Skip to content
News

News

What New Faculty Valued Most About Onboarding: Building Community at the UW

Starting a faculty career at a new institution often means navigating unfamiliar systems while simultaneously launching new research, teaching, and service commitments. At the University of Washington, New Faculty Onboarding is designed to make that transition easier by helping faculty connect with the people, resources, and opportunities that will support their success from day one.

Feedback from last year’s participants suggests that the program is achieving precisely that goal.

Survey respondents consistently reported feeling better informed about UW resources following onboarding, but what stood out most was the value faculty placed on building relationships with colleagues across the university. Networking sessions, mentoring conversations, and opportunities to learn from experienced faculty were among the highest-rated elements of the experience.

One of the most valuable parts of onboarding was meeting colleagues from across the university. The structured networking opportunities made a large institution feel much more approachable and helped me begin building relationships beyond my department.

2025 Participant

Participants particularly appreciated opportunities to engage with faculty beyond their departments and discover the breadth of expertise across UW’s campuses and disciplines. Survey results showed that the networking breakfast, welcome session, mentoring plenary panel, and speed networking activities were among the program’s most valued experiences.

That emphasis on connection is intentional. Research universities can be large and complex organizations, and meaningful professional relationships often become the foundation for future collaborations, mentorship opportunities, and career development.

Hearing from faculty at different stages of their careers and from different academic areas helped me better understand the UW community and identify potential collaborators and mentors.

2025 Participant

As new faculty prepare to join the University of Washington this fall, New Faculty Onboarding offers an opportunity to do more than learn about university processes. It provides a chance to begin building the community that will support and enrich their work for years to come.

Join us September 10–11, 2026, and discover why so many faculty describe the people they meet during onboarding as one of the most valuable resources they find at the UW.

New Faculty Onboarding Sept. 10–11, 2026

As part of Faculty Welcome Week, New Faculty Onboarding includes a virtual session on September 10 and an in-person session on September 11. For the most benefit, register for both days.

Register Today

June 2026 eDigest

Academic Personnel & Faculty (APF) and International Scholars Operations (ISO) have several important updates for academic personnel administrators this month. Key June deadlines include completing annual faculty and senior assistant librarian reviews and initiating eligible promotion and tenure clock waiver requests by June 30. Looking ahead, administrators can register for August sabbatical leave training, prepare for new faculty search committee training requirements launching this fall, and take advantage of new Interfolio RPT template management enhancements. This edition also highlights temporary changes to ISO walk-in service locations, updated requirements for national competitive recruitments, and a recent USCIS announcement regarding adjustment of status applications that may affect UW employees and students pursuing permanent residence.

Important Due Dates

June 30, 2026

Complete Academic Reviews for 12-Month Faculty

  • Reviews must be completed, processed in Workday, and outcomes communicated to faculty.

Complete Reviews for Senior Assistant Librarians

  • Ensure all reviews are finalized, entered in Workday, and candidates have been notified.

Initiate Promotion & Tenure Clock Waiver Requests in Workday

  • Departments must submit waiver requests for eligible faculty by June 30.

August 19, 2026

Submit Appointments for the September Board of Regents Meeting

  • Appointments requiring Board of Regents approval must be fully processed in Workday and ready for review.

Promotion & Tenure Clock Waiver: Action Required by June 30

Faculty scheduled for mandatory promotion and tenure review between academic years 2026–27 and 2030–31 are now automatically eligible for a one-year promotion and tenure clock waiver. The extension was implemented in response to ongoing concerns about the effects of federal policy changes on faculty career progression.

Key Information

  • The waiver postpones the mandatory review by one year unless the faculty member chooses to opt out.
  • Eligible faculty may apply the waiver to 2026–27 (or to 2025–26 if it has not already been used).
  • Departments must initiate waiver requests in Workday by June 30, 2026.

Academic personnel staff should coordinate with unit leadership and affected faculty members to confirm preferences and ensure timely processing.

Learn more on the 2026–27 Promotion and Tenure Clock Waiver webpage.

