? We are pleased to feature Lesli Robertson, senior lecturer in the Studio Arts department, in this edition of the Faculty Newsletter for her creativity and collaborative efforts with artists throughout the world. Her exhibition, the Mother Load Project, will make its debut on September 19 in Dallas. Thanks to faculty like Lesli who are excelling in the classroom and beyond.

Academic Leaders Corner

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT'a administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Office for Faculty Success. Upcoming events are listed below:

• UNT Chair Academy, September 10, BLB 060, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Topics - UNT Foreign Language Requirement; Data Spot; and Future of SETE (chairs only)

• Leadership Fellows, October 14, Hurley Administration Board Room, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Speaker - Walt Gmelch, "Chairing an Academic Department" (leadership fellows only)

• Academic Leadership Workshop, October 15, Gateway Center 43/47, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Speaker - Walt Gmelch, "Mending Cracks in the Academic Wall" (vice provosts, deans, associate deans, chairs only)
  
• UNT Chair Academy, November 20, Location & Topic TBD, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the next Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.

Welcome New Faculty!

UNT welcomed over 70 scholars, teachers, and leaders in mean green style at the annual new faculty orientation on August 14th. The all-day event featured a kick-off performance by UNT's Green Brigade, greetings from President Neal Smatresk, a resource exhibit fair, and interaction with key faculty and campus leaders.

We know that a quality faculty is one of the hallmarks of a great university, and we want to make certain that all faculty are enabled to reach their full potential (with a shout out to the newest members of the UNT community). Please reach out to a new faculty member to demonstrate your support. Consider taking a new faculty member to lunch, inviting them to a grant writing workshop, or helping them navigate through Blackboard Learn. Follow the link for a listing of the 2014-2015 New Faculty Cohort.

Welcome New Students!

New Student Convocation will be held Thursday, August 21st at 5:00p.m. in the UNT Coliseum.This event welcomes our first-year and transfer students to campus and sets the tone for academic life at UNT. Faculty presence at Convocation symbolizes the centrality of scholarship to the university experience, and your attendance demonstrates your commitment to our first-year and transfer students. Plus, your presence earns you a chance to win big! President Smatresk is offering faculty a chance to win a $500 travel stipend for professional development. To be eligible to win, faculty must RSVP to Ashlea Coulter(Subject Line: Faculty Attendance at Convocation) and check in with a member of the Green Jackets(enthusiastic students who will be wearing green polo shirts and carrying clip boards) to verify attendance. All faculty will enter through Gate H on the concourse level of the Coliseum and proceed to the area marked off with their academic banner to sit with their students. Dress is business casual (no regalia required).

First Impressions Do Matter

What is your first day of class routine? Reviewing your syllabus, answering students’ coursequestions, or giving your first lecture?Since the first classmeeting often sets the tone for the entire semester, getting off on the right foot is essential (perhaps you have already seen a few messages on this topic). For some helpful tips, you may want toview thewebinar, Preparing for the First Day of Class, featuring UNT Distinguished Teaching Faculty, Neal Brand (Mathematics), Joe Klein (Music Composition), and Kimi King (Political Science).This webinarfacilitates important conversations about securing student buy-in, managing group dynamics, and activating curiosity and creativity during early classroom experiences.For other good ideas for the first day of class, visit the CLEAR website.

Teaching Excellence Seminar Tomorrow! It's Not Too Late to Attend

The annualTeaching Excellence Seminar is scheduled forAugust 21, 2014in the Gateway Center and there are still a few open spots reserved just for you. This event, co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and CLEAR, is designed to engage our newest instructors in important dialog about teaching and to explore UNT's teaching resources and policies. This year, we have added technology workshops in the afternoon to acquaint participants with key technologies they will be encountering in the classroom and in their online classes. Register here.

