Upcoming Events for New Faculty
Keys to UGA
Keys to UGA is a year-long series of events that provide incoming and early career faculty with resources and information valuable to success. All faculty are welcome.
2024-2025
August 2024 Keys to UGA Sessions
Registration for the August 2-7 sessions will be embedded in invitation emails sent to incoming faculty in late June (and for those hired later throughout July, as needed). Zoom links will be sent to registered faculty the last week of July. Please email the Office of Faculty Affairs for more information.
New Faculty Well-being and Benefits Review Orientation
Friday, August 2, 2024, 10:00-11:30 am via Zoom
Facilitators: Fredric Creamer, Faculty and Staff Well-being Senior Program Coordinator;
Angie Dellinger, HR Senior Managing Consultant, Benefits; and Kandace Faulkner, HR
Senior Managing Consultant, Benefits
The decisions you make about well-being, benefits and retirement plans are important! Participation in a Well-being and Benefits Review session is highly encouraged so that you understand the benefits that are offered, make educated decisions about your benefits and retirement plan choices, and get the most out of your benefits elections.
Detailed information on the following topics will be provided, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions:
- UGA Well-being
- Benefits plan
- Retirement plans
- Holidays, vacation and sick leave
- Enrollment in benefits and retirement plans
- Other UGA benefits
If you cannot attend on August 2, 2024, Univerity Human Resources hosts benefits orientations biweekly (every other Friday). Contact onboard@uga.edu with questions.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
Breakfast at the Delta Innovation Hub
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 9:00-9:45 am
Location: Delta Innovation Hub, 210 Spring St, Athens, GA 30602
Enjoy breakfast at the Delta Innovation Hub, the University of Georgia’s campus-wide initiative to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship. Socialize with peers and learn how the Innovation District helps faculty commercialize their research, engage with industry, and provide students experiential learning.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
North Campus Tour
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 9:45-10:45 am
Location: Delta Innovation Hub, 210 Spring St, Athens, GA 30602
The UGA Visitors Center will offer a special student-lead tour for incoming faculty. Tour will begin at the Delta Innovation Hub and end at the Stadium.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
Active Learning 101
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 1:00-2:15 pm via Zoom
Facilitator: Ching-Yu Huang, Ph.D., Associate Director for Active Learning Initiatives, Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Active Learning is a fundamental approach to effective teaching and learning. But what does an active learning course look like from the instructor's perspective or across various disciplines? How does active learning support student learning and engagement? You will explore how and why active learning facilitates engagement, collaboration, and reflection.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
eLC 101: Navigating UGA's Learning Management System
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 3:00-4:15 pm via Zoom
Facilitators: Catherine Flippen, Assistant Director for Learning Technologies, and
Duncan Lord, Graduate Assistant for Learning Technologies, Center for Teaching and
Learning (CTL)
This session, created specifically for faculty new to “Brightspace by D2L,” will provide you with an introduction to eLC (UGA’s Learning Management System). We’ll walk you through a detailed navigation of the eLC dashboard, explore course tools such as content, assignments, announcements, and class progress, and show you how to use the Brightspace editor. Finally, you will learn to personalize your eLC experience by customizing your course homepage and navigation bar to suit your preferences and your students’ needs.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
Our Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 9:00-10:30 am, In Person
Location: Pinnacle Room, Baldwin Hall (355 S. Jackson St, Athens, GA 30602)
Facilitators: Alton Standifer, Ph.D., Vice Provost and Chief of Staff to Provost,
and Alejandra Ferguson, Assistant Director of Learning and Engagement
This workshop will introduce new UGA faculty to the institutional values of diversity and inclusion. We will describe the collaborative efforts around Inclusive Excellence and share institutional resources that participants may find helpful. There will be space for dialogue and open discussion for participants to ask questions and share concerns they may have about coming to a new institution and navigating a new culture/climate.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
Policies for Pedagogy: Teaching @ UGA
Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 1:00-2:15 pm via Zoom
Facilitator: Ruth Poproski, Ph.D., Associate Director, Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Get acquainted with UGA’s teaching-related policies and procedures. In this interactive session, you'll learn about key university policies while discussing scenarios with colleagues.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
eLC 102: Using UGA's Learning Management System
Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 3:00-4:15 pm via Zoom
Facilitators: Catherine Flippen, Assistant Director for Learning Technologies, and
Duncan Lord, Graduate Assistant for Learning Technologies, Center for Teaching and
Learning (CTL)
In this session we’ll build on the basics learned in eLC 101, showing you how to create and organize course materials effectively for student use. We will cover the creation of announcements, content items, assignments, quizzes, and discussions, and establish an understanding of gradebook setup options and release conditions. Along the way, you will learn the basics of integrating course items with the calendar, gradebook, and the (brand new!) Due Date Tracker. You can expect end this workshop with everything you need to get your courses set up for the first day of class.
