CETL
Welcome New Faculty! We are pleased that you have chosen KSU and look forward to supporting you throughout your career. In addition to information about New Faculty Orientation (NFO), this page will connect you with resources and groups on campus that will help you get off to a successful start whether it's your first semester in a new position or your first semester at the university.
New Faculty Orientation (NFO) is hosted by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning each August and is open to all new full and part-time faculty, as well as faculty that have changed their role at KSU.
The goals for NFO are to:
Full-Time Faculty who are not Limited-Term
Monday, August 11, and the morning of Tuesday, August 12, will be in-person located in the Carmichael Student Center on the Kennesaw Campus (address: 395 Cobb Avenue; Kennesaw, GA, 30144). The afternoon of Tuesday, August 12, will be online through a Microsoft Teams link (links will become available on the day of orientation).
Monday, August 11
| Time | Session Title | Facilitator(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 - 8:45 am | Registration/Check-In | University Rooms | |
|
8:45 - 9:00 am
|
New Faculty Orientation Overview and Introductions
|
Dr. Carmen Skaggs, Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Michele DiPietro, Executive Director of Faculty Development, Recognition, and CETL |
University Rooms
|
|
9:00 - 10:00 am
|
Welcome from the KSU President and Provost |
Dr. Kathy S. Schwaig, President of Kennesaw State University Dr. Ivan Pulinkala, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs |
University Rooms |
|
10:00 - 11:30 am |
Designing Your Syllabi to Support Student Learning |
Dr. Carmen Skaggs, Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Rebecca Weaver, Teaching and Learning Consultant, CETL |
University Rooms |
|
11:30 am - 12:15 pm |
What Educational Psychology Tells Us about Student Success |
Dr. Meghan Bankhead, CETL Faculty Fellow for Learning-Centered Teaching |
University Rooms |
|
12:15 - 1:00 pm |
Lunch and New Faculty Q&A |
|
University Rooms |
|
1:00 - 3:00 pm |
Student Success Resources |
|
University Rooms and Academic Learning Center |
|
3:00 - 3:45pm |
Connecting Assessment of Student Learning and Student Success |
Institutional Assessment |
University Rooms |
|
3:45 - 5:00 pm |
Excellence in Teaching: Taking and Documenting a Scholarly Approach |
Dr. Tris Utschig, Director for Scholarly Teaching, CETL Dr. Laura Howard, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, CETL Dr. Hillary Steiner, Associate Director for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, CETL |
University Rooms |
Tuesday, August 12
| Time | Session Title | Facilitator(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONLY Full-Time Faculty with a Research Workload Join for this Session | |||
| 8:30 - 8:45 am | Registration/Check-In for those with a Research Workload who did not attend day 1 | University Rooms | |
|
8:45 - 10:00 am
|
Supporting Research and Creative Activity at KSU
|
Dr. Heather Abbott, Director of Research Development, Office of Research |
University Rooms
|
|
ALL Full-Time not Limited Term Attend |
|||
|
10:00 - 10:15 am |
Break - Full-Time Faculty without a Research Workload Arrive |
University Rooms |
|
|
10:15 - 11:30 am |
Expanding the NEST (Nurturing Environments through Scholarly Teaching) |
Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL Dr. Laura Howard, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, CETL |
University Rooms |
|
11:30 am- 12:30 pm |
Faculty Success at KSU, Part 1. Strategies for Your Success |
Dr. Michele DiPietro, Executive Director for Faculty Development, Recognition, and CETL |
University Rooms |
|
12:30 - 1:30 pm |
LUNCH BREAK (on your own) |
||
| ONLINE | |||
|
1:30 - 2:30 pm |
Sustainable Course Design and Preparing to Teach Online (Synchronous) |
Digital Learning Innovations |
Microsoft Teams |
|
2:30 - 3:30 pm |
Faculty as Learning Scientists: Using D2L and Data to Enhance Student Learning (Synchronous) |
Digital Learning Innovations |
Microsoft Teams |
|
3:30 - 5:00 pm |
Faculty Success at KSU, Part 2: Preparing for Annual and Multi-Year Reviews (Synchronous) |
Mr. Wes Daggerhart, Faculty and Academic Services Manager Mr. Jamie Grimes, Faculty and Academic Services System Specialist Dr. John Havard, Chair of the Department of English Dr. Carmen Skaggs, Assistant Vice Provost |
Microsoft Teams |
V.I.T.A.L.* - Hybrid Option
Monday, August 11, will be in-person located in the Carmichael Student Center on the Kennesaw Campus (address: 395 Cobb Avenue; Kennesaw, GA, 30144). Tuesday, August 12, will be online through D2L and Microsoft Teams links (links will become available on the day of orientation).
