New Faculty Academy

Are you beginning your first year as a full-time faculty member at the University of South Carolina? Ready to build a strong foundation for your teaching, research, and service while connecting with colleagues from across campus? The New Faculty Academy (NFA) equips you for success from day one.

New Faculty Academy

September 2025 – May 2026

Overview

New Faculty Academy (NFA) is 9-month, cohort-based program designed to support new full-time faculty during their first year at USC. Through targeted professional development, mentoring, and networking opportunities, NFA helps faculty build a strong foundation for success. The program is hosted by the Office of the Provost and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and is led by experienced faculty and university leaders.

NFA participants will:

Attend the New Faculty Orientation (NFO) on Friday, September 5, 2025
Complete the Fostering Student Learning through Effective Teaching asynchronous, online course (available in Blackboard) by October 13, 2025
Participate in three additional half-day (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.), in-person professional development sessions:
- Friday, November 7, 2025
- Friday, February 6, 2026
- Friday, April 3, 2026
Submit a year-end reflection by Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

NFA incentives include:

Ongoing mentoring and networking
High-quality meals at in-person events
A certificate of completion and letter of commendation
Opportunity to win $1,000 in professional development funding

NFA Program Format

All events will be held in person to support a strong cohort experience. Select content will be made available online post-event for added flexibility.

NFA Professional Development Session

Date:	Friday, February 6, 2026
Time:	8:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location:	University Conference Center (in person only) Close-Hipp Building (1705 College St., 8th Floor) Eastview Room

Agenda

8:45 - 9:00 a.m.	Check-In Coffee, tea, and informal networking.
9:00 – 9:05 a.m.	Welcome Matt Thatcher, Ph.D. Director \| Center for Teaching Excellence
9:05 – 10:00 a.m.	Keeping Students Engaged: Active Learning That Works Kristin Harrell, Ph.D. Instructional Designer \| Center for Teaching Excellence Interactive session focused on active learning strategies for fostering participation, motivation, and inclusion as the semester progresses.
10:00 – 10:15 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.	Faculty Panel: Balancing Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship Award-winning faculty from across campus engage in an interactive conversation about balancing excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Panelists will rotate among tables to create a relaxed, discussion-based format that allows participants to ask questions, hear multiple perspectives, and connect directly with faculty mentors. Panelist Include: Greg Carbone \| Professor, Geography \| McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Augustus (Way) Fountain III \| Senior Instructor, Chemistry and Biochemistry \| McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Nada Goodrum \| Assistant Professor, Psychology \| McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Kristen Hogan \| Senior Instructor, Biological Sciences \| McCausland College of Arts and Sciences Meena Khalili \| Associate Professor, Studio Art \| McCausland College of Arts and Sciences William Mustain \| Professor, Chemical Engineering \| Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Melissa Nolan \| Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics \| Arnold School of Public Health Hengtao Tang \| Associate Professor, Leadership, Learning Design, and Inquiry \| College of Education
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Networking Lunch: Building Your Professional Community Informal networking among participants, panelists, and CTE instructional designers.

(The April 3 session will follow a similar structure with different speakers and “just-in-time” topics)

Center for Teaching Excellence