New Initiative Launched! Teaching Resources for Engaged Educators (TREE)

Want to maximize your impact on student learning? Do you look for ways to connect with other committed educators? Are you looking for ways to document your efforts to improve your teaching? If so, the Teaching Resources for Engaged Educators (TREE) initiative, developed by CLEAR, is for you. TREE leverages online training modules focused on 10 important teaching proficiencies (e.g., engaged learning, assessment, course design) that allow you to move at your own pace through three levels of proficiency (introductory, intermediate, and advanced). The TREE program will appear in your list of Blackboard courses and is available for everyone who teaches at UNT. To participate, simply select the course and then the modules you would like to complete. You will receive badges for completing each module and a Certificate of Teaching Distinction when successfully completing all three levels of a proficiency. For more information, please refer to the CLEAR website: http: clear.unt.edu/tree.

Teaching Excellence Handbook

The 2014-15 edition of the Teaching Excellence Handbook has been released. This handbook serves as an important resource for all faculty who are responsible for instructional activities at UNT. In this comprehensive guide, we have compiled important university information and helpful tips that will assist you in carrying out your teaching responsibilities. Whether you are a first time Lecturer or an experienced Full Professor, we hope that this handbook provides the answers to your questions.

Task Force Seeks Faculty Input on Student Evaluations of Teaching

What do you REALLY think about student evaluations of teaching? Do you view the evalutions as a valuable tool to improve your teaching or are they merely a popularity contest? As an important stakeholder, we want to hear from you. To this end, the Student Evaluation of Teaching Task Force invites you to participate in a focus group discussion to inform decision making related to the comprehensive evaluation of teaching at UNT. The sessions will last approximately 30 - 45 minutes and light refreshments will be served. If you are interested in participating in a focus group, please register for one of the sessions scheduled this September.

Need to increase your research productivity? Consider joining the network “Getting More Productive with your Research,” a mentoring group for associate professors. Led by Victor Prybutok, Regents professor in Information Technology and Decision Sciences, and Jim Meernik, professor in Political Science, this group will uncover successful strategies for increasing both the quality and quantity of your research. Throughout this mentoring process faculty will better understand the criteria and processes of promotion.Bi-weekly meetings will begin September 19th and will be held on the first and third Friday of each month from 1:00-3:00 pm in the Kerr dining hall. If you are interested in joining the mentoring network, please email victor.prybutok@unt.edu or James.meernick@unt.edu.

Three informational meetings to discuss plans for the upcoming year are listed below:

• Tuesday, August 26 from 1:00-2:00 at BLB 389

• Thursday, August 28 from 3:00-4:00 at 207B Discovery Park and

• Wednesday, September 3 from 3:00-4:00 at BLB 314

Funding Opportunities Announced

UNT strives to promote research, scholarship, and creative activities that engage faculty and external collaborative partners to their fullest potential. The Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) supports faculty research by offering comprehensive services to advance research projects at every stage of development. Learn more about upcoming limited submission opportunities and new procedures at Upcoming Limited Submission Opportunities.

Promotion and Tenure Workshops Slated for Fall

The Provost Office and Office for Faculty Success invite all probationary, tenure-track facultyand associate professors seeking tenure and promotion to attend one of the workshops scheduled with Provost Burggren to learn more about tenure and promotion at UNT. Unit administrators and support staff who assist in the process also are strongly encouraged to attend. Workshops for this academic year are scheduled for:

• September 16, 2014 at 3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m., Gateway 42.

• November 19, 2014at 2:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m, Gateway 42.

Salute to Faculty Excellence: The Invitation is in the Mail!

It's just around the corner and we hope that you are making plans to attend the many exciting events planned during Salute to Faculty Excellence Week. Events will be held across campus to showcase the dedication of UNT faculty to teaching, research and service. The university celebration will culminate in the Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards Dinner and Ceremony where we will honor UNT award winners and newly promoted and tenured faculty. You should be receiving your invitation to this 'green tie' affair in the coming days. Reservations can be made online and must be completed bySeptember 16th.

