Center for Faculty Development
WORKSHOPS
Page Content
The Center for Faculty Development (CFDFREEMississippi) and the Office of Online Learning (onlineFREEMississippi) are available for one-on-one consultations through email and virtual meetings.
Workshops & Events by Topic
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: The Ultimate Teams Playbook, Pt. 2
Join us to learn some advanced features in Teams! In this Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: The Ultimate Teams Playbook, Pt. 2 session, we will look at these specific functions:
- Sync your OneDrive with Teams
- Utilize a Scheduling Poll in your Calendar Invite
- Adding a Poll in your Teams meeting
- Meeting settings to share your screen, use break out rooms, and change your background
- Where to find the video recording of your meeting and share it
Presenter: Gayle Sollfrank, M.A., Assistant Director of Finance and Operations, CFD
Tuesday, November 4th
12:00-1:00 pm
Hybrid Session | International Center 319 & Teams
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: Canva for Non-Designers
Join us for a fun, hands-on Canva workshop designed for anyone who doesn’t consider
themselves a “designer.” In just one hour, you’ll learn how to use Canva’s simple
tools and templates to create eye-catching graphics, presentations, and more. Come
ready to learn the basics of Canva, and leave with ideas that will inspire your next
project!
Presenter: Kerigan Brewer, Coordinator of Student Engagement and Service
Tuesday, November 11th
11:30-12:30
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: Coursera and AOP's Professional Standards Program - Keys to Your Success
Coursera is a global online learning platform that is available (at no cost) to all
Southern Miss students, faculty and staff. Staff will be introduced to the course
offerings provided in Coursera's "Career Academy," which includes which includes 90+
industry certificates and 700+ courses. Combined with the Association of Office Professional's
Professional Standards Program, presenters will demonstrate how staff are empowered
to make successful, career-enhancing choices.
Presenters:
Russ Willis, Associate Provost for Student Success
Cory Williams, CEOE, System Administrator in iTech and AOP PSP Committee Chair
Wednesday, November 19th
2:00-3:00 pm
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Purpose & Pathways: An Educator's Retreat for Fostering Career-Ready Students
January 14 | 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. | EHH 120
Mentoring Milestones: Supporting Faculty through the First Year
This interactive workshop supports both new and experienced faculty mentors in fostering meaningful connections with their mentees. Participants will explore strategies for regular check-ins, preparing mentees for annual evaluations, and guiding them toward campus resources that support teaching and research success. Through reflective questions and real-world case scenarios, mentors will gain tools to navigate common challenges faced by first-year faculty at USM.
Presenters:
Melanie Leuty, Director, Center for Faculty Development
Ashley Allen, Associate Director, Center for Faculty Development
Friday, November 14th
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Teams
Watermark Faculty Success: Putting it Together for 3rd year Review, Promotion, & Tenure
This session is designed for faculty preparing their dossiers for promotion and tenure and pre-tenure review. It will review how to assemble the PDF evidence files, best practices for putting your materials together, the submission process, and other considerations for participating in a review process. Before the workshop, please review all files and information located on the Promotion and Tenure site. The 'Dossier Information' section will be especially helpful for this session.
Presenter:
JB Amacker, Institutional Effectiveness Data Coordinator
Monday, December 15th
1:00-2:00 pm
Virtual | Teams
Preparing for Annual Evaluation
This session will discuss an overview of the annual evaluation process and how it is completed in Watermark Faculty Success. Attendees will gain insight 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.
Friday, November 21st
9:00-10:15 am
Hybrid | IC 319 &Teams
Preparing for Pre-Tenure Review Panel
An overview of the process and required materials for the application for pre-tenure review for tenure-track faculty will be provided followed by a panel discussion from faculty who have successfully navigated the pre-tenure review process. Panel members will address questions and provide tips for writing the narrative essay, suggestions for what evidence to include, best practices for putting together the dossier materials, and soliciting feedback and support for this process.
Target Audience: Tenure-track faculty that will be going through the pre-tenure/ 3rd year review process in the 2025 - 2026 academic year.
Panelists:
Dr. Diana Bernstein, School of Ocean Science and Engineering
Dr. Danielle Carrier, School of Education
Dr. Alex Scrimpshire, School of Management
Wednesday, November 12th
1:00-2:15 pm
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Deck the Data: Faculty Success Data Entry Workshop
’Tis the season to get organized! The Center for Faculty Development and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness invite you to an interactive working session where you can enter your Faculty Success information, troubleshoot challenges, connect with colleagues, and start working on your annual evaluation submission! Drop in for one-on-one help, collaborative support, and some festive refreshments.
