New Faculty Orientation Schedule
All activities will take place in the Class of 1951 Reading Room in the Library, unless otherwise noted.
Friday, Aug. 21 | Monday, Aug. 24 | Tuesday, Aug. 25 | Wednesday, Aug. 26 | Thursday, Aug. 27
Friday, August 21, 2026
12–1:00 p.m.
Online Benefits Orientation
Sonja Krekun, Director of Benefits and Leave Administration
Zoom Link
Monday, August 24, 2026
8:30–9:15 a.m.
Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast
9:15–9:45 a.m.
Welcome to Vassar
Brief words of welcome from Elizabeth Bradley, President; Demetrius Eudell, Dean of the Faculty; Carlos Alamo, Dean of the College; and Kelli Duncan, Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources
9:45–11:00 a.m.
Teaching at Vassar: Discussion with Current Faculty
Candice Lowe Swift, Faculty Director of Teaching Development and Professor of Anthropology is joined by a panel of faculty who share their experiences teaching at a small liberal arts college. Panelists include Fabio Andrade, Assistant Professor of Film, Taylor Teitsworth, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, and Pier Carlo Tommasi, Assistant Professor of Japanese
11:00–11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
The Teacher-Scholar Model: Support for Your Research and Scholarship
Jonathon Kahn, Director of Research Development and Professor of Religion, in conversation with current faculty regarding strategies and resources that have supported their research. Panelists include Sarah Pearlman, Professor of Economics and Director of Latin American and Latinx Studies; Catherine Tan, Associate Professor of Sociology; Deon Knights, Assistant Professor Earth Science and Environmental Studies; and Daniel Mendiola, Assistant Professor of History. Gary Hohenberger, Director of Grants Development and Associate Vice President of Foundation and Government Relations, and Amanda Thornton, Director of Grants Administration, will also join the conversation.
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Lunch
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Dean of the Faculty Welcome Dinner, Alumnae House
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
8:30–9:00 a.m.
Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast
9:00–9:45 a.m.
Academic Support for Students: The Dean of Studies Office
Tom Porcello, Dean of Studies and Professor of Anthropology; MaryJo Cavanaugh, Director and Moorhead Learning Specialist for the Office for Accessibility and Educational Opportunity (AEO); Chris Bjork, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Education
9:45–10:30 a.m.
Teaching at Vassar: Discussion with Current Students
Current Vassar students will share their experiences at Vassar and discuss classroom practices that have been especially transformative for them. Student panelists include Abigail Garcia, Angeline Guerra, Thayer Lehman-Borer, Brandon Ogesi, Miguel Gomez Lara
10:30–10:45 a.m.
Break
10:45–11:30 a.m.
What Is Engaged Pluralism?
Kimberly Williams Brown, Director of Engaged Pluralism and Associate Professor of Education; Amanda Munroe, Director of Restorative Practices for Engaged Pluralism; Selena Hughes, Engaged Pluralism Administrator
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Hands on Workshop: Syllabi Contents and Links to Moodle
Christine Howlett, Associate Dean of the Faculty, and Baynard Bailey, Assistant Director, Academic Computing Services, will lead a workshop focused on the structure of a course syllabus and uses of Moodle. Bring a laptop, if possible, and hard copies of a syllabus you would like to work on.
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Lunch
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Introduction to MyVassar (Optional)
Location: Multi-Purpose Room, #223 Main Building. Please RSVP
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
8:30–9:00 a.m.
Coffee, tea, and a light breakfast
9:00–10:00 a.m.
Institutional Equity: Title IX Workshop
Jeff Schneider, Faculty Director of Institutional Equity and Professor of German Studies & Women, Feminist and Queer Studies; Lynn Christenson, Associate Faculty Director of Institutional Equity and Professor of Biology
10:00–11:00 a.m.
Academic Support for Your Teaching and Research: Vassar College Libraries and Academic Computing Services
Andrew Ashton, Director of the Libraries; Melanie Maksin, Head of Academic Engagement, Vassar Libraries; Amy Laughlin, Director of Academic Computing
11:00–11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Teaching Beyond the Classroom: Community Engaged Learning, International Programs, and the LOEB Art Center
Elizabeth Cannon, Director of the Office of Community Engaged Learning; Azra Dawood, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programs, The Loeb Art Museum; Kerry Zuccaro, Assistant Dean for Global Partnerships and International Programs and Isabel Hansen, Associate Director of International Programs
12:00–12:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks by the Dean of the Faculty
12:15–1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Thursday, August 27, 2026
10:00–12:00 p.m.
Mind the Gap: From Practicing to Teaching Academic Writing (optional)
Matt Schultz, Director of First-Year Writing and the Writing Center
Location: The Writing Center, Library Room 170
Our professional writing processes are often creative, exploratory, and exciting. We begin our research with questions sparked by reading others’ work; we think about crafting responses to those questions that impact the wider scholarly conversation; we look for astonishing gaps and curious complications. When we write, we are learning and experimenting, drafting and rethinking, asking for help, and even running into roadblocks that can be revelatory.
Teaching writing—while rewarding—is often humbling and sometimes maddening. What is the cause of this difficulty? Are there gaps between how we teach our students to write and how we approach our own writing? What are the implications of these gaps? Are there mindsets, tools, and techniques that can help us become more engaging teachers and help our students become more ambitious learners?
Please join Matt Schultz to consider appropriate writing outcomes for first-year students, identify the social process of writing from reading to revision, and share effective and efficient approaches to teaching writing and teaching with writing across the curriculum.
3:15 p.m.
First Faculty Meeting
Location: Rockefeller Hall 300
5:00 p.m.
President’s Reception for New Faculty
Location: President’s House