Academic Leaders Corner

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT's administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Office for Faculty Success. Several of the upcoming events are listed below:

• UNT Chair Academy, September 10, 2014, Location &Topic TBD, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)
• Academic Leadership Workshop, October 15, 2014, Gateway Center 43/47, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Speaker - Walt Gmelch, "Mending Cracks in the Academic Wall" (vice provosts, deans, associate deans, chairs only)
• UNT Chair Academy, November 20, 2014, Location & Topic TBD, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the next Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.

Student Evaluation of Teaching Task ForceWork Underway

Thisspring the Office of the Provost, in collaboration with the Faculty Senate, appointed a task force to evaluate the current Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETE) instrument and administration process. The faculty-led task forcewill spend the next year exploringalternative student evaluation systems thatmeet UNT’s needs while fulfilling the requirements ofHouse Bill No. 2504. The group hasworked diligently over the past two months developingan evaluation matrix, conducting student focus groups, andplanning for faculty input. Be on the lookoutfor an invitation toparticipate in a focus group discussionandcomplete an onlinesurvey to'let your voice be heard!' If you have any suggestions, good ideas, or thoughts concerning the student evaluation of teaching instrument or administration process, please contact yourFaculty Senate representative listed below.

Mentoring Grant Awards Announced

Congratulations to the 2014-2015 Mentoring Grant Recipients. The Office for Faculty Success recently awarded 27 mentoring grants designed to support full-time faculty mentoring endeavors. The goal of the Faculty Mentoring Program is to help faculty in four critical areas: gaining institutional knowledge, supporting teaching and research efforts, developing professional networks, and promoting diversity. Visit our Mentoring website for a listing of award recipients.

National Endowment for Humanities Summer Stipend Program

The Office for Faculty Success is accepting nominations for the National Endowment for Humanities Summer Stipend Program. The NEH provides support for individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Typical outcomes include articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources. The $6,000 stipend supports projects at any stage of development and continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two consecutive months. Nomination materials are due July 15, 2014. Read more about UNT’s institutional selection process.

Welcome Class of 2018

Did you know that UNT anticipates over 8,000 new students, including new freshmen and transfer students this fall? Many of these students will arrive on our campuswith little knowledge of what to expect from university life.Student Convocation provides a formal welcome to our first-year and transfer students and sets the tone for their academic life at UNT. Faculty presence at Convocation symbolizes the centrality of scholarship to the university experience. Please support the Class of 2018 and make plans to attend Student Convocation on Thursday, August, 21, 2014 at 5:00 p.m., UNT Coliseum. Business casual attire is appropriate for this event.

Campus SaVE Act Enhances Safety

The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act or Campus SaVE Act, included in the Violence Against Women Re-authorization Act (VAWA), enhances existing prevention education and victims’ rights provisions andprovides for the collaboration of the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education to collect and disseminate best practices information about preventing and responding to sexual assault and other intimate partner violence.Learn more about theCampus SaVE Act and Clery Center for Security on Campus by visitingUNT Dean of Students website or browsingthe brochures linked below.

• What to do About Sexual Violence
• Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking

For information on how to get involved in UNT's Efforts to Prevent and Educate Against Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence, email Dr. Maureen McGuinness, Dean of Students.

If You HaveDone It, It Ain't Bragging(so says Walt Whitman)

For faculty there is acertain art and science to self-promotion.Too much bragging and you may be hailed as the shameless narcissist; not enough self-promotion and your accomplishments go unnoticed, unrecognized, and perhaps unrewarded.The Office for Faculty Success values the recognition of ouroutstanding faculty and we are ready to promote your success. Please share your honors, awards, or accomplishmentsby sendinga one liner, anecdote, and/or novel to faculty.success@unt.edu and tell us what you have done lately that made you proud. Your narratives will provide content for features on theFaculty Success website. You can also highlight the accomplishments of your colleagues by completing the Faculty Showcase form.

Time to Make Art, Music and Literature

On My Own Time, the annual fine arts competition, highlights the creative talents of UNT's very own faculty and staff. This year's competition will feature two new categories — literature and music. The deadline for entries is June 27, 2014. The exhibition will take place July 28 -August 9, 2014 at UNT on the Square. All works must be done duringthe employees’ free time from work. UNT’s Best of Show and first prize winners will go on a regional exhibition, sponsored by the Business Council for the Arts, in September at North Park Center in Dallas. For more information and entry form, visit On My Own Time.