Monday, August 11
| Time | Session Title | Facilitator(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
8:30 - 8:45 am |
Registration/Check-In |
University Rooms |
|
|
8:45 - 9:00 am |
New Faculty Orientation Overview and Introductions |
Dr. Carmen Skaggs, Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Michele DiPietro, Executive Director of Faculty Development, Recognition, and CETL |
University Rooms |
|
9:00 - 10:00 am |
Welcome from the KSU President and Provost |
Dr. Kathy S. Schwaig, President of Kennesaw State University Dr. Ivan Pulinkala, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs |
University Rooms |
|
10:00 - 11:30 am
|
Designing Your Syllabi to Support Student Learning
|
Dr. Carmen Skaggs, Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Rebecca Weaver, Teaching and Learning Consultant, CETL |
University Rooms |
|
11:30 am - 12:15 pm
|
What Educational Psychology Tells Us about Student Success
|
Dr. Meghan Bankhead, CETL Faculty Fellow for Learning-Centered Teaching |
University Rooms
|
|
12:15 - 1:00 pm |
Lunch and New Faculty Q&A |
University Rooms |
|
|
1:00 - 3:00 pm |
Student Success Resources |
University Rooms and Academic Learning Center |
Tuesday, August 12
| Time | Session Title | Facilitator(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
|
Expanding the NEST (Nurturing Environments through Scholarly Teaching, Asynchronous)
|
Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL |
D2L Course
|
|
12:30 - 1:30 pm |
Lunch Break (on your own) |
||
|
1:30 - 2:30 pm |
Sustainable Course Design and Preparing to Teach Online (Synchronous) |
Digital Learning Innovations |
Microsoft Teams |
|
2:30 - 3:30 pm |
Faculty as Learning Scientists: Using D2L and Data to Enhance Student Learning (Synchronous) |
Digital Learning Innovations |
Microsoft Teams |
|
3:30 - 4:30pm |
V.I.T.A.L. at KSU: Your Reflections and Questions (Synchronous) |
Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL |
Microsoft Teams |
V.I.T.A.L.* - Online Option
The online content will be available through D2L as well as the Microsoft Teams links (links will become available on the day of orientation)
Tuesday, August 12
| Time | Session Title | Facilitator(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:45 - 9:15 am | Welcome & Overview of D2L (Synchronous) | Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL | Microsoft Teams |
|
9:15 - 10:15am
|
Designing Your Syllabi to Support Student Learning (Asynchronous)
|
Dr. Carmen Skaggs, Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Rebecca Weaver, Teaching and Learning Consultant, CETL |
D2L Course
|
|
10:15 - 10:45 am |
What Educational Psychology Tells Us about Student Success (Asynchronous) |
Dr. Hillary Steiner, Associate Director for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, CETL |
D2L Course
|
|
10:45 - 11:45 am |
Expanding the NEST (Nurturing Environments through Scholarly Teaching, Asynchronous) |
Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL |
D2L Course |
|
11:45 am - 12:30 pm |
Student Success Resources at Kennesaw State University |
Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL |
Microsoft Teams |
|
12:30 - 1:30 pm |
Lunch Break (on your own) |
||
|
1:30 - 2:30 pm |
Sustainable Course Design and Preparing to Teach Online (Synchronous) |
Digital Learning Innovations |
Microsoft Teams |
|
2:30 - 3:30 pm |
Faculty as Learning Scientists: Using D2L and Data to Enhance Student Learning (Synchronous) |
Digital Learning Innovations |
Microsoft Teams |
|
3:30 - 4:30 pm |
V.I.T.A.L. at KSU: Your Reflections and Questions (Syncronous) |
Dr. Misty Grayer, Senior Teaching and Learning Consultant, VITAL, CETL |
Microsoft Teams |
*V.I.T.A.L. = Visiting, Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Adjunct or Part-Time, and Limited-Term
Day 1: Monday, August 11, 2025
New Faculty Orientation
Foundations for Faculty and Student Success at KSU
Location: Kennesaw Campus, University Rooms, Carmichael Student Center
| No Value | No Value |
|---|---|
|
8:30am-3:00pm University Rooms, Student Center |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions for ALL New Faculty (Full-time and V.I.T.A.L. faculty) Full-time, contracted (Tenure-track, Clinical, Library, or Lecturers) V.I.T.A.L. (Visiting, Instructor, Temporary, Adjunct or Part-time, and Limited-term) |
|
3:00-5:00pm University Rooms, Student Center |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions continue for Full-time Faculty only (Tenure-track, Clinical, Library, or Lecturers)
