Center for Faculty Development
First Year Foundations
The First-Year Foundations Program (FYF) expands the training and conversations that start at New Faculty Orientation. This series aims to support new faculty in their teaching, research, and overall success as a new member of our Southern Miss community. All sessions are offered in a hybrid format—new faculty can attend in person in the CFD (International Center 319) or via Zoom.
2023 - 2024 Schedule
First Year Foundations will kick off this fall with a community building event call Meet & Eat on Friday, September 15 from 11:30 am - 12:45 pm at Glory Bound Gyro Co. in Hattiesburg. We invite new faculty to meet at Glory Bound as their schedule allows to enjoy lunch, dutch treat, and continue building community among this cohort to enhance friendships and collegiality.
Save the date for our second Meet and Eat - December 1 | Noon - 1:30 pm.
As faculty, you are an expert in your discipline but may find yourself feeling lost when given a set of students to advise. In this session, you will learn the foundation to providing effective academic advising to your students while effectively navigating SOAR to access student information needed to be successful with advisement.
Tuesday, September 26 | 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Hybrid - International Center 319 & Zoom
Inevitably, difficult and sometimes uncomfortable situations will arise during the course of interactions with students or others on campus. Dr. Melanie Leuty, Director of the CFD, and Dr. Ragan Downey, Assistant Teaching Professor in the School of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Security, will provide information on how to approach and resolve such unanticipated occurrences ranging from academic integrity violations or disruptions in the classroom to awkward personal disclosures or professional disagreements. The discussion will include valuable on-campus resources, strategies for successful resolution, and verbal de-escalation skills to manage difficult classroom situations.
Multiple Sessions Available:
Monday, October 2 | 1:00 - 2:15 pm
Tuesday October 3 | 2:00- 3:15 pm
Hybrid Sessions - International Center 319 & Zoom
Continue building your community at Southern Miss by joining us for Cocktails & Conversations each month to network with other faculty and staff over appetizers provided by the sponsor. Dates and times are listed below. Locations and sponsors will be added as they are confirmed, and there's no registration required! Just come be social with us!
October 6 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm | The Porter | Sponsor: USM iTech
November 3 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm | Mahogany Bar | Sponsor: USM Alumni Association
December 1 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm | Location & Sponsor: TBA
This session will discuss an overview of the annual evaluation process and how it is completed in Watermark Faculty Success. Dr. Melissa Thompson, Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development in the College of Education and Human Sciences and Dr. Eric Tribunella, Professor in the School of Humanities, offer insight from their experiences and answer questions about the annual evaluation process, how this connects to the promotion and tenure process, and what you should be thinking about now to prepare for USM’s promotion and tenure processes.
Wednesday, November 8 | 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
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