Did you know UNT on the Square (UNTSQ) is one of the three central components of the UNT Institute for the Advancement of the Arts (IAA) and is devoted to presenting UNT arts programming to the University and the Denton community. The IAA was launched in October 2009 and features a variety of future exhibitions that can be found on their website. Don’t miss out on the amazing exhibitions, programming, and artists coming soon.

Academic Leaders Corner

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT's administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Office for Faculty Success. Several of the upcoming events are listed below:

• UNT Leadership Fellows 'Out and About' on the UNT Campus (Tour),June 19, 2014, 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (invitation only)
• New Chair Orientation, August 5, 2014, Hurley 204, Boardroom, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (new chairs only)
• UNT Chair Academy Retreat, August 7, 2014, Gateway Center 43/47, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)
• New Faculty Orientation, August 14, 2014, Gateway Ballroom, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the next Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.

Congratulations to our Newly Promoted and Tenured Faculty

UNT's success and progress depends on the exceptional work of our faculty members who set high academic standards and who perform at the ‘top of their game’ in their teaching, research, and service endeavors. The culmination of their hard work is the receipt of tenure and/or promotion. We wish to congratulate 72 UNT faculty members who will begin the 2014 academic year with a promotion in rank, newly granted tenure, or both.

Please join us as we celebrate their accomplishmentsand that of otherUNT faculty during Salute to Faculty Excellence Week. Events will be held across campus to showcase the dedication of UNT faculty to teaching, research and service. The university celebration will culminate in the Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards Dinner and Ceremony on September 26, 2014. At this Green Tie Affair,we will honor UNT Award winners and newly promoted and tenured faculty. Space is limited, so register today!

Distinguished Research Lecturer, Dick Rogers

Richard 'Dick'Rogers, Regents Professor of Psychology and the 2014 Eminent Faculty Award Winner, will deliver the Distinguished Research Lecture on September 24, 2014 in theGateway Center43 at 3:30 p.m. Rogers,hailed as the ‘international authority’ in the field of forensic psychology, joinedUNTin1991.His scholarly work spans a remarkable breadth from cutting edge research on forensic issues to the painstaking development of assessment measures for clinical and forensic practice. Most notably,his research on Miranda warnings and waivers has real-world ramifications for the approximately 10.7 million offenders arrested each year. Join us for this special lecture.

Guess What Day It Is? It's "Hump Day!"

Leadership Fellows Call Announced

Are leaders born or made? This may very well be one of the most basic questions surrounding leadership in the academy (or in any organization for that matter). At UNT, we are dedicated to developing leaders who are capable of catalyzing and sustaining change. The Leadership Fellows Program, founded in 2008, provides a broad range of activities that enhance the leadership capacity of our academic team. Current chairs, interim chairs, and other faculty members who show interest and demonstrate leadership potential are eligible to participate. Candidates must be nominated by their academic dean with the support of the home department chair.For more information, please see the Leadership Fellows Call. Nominations are due August 22, 2014.

FREE Webinars – Writing Journal Articles, Overcoming Self-Doubt in Academia, and Academic Branding

Academic Coaching and Writing (ACW) offers a broad range of services to support academics at all levels to reach their goals and advance in the academy. While many of the ACW services require a paid subscription, they do offer FREE webinars with promising titles. The September schedule is highlighted below.

New, Stronger GSTEP Launches this Fall!

The Graduate Student Teaching Excellence Program (GSTEP) prepares graduate students for teaching roles in higher education by equipping them with skills, knowledge and support to improve their effectiveness in the classroom. Program content is provided through on-line modules that cover proficiencies (e.g., as student learning, assessment, classroom teaching, and course design) that when mastered will be recognized individually with Certificates of Teaching Distinction and collectively with a Certificate of Graduate Student Teaching Excellence.

