AY 2023 Autumn Term New Faculty Development Program (NFDP; September 12 to November 7, 2023)

The New Faculty Development Program (NFDP) is an FD program for new faculty members. The program began in 2017 and is now in its seventh year.

From September to November 2023, the autumn NFDP was held under the direction of Prof. Kei Nasu, CTL Director and FD Director. Twelve new faculty members were eligible for the program in total: six who had joined ICU in April 2023 and six who had joined in September 2023. Since there was a large percentage of English speakers, all of the face-to-face sessions were conducted in English, and the online content and quizzes on Moodle were provided bilingually in English and Japanese. We had received feedback from those who had participated in the NFDP in previous years that the amount of online content provided was too much and it was difficult to read all of the material, so we sought to slim down the content. In addition to new faculty, two new staff members joined some of the sessions.

The most prominent feature of this year’s program was that we divided into five parts the nine face-to-face sessions held in total. The sessions were organized into the following themes: “Your ICU,” “Your Courses,” “Your Students,” “Your Teaching,” and “Your Community.” Through this, we aimed to encourage participants to think of the content covered in the sessions as something that concerns them.

Another feature of this year’s program was the inclusion of a new session not offered previously: “Your Students—Knowing Your Students.” Held on October 3, this session was facilitated by Prof. Kibe, Dean of Students, and two university counselors. They provided a breakdown of student numbers by attributes such as country and region of origin, and explained students’ paths after graduation, the role of the Counseling Center, etc.

The “Your Teaching” part in the latter half of the program consisted of three elements: sharing of teaching practices by CTL Director Nasu, Class Visitation Week (observation of at least one course), and a workshop. In Class Visitation Week, many of the participants visited large classes or General Education Course classes. In the workshop held afterward, around half of the participants shared with other participants insights they had gained from visiting classes.

Reflections from NFDP participants (extracts)

• [Translated from Japanese by CTL] “There are not many opportunities at other universities for faculty and staff members to get together as a unit and think about the university’s philosophy and curriculum, and it was an extremely valuable experience. Each week, since Prof. Nasu and the staff were proactive in assisting us, I was able to participate with ease. I was able to learn with a focus mainly on ICU’s past and present, and had a very fruitful time. If a space could be set up where we could exchange views on ICU’s future, such as future goals, the program would become even better.”
• “It was very helpful to hear from colleagues about their experiences and thoughts on teaching, some of which were reassuring while others were more eye-opening.‥‥ I guess everyone in this Fall's NFDP are 同期 in a sense(?), so we should continue to interact with each other! : )”
• “It was good to hear from other faculty about their observations and experiences, and the things that they had learned.‥There were a few suggestions by other faculty that I liked, and so I might try some of them out to see if they can work with my teaching style and provide benefits for my students.”
• “It was wonderful to hear more about what the "C" stands for at ICU, something that always grabs my attention both academically and personally. It was also very nice to see other faculty and staff members involved in Religious Affairs!”

As always, this academic year’s NFDP was very well received by the participants. CTL will continue to support new faculty so that they may have a fulfilling career at ICU. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to faculty members who have contributed to this program.

AY2023 Autumn Term New Faculty Development Program (NFDP)

1. Face-to-Face Sessions

Part 1: Your ICU

1. Introduction to ICU by VPAA Eskildsen (September 12)
2. Campus Tour (September 19)

Part 2: Your Courses

1. The College of Liberal Arts by Prof. Ikoma, CLA Dean (September 26)

Part 3: Your Students

1. Knowing Your Students by Prof. Kibe, Dean of Students, and the Counseling Center (October 3)
2. Academic Advising by Prof. Nasu, CTL Director, and Prof. Kobayashi, Associate CLA Dean (October 10)

Part 4: Your Teaching

1. Course Design and Class Management by Prof. Nasu, CTL Director (October 17)
2. Class Visitation (October 23–26)
3. Teaching Workshop (October 31)
4. Christianity and the Origin of ICU by Prof. Alberg, Director of Religious Center, and Mr. Tomioka, Trustee (November 7)

Online Contents (Offices that provided quizzes are indicated with an asterisk.)

1. Administrative Affairs Group*
2. IT Center*
3. Library*
4. College of Liberal Arts Group*
5. Graduate School Group*
6. Educational Affairs Group*
7. Personnel Group*
8. Center for Teaching and Learning and Special Needs Support Services*
9. Center for Research Planning and Support
10. Counselling Center*
11. Human Rights Consultation