Sabbatical Leave Training Scheduled for August 19

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | 10–11 a.m.

APF will host a virtual training session to help administrators prepare for the upcoming sabbatical leave cycle. The session will cover recent updates and provide a comprehensive review of the sabbatical leave process.

Topics Include

  • Key dates and deadlines
  • Updates to sabbatical workflow templates
  • Revisions to RPT forms
  • Overview of the sabbatical process
  • Enhancements to the sabbatical website

All individuals involved in sabbatical case preparation and management are encouraged to attend.

Registration: Register through the APF workshops calendar.

Interfolio RPT Introduces New Template Management Features

Interfolio recently released enhancements to the Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) module that simplify template management and improve navigation.

New Features

  • Archive outdated templates to reduce clutter
  • Archive selected templates using the Manage Templates menu
  • Filter and view archived templates when needed
  • Filter templates by type to focus on relevant records

These updates help units keep template libraries organized and improve efficiency when managing review processes.

New Required Training for Faculty Search Committees

APF is launching a new required 90-minute live training program for faculty search committees. The training will be led by Associate Vice Provost Chad Allen and UW ADVANCE Director Joyce Yen and will supplement the existing 20-minute Workday Learning training required for hiring authorities.

2026–27 Pilot Year Requirements

For tenure-track and teaching-track faculty searches:

  • Search committee chairs must complete the training before committee members receive access to application files in Interfolio.
  • All committee members are strongly encouraged to participate.

Upcoming Training

Save the Date

  • October 8, 2026
  • 3–4:30 p.m. (Zoom)
  • Registration will open in late summer.

Additional sessions will be announced and posted on the APF Inclusive Excellence website.

Units interested in customized training sessions may contact facadv@uw.edu.

ISO Summer Quarter Walk-In Hours Move to Schmitz Hall

Due to the temporary public closure of Gerberding Hall, ISO walk-in services will be relocated to the Center for International Relations & Cultural Leadership Exchange (CIRCLE) office in 250 Schmitz Hall from June 22 through July 31, 2026.

Walk-In Hours

Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–Noon

Important Reminders

  • A photo ID is required to pick up documents.
  • Walk-in services are limited to:
    • Brief questions
    • DS-2019 travel signatures
    • Document pickup and drop-off
  • Appointments are required for more extensive consultations.
  • Printing and copying services will be limited at the temporary location.

The Resources for International Scholars calendar will reflect the temporary location throughout the summer.

UW Expands Acceptable Recruitment Advertising Venues

Effective June 2, 2026, UW has updated its requirements for national competitive recruitments. While online recruitment advertising in the Chronicle of Higher Education remains acceptable, additional recruitment venues may now be used.

Approved Online Advertising Options

  • The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Higher education recruitment sites such as:
    • HigherEdJobs
    • HERC
  • Job boards affiliated with national professional journals in the relevant discipline

These changes provide units with greater flexibility when advertising faculty positions while maintaining compliance requirements for permanent residence sponsorship-eligible positions.

Additional guidance is available on the APF website’s permanent residence sponsorship recruitment resources page.

USCIS Announces Changes to Adjustment of Status Adjudications

On May 22, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would begin approving Form I-485 Applications to Adjust Status (green card applications) only in what it describes as “extraordinary circumstances.”

This policy change has the potential to affect University of Washington employees and students who are pursuing permanent residence from within the United States. Because the announcement raises significant questions about future adjudications and processing standards, ISO is actively monitoring developments and consulting legal resources and peer networks for additional guidance.

Administrators and employees involved in permanent residence sponsorship should review ISO’s detailed blog post on the announcement and watch for future updates as more information becomes available.

If you have questions about how this policy change may affect UW-sponsored permanent residence cases, please contact ISO.

New Rule Ending “Duration of Status” for J-1 Exchange Visitors

Posted 08/16/2026

International Scholars Operations has posted new web content for J-1 exchange visitors:

ISO will continue to update our web content for unit administrators and J-1 exchange visitors as we get more information; new content will be linked from this blog post.

