By Rick Vacek | August 20, 2024
No matter whether they are alumni or part of The University of Texas at Dallas for the first time, attendees’ reactions to New Faculty Orientation could be summed up in three words.
Informative.
Friendly.
Growth.
But there was no question which word was biggest in their minds.
“I’d heard about it when I came to interview: ‘Oh, UT Dallas really is growing.’ It certainly is, but you don’t realize the scale of it until you see it in one place. It makes it quite exciting to know that you’re part of that growth,” said Dr. Alistair Sterling, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM). “There’s so much positivity. It really feels like you’re here at a booming time for the institution.”
The boom also resonated with new faculty members who are former UT Dallas students.
Dr. Lisa Timmons, associate professor of instruction in psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), knew the campus well when she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2011 and her master’s in 2012. But, considering that 70% of the campus buildings have been constructed in the last 15 years, it’s not surprising that she desperately needs a map these days.
“I’m really disoriented right now. I don’t know where anything is anymore,” she said, laughing. “There were no parking garages when we were here, and they only had the first residence hall. So, it’s incredibly different.”
Finding their way meant digesting information as much as locations. Mandar Samant, associate professor of practice in information systems in the Naveen Jindal School of Management (JSOM), earned his executive MBA from UT Dallas just three years ago and still said after orientation, “I thought I knew UTD. But today I learned a lot of things that were an eye-opener for me.”
Then there is Dr. Joshua Montgomery, MBA’15 and an assistant professor of instruction who is teaching government and Readings Courses in the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. He has been on campus recently as a visiting assistant professor but still was amazed at orientation by the “breadth of information communicated from all different kinds of perspectives. I had the advantage of being here the last two years, and I still learned quite a bit that I didn’t know.”
The menu for the steady information feed, in sessions that resembled bite-size chunks, was carefully crafted by the orientation organizers, Dr. Meghna Sabharwal, Associate Provost for Faculty Success, and administrative assistant Vanessa Aguillon.
Most sessions were 15 minutes, and the newcomers introduced themselves to their counterparts in three separate groups. It was all about keeping it moving … and keeping their attention.
“I liked the pace at which we switched topics,” Sterling said. “Hearing the overview and the context was much better than just reading through a PDF. You can put names to faces.”
Sabharwal said the goal in welcoming 74 new tenure-system and non-tenure system faculty to campus this fall is to help new faculty transition smoothly by introducing them to key offices and personnel while also fostering connections within their new community.
“Our Office of Faculty Success looks forward to continuing these important conversations throughout the academic year with in-depth workshops and returning speakers,” she said. “This orientation is just the beginning – a glimpse into the ongoing support and community we strive to provide as new faculty embark on their journey at UTD.”
Orientation began with welcoming remarks and UT Dallas perspectives shared by the University President, Dr. Richard C. Benson; the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Dr. Inga H. Musselman; and the Speaker of the Academic Senate, Dr. Michael Kesden, associate professor of physics in NSM.
They also were there for the social hour at the end of the day, which was so successful it lasted long past its scheduled finish time.
“I love the fact that the president and the provost showed up and made us feel welcome,” said Elisa Miller, associate professor of practice in design and creative practice in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology.
Attendees also raved about the “Evolution of UTD” talk by Dr. Calvin Jamison, Vice President for Facilities and Economic Development. His maps showing the campus today compared to 2007 were particularly noteworthy.
“That was mind-blowing to me,” Miller said.
No matter whether they are tenure-system or non-tenure-system, the newcomers appreciated the tenure-and-promotion rundown by Dr. Mehrdad Nourani, Senior Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, and Dr. Sean Cotter MA’95, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.
The sessions about the Faculty Mentoring Program and the Center for Teaching and Learning also were considered valuable.
“I’m really passionate about teaching, so I liked that because I can see myself getting involved in it,” Timmons said. “Everything that everybody said about belonging-ness – I’m a very social person, so I’m looking for those kinds of things where I can join faculty groups.”
Other sessions covered teaching (profiles of UT Dallas students and resources for student success), technology in the classroom, research support and human resources.
The day ended with the longest and maybe the most comforting session of all, a one-hour panel discussion with five current faculty members.
“Clearly, they settled in pretty well,” Sterling said. “It’s reassuring to know that, as you progress, things get much easier and you learn the ropes.”
Dr. Xu Feng, assistant professor of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, had the panel at the top of her list, but she was even more comforted by the opportunity to sit with other female engineers.
“This is really encouraging,” she said. “I really hope to promote the excellence of women in engineering. There are many female students who are interested in engineering, but they lack confidence to pursue higher education.”
Feng also is the first UT Dallas recruit in the NIH Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) program, which supports the hire of 10 early-stage tenure-track faculty. She certainly has put in her dues – six years to earn her PhD, five years of postdoctoral work – and appreciated the way orientation helped prepare her for what’s ahead.
“I learned a lot about the resources, especially the teaching part – how to accommodate students’ needs, how to teach more efficiently,” she said.
The day was all about building relationships, both with their new University home but also with each other.
“It was very helpful to get a sense of the number of new faculty and also the diversity of backgrounds and experiences,” Sterling said. “It was great to meet other people who are potential collaborators.
“Ultimately, we’re all new here, and this is a great time to make friends because we all are looking to make connections – both on a social level but also on a research level.”
Another way to grow.