Beyond the on-line learning experiences, other components of the new program include:

· Supervised experience in the classroom with UNT faculty and program mentors;

· Involvement in peer mentoring and a community of practice;

· Observation of pre-selected, university-recognized UNT faculty in the classroom;

· Practice teaching with feedback in a micro-teaching laboratory experience;

· Preparation ofa teaching project; and

· Peer review of teaching in a UNT classroom, to name a few.

Students may enroll in one or more of three GSTEP stages, depending upon their own needs, availability, and interests. Please let your graduate students and advisors know about this valuable, free programsponsored by CLEAR and the Office of the Provost. For more information, visit UNT GSTEP.

Academic Leaders Corner

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT's administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Office for Faculty Success. Several of the upcoming events are listed below:

• New Chairs Orientation, August 5, 2014, Hurley 204, 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• UNT Chair Academy Retreat, August 7, 2014, Gateway Center 43/47, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)
• UNT Chair Academy, September 17, 2014, TBD, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)
• Academic Leaders Workshop(featuring Walt Gmelch), October 15, 2014, Gateway Center 43/47, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (deans, associate deans, and chairs)

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the next Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.

College of Arts and Sciences

Biological Sciences
Dane Crossley, Associate Professor with Tenure
Qunfeng Dong, Associate Professor with Tenure
Jaime Jimenez, Granted Tenured
Jeff Johnson, Associate Professor with Tenure

Economics
Jiyoung Kwon, Senior Lecturer
Michael McPherson, Professor

English
Bonita Friedman, Associate Professor with Tenure
Patrice Lyke, Senior Lecturer

UNT Team Mentoring Grants

Preparing for Retirement: It's Never Too Early toStart Planning

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the more time you’ll have to explore your retirement options.The Office for Faculty Success is pleased to offer aworkshop that addressesquestions for those individuals contemplatingand/or planning for retirement (regardless if you are in your30s, 40s, 50s or beyond). Representatives from the Provost Office, Human Resources, andUNT's Retiree Association (UNTRA) will present exit strategies andanswer any questions that you may have aboutretirement transitions. The panel presentation is scheduled forApril 25, 2014(2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., BLB 073).

Please join us in celebratingsoon-to-be retiree, Richard Sinclair, Associate Professor of Biology and Dean of Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science onJune 6, 2014at 4:00 p.m. (BLB 2nd Floor Patio). Read more about Richard Sinclair's longstandingcontributions to the UNT community in the InHouse feature, A Passion for Teaching Gifted Teens.

Faculty Development Leave Call Announced

The deadline for applying for a 2015-2016 Faculty Development Leave (FDL)is September 30, 2014. To learn more about eligibility criteria, the review process, and expected outcomes, pleaseattend the final FDL spring workshop on April 29, 2014(10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) in BLB 255.Experienced faculty members and committee review members will share what it takes to craft a successful leave proposal and experience.Register today!To accesschecklist, forms, and the application, pleasevisit FDL Application & Forms.

SETE PortalNow Open

The Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETE) portal is open throughMay 4, 2014.Please encourage students to complete their survey. Consider having a colleague or graduate student attend your class to administer the survey by asking students to use their mobile device (e.g. tablet, iPad, smart phone). Simply log on to the my.unt.edu portal using a mobile device and click on the SETE icon.

2014 Student Portraits: A Symposium for UNT Educators

UNT is proud to present the 4th annual Student Portraits: A Symposium for UNT Educators, dedicated to assessment and research about students at the University of North Texas. This symposium is a FREE opportunity (lunch provided) to deepen your understanding of our students and their experiences. Due to space constraints, registration is limited to 300 attendees. Last year's event reached capacity quickly, so please take this opportunity to register now. May 12, 2014, Gateway Center, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Important End of Semester Information

As per UNT Policy 15.2.16, pre-finals week refers to the seven calendar days preceding the final week of each fall and spring semester and is designated so that students can adequately prepare for their final exams. During this week (April 28 – May 2), student organizations do not meet and activities requiring student participation such as field trips, athletic events, or performances are not scheduled unless approved in advance. Please note that no classes are held on Reading Day, May 2, 2014. Final exams should be administered at the designated times according to the published schedule.Any deviation from the schedule must be approved in advance by the appropriate academic dean. Students who have as many as three final examinations scheduled on one day may appeal to their academic dean to reschedule one of those examinations on another day during thefinal examination period.

