New Faculty Academy

The Faculty Journey Begins Here

Questions? Contact the Learning and Teaching Commons at learningandteaching@evergreen.edu.

Built on Evergreen’s Five Foci—Interdisciplinary Study, Collaborative Learning, Personal Engagement, Linking Theory with Practical Applications, and Learning Across Significant Differences—the New Faculty Academy provides comprehensive support as you learn to design transformative learning experiences.

Join us as we explore Evergreen’s distinctive approach to teaching and learning—where narrative evaluation replaces grades, interdisciplinary thinking is a core value, and student transformation is at the heart of everything we do.

Throughout your first year, you’ll deepen your learning in four key areas:

Teaching & Learning: Designing interdisciplinary curriculum using Evergreen’s signature practices
Student-Centered Advising: Supporting students through holistic advising approaches
Professional Responsibilities: Navigating the CBA and Faculty Handbook
Campus Community Integration: Building collaborative relationships across the college

Before You Arrive

🤝 Connect with your teaching team: If you’re teaching in a team, you’ll receive an invitation to participate in our Teaching Team Orientation in June. This virtual session helps you and your partners build a shared foundation and draft your Teaching Team Community Agreement.

🗓️ Save the date: Plan to be on campus for our New Faculty Summer Academy intensive (Aug 31–Sept 4). Additional details will be shared via email.

📚 Start exploring: Browse the Teaching @ Evergreen Canvas site and Real Evergreen: An Educator’s Handbook to get a sense of Evergreen’s distinctive teaching model.

🔑 Get set up: Watch for your account activation email from IT and follow the instructions to access my.evergreen.edu, which is your portal to Canvas, email, Inside Evergreen, and other campus resources.

🏢 New to Evergreen? For information about HR, payroll, parking, and other administrative essentials, visit the New Employee Onboarding Guide.

Your First Week on Campus

🌱 Summer Academy: Designing Learning Experiences that Matter [Aug 31 – Sep 4]
Begin your Evergreen journey with our intensive summer institute, where you’ll design meaningful curriculum alongside experienced colleagues and explore innovative teaching approaches.

Your First Year

Note: Faculty contracts begin on September 14th.

📚 Weekly Learning Sessions
Join fellow new faculty on Monday afternoons (3:15-4:45 PM) for foundational workshops and discussions covering Evergreen’s core educational philosophy and frameworks.

🤝 Community Building
Build lasting relationships through faculty socials and collaborative problem-solving sessions that create your support network for years to come.

🎯 Practical Skills Development
Develop expertise in Evergreen’s signature practices that support students in achieving the Six Expectations of an Evergreen Graduate:

Interdisciplinary curriculum design
Narrative evaluation and self-reflection practices
Seminar facilitation that engages diverse perspectives
Student-centered advising and support
Collaborative teaching partnerships

📖 First-Year Learning Goals

Throughout the New Faculty Academy, you’ll develop skills across four interconnected areas: Teaching & Learning, Student-Centered Advising, Professional Responsibilities, and Campus Community Integration.

Download the First-year Faculty Learning Goals to see what you’ll be working toward—from designing interdisciplinary curriculum to navigating the CBA and building collaborative relationships across campus. You’ll revisit this document throughout the year to reflect on your learning and growth.

[Download the First-year Faculty Learning Goals (PDF)]

Dive Deeper: Teaching at Evergreen

Canvas Orientation for Faculty: New to Canvas? Complete this self-paced orientation to learn the basics of Evergreen’s learning management system.

The Framework for Inclusive and Culturally Sustaining Teaching at Evergreen: This framework articulates Evergreen’s approach to equitable learning in the classroom.

Real Evergreen: An Educator’s Handbook (pdf): This extensive resource, compiled by Faculty Emeritus Joli Sandoz, offers first person accounts from faculty and staff that illustrate the diverse experiences of Evergreen educators and learners. We encourage you to skim through this resource and read what interests you. If you are looking for some suggestions, we’ve compiled a list of articles below that provide a window into faculty life at Evergreen from the origin story to the present.

The Five Foci of an Evergreen Education (1989) – p26
Six Expectations of an Evergreen Graduate (2001) – p41
Academic Organization and the Curriculum at Evergreen (1969) by Joseph Shoben – p38
Arc of an Academic Quarter (2021) by Suzanne Simons – p136
The Why of Narrative Evaluations (2004, with a 2021 Afterward) by Stephen Beck – p36

Siphoning Insights: Evergreen Student Media Interns interview current Evergreen faculty about teaching at Evergreen in this podcast

Tech Help & Guides: For account activation, multi-factor authentication, and other technical support, visit help.evergreen.edu or contact the Tech Help Desk.