Posted 08/07/2026

International Scholars Operations has finalized and posted slide decks for the following information sessions:

Additional web materials, including more information on Form I-539 and an FAQ for scholars, are forthcoming.

Posted 07/24/2026

International Scholars Operations has completed its initial analysis and is preparing resources for scholars and units. Here are some important things to know in the meantime.

Effect on Scholars:

For now:

  • Your current J-1 documents are still valid.
    The new rule does not affect the validity of your DS-2019 or your J visa stamp. You are still eligible to travel using those documents, subject to our guidance at J-1 Travel.
  • The new rule does not go into effect until 09/15/2026.
    It may be delayed by litigation, by a vote of Congress, or by the Department of Homeland Security itself.
  • There’s nothing J-1 exchange visitors need to do now.
    ISO will be in touch soon with more guidance, but there’s no action that individual J-1 exchange visitors should take at this time.
  • Extending your DS-2019 now will help.
    DS-2019 extensions prior to the effective date of 09/15/2026 will be cheaper and easier than after the effective date. ISO is working with departments, schools, colleges, and campuses to extend DS-2019s where possible before the rule goes into effect.

Once the rule goes into effect:

  • J-1 exchange visitors who arrive in the U.S. (either on an initial entry, or on reentry) will receive an I-94 record that lists a “date certain” admit until date. This date will match the end date on their most recent DS-2019, or a date four years out (whichever is shorter), plus their 30-day grace period.
  • J-1 exchange visitors who are already in the U.S. and do not travel will not receive a new I-94 record; however, if UW or another program sponsor extends their DS-2019, these exchange visitors will have two options to extend their period of admission:
    • Filing an I-539 Application to Extend Status with USCIS before their prior DS-2019 expires, or
    • Leaving the U.S. and applying for a new period of admission at a U.S. port of entry.

Effect on UW academic units, departments, schools, colleges, and campuses:

A new rule was recently published that will transition J-1 exchange visitors from “duration of status” to “date certain” admission. This essentially means that once the rule is in effect, exchange visitors would have to apply to USCIS, or exit the U.S. and reenter, every time they get a new extension of their DS-2019. This rule will go into effect on September 15, 2026.

In order to avoid the cost and uncertainty associated with J-1 extensions after that effective date, ISO encourages units to submit J visa requests to extend existing J-1 exchange visitors by August 17, 2026. ISO will make all necessary efforts to process all viable extension requests received by this date and issue new DS-2019s before the effective date of September 15. Please note that the usual limits on and requirements for J-1 eligibility will still apply, including appointment eligibility, funding, and insurance compliance.

Upcoming information sessions and other resources:

ISO is holding information sessions on the upcoming rule change for both J-1 exchange visitors and the units that support them. ISO advisors will share what we already know, answer questions where we can, and gather additional questions for follow up.

ISO is also working to produce additional guidance and support regarding this change, including:

  • Updated documentation and web materials around J-1 extensions and the I-539 Application to Extend Status
  • An FAQ for scholars
  • More trainings and information sessions closer to the effective date of the rule

Please note that this new rule has to be implemented across numerous U.S. government agencies and systems, and implementation may take some time. ISO will continue to update our guidance and this blog post as we learn more.

Posted 07/16/2026:

International Scholars Operations (ISO) is aware of recently-announced changes to “duration of status” for J-1 exchange visitors, which will be published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2026. ISO is analyzing these changes in partnership with peers across campus and in the immigration field. The new rule will not go into effect until September 15, 2026.

As currently posted, the rule is over 500 pages long, and it will take time to analyze and understand fully. Once our analysis is complete, we will reach out to affected parties and to campus with information and next steps. Updates will also be added to this blog post. We understand the anxiety that this change represents for international scholars, whom we greatly value at the UW. Our priority is to complete the analysis and reach out with more information as quickly as possible. To enable this work to happen quickly, we respectfully request that scholars and units not send emails about individual affected cases or scholars until we develop and share these updates.