Suicide Prevention Regional Summit

Did you know that suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24?If you are interested in learning more about suicide prevention, mental health issues, and resiliencey, please join us for a broader conversation. A regional summit of community stakeholders, external agencies, andeducators is scheduled forMay 22, 2014, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Gateway Center. Register today. For more information, please see flyer or contact Brooke Moore at Brooke.Moore2@unt.edu.

2014 Salute to Faculty Excellence Week Announced

The date has been set and exciting activities are being planned for the 2014 Salute to Faculty Excellence week, September 22-26, 2014. The Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards Dinner and Ceremony, sponsored by the UNT Foundation, Office of the President, and Office of the Provost, is scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2014at Apogee Stadium. At this showcase event, we will honor UNT's top faculty award winners, newly tenured and promoted faculty, and recently appointed Emeritus faculty. Look for more details throughout the summer.

Featured in this picture is Elizabeth Hayes Turner, Professor of History, receiving the University Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award at the 2013 event. If you would like to a chance to win two free tickets to the 2014 Dinner & Awards Ceremony, please send us a caption for this picture and your name will be entered into a drawing (send to faculty.success@unt.edu).

Academic Leaders Corner

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT's administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Office for Faculty Success. Several of the upcoming events are listed below:

• UNT Leadership Fellows: A Conversation with the Provost,April 25, 2014, UNT Alumni Pavilion, 12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. (invitation only)

• UNT Leadership Fellows: A Conversation with the President, May 1, 2014, Hurley Administration 204, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (invitation only)

• UNT Leadership Fellows 'Out and About' on the UNT Campus (Tour),June 19, 2014, 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (invitation only)

• UNT Chair Academy, "Implications for the Eagle Express,”June 17, 2014, Gateway 142, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (chairs only)

• UNT Chair Academy Retreat, August 7, 2014, Gateway Center 43/47, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the Summer Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.

Faculty Development Leave: A Benefit Not to Be Ignored

Have you always thought about taking a faculty development leave (FDL), but didn’t think you had the right project in mind or that your absence would cause too much pressure on the department? This academicyear we have 25 full-time faculty members on leave,engaged ininterestingprojectsaround the globe.FDL is afaculty benefit not to be ignored.

Sudha Arlikatti and Tracy Everbachjust returned from their leave and can attest to the tangible and intangible benefits of 'time away from campus.'Arlikatti, associate professor in emergency management, conducted field research in the foothills of the Himalayas to assess disaster preparedness andto determine the effectiveness of response strategieson survival, after the June 2013 floods. Everbach, associate professor of journalism, traveled toEl Paso, San Diego, Juarez andTijuana to interview women journalists who covered the chilling murders that occurred duringthe drug cartel wars in Mexico from 2007-2011. Both returned to the UNT campusthis spring rejuvenatedandwithimportant data setsto enhance their research productivity.

If you are contemplating a Faculty Development Leave in 2015-16 (and we strongly encourage you to do so),please attend one of the two workshops to learn about eligibility criteria, the review process, and expected outcomes. Experienced faculty and panel review members will share how to craft a successful leave proposal and experience.Call for proposals will be distributed in late April,applications due September 30, 2014. To learn more,please register for one of the workshops scheduled for:

• April 21 (3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., BLB 070)
• April 29 (10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., BLB 255)

Is Retirement in Your 'Near' or 'Far' Future?

Did you know that nearly 75% of baby boomer faculty members (ages 49-67) plan to delay retirement past age 65, or never retire at all.According to a new Fidelity Investments study of higher education faculty, 81% cited professional reasons and 69% cited economic concerns for their delayed retirement decisions. For most baby boomer faculty paying for health care in retirement is a big worry. Only one in ten higher-education educators said they have saved “a great deal” to pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance or Medicare.

