New Faculty Orientation: Roadmap to Academic Excellence
Welcome to UTEP! We’re excited to have you join our dedicated and talented community of faculty. New Faculty Orientation will take place from July 16-August 20, 2025, and includes five virtual sessions and two in-person sessions. Each session will include interactive activities to help you engage with the content, get to know the university, connect with colleagues, and access key resources. Please review the program below and RSVP to the sessions you'd like to attend.
Questions? Please contact Erika Villegas at evillegas3@utep.edu.
To attend each virtual session, use the Zoom link:
Meeting ID: 836 0032 8585
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 | 9:30 A.m. – 11:30 a.m. MST
Day 1: Getting to Know UTEP and the Community (Save to Calendar)
| 9:30 a.m. | Welcome Remarks; Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 9:40 a.m. | Who We Are John Wiebe, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs |
| 10:10 a.m. | New Faculty Introductions; Engagement Activity; OneNote Resources Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support, Provost's Office |
| 10:30 a.m. | Life + Work Breakout Rooms: Health and Wellness Led by Max Gutierrez, Project Manager and Wellness Champion, Provost's Office Parenting & Family Support Led by Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support Art and Recreational Activities Led by Cherry Duke, Professor of Practice and Director of Opera, Department of Music Spaces on Campus Led by Carlos Tarin, Associate Professor, Department of Communication El Paso Social Led by Jay Stratton, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre and Dance |
| 11:00 a.m. | Engagement Activity Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support |
| 11:10 a.m. | End of Day Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 11:30 a.m. | Adjourn |
wednesday, July 23, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. MST
Day 2: high-impact and innovative teaching (Save to Calendar)
| 1:00 p.m. | Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 1:05 p.m. | High-Impact and Innovative Teaching Video Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support |
| 1:10 p.m. | Active Learning & Reimagining Core Curriculum Brad Cartwright, Associate Professor of Instruction |
| 1:20 p.m. | Backwards Course Design and Assessment: An Interactive Workshop Toni Blum, Vice Provost for Curriculum Effectiveness and Improvement; Christina E. D'Arcy, Director, Institute for Scholarship, Pedagogy, Innovation and Research Excellence (InSPIRE) |
| 2:50 p.m. | End of Day Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:00 p.m. | Adjourn |
Wednesday, JULY 30, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. MST
Day 3: utep edge and high-impact practices (Save to Calendar)
| 9:00 a.m. | Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 9:05 a.m. | High-Impact and Innovative Teaching Video Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support |
| 9:10 a.m. | Peer Review of Syllabi Christina E. D'Arcy, Director, Institute for Scholarship, Pedagogy, Innovation and Research Excellence (InSPIRE) |
| 9:40 a.m. | UTEP Edge in Action Katalina Salas, Director, UTEP Edge |
| 10:00 a.m. | High-Impact Practices: Stories from the Field Undergraduate Research: Karina Canaba, Director, COURI Creative Activities: Presenter TBD Community Engagement: Naomi R. Fertman, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Women's and Gender Studies |
| 10:40 a.m. | Designing with Impact: Integrating High-Impact Practices Into Your Course Christina E. D'Arcy, Director, Institute for Scholarship, Pedagogy, Innovation and Research Excellence (InSPIRE) |
| 10:50 a.m. | End of Day Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 11:00 a.m. | Adjourn |
wednesday, August 6, 2025| 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Day 4: teaching with technology (Save to Calendar)
| 1:00 p.m. | Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 1:05 p.m. | High-Impact and Innovative Teaching Video Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support |
| 1:10 p.m. | Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é and Hyflex Teaching: Tools, Support, and Best Practices Cira Montoya Olson, Director, Center for Instructional Design Microcredentials: Innovation and Impact in Higher Education Beth Brunk, Dean, Extended Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é |
| 1:30 p.m. | Advancing Access Through Open Educational Resources Tessy Torres, OER Librarian, Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Library |
| 1:40 p.m. | Library x Faculty: Quick Wins and Smart Tools for Student Success Angela Lucero, Head of Research and Instruction, Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Library |
| 1:50 p.m. | Inside the Office of the Provost: Roles and Resources Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 2:05 p.m. | A Guided Tour of the Faculty & Administrator Resource Hub Erika Villegas, Director of Communications and Administrative Support |
| 2:20 p.m. | Growth Mindset Louie Rodriguez, Vice Provost for Professional Development, Engagement, and Strategic Initiatives |
| 2:30 p.m. | End of Day Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:00 p.m. | Adjourn |
monday, August 11, 2025 | 9:00 A.m. – 11:00 a.m. MST
Day 5: advancing research, scholarly, and creative activities (Save to Calendar)
| 9:00 a.m. | Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 9:05 a.m. | Introduction to the Office of Research and Innovation Marc Cox, Associate Vice President for Research |
| 9:10 a.m. | Managing Startup Jolene Keipp, Proposal Development Specialist, Office of Research and Innovation (R&I) |
| 9:30 a.m. | Research Development with R&I and the Office of Sponsored Projects Jolene Keipp, Proposal Development Specialist |
| 10:10 a.m. | Library Research Resources Angela Lucero, Head of Research and Instruction, Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Library |
| 10:20 a.m. | End of Day Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 10:30 a.m. | Faculty Breakout Session: Setting Up Your Research Space College Associate Deans for Reseach Postdoc Breakout Session Maryanne Long, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Fellowships, Graduate School |
| 11:00 a.m. | Adjourn |
tuesday, August 19, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. MST | Blumberg auditorium, university library, Room 111
day 6: Session for tenure-track faculty (Save to Calendar)
| 2:00 p.m. | Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 2:05 p.m. | UTEP Policy and Procedures for Tenure-Track Faculty Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 2:50 p.m. | Resolving Issues and FAQ's Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:00 p.m. | Faculty Resources Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:05 p.m. | Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:15 p.m. | Breakouts by college College Associate Deans for Faculty Affairs |
| 4:00 p.m. | Adjourn |
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. MST | Blumberg auditorium, university library, Room 111
day 7: Session for instructional faculty (Save to Calendar)
| 2:00 p.m. | Roadmap to the Day Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 2:05 p.m. | UTEP Policy and Procedures for Instructional Faculty and Clinical Faculty Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 2:50 p.m. | Resolving Issues and FAQ's Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:00 p.m. | Faculty Resources Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:05 p.m. | Small Group Activity Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 3:15 p.m. | End of Day Q&A Deana Pennington, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs |
| 4:00 p.m. | Adjourn |
Welome events hosted by university Relations
In addition to the New Faculty Orientation sessions above, the Office of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Relations will host a welcome breakfast and dinner to celebrate your arrival. New faculty will receive a separate invitation for the events below.
New Faculty and Professional Staff Welcome
Monday, August 18, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
LA BIENVENIDA Evening Reception
Monday, August 18, 2025
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location: TBD