|
Day 2: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
New Faculty Orientation
Location: Kennesaw Campus, University Rooms, Carmichael Student Center
Virtual (Teams)
For Full-Time Faculty (Tenure-track, Clinical, Library, or Lecturers)
| No Value | No Value |
|---|---|
|
8:30am-12:30pm University Rooms, Student Center |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions for Full-time Faculty only (Tenure-track, Clinical, Library, or Lecturers) |
|
1:30-5:00pm Virtual (Teams) |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions continue for Full-time Faculty only (Tenure-track, Clinical, Library, or Lecturers)
|
For V.I.T.A.L. Faculty (Visiting, Instructor, Temporary, Adjunct or Part-time, and Limited-term)
| No Value | No Value |
|---|---|
|
8:45am - 12:30pm Virtual (Teams) |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions for V.I.T.A.L. Faculty participating in the Online Option only (Visiting, Instructor, Temporary, Adjunct or Part-time, and Limited-term) |
|
11:30am - 12:30pm Virtual (D2L) |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions for V.I.T.A.L. Faculty participating in the Hybrid Option only (Visiting, Instructor, Temporary, Adjunct or Part-time, and Limited-term) |
|
1:30 - 4:30pm Virtual (Teams) |
New Faculty Orientation Sessions for V.I.T.A.L. Faculty only (Visiting, Instructor, Temporary, Adjunct or Part-time, and Limited-term) |
Day 3: Wednesday, August 13, 2025
P & T Portfolio Reviewers Workshop (for Portfolio Reviewers only)
Virtual (Teams)
| No Value | No Value |
|---|---|
|
9:30-11:30am Virtual (Teams) |
P & T Portfolio Reviewers Workshop (for Portfolio Reviewers only) |
Day 4: Thursday, August 14, 2025
Launch ‘25
Location: Kennesaw Campus, Convocation Center
| No Value | No Value |
|---|---|
|
8:30am: Doors open 9:00-10:30am Convocation Center |
Launch ’25 (all KSU Faculty and Staff) |
Day 5: Friday, August 15, 2025
Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation 9:00am-12:15pm (Teams)
College and Department Meetings as scheduled by units
| No Value | No Value |
|---|---|
|
9:00am-12:15pm Virtual (Teams) |
Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation |
|
TBD by unit |
College and Department Meetings |
What if I can't attend?
I will be teaching part-time and work during the day, what should I do?
What do I do if I need accommodations for accessibility, a lactation room, etc.?
Will sessions be recorded during the event?
Why isn't my email or D2L account set up yet?
Completing the Human Resources onboarding process for new employees will enable you to setup essential access to KSU Systems (NetID, email, etc). Human Resources will reach out with additional onboarding tasks after your background check clears and is approved. If you have not heard from Human Resources 30 days prior to your start date, please reach out by calling 470-578-6030 or contacting TAM@kennesaw.edu for further assistance.
If you have already completed the HR new employee onboarding process and still do not have essential access to KSU systems, contact University Information Technology Services (UITS) at 470-578-6999 or email, service@kennesaw.edu. If UITS tells you that you are not yet set up in the system, contact tam@kennesaw.edu or call 470.578.6030 to let HR know.
Please note that it may take several days for your access to be set up once you complete the HR new employee onboarding process.
How do I get a parking permit?
Do I need a parking permit to attend New Faculty Orientation?
Where do I park for New Faculty Orientation?
All in-person sessions will take place in the Carmichael Student Center on the Kennesaw Campus. Please allow yourself extra time to find parking as the lots closest to the Carmichael Student Center tend to fill up quickly.
Below are some options for parking:
These parking lots are accessible to the Carmichael Student Center for those who need an accessible entrance to the building.
You can also view an interactive map through our website.
Completing the Human Resources onboarding process for new employees will enable you to setup essential access to KSU Systems (NetID, email, etc). Human Resources will reach out with additional onboarding tasks after your background check clears and is approved. If you have not heard from Human Resources 30 days prior to your start date, please reach out by calling 470-578-6030 or contacting TAM@kennesaw.edu for further assistance.