About the Office of Faculty Affairs
![Office of Faculty Affairs priority areas](/sites/facultyaffairs/files/styles/1_1_placeholder_/public/images/2024/OFA%20logo%201%20enlarged_8.png?h=a3367a44&itok=55ozPgXA)
WHAT WE DO:
Support faculty and faculty leadership in the development of an exceptional learning community at the University of Kansas
HOW WE DO IT:
Centering the values of care, community, and equity, the Office of Faculty Affairs leads initiatives and provides guidance in the areas of faculty advancement and recognition, faculty relations and policy, and faculty development and growth
Office of Faculty Affairs Initiatives
The Office of Faculty Affairs prioritizes our three initiatives to meet our mission of supporting faculty and faculty leadership in the development of an exceptional learning community at the University of Kansas.
Faculty Advancement & Recognition
Faculty Affairs oversees the processes through which faculty advance through their career life-cycle. These include:
- Faculty Hiring Cycle: facilitates and supports a streamlined faculty hiring cycle
- Promotion & Tenure and Sabbatical Leave: oversees and monitors compliance with the university policies for faculty promotion and tenure and sabbatical leaves; leads the UCPT and UCSL processes
- Distinguished Professor selection and recognition: leads the UCDP process and hosts the Distinguished Professor lecture series
- University Teaching Awards: facilitates the faculty awards and recognition process, including the nomination process and selection committees
- Scholarly awards: facilitates the Keeler Family Intra-University Professorship, which fosters faculty engagement in support of innovative interdisciplinary course or research development, and the Big XII Fellowship, which provides funding for tenured and tenure-track faculty to travel to member institutions to work on collaborative projects in the exchange of ideas and scholarship
Faculty Relations & Policy
Faculty Affairs is responsible for developing policy and administering approval processes to ensure compliance with work expectations and conditions. These include:
- Approvals: provides final approvals in various processes that include external activity reporting, workplace leave, differential allocations, and additional pay
- Policy: oversees the integration of policy with the faculty role, engaging with policy development, review, interpretation, education, implementation, and adherance
- Governance: collaborates with governance on topics that intersect with the faculty role; serves in an ex-officio status on designated committees
Faculty Development & Growth
Faculty Affairs provides faculty and academic staff with the tools and opportunities needed to succeed and flourish at all stages in their careers. This includes:
- New Faculty Orientation: welcomes new faculty to KU, providing an introduction to offices, resources, and contacts integral to jumpstarting their career at KU
- New Faculty Foundations Series: provides monthly programming to support new faculty in establishing a strong foundation at KU; programs are designed to support new faculty from arrival through to preparations for the third year review process
- Faculty Learning Circles: small group, interactive learning experiences that foster connections and collective wisdom on specific topics; designed and facilitated by faculty members with a passion for and knowledge on the topic
- Senior Administrative Fellows: a 9-month leadership development program for faculty (competitively selected) in which they explore the landscape of higher education, learn more about KU and university leadership, and develop personal leadership skills
- Associate Deans, Chairs and Directors Essentials Series: the series provides two day-long workshops plus monthly programming focused on topics such as policy updates and impact, mentorship training, university updates and resources, crucial communication skill development, and more; the series also includes an annual workshop specifically for those new to the role
- NCFDD: offers support for faculty participation in the Faculty Success Bootcamp; supports KU's institutional membership
- KU Faculty Development Academies Week: taking place the week after finals every spring, delivering one-day workshops to provide professional development “deep dives” from KU experts
Office of Faculty Affairs Communication
During the academic year, the Office of Faculty Affairs issues a monthly newsletter to all KU faculty. These newsletters highlight what is happening within the office and at KU, timely policy updates, and events and opportunities available to faculty.
Previous Newsletters
![OFA Newsletter header](/sites/facultyaffairs/files/images/2024/OFA%20Monthly%20newsletter%20header%20for%20web.png)