News

2025 New Assistant Professor Virtual Discussion Panel
Friday, February 28, from 1pm-2:30pm.

 

The Office of Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF) in the UW Office of the Provost will hold this event for newly appointed assistant professors in professorial tracks, in order to provide information related to reappointment, promotion/tenure, and faculty development at the University of Washington.

The panel will include the following newly promoted faculty members and administrators who will share their professional experience and perspectives, as well as field questions from participants:

 

Deepa Rao, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Faculty Development, and Professor, Department of Global Health, Schools of Medicine and Public Health, UW Seattle Campus

Marjorie Olmstead, Associate Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs, and Professor, Department of Physics, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, UW Seattle Campus

Marianne Stecher-Hansen, Professor, Department of Scandinavian Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, UW Seattle Campus

Wadiya Udell, Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Success, and Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, UW Bothell Campus

Priscilla Lui, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, UW Seattle Campus

Gregory Lund, Associate Teaching Professor, School of Urban Studies, UW Tacoma Campus

 

This event will be held by zoom, connecting information is provided below:

Join the Zoom meeting

In an initiative aimed at fostering professional growth and addressing critical challenges in academia, the University of Washington has launched the Dean and Chancellor Leadership Development Series. This program, designed for deans, chancellors, divisional deans, associate deans, and associate vice chancellors, provides a collaborative platform to tackle shared leadership priorities and explore essential themes in higher education.

Led by the Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty, the series offers an engaging environment for leaders to gain insights and tools to navigate the complexities of their roles. The inaugural session took place on November 15, 2024, with facilitators Mari Ostendorf, Joe Giffels, and Sara Curran from the University of Washington’s Office of Research. The session focused on “The Research Enterprise and the Importance of Building and Sustaining a Research Ecosystem,” delving into strategies for fostering innovation and maintaining a robust research infrastructure.

Future Topics to Address Leadership Challenges

The series is designed to address a range of topics tailored to the unique challenges faced by UW’s academic leaders. Upcoming sessions will explore:

• Navigating the research enterprise and fostering innovation
• Promoting campus and community safety
• Budgeting strategies across schools, colleges, and campuses
• Advancing teaching excellence and its evolving role in academia
• Practical leadership insights, ethics, and governance at UW and within Washington state
• Strategies for faculty recruitment, promotion, development, mentorship, retention, and tenure
• Understanding ethics, risk management, and compliance in leadership roles
• Strengthening advancement, development, and endowment efforts
• Examining the scope and impact of undergraduate and graduate education
• Enhancing global engagement, research, and societal impact
• Embedding inclusive excellence in higher education
• Exploring the Faculty Code and shared governance principles

The next session, scheduled for December 18, will be facilitated by Richard Cordova from UW’s Office of Internal Audit. The session will feature a discussion on “The Practical Aspects of Leadership and Ethics at UW and in the State of Washington.” Information on upcoming topics is available on the Academic Personnel & Faculty website. Email vpap@uw.edu to register for an upcoming session.

Participation and Impact

By creating a space for open dialogue and shared learning, the series aims to strengthen leadership capacity across the university’s diverse units, aligning with UW’s commitment to excellence in education, research, and service.

Deans and chancellors interested in participating are encouraged to email vpap@uw.edu for more details.

A New Chapter in Supporting Faculty Success

We are excited to share an update on the ongoing transformation of the Office of Academic Personnel (OAP), which has been renamed the Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF). This new name reflects our expanded commitment to supporting faculty success holistically—from recruitment and development to promotion and retirement. It also signifies our close collaboration with UW Human Resources (UWHR) to provide seamless and comprehensive support.

What’s Changing?

A New Structure: The APF is now organized into three pillars:

1. Academic Personnel and Faculty Affairs
2. Academic Personnel and Faculty Inclusive Excellence
3. Academic Personnel and Faculty Development

These pillars are designed to focus on key areas such as faculty recruitment and retention, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting faculty success at every stage of their careers.

Refined Responsibilities: To better serve our faculty, certain operational tasks—such as reappointments and summer hiatus management—will transition to UWHR. This shift allows APF to concentrate on providing strategic, consultative support while continuing to oversee essential processes, including promotion, tenure, and compensation.

A Collaborative Vision: As we move forward, the next phase of this transformation will redefine APF’s vision, mission, and strategic priorities. This effort aims to enhance our responsiveness and strengthen partnerships with academic units across the university.

Staying Engaged

We value your input as we navigate these changes. To keep you informed and involved:

• Look for updates in our monthly eDigest.
• Administrator forums will be scheduled next year to discuss developments and gather feedback.

If you have questions or would like to share your thoughts, please reach out to us at acadpers@uw.edu.

Thank you for your engagement and partnership as we embark on this exciting new chapter for the Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty.