University of Arkansas Provides Valuable Resources for Faculty

Chieko Hara

As part of the U of A's strategic focus on enhancing its position as an employer of choice, the University of Arkansas offers valuable resources for its faculty through the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support, and the Office for Faculty Affairs. These offices collaborate with several units on our campus, including the Division for Research and Innovation and the National Science Foundation's UA ENGAGE to assist faculty in their scholarship, enhance teaching skills, provide mentoring opportunities, offer guidance on how to use the latest technology, and foster professional development.

"The Office of the Provost is dedicated to furthering the U of A's strategic focus on enhancing its position as an employer of choice by supporting both faculty and student success," said Anna Zajicek, vice provost for faculty affairs. "We continually look for ways to support our faculty in their scholarship, academic endeavors and overall career advancement.  We all are committed to enhancing faculty belonging and engagement. I encourage faculty to take advantage of these resources to continue their professional growth and successful academic career progression."

Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center
Founded in 1992, the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center promotes innovation in teaching and learning and supports programs to advance student success. The center hosts events such as lunch and learns, teaching symposiums and teaching camps to help faculty enhance their teaching skills.  In addition, the support center funds teaching grants, provides special recognition for faculty across campus, and offers advanced teaching resources to ensure faculty continue to improve their teaching practice. Learn more about the resources provided to faculty by the Teaching and Faculty Support Center.

TIPS (Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support)
Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support was developed as a partnership between the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, Information Technology Services and Global Campus to provide academic technology support to faculty. The goal of TIPS is to collaborate across campus to promote faculty development and enhance student success. TIPS provides guidance on using Blackboard, technology and other tools in the online classroom and in person. Read more about TIPS and ways faculty can use the latest technology in their teaching.

HIPS (High Impact Practices and Wellness)
Each year, the University of Arkansas hosts events during the summer highlighting high-impact practices as defined by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. These events are open to the entire campus community and help foster conversations among faculty and staff centered on student success. For more information about High Impact Practices and Wellness and upcoming events, visit hips.uark.edu.

Faculty Affairs Professional Development and Programming
The Office for Faculty Affairs invests in the professional development and success of our faculty. The Office collaborates with several campus units, including the TFSC, the NSF UA ENGAGE and the Division for Research and Innovation, to provide leadership development opportunities for department chairs/heads and professional development opportunities and programs for tenured, tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty. These opportunities and programs contribute to faculty success and belonging, help faculty advance their scholarship, mentor each other, recognize excellence among their peers, further develop their teaching skills and enhance their writing/publishing.

Association of College and University Educators Microcredential Programs
To further enhance their teaching, faculty can earn microcredentials and certification from the Association of College and University Educators. The association provides the only nationally recognized teaching credential program in higher education and is endorsed by the American Council on Education. 

Faculty can enroll in ACUE courses through a partnership with the University of Arkansas or individually online. During the 2023 spring semester, the University of Arkansas offered microcredentials through ACUE programs across the following competency areas: Inspiring Inquiry and Preparing Lifelong Learners, Promoting Active Learning in Online Courses, and Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment. For more information on ACUE microcredentials, visit acue.org.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity Resources
The University of Arkansas has an institutional membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. As part of this institutional membership, faculty can sign up for a free account and access professional development webinars, courses, chats, mentoring tools and workshops focused on strategic planning, writing, work-life balance and more. Faculty can sign up for their free membership account at www.facultydiversity.org and select "University of Arkansas" from the drop-down list. All faculty, graduate students, and postdocs with a uark email address are eligible for this benefit.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.