Faculty Gatherings & Mentorship

Faculty Reading Groups:

The Thorpe Center provides support for a variety of faculty reading groups each year. Any IWU faculty member is invited to propose a book list or a topic on which books can later be chosen. If you would like to propose a reading group, please e-mail the Thorpe Center (thorpe@iwu.edu) with your suggested topic and/or book list as soon as possible. For more information on Faculty Reading Groups, please see the most up-to-date version of the Faculty Development Handbook.

New Faculty Orientations:

New Faculty Gatherings:

First and second year faculty are invited to attend orientation events before the fall and spring semesters begin. The events provide opportunities to learn details about an IWU program or service, to ask questions, and to get to know new colleagues. Additional resources for new and adjunct faculty can be found here.

New Faculty Mentoring:

Early in the fall semester new faculty are paired with faculty who have been awarded the Kemp Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence and/or the Student Senate Professor of the Year award. Please contact the Dean of Curricular & Faculty Development for more information on any of these programs.

Teaching Circles:

In an effort to promote developmental feedback on faculty members' teaching practices, the Thorpe Center sponsors a Teaching Circles program. Under this program, groups of three faculty members from different departments visit each others' classes and offer constructive feedback with regard to syllabi and assignment construction and the use of pedagogical methods in a live classroom situation. If you are interested in participating in Teaching Circles, please contact the Dean of Curricular & Faculty Development.

Teaching Circles: Making Inquire Safe for Faculty by Laurel Black and Mary Ann Cessna, click here.

Scholarship Circles:

Scholarship Circles are designed to give faculty support in which to focus on their scholarly and artistic development with like-minded colleagues. Formed around themes, practices, and/or experiences that are common to a group of faculty, they allow for the intellectual exploration of a given topic, including applicable areas of research, intersections with teaching, and alignment with internal and external partners and resources. Their goal is to promote ongoing intellectual interchange and support among group members. While topics and the focus of each circle will often be determined by the participating faculty, circles may also be suggested or formed through the Dean of Curricular and Faculty Development or the Faculty Development Committee (FDC).