[VPAAEtal] Launch of Faculty Success Center

[Academic Affairs]

Colleagues,

The Faculty Success Center (FSC) has been a powerful and ongoing effort of dedicated colleagues and I am pleased to share an important step forward in the continued creation. I am thankful for the contributions of Dr. Flavia Belpoliti and Dr. Brian Zator, who boldly adopted the FSC as their Provost Fellowship project in Fall 2024. I am equally grateful for all who provided guidance and input as we have moved from ideas to action.

I have every confidence that this momentum will continue as the baton is passed to Dr. Erin Webster Garrett, Dean of the Honors College, and Dr. Vanessa Quinn, Honors College Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Curricular Innovation. The Faculty Success Center will move forward with their leadership ensuring its growth as a vital resource for faculty.

Dr. Webster Garrett brings extensive experience leading faculty development and curriculum innovation as related to civic engagement, undergraduate research, ePortfolio implementation, and assessment best practices.  She has led the development of a university-wide experiential learning requirement and received multiple awards for her contributions to faculty development and teaching innovation, one of the most recent being a 2023 Program Expansion award from the VIP Consortium.  Dr. Quinn joined ETAMU in July 2025 as the Honors College Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Curricular Innovation and Professor of Biological Sciences with more than 17 years in higher education; she previously served as Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences and as Associate Dean of the Honors College at Purdue University Northwest, and her scholarly background includes animal behavior, ecology, and STEM outreach.

The Faculty Success Center is designed by and for faculty. Its mission is to support the professional goals of colleagues across every stage of their academic journey:
●            New faculty beginning their careers on the tenure track, seeking mentorship and guidance.
●            Instructors and clinical faculty dedicated to student success and instructional innovation.
●            Mid-career faculty balancing research, service, and leadership development.
●            Senior faculty exploring opportunities to extend their impact, mentor the next generation, and pursue new directions in scholarship or teaching.

The Center will bring together resources, programs, and communities of practice that affirm faculty as whole professionals-teachers, scholars, mentors, leaders, and innovators.  Please be on the look out for new initiatives or opportunities to be involved with the newly established FSC!  I invite you to participate in the continued evolution of the Faculty Success Center and to share your ideas as we continue to build this space together.

Cheers,

Dr. Tammi Vacha-Haase
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

_____________________________________
Tammi Vacha-Haase, PhD
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

East Texas A&M University
Administration Building
Commerce, TX  75428



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