Presenters: Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Tuesday, December 16th
12:00-2:00 pm
In-Person Session | EHH 120
Show Up & Write!
Show Up and Write! is hosted virtually on Teams by the Center for Faculty Development (CFD) weekly and provides a quiet open space for dedicated writing time. This writing group aims to support faculty, staff, and graduate student research by designating time for writing and increasing productivity through peer support and personal accountability. Join us on Teams and plan to focus time on writing an article, book chapter, grant proposal, blog, grading or another project.
Show Up and Write! will meet virtually every Thursday this fall from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 pm beginning August 28th, 2025 and will conclude November 13th. These sessions are come-and-go as needed for your schedule and does not include peer exchange. Faculty, staff and graduate students from all disciplines and ranks are welcome to attend.
If this piques your interest, click the link below to receive a reminder/calendar invite along with the Team's information to join this supportive community.
Strategies and Resources for Bringing Digital Methods into the Classroom
This workshop introduces faculty to effective strategies for integrating digital methods
into the college classroom. We will explore how approaches such as digital storytelling,
text analysis, mapping, and web authoring can boost student engagement and produce
transferable skills. This session will showcase examples of adaptable assignments
and offer guidance for designing scalable activities and projects. Faculty will also
learn about resources and support available through the Center for Digital Humanities.
The Center for Digital Humanities is seeking to develop a cohort of instructors in
Spring 2026 using innovative digital course assignments. We can help you to brainstorm
ideas for how to incorporate digital work into your class, design specific assignments
with you, and then help your students to complete the project, from in-class support for active
learning in both face-to-face and online classes to technical support for software
and hardware. No experience with digital tools necessary!
Presenter:
Jennifer Andrella, Assistant Professor, School of Humanities
Co-sponsored by the Center for Digital Humanities
Wednesday, November 5th
12:15-1:30 pm
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Curricular Analytics: Visualizing Student Pathways
Curricular Analytics transforms complex degree plans into clear, data-driven visuals
that reveal how students move through their programs. This session introduces faculty
and administrators to tools that highlight hidden obstacles in course sequencing and
curricular design. Attendees will see real examples of how data can guide small but
meaningful curriculum changes that improve retention and completion.
Presenters:
Dr. Douglas Masterson, Senior Associate Provost for Institutional Success
Ms. Claire Villarreal, Institutional Assessment Coordinator
Mr. JB Amacker, Institutional Effectiveness Data Coordinator
Friday, November 7th
9:00- 10:30 am
International Center 101
Workshops & Events by Date
November
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: The Ultimate Teams Playbook, Pt. 2
Join us to learn some advanced features in Teams! In this Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: The Ultimate Teams Playbook, Pt. 2 session, we will look at these specific functions:
- Sync your OneDrive with Teams
- Utilize a Scheduling Poll in your Calendar Invite
- Adding a Poll in your Teams meeting
- Meeting settings to share your screen, use break out rooms, and change your background
- Where to find the video recording of your meeting and share it
Presenter: Gayle Sollfrank, M.A., Assistant Director of Finance and Operations, CFD
Tuesday, November 4th
12:00-1:00 pm
Hybrid Session | International Center 319 & Teams
Strategies and Resources for Bringing Digital Methods into the Classroom
This workshop introduces faculty to effective strategies for integrating digital methods into the college classroom. We will explore how approaches such as digital storytelling, text analysis, mapping, and web authoring can boost student engagement and produce transferable skills. This session will showcase examples of adaptable assignments and offer guidance for designing scalable activities and projects. Faculty will also learn about resources and support available through the Center for Digital Humanities.
The Center for Digital Humanities is seeking to develop a cohort of instructors in
Spring 2026 using innovative digital course assignments. We can help you to brainstorm
ideas for how to incorporate digital work into your class, design specific assignments
with you, and then help your students to complete the project, from in-class support for active
learning in both face-to-face and online classes to technical support for software
and hardware. No experience with digital tools necessary!
Presenter:
Jennifer Andrella, Assistant Professor, School of Humanities
Co-sponsored by the Center for Digital Humanities
Wednesday, November 5th
12:15-1:30 pm
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Show Up & Write!
Show Up and Write! is hosted virtually on Teams by the Center for Faculty Development (CFD) weekly and provides a quiet open space for dedicated writing time. This writing group aims to support faculty, staff, and graduate student research by designating time for writing and increasing productivity through peer support and personal accountability. Join us on Teams and plan to focus time on writing an article, book chapter, grant proposal, blog, grading or another project.
