Events, Workshops, and Communities

New Faculty Orientation welcomes new, full-time faculty and provides essential information as they begin the academic year. The interactive program introduces faculty to key campus resources, services, and supports that will help them succeed in their roles and support student success. Fall 2026 NFO is held Monday, Aug. 17, to Wednesday, Aug.19. New faculty receive invitations via email. Please contact the Office of Faculty Development with any questions.

Profession (PIO) instructors will have their own orientation program offering; contact the PIO Fellow for questions.

WMU welcomes new professional instructors (PIO) and part-time instructors to attend the optional New Professional Instructor and Part-Time Instructor Orientation on Monday, August 17, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Co-hosted by the Office of Faculty Development and the Professional Instructors Organization, this orientation will provide information about instructor roles, WMU teaching and learning resources, the PIO contract, and time for questions. Both in-person and virtual options will be available. The in-person session will be held on main campus, with the location to be announced, and the virtual session will be held via Webex. Complimentary food vouchers will be provided for in-person participants. 

Visit the PIO Orientation Information Sheet for more information and to register.

Each fall, the Office of Faculty Development offers a New Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Training (GTA) session as part of the required Graduate College GA Orientation. The training supports new GTAs in planning initial interactions in their classrooms or other learning spaces, engaging effectively with their lead faculty instructors, and connecting with experienced teachers and graduate students on campus. The virtual session is held on Monday, Aug. 31, from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact the Graduate College for more information.

The Functional Course Design Endorsement is a semester-long program open to any WMU board-appointed faculty member or instructor of record who is teaching, or plans to teach, a course within the next year. Come work alongside instructional designers and faculty peers in a collaborative setting where you will focus on designing or redesigning a course using a human-centered, concept-focused approach that prioritizes accessibility, alignment, and learner flexibility across any modality.

The program meets in person seven times throughout the semester, from 9 a.m. to noon, on Fridays: September 25, October 2, 9, and 16, October 30, November 6, and November 20. Upon successful completion, participants receive a WMU Endorsement Certificate in Functional Course Design. Registration closes September 18. Seats are limited!

Complete the Functional Course Design Endorsement Registration Form to sign up!

Tuesday, August 11

2 to 3 p.m.

Virtual

New junior faculty shouldn’t have to “figure it out” alone. This webinar, hosted by the ADVANCE Program at the University of Michigan, presents Launch Committees as a constellation mentorship model to accelerate onboarding, expand networks, and boost early-career belonging and success for newly hired tenure-track assistant professors.

Thursday, August 13

2 to 3 p.m.

Virtual

Join NCFDD for a webinar that will help you:

• Map your current mentoring network
• Identify your unmet needs
• Plan how to expand your existing network to meet your current needs