Higher Ed Onboarding:
New Faculty Orientation

About the Project:

The project goal was to refresh and modernize the New Faculty Orientation program. I focused on transitioning from a traditional lecture-based format to an active, participant-led onboarding experience that fostered community and increased information retention.

infographic of new faculty orientation showing problem and solution for onboarding

Deliverables:

⭐ Targeted Content Outline: Streamlined curriculum focused on high-impact essentials.

⭐ Facilitator Guide: A structured roadmap for efficient, 1-hour group sessions.

⭐ Personalized Support Framework: A system for one-on-one SMART goal-setting and check-ins.

  • facilitator guide for new faculty orientation including the description, lesson objectives, and pre-session checklist
  • facilitator guide for new faculty orientation including the overview, introductions, break out rooms, and meeting wrap up

Our Process / What We Did:

I applied Adult Learning Theory to transform faculty from passive listeners into active participants. After auditing existing materials with an SME to remove excess information, I outlined and implemented a multi-touch strategy:

📅 Active Group Meetings: Designed interactive sessions where faculty could build community.

🤝🏽 Individual Mentorship: Led one-on-one meetings to establish trust and identify strengths.

📆 Semester-Long Support: Maintained scheduled check-ins to ensure faculty felt supported throughout their first term.

  • New Faculty Orientation goals, aims, and objectives
  • part one of a table showing the activities and information that will support the objectives of identifying resources and developing a new hire first year plan.

Results:

👏 100% Retention: Achieved a perfect faculty retention rate for my caseload over a full academic year.

🎉 Enhanced Confidence: Surveys showed faculty felt fully comfortable using resources and asking for help.

🧠 Innovation Mindset: Faculty became more proactive in presenting new ideas to their departments.

🤝 High-Trust Culture: Established a baseline of support that made ongoing coaching and redirection more effective.

What the Client Said:

“Emily’s onboarding sessions were well received by new faculty members, who appreciated her engaging and interactive approach. She has a unique ability to tailor her training materials to meet the specific needs of the faculty, empowering them with the latest instructional strategies and technologies.

Her ability to build professional relationships with faculty was evident in the continuous improvement of their teaching practices under her guidance. ” -
Heather M., Senior ID @ JWU

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