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the more time you’ll have to explore your retirement options.The Officefor Faculty Success is pleased to offer our firstworkshop that addressesquestions that may arise as faculty begincontemplatingretirement. Representatives from the Provost Office, Human Resources, UNTRA members, and recent retirees will present exit strategies andanswer your questions about retirement transitions. The panel presentation is scheduled forApril 25 (2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., BLB 073).

Mentoring Grant Deadline Approaching

The Mentoring Grant Programprovides support to full-time faculty in four critical areas: gaining institutional knowledge, supporting teaching and research efforts, developing professional networks, and/or promoting diversity.Funding for the 2014-15 academic year is available for both individual and team grants across all faculty ranks (i.e., lecturer, senior lecturer, principal lecturer, assistant, associate, and full).

Individuals who are interested in submitting a proposal must attend pre-grant proposal workshop. The second (and final) workshop will be held TOMORROW (March 20, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., Sage 230). Register today. If you are unable to attend, we ask that you send a representative from your unit. Mentoring grant proposals (Call for 2014-15) are due on April 30.

Productive Writing Strategies: How to Make the Most of your Summer Vacation

Need to get some articles out the door this summer? If so, this workshop is for you. A panel including some of UNT's most prolific writers, editors and editorial board members from top journals representing a variety of fieldswill explore how to turn your fears androadblocks into a programmatic framework for productive writing. Audience questions will also be entertained. This session will be held on April 15, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Gateway 131. Register today. First 20 registrants will receive one of the following books.

• A Writer's Time: Making the Time to Write by Kenneth Atchity
• Writing in Overdrive: Write Faster, Write Freely, Write Brilliantly by Jim Denney
• Writing in Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi(Foreword) by Susan K. Perry
• Write Fearlessly!: Conquer Fear, Eliminate Self-Doubt, Write With Confidence by Jim Denney
• Professors as Writers: A Self-Help Guide to Productive Writing by Paul Boice
• How to Write a Lot by Paul Silvia

Get Funded

Newton’s List is a robust, online clearinghouse of funding opportunities for researchers, students and educators seeking international science collaborations. Launched in 2013 and co-sponsored by CRDF Global and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the website is intended to provide funding agencies, nonprofits, universities and industries with a free tool to reach a broader community, maximizing their potential to solicit innovative international research. Addition­ally, Newton’s List provides grant seekers with a resource to establish and expand upon international collaborations. Newton’s List is available at www.newtonslist.org. For more information, please contact the Newton’s List administrator at newtonslist@crdfglobal.org or see the Newton’s List press release.

Faculty Showcase

In case you missed this in the last newsletter, we want to reintroduce you to a new interactive feature on the Faculty Success website that allows faculty to submit information about honors, awards, and accomplishments they or fellow faculty have earned external to the university. By recognizing our outstanding faculty we hope to build a strong university community and facilitate excellence by recognizing one of our most valuable resources on campus, you. Click here to submit an honor or award.

Academic Leaders Corner

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT's administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Provost Office. Several of the upcoming events are listed below:

• UNT Chair Academy, "SACSCOC Reaccreditation" with Allen Clark, Melinda Lilly, and Christy Crutsinger, March 20, Gateway Center 132, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (chairs only)
• UNT Leadership Fellows, "Ask a Leader," March 20, UNT Alumni Center, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (invitation only)
• Texas Women's Higher Education Network, "Building Bonds, Blazing Trails," March 24 & 25, Fort Worth, TX, Texas Christian University (women faculty)
• Academic Leadership Workshop, “Special Guests: President Smastrek and Rosemary Haggett,” March 26, Gateway Center 43/47, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (invitation only)
• UNT Leadership Texas Alumni Luncheon, "Nancy Shugart, The Prove Them Wrong Lady," March 28, Gateway Center 44, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (invitation only; women interested in Leadership Texas, please contact Christy Crutsinger at christyc@unt.edu)

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the April Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.