Show Up and Write! will meet virtually every Thursday this fall from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 pm beginning August 28th, 2025 and will conclude November 13th. These sessions are come-and-go as needed for your schedule and does not include peer exchange. Faculty, staff and graduate students from all disciplines and ranks are welcome to attend.
If this piques your interest, click the link below to receive a reminder/calendar invite along with the Team's information to join this supportive community.
Curricular Analytics: Visualizing Student Pathways
Curricular Analytics transforms complex degree plans into clear, data-driven visuals that reveal how students move through their programs. This session introduces faculty and administrators to tools that highlight hidden obstacles in course sequencing and curricular design. Attendees will see real examples of how data can guide small but meaningful curriculum changes that improve retention and completion.
Presenters:
Dr. Douglas Masterson, Senior Associate Provost for Institutional Success
Ms. Claire Villarreal, Institutional Assessment Coordinator
Mr. JB Amacker, Institutional Effectiveness Data Coordinator
Friday, November 7th
9:00- 10:30 am
International Center 101
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: Canva for Non-Designers
Join us for a fun, hands-on Canva workshop designed for anyone who doesn’t consider themselves a “designer.” In just one hour, you’ll learn how to use Canva’s simple tools and templates to create eye-catching graphics, presentations, and more. Come ready to learn the basics of Canva, and leave with ideas that will inspire your next project!
Presenter: Kerigan Brewer, Coordinator of Student Engagement and Service
Tuesday, November 11th
11:30-12:30
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Preparing for Pre-Tenure Review Panel
An overview of the process and required materials for the application for pre-tenure review for tenure-track faculty will be provided followed by a panel discussion from faculty who have successfully navigated the pre-tenure review process. Panel members will address questions and provide tips for writing the narrative essay, suggestions for what evidence to include, best practices for putting together the dossier materials, and soliciting feedback and support for this process.
Target Audience: Tenure-track faculty that will be going through the pre-tenure/ 3rd year review process in the 2025 - 2026 academic year.
Panelists:
Dr. Alex Scrimpshire, School of Management
Dr. Diana Bernstein, School of Ocean Science and Engineering
Wednesday, November 12th
1:00-2:15 pm
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
Mentoring Milestones: Supporting Faculty through the First Year
This interactive workshop supports both new and experienced faculty mentors in fostering meaningful connections with their mentees. Participants will explore strategies for regular check-ins, preparing mentees for annual evaluations, and guiding them toward campus resources that support teaching and research success. Through reflective questions and real-world case scenarios, mentors will gain tools to navigate common challenges faced by first-year faculty at USM.
Presenters:
Melanie Leuty, Director, Center for Faculty Development
Ashley Allen, Associate Director, Center for Faculty Development
Friday, November 14th
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Hybrid Session | IC 319 & Teams
Ctrl+Alt+Succeed: Coursera and AOP's Professional Standards Program - Keys to Your Success
Coursera is a global online learning platform that is available (at no cost) to all
Southern Miss students, faculty and staff. Staff will be introduced to the course
offerings provided in Coursera's "Career Academy," which includes 90+ industry certificates
and 700+ courses. Combined with the Association of Office Professional's Professional
Standards Program, presenters will demonstrate how staff are empowered to make successful,
career-enhancing choices.
Presenters:
Russ Willis, Associate Provost for Student Success
Cory Williams, CEOE, System Administrator in iTech and AOP PSP Committee Chair
Wednesday, November 19th
2:00-3:00 pm
Hybrid | IC 319 & Teams
December
Watermark Faculty Success: Putting it Together for 3rd year Review, Promotion, & Tenure
This session is designed for faculty preparing their dossiers for promotion and tenure and pre-tenure review. It will review how to assemble the PDF evidence files, best practices for putting your materials together, the submission process, and other considerations for participating in a review process. Before the workshop, please review all files and information located on the Promotion and Tenure site. The 'Dossier Information' section will be especially helpful for this session.
Presenter:
JB Amacker, Institutional Effectiveness Data Coordinator
Monday, December 15th
1:00-2:00 pm
Virtual | Teams
Deck the Data: Faculty Success Data Entry Workshop
’Tis the season to get organized! The Center for Faculty Development and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness invite you to an interactive working session where you can enter your Faculty Success information, troubleshoot challenges, connect with colleagues, and start working on your annual evaluation submission! Drop in for one-on-one help, collaborative support, and some festive refreshments.
Presenters: Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Tuesday, December 16th
12:00-2:00 pm
In-Person Session | EHH 120
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