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, November 7, 2025
Time:	9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location:	University Conference Center (in person only)

Agenda

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.	Welcome Address Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Office of the Provost
9:15 – 10:20 a.m.	Teaching Insights & Support: Ending the Semester Strong, Reflection, and Next Steps Lydia Frass Director, Distributed Learning and Summer Sessions Office of Curriculum Management and Data Analytics McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
10:20 – 10:30 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:30 – 11:20 a.m.	Unlocking Library Resources for Teaching and Research Success Kala Dunn – Research & Instruction Librarian, University Libraries Amber Cook – Head of Access Services, University Libraries
11:20 - 11:25 a.m.	Concluding Remarks
11:25 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Lunch

(The February 6 and April 3 sessions will follow a similar structure with different speakers and “just-in-time” topics)

Center for Teaching Excellence