A Message from CITI:
What is the New Faculty Symposium?
A symposium is a conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject. The WSSU New Faculty Symposium is a monthly meeting that embodies active learning and engaging discussions. The symposium will help acclimate new faculty to the WSSU ecosystem and pertinent resources to support student success. Scholars posit that learning communities positively impact faculty retention, teaching effectiveness, and a sense of belonging.
- To orient faculty to the WSSU mission, legacy, and student experience.
- To build community and support systems among faculty.
- To foster excellence in teaching, research, and service.
- To encourage professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Demonstrate a growth mindset in the changing landscape of higher education.
- Complete a questionnaire to assess your professional goals for AY 2025-2026.
- Attend monthly meetings as an active learner.
- Complete the self-paced course, Effective Teaching 101: Staring the Semester Strong.
- Schedule a Midterm Assessment Plans (MAPS) for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
🗓️ Monthly Schedule
- Theme: "Student Success: Foundations in Excellence"
- Frequency: Monthly (Every 3rd Thursday @ 3:30 pm)
- Format: In-person, 1-hour sessions
- Location: New Science Building, Room 225A
- Audience: New tenure-track, clinical and term faculty
Given the disciplinary diversity of our incoming faculty cohort, our monthly topics will appeal to different academic ranks. Topics designated with an asterisk (*) are most applicable to tenure-track faculty and double asterisks (**) apply to all faculty.
August 21, 2025 | Meet-and-Greet Reception**
Join our Academic Deans, Department Chairs, new faculty, and CITI team at the Center for Design Innovation for a culinary experience as we start the new academic year.
September 18, 2025 | Empowered Pedagogy: Instructional Resource Support**
Participants will explore campus resources to support instructional excellence, including the Online Course Review process, Amplifying Student Voice with a Midterm Assessment Plan (MAP), and applying the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework.
October 16, 2025 | Unleashing the Genius with Adobe Creative Cloud**
Join us for a tour of the Media Production Lab as O'Kelly Library staff members share details on using podcasting, video production, and other collaborative spaces to foster students' digital literacy.
November 20, 2025 | Effective Student Advising and Undergraduate Research*
January 15, 2026 | The Anatomy of Student Success**
Student Success extends beyond the classroom, necessitating awareness of campus resources to support students holistically. Counseling Services, Student Affairs, and the Student Success Collaborative will share how to engage their offices for support. Note: No classes due to mental health day.
February 19, 2026 | Secure the Bag: Scholarship and Research*
Join the Office of Research and Innovation for a panel discussion featuring previous faculty research awards recipients and members of the Red Jacket Society.
March 19, 2026 | Effective Student Advising and Undergraduate Research*
Join University College staff for pertinent information on using RAM Path for student advising and the Office of Undergraduate Research for faculty mentorship opportunities.
April 16, 2026 | Promotion and Tenure from a Faculty Perspective*
During this session, an experienced faculty member will share strategies for navigating the promotion and tenure process.
May 4, 2026 | Faculty Awards Luncheon**
Annual event sponsored by the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) to recognize faculty innovation in research, teaching, and service. Additionally, OFA will recognize new faculty for completing the first year of academic service and the symposium requirements.
Effective Teaching 101: Starting the Semester Strong
The first weeks of the semester are crucial for student success. This self-paced course helps new and veteran faculty set a positive tone, build immediate rapport with their students, clarify course expectations, engage students, and use classroom assessment techniques to monitor student learning.
Suitable for in-person, hybrid, or online teaching, this course ensures faculty gain practical skills and inspires them to immediately apply evidence-based teaching practices that enhance their teaching and positively impact student success starting day one of the semester.
We invite you to complete this self-paced course by October 8, 2025. A brief video overview is accessible at ACUE-Effective Teaching 101Â (2:18). You will receive instructions to access the WSSU Canvas instance of the course in a separate communication.
Midterm Assessment Plans
Midterm Assessment Plans, otherwise known as MAPs, provide instructors valuable input on how students are experiencing their learning in the classroom. It is ideal to schedule a MAP close to mid-semester to get the most from the session. The MAP will occur during the last 30 minutes of a class session. The faculty member is not allowed to be present in the classroom during the MAP session so that students feel they can speak freely.
How does this work?
- Faculty contact CITI to schedule the MAP session at an agreed upon day and time, as well as any particular issues the instructor would like CITI to focus on during the MAP.
- A CITI team member will conduct the MAP.
- The instructor introduces the CITI team member and then leaves the classroom.
- CITI facilitates discussion with the students on what works well, what doesn’t work well, and what suggestions they have for improvement.
- Notes are taken through the process and compiled into a report that keeps the students’ comments anonymous and general. A report is sent to the instructor within two days and a follow-up meeting is scheduled to discuss the results.
- Complete the New Faculty Information & Mentor Match Interest Survey
- Accept enrollment in the Effective Teaching 101 self-paced course
- Schedule a Midterm Assessment Plan (MAP)
Faculty Mentor Match (Pilot) Program
During the 2026-2027 academic year, CITI will launch a pilot program to pair new faculty with a mentor based on areas of interest (e.g., teaching mentor, research mentor, or service mentor). Prospective mentors can be in the same or different academic departments or programs. Program participants will complete a mentor/mentee agreement, attend a meet-and-greet luncheon, and provide periodic feedback to assess the program's impact.
See you soon!
If you have any questions, contact CITI at citi@wssu.edu or (336) 750-8723. We are located on the 2nd Floor of O'Kelly Library, Suite 202. For instructional videos, visit the WSSU CITI YouTube channel.
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