The 2025 New Faculty Orientation was held on Friday, September 5, 2025, at the University Conference Center. The event welcomed 105 new faculty members to USC, along with 43 administrators and academic leaders who joined the networking breakfast to connect with new faculty and foster community across campus.
The morning opened with remarks from Matt Thatcher, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), followed by a university welcome from President Michael Amiridis and additional remarks from Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Mary Anne Fitzpatrick and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Jennifer Ng. Later in the program, Thatcher led a session on Just-in-Time Resources to help new faculty navigate their first semester successfully.
Attendees participated in breakout sessions focused on Teaching and Learning at USC, Supporting Student Success, and Navigating the USC Research Ecosystem. The orientation concluded with a networking lunch and resource fair, where attendees met campus partners, explored teaching and research support services, and entered a raffle after completing their Resource Passport.
Feedback from participants reflected the energy and impact of the day:
“Knowing that I am well supported as a new faculty member is truly remarkable. There are so many resources at my disposal… I had a blast and feel incredibly lucky to be a part of the USC family.”
“I loved the university leadership presentations. It was nice to put a face to a name and learn about each of their roles more in-depth.”
“The breakout sessions and networking opportunities were excellent. It was wonderful to meet other new faculty and hear directly from leadership.”
Presentations from the event are available on the New Faculty Orientation webpage.
New Faculty Academy
The New Faculty Academy (NFA), hosted by the Office of the Provost and the CTE, extends this onboarding experience through a 9-month professional development series designed to support new full-time faculty in teaching, research, and service. The academy includes the asynchronous course Fostering Student Learning through Effective Teaching and 3 in-person sessions held throughout the academic year.
The first NFA session, held on Friday, November 7, featured presentations on Ending the Semester Strong, Teaching Insights and Support, and Unlocking Library Resources for Teaching and Research Success, followed by a networking lunch. Faculty valued the chance to continue building relationships and share reflections on their first semester at USC.