New Faculty Orientation & Events

Welcome new faculty to the SMU community.

The Office of Faculty Success team is excited to welcome you to become a part of our community. We look forward to seeing you at the New Faculty Orientation where our new faculty can meet and learn from our current faculty and staff about resources and life at the University. Below you will find the schedule for the upcoming orientation and new faculty events. For a list of all Office of Faculty Success events, please reference the compiled list here. 

If you have any questions, contact the Office of Faculty Success at facultysuccess@smu.edu or reach out directly to Deputy Provost for Faculty Success Paige Ware.

 

New Faculty Upcoming Events

New Faculty Orientation

Thursday, August 20, 2026
8:30 am - 3 pm
Moody Auditorium

A full-day event hosted by the Office of Faculty Success featuring interactive sessions, resource overviews, and time to connect with colleagues. Attendance is strongly encouraged, and several required trainings are embedded in the day. If you cannot attend, we will follow up to reschedule required sessions in early September. More information and an RSVP link will be sent to new faculty via email. If you have any questions, please reach out to facultysuccess@smu.edu.

As part of your onboarding process, all new employees are required to complete the federal Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. To make this process as easy and convenient as possible, the Human Resources team will be available during the New Employee Orientation breakfast to assist you with completing your Form I-9. Rather than scheduling a separate visit to HR, you can complete this important requirement while attending orientation. Please bring your original, unexpired I-9 acceptable document(s) with you to orientation. Copies, photos, or expired documents cannot be accepted. A complete list of acceptable documents can be found on the  List.

8:30-9:00 | Breakfast served/new faculty arrival & HR available for document review

9:00-9:15 | Welcome to SMU: Provost Rachel Mersey

9:15-9:30 | “You Belong Here”—SMU & your professional community

9:30-10:15 | Undergraduate & Graduate Students at SMU

  • Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies
    • Alan Itkin, Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs & Chief of Staff for Moody School
  • Student profiles
    • Wes Waggoner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
  • Undergraduate academic support services
    • Sheri Kunovich, Associate Provost for Student Academic Engagement & Success

10:15 – 10:35 | Interactive Activity

10:35 -11:20 | Faculty Wellbeing and Resources

  • Faculty Wellbeing: Telehealth, Magellan, Cariloop

    Rebecca Sampson, Senior HR Specialist – Employee Relations

  • Office of the Chaplain & Religious Life
    • Rev. Lisa Garvin, Chaplain and Minister to the University
  • Faculty Senate
    • Jim Lee, Faculty Senate President

11:20-11:50 | Accreditation & Equal Opportunity Policies

  • Curriculum and Assessment
    • Susana Adoboe, Senior Spanish Lecturer & Faculty Fellow for IPE
    • Brooke Guelker, Associate Director for Assessment
  • Office of Equal Opportunity
    • Samantha Thomas, Assistant Vice President for Equal Opportunity, and Title IX Coordinator

11:50 -12:40 | Lunch with SMU Department Chairs

12:40-1:40 | Faculty Academic Supports

  • Academic Technology
    • Eric Godat - Director, OIT Research Technology Services
    • Faye Hughes - Academic Technology Services Director (ATSD) for Dedman College, Manager, Meadows Digital Arts & Services
    • Jennifer Jordan - Manager, Online Production Services
    • Jennifer Mayes - Manager, Canvas & Instructional Systems
  • SMU Libraries
    • Megan Heuer, Director of Educational initiatives
    • Carrie Johnston, Director of Research and Scholarly Initiatives

1:40 -2:10 | Faculty Teaching & Research Support (15 minutes each)

  • Center for Teaching Excellence
    • Constantin Icleanu - Director, Center for Teaching Excellence
  • Office of Research
    • Suku Nair – Vice President for Research and Chief Innovation Officer

2:10 – 2:45 Office of Faculty Success


New Faculty Reception

Monday, August 17, 2026 | 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m. | Prothro Great Hall (5901 Bishop Blvd.)

New faculty are invited to join President Hartzell, Provost Mersey and deans for a welcome reception.

Optional Summer Zoom Drop-Ins

Join us for informal sessions hosted by the Office of Faculty Success and SMU’s Instructional Technology team. No RSVP required.

Dates & Times

Schedule 

12–1 p.m. | Q&A with the Office of Faculty Success
                 | Instructional Technology overview

Human Resources New Employee Orientation

Separate from New Faculty Orientation, this HR-led training covers employment essentials like benefits, payroll, and university policies. Human Resources will contact you directly with more information. If you would like to sign up or have questions, please email Rebecca Molina at rmolina@smu.edu. To help you prepare, please review the New Employee Checklist, which outlines important onboarding steps and required documentation.

Sessions: Sessions are scheduled in-person every Monday throughout the summer from 8:45 a.m.– 12 p.m. Alternatively, if you are interested in Zoom-based HR onboarding, virtual sessions will be offered on June 23 and July 21.