General Faculty Development

The Office of the Provost has created and implemented several initiatives to promote the development of faculty skills, research, scholarship, and academic effectiveness.

• Faculty Development Endowment Awards. The Provost has committed to building the Faculty Development Endowment Fund to $1 million over the next few years. Accordingly, she organized a major fund-raising effort during UIW’s 2008 Employee Campaign. Monies within the Fund are used to create opportunities for faculty members to gain ongoing training in learning and teaching methods and technologies, to receive research assistance, to participate in international travel, and to share with their colleagues at discipline meetings. From the use of Faculty Development Endowment Funding, the UIW faculty has been strengthened and, as a result, student learning has been broadened and the reputation of UIW enhanced. All UIW employees who give at the $1,000 level are recognized by having their name permanently inscribed on the University Legacy Tree, a plaque prominently displayed within the Administration Building. Information on the Legacy Tree may be found here.
• Faculty Development Research Awards. To promote scholarly research, the Provost funds Faculty Development Research Awards to deserving faculty members. Typical faculty awards fund needed resource materials to complete essential research activities. Faculty members apply by submitting information on their research topics, progress, and needs. A selection committee chaired by the Provost then makes selections and awards monies to faculty members.
• Presidential Teaching Awards. The Provost receives nominations and chairs the committee to determine which faculty member will receive the Presidential Teaching Award, a $5,000 stipend given by the UIW President each year since 2004. Full-time faculty members who have displayed extraordinary dedication to teaching are recognized through this prestigious UIW award. Of note, the criteria for receiving this award is student focused; that is, faculty members must be able to show a positive impact on student learning and an active level of involvement and engagement with students. For more information on the Presidential Teaching Award, click here.
• Kemper Scholars Program. In 1948, James Scott Kemper, founder of the Kemper Insurance Companies established the Kemper Scholars Program to provide financial assistance to deserving university students who had demonstrated exceptional scholarship and leadership qualities. The Provost brought this program to the University of the Incarnate Word in 2005, and it has helped to develop a remarkable cadre of student scholars over the years. Kemper Scholars receive financial assistance for three years, totaling $3,000 to $6,000 a year, depending on need. They attend the yearly Kemper Scholars Conference each year for three years and work in a Chicago-based non-profit agency during the summer after their sophomore year. During the summers following their junior and senior years, Kemper Scholars design their own community service-based projects. More information on the Kemper Scholars Program may be found at their web site by clicking here.
• New Faculty Mentoring Program. The Provost provides oversight and guidance to a program in which seasoned faculty members provide mentoring to newly hired faculty members, helping them to adjust to their new surroundings and academic workload. This program has proved to be highly successful as new faculty members have become productive members of the academic community much faster than before, discover the proud heritage of UIW, gain an understanding of university goals and processes, and learn which offices and individuals are responsible for specific university functions and resources.