New faculty and librarians chat at a table at the 2023 OFD New Faculty Orientation

University News

Office of Faculty Development Welcomes New Faculty Members and Librarians

UMass Amherst-Office of Faculty Development

The Office of Faculty Development (OFD) welcomed more than 100 new faculty and librarians to campus at its annual New Faculty Orientation event held Wednesday, Aug. 30, in the Marriott Center at the Lincoln Campus Center.

Attendees heard from representatives from offices across campus about the ongoing support available to new faculty as they transition into their new role. Speakers included Chancellor Javier Reyes, Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Mike Malone, and representatives from the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and Campus Life and Wellbeing, among others. The full day’s program and offices represented can be viewed on the New Faculty Orientation website.

Chancellor Javier Reyes addresses the new faculty and librarians at the 2023 OFD New Faculty Orientation — Chancellor Javier Reyes addresses new faculty and librarians at the 2023 New Faculty Orientation

“We are so pleased to welcome over 100 new faculty & librarians to UMass Amherst from across the globe and many different disciplines. Our goal at New Faculty Orientation is to help these folks make connections, build community and introduce them to their support network at UMass Amherst,” said Angela de Oliveira, associate provost for Faculty Development.

New Faculty Orientation is the first event in a series of programming for new and early career faculty offered by OFD throughout the 2023-24 academic year. The office will kick off its “First Year Faculty Series” on Tuesday, Sept. 12 with a session titled “Building New Faculty Community.” This monthly series offers a space for faculty and librarians to connect with their colleagues and learn best practices for success. In addition to this monthly series, this fall other offerings for new faculty will include monthly walking groups, a group movie night at Amherst Cinema, and a guided campus tour.

“We are so excited to create inclusive spaces for new faculty and librarians to connect and learn from each other both personally and professionally,” said Leyla Keough-Hameed, director of Faculty Development.

For more information on programming for all faculty and librarians, please visit the OFD website.