Preparing for Retirement:  It's Never Too Early to Start Planning 

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the more time you’ll have to explore your retirement options. The Office for Faculty Success is pleased to offer a workshop that addresses questions for those individuals contemplating and/or planning for retirement (regardless if you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond). Representatives from the Provost Office, Human Resources, and UNT's Retiree Association (UNTRA) will present exit strategies and answer any questions that you may have about retirement transitions. The panel presentation is scheduled for April 25, 2014 (2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., BLB 073).

Please join us in celebrating soon-to-be retiree, Richard Sinclair, Associate Professor of Biology and Dean of Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science on June 6, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. (BLB 2nd Floor Patio).  Read more about Richard Sinclair's longstanding contributions to the UNT community in the InHouse feature, A Passion for Teaching Gifted Teens.

Faculty Development Leave Call Announced

The deadline for applying for a 2015-2016 Faculty Development Leave (FDL) is September 30, 2014. To learn more about eligibility criteria, the review process, and expected outcomes, please attend the final FDL spring workshop on April 29, 2014 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) in BLB 255. Experienced faculty members and committee review members will share what it takes to craft a successful leave proposal and experience. Register today! To access checklist, forms, and the application, please visit FDL Application & Forms.

SETE Portal Now Open 

The Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETE) portal is open through May 4, 2014.  Please encourage students to complete their survey. Consider having a colleague or graduate student attend your class to administer the survey by asking students to use their mobile device (e.g. tablet, iPad, smart phone). Simply log on to the my.unt.edu portal using a mobile device and click on the SETE icon. 

2014 Student Portraits: A Symposium for UNT Educators

UNT is proud to present the 4th annual Student Portraits: A Symposium for UNT Educators, dedicated to assessment and research about students at the University of North Texas. This symposium is a FREE opportunity  (lunch provided) to deepen your understanding of our students and their experiences. Due to space constraints, registration is limited to 300 attendees. Last year's event reached capacity quickly, so please take this opportunity to register now. May 12, 2014, Gateway Center, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Important End of Semester Information

As per UNT Policy 15.2.16, pre-finals week refers to the seven calendar days preceding the final week of each fall and spring semester and is designated so that students can adequately prepare for their final exams.  During this week (April 28 – May 2), student organizations do not meet and activities requiring student participation such as field trips, athletic events, or performances are not scheduled unless approved in advance. Please note that no classes are held on Reading Day, May 2, 2014.  Final exams should be administered at the designated times according to the published schedule. Any deviation from the schedule must be approved in advance by the appropriate academic dean. Students who have as many as three final examinations scheduled on one day may appeal to their academic dean to reschedule one of those examinations on another day during the final examination period.

Suicide Prevention Regional Summit

Did you know that suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24?  If you are interested in learning more about suicide prevention, mental health issues, and resiliencey, please join us for a broader conversation. A regional summit of community stakeholders, external agencies, and educators is scheduled for May 22, 2014, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Gateway Center. Register today. For more information, please see flyer or contact Brooke Moore at Brooke.Moore2@unt.edu.
 

2014 Salute to Faculty Excellence Week Announced

The date has been set and exciting activities are being planned for the 2014 Salute to Faculty Excellence week, September 22-26, 2014. The Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards Dinner and Ceremony, sponsored by the UNT Foundation, Office of the President, and Office of the Provost, is scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2014 at Apogee Stadium. At this showcase event, we will honor UNT's top faculty award winners, newly tenured and promoted faculty, and recently appointed Emeritus faculty. Look for more details throughout the summer.

Featured in this picture is Elizabeth Hayes Turner, Professor of History, receiving the University Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award at the 2013 event.  If you would like to a chance to win two free tickets to the 2014 Dinner & Awards Ceremony, please send us a caption for this picture and your name will be entered into a drawing (send to faculty.success@unt.edu).   

Academic Leaders Corner 

Building, strengthening, and sustaining UNT's administrative leadership is an important part of the work that we do in the Office for Faculty Success. Several of the upcoming events are listed below:

• UNT Leadership Fellows:  A Conversation with the Provost, April 25, 2014, UNT Alumni Pavilion, 12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. (invitation only) 
• UNT Leadership Fellows:  A Conversation with the President, May 1, 2014, Hurley Administration  204, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (invitation only)
• UNT Leadership Fellows 'Out and About' on the UNT Campus (Tour), June 19, 2014, 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (invitation only)
• UNT Chair Academy, "Implications for the Eagle Express,”  June 17, 2014, Gateway 142, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (chairs only)
• UNT Chair Academy Retreat, August 7, 2014, Gateway Center 43/47, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (chairs only)

Please send your good ideas, comments, and/or suggestions for the Summer Faculty Newsletter to faculty.success@unt.edu.