Registration: All August 2-7 events are in a single registration form that is linked in the NFO invitation email.
Making the Most of UGA Libraries
Thursday, August 29, 2024, 10:00-11:30 am via Zoom
Facilitators: Chandler Christoffel, Director of Academic Engagement; Megan Palmer,
Research & Instruction Librarian; Beth R. Woods, Ph.D., Director of Research and Computational
Data Management; Katherine Ireland, Ph.D., Interim Lab Coordinator; and Camila Lívio,
Ph.D., Scholarly Communications Coordinator
The UGA Libraries are here to help you meet your teaching, research, and publishing goals! Join us to learn about our print and digital collections including various item requesting options, course reserves and open education resources, as well as in-person and online course-integrated instruction support. We will also discuss research and publishing services and support for research data management planning; data discovery, access, and collection; data storage, analysis, and visualization; publishing, copyright, and digital preservation.
Register via PEP.
October 2024 Keys to UGA Sessions
Nuts & Bolts of Sponsored Projects Administration
Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 1:00-2:30 pm via Zoom
Facilitators: Jill Tincher, Executive Director, Sponsored Projects Administration, Bradley Langford, Director Post-Award, Sponsored Projects Administration, and Cathy Cuppett, Director Pre-Award, Sponsored Projects Administration
Whether you are transferring sponsored projects from your former institution or anticipate submitting proposals in the future, this workshop will provide insights on how to successfully apply for, obtain, set up, manage, and close out sponsored projects. We will discuss how shifting from effort reporting to payroll certification alleviates administrative burden across the institution. We will also demonstrate UGA systems and reports which facilitate the proposal submission process and enable investigators to easily access a high-level overview of each sponsored project and their remaining balances.
Register via PEP.
January 2025 Keys to UGA Sessions
Advice from Successful Faculty and Tips for Faculty Productivity Profiles
Thursday, January 9, 2025, 10:00 am-12:00 pm via Zoom
Facilitators: Elizabeth Weeks, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Sunshine Jordan,
UGA Elements and Business Intelligence Lead, and invited faculty panelists
This workshop will provide insights on preparing for the annual evaluations and feature a panel of faculty who have successfully been promoted. They will also discuss their use of Elements, the web-based system by which UGA faculty collect and report their work in research, scholarship, creative works, and other professional activities. Elements plays a crucial role in the annual performance evaluation process. You'll learn how to access and manage your user profile in UGA Elements.
Register via PEP.
Planning and Time Management for Academic Life
Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 9:00-11:00 am via Zoom
Facilitator: Mary Carney, Director of Programming for the Office of Faculty Affairs
This workshop will offer insights on planning for long-term success at UGA through methods to improve research productivity and enhance work-life balance. You will have an opportunity to strategize your highest priorities, consider how these fit into long-term professional goals, and plan specific steps to achieve these at UGA.
Register via PEP.
February 2025 Keys to UGA Sessions
Cultivating Career Success: A Conversation with Leaders
Monday, February 3, 2025, 1:00-3:00 pm via Zoom
Facilitators: Elizabeth Weeks, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, and invited faculty panelists
Would you like to gain insights into navigating UGA as you build career success as a faculty member? At this interactive event, participants will have an opportunity to meet with peers and select academic leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of faculty life within a large research university. The panelists will share observations about crafting a fulfilling career at UGA. Participants will have time to reflect on and share their experiences.
Register via PEP.
Mentoring Students
Monday, February 17, 2025, 1:00-2:30 pm via Zoom
Facilitator: Janette Hill, Ph.D., Department of Workforce Education and Instructional
Technology
Learn the fundamentals of effective mentoring relationships and appropriate boundaries. Acquire a template for mentoring contracts, learn steps to align mentor-mentee expectations, and boost skills in your face-to-face and online mentoring.
Register via PEP.
If you are in need accommodations for these training sessions, please email learnanddev@uga.edu at least one week before the session. All registrants will receive a Zoom login link in a separate reminder email from Learning and Development or the instructor at least 1 day before your scheduled class. If you do not receive the email reminder, please contact us at learnanddev@uga.edu.
