UNF: New Faculty Orientation

The Office of Faculty Excellence, in partnership with the Provost's Office, hosts New Faculty Orientation to welcome new faculty and create a positive and productive transition to UNF. We are so proud of our students, faculty, and staff and can’t wait for you to meet everyone.

New Faculty Orientation activities for permanent, full-time faculty will be held Monday, August 5 through Wednesday, August 7, 2024. We are mindful that this is a busy time and have been deliberate in putting together a lineup of helpful information that you’ll need in your first semester – and not bog you down with irrelevant or untimely information. After reviewing the schedule of events below, please use this registration link to register for the events you plan to attend. This will allow us to properly prepare for your attendance and plan for food and space.

We realize many of you are returning UNF faculty and may not need the full program, so please register for the events that would be most beneficial for you. Please contact the Office for Faculty Excellence at ofe@unf.edu if you have questions.

For orientation events, if you have not yet obtained a parking permit, please plan to park in Garage 44 on floors two through four for free parking.

Full-Time, Permanent Faculty

These sessions are for all new full-time faculty including tenure-track, clinical, instructors, librarians, and lecturers hired since January 2024. Please register here by Monday, July 26th so we can properly plan for your attendance.

Adjunct and Visiting Faculty

Adjunct and visiting faculty are invited to join a self-guided orientation via Canvas, please enroll here.

Monday, August 5, 2024

8:30 - 9:00 Registration and Check-In
Location: Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP)
Let us know you are here and join your fellow new faculty before the New Faculty Orientation events begin.
Quick Guide for New Faculty

9:00 - 10:00 Welcome Breakfast
Location: Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP)
Join us for breakfast as President Limayem and Provost Patterson welcome new faculty to the University of North Florida. Go Ospreys!

10:00 - 12:30 Human Resources New Faculty Orientation
Location: Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP)
UNF Human Resources will provide an overview of benefit programs and retirement options. UNF is pleased to offer employees a variety of comprehensive and affordable insurance plans made available through the State Group Insurance Program. Information on how to locate valuable information on the UNF and state websites, as well as what to expect from People First, the State plan administrator, will be provided.

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch
Location: Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP)
Get to know your fellow UNF colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere over lunch.

1:30 - 3:00 UNF ID cards, keys, & parking
Location: We will start in the Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP) and disperse across campus, as needed
This time will be dedicated to helping new faculty obtain their UNF ID cards, keys, and parking permits, if needed. Information about UNF ID cards can be found on the Osprey 1Card Office website. As stated on that website, for faster service in obtaining an ID card, please submit your photo and government-issued ID card (e.g., driver's license, passport, or military/government identification card) once you receive an email from Cloud Card Services.

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

8:30 - 9:00 Breakfast
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Gather together and join us for a light breakfast and coffee as we prepare for the day's activities.

9:00 - 9:30 Welcome & Brief Overview of the University
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Receive a brief overview of the organizational structure of the university, a brief introduction to the MyWings portal, and an explanation of the resources provided in the New Faculty Orientation information packet.

9:30 - 10:15 Legislative Briefing from the Office of General Counsel
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Members from the Office of General Counsel will present information relevant to faculty working in Florida, including issues that impact the State University System. For example, they will discuss the Sunshine Law and how it relates to email and texts, Conflict of Interest disclosures, FERPA, etc.

10:30 - 11:30 Student Success: Getting to Know Our Students and Student Resources
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)

Dr. Erin Richman, Associate Vice President of Student Success, will present data describing our UNF student population, including data specifically relevant to student success metrics. She will present information about the many resources available to students to aid them in their success, including information about how UNF faculty can play an active role in our students’ success and how to utilize the MyNest system to accomplish that goal.

11:45 - 1:00 Lunch with the Library: Library Resources for Faculty
Location: Thomas G. Carpenter Library, Room 2102 (MAP)

The Library will host the new faculty for lunch and present an information session describing Library resources for faculty, how to request classroom library instruction, library liaison services, and other useful resources.

1:15 - 5:00 Tour of UNF's Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA)

Join fellow new faculty in a relaxing activity while exploring another part of our city and campus. We will take a brief bus ride to downtown Jacksonville to the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural institute of the University of North Florida. After exploring the museum galleries with a guided tour, we will return to the UNF main campus.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

8:30 - 9:00 Breakfast
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Gather together and join us for a light breakfast and coffee as we prepare for the day's activities.

9:00 - 9:45 Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) Overview
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) offers expertise, resources, and training to assist faculty in developing greater capacities for using technology for teaching and research. This presentation will introduce new UNF faculty to CIRT’s services, including Instructional Design, Canvas support, media and technology support, and equipment checkout.

10:00 - 11:00 Using Classroom Technology
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Join ITS for a brief introduction to using the technology in our UNF classrooms. New faculty will be invited to demonstrate their understanding of the technology and encouraged to visit their classrooms before the first day of class to get a better understanding of how to utilize the classroom technology.

11:00 - 11:45 Faculty Resources and Opportunities
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Faculty will be introduced to various individuals from offices across campus, such as the University Registrar and the Office of Faculty Excellence.

12:00 - 1:00 Tools for Non-Tenure Track Success Lunch
Location: Building 4, Room 1704 (MAP)
Instructors, Lecturers, and Library Faculty are invited to attend this lunch session to learn about the various resources available for non-tenure track faculty, including information about promotion and professional development leave.

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)
Location: Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP)

Tenure-track faculty and Clinical Assistant faculty are invited to attend lunch hosted by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) to learn about the various resources available to them as they embark on their Research and Scholarship journey at UNF.

1:30 - 3:30 Canvas Basics Training with CIRT

Location: Building 15, Room 2102 (MAP)

Join CIRT as they offer a training session to introduce new faculty to the basics of using Canvas, UNF's course management system. Faculty will learn about the Canvas interface and how to create content, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. Grade management and instructional best practices are also covered.

4:00 - 5:00 Meet & Greet Social
Location: Talon Room (Building 16, Room 4202; MAP)

As we conclude New Faculty Orientation, join us at this special event, offering a relaxed atmosphere for engagement with President Limayem, Provost Patterson, and colleagues from across UNF. Light appetizers and drinks will be served.

Additional Instructional Design Support

The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) Instructional Designers and the Office of Faculty Excellence (OFE) team provides an array of instructional design services to support UNF faculty with the systematic process of designing, developing, and delivering instructional materials.

Office of Faculty Excellence

Contact OFE at ofe@unf.edu for assistance

Designing an organized, comprehensive, and student-centered syllabus
Developing course outcomes and objectives for your students
Incorporating multiple methods to ensure student learning

Center for Instruction and Research Technology

Schedule a Consultation with CIRT for assistance

Instructional design best practices
Creating easy-to-navigate and accessible courses
Assistance converting traditional course materials to the online learning format
Training and development related to the practical and pedagogical skills necessary for developing and delivering interactive and engaging courses