New Faculty Attend Orientation Program

This fall, Wesleyan welcomes to campus 15 new tenure-track faculty and more than 40 visiting faculty with research interests ranging from ecological and evolutionary functional genomics to behavioral economics; from Chinese history to sociological and cultural studies of knowledge, medicine and health; from psychosocial determinants of healthy aging outcomes among women to political psychology.

On Sept. 1-3, the new faculty members attended a three-day New Faculty Orientation program that included discussions on classroom climate; active learning, service learning and community service; flipped classrooms; and effective lecture styles for larger classrooms, among other topics.

The group represents the most diverse class of new faculty in memory.

“Diversifying the faculty is an institutional priority for Wesleyan because a diverse faculty increases the robust exchange of ideas in and outside of the classroom,” said Joyce Jacobsen, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, Andrews Professor of Economics. “Research shows that a diverse faculty brings innovative and inclusive pedagogies and curricula that enhance the educational experience for all students. Our institutional core values as well as our trustee leadership align with our efforts to diversify our faculty as part of our educational mission.”

Antonio Farias, vice president for equity and inclusion/ Title IX officer, described Wesleyan’s approach to attracting and maintaining a diverse faculty. “Wesleyan sees the diversification of the faculty as a system-level initiative that requires a multi-office leadership approach from the top as well as an organic demand coming from the students and faculty. My office and the provost work together fully to coordinate the hiring and retention process from beginning through promotion and tenure, all of which could not be done without the clear leadership guidance President Roth and the Board of Trustees have provided.”