New Faculty & Academic Leaders

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) promotes excellence in teaching by supporting faculty adoption of research-informed best practices that positively impact student learning outcomes. Faculty development specialists provide comprehensive support for faculty and TA’s through workshops, consultations, classroom observations, and teaching enhancement plans. The Office of University Advising provides centralized support for undergraduate advising. Educational Technologies provides training and support for faculty use of the HuskyCT learning management system, UConn Lightboard, student response systems and other innovative technologies. eCampus instructional design staff provide one on one coaching and course design support for faculty across all learning modalities (online, flipped, face-to-face).  The Office of Service Learning provides support for faculty interested in combining active learning and community outreach. The Writing Center and Q Center provide extensive support for students and faculty.

The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) collaborates with students, faculty, staff, family members and the greater UConn community to ensure a comprehensively accessible environment. We engage in an interactive process with each student and review requests for accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case basis.

Academic IT installs, maintains, and supports audio-visual technology in all centrally-scheduled classrooms at all UConn campuses. The Hi-Tech classrooms features digital technology that can be leveraged for classroom content, video conferencing, and lecture capture. Academic IT staff provide training on the equipment upon request.

Enrichment Programs help UConn students on all campuses and in all majors create meaningful and rigorous academic experiences. We encourage new faculty to explore all of the opportunities we offer and partner with us to help students enhance their UConn careers. Enrichment Programs is comprised of six units: The Honors Program, The Individualized and Interdisciplinary Studies Program (IISP), The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships (ONSF), The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), The Pre-Professional Advising Centers (Pre-Medical/Dental and Pre-Law), and the University Scholar Program.

The Graduate School serves as the hub of graduate and postdoctoral education at UConn. Our mission is to nurture a vibrant community of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, foster collaboration across department, programs, and campuses in research and training, and facilitate the preparation of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars for their future careers. The Graduate School Quick Facts Sheet provides more information.

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) provides timely official data and analysis for planning, institutional effectiveness, and decision making. OIRE serves as the central repository of official data for state, federal, and other external agencies for reporting purposes. OIRE administers Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET), and HuskyDM – the University repository for faculty activities. Husky Data: SAS® Visual Analytics Portal is a tool to view academic measures such as faculty productivity. OIRE also contributes a wide range of statistics for the University Fact Sheet.

The Institute for Student Success within Undergraduate Education and Instruction, consists of four units: The Academic Center for Exploratory Students, First Year Programs & Learning Communities, the Center for Academic Programs, and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. These units provide academic advising and support, transition assistance, and enrichment opportunities to middle, high school, and college students.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) serves to advocate for access and equity across all university units, to welcome and celebrate the experiences of individuals regardless of background through innovative educational programs, and to transform campus climate to build a more welcoming and inclusive community.

Within ODI, there are six cultural centers that serve as vital resources in support of the social, behavioral, and cultural needs of students. They also provide an important resource to the broader UConn community as a central point of reference for issues and historical context related to the particular demographic group represented by the center. The cultural centers also work collaboratively to bring light to issues that face the community of underrepresented populations at UConn. 

• African American Cultural Center
• Asian American Cultural Center
• Native American Cultural Programs
• Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center
• Rainbow Center
• Women’s Center

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) oversees UConn’s $260 million research enterprise at all UConn campuses across the State, including UConn Health. The OVPR provides UConn faculty with the resources and services they need to conduct superior research and scholarship that leads to discoveries and innovations for the good of our state, the nation, and the world. Through a dynamic, strategic approach, the OVPR invests in resources and services that help UConn’s research community succeed. In addition to overseeing research compliance, research development, and sponsored programs, the OVPR also supports initiatives to increase faculty entrepreneurship, license UConn technologies, negotiate corporate sponsored research, and promote other types of industry partnerships. The OVPR is also responsible for the Technology Incubation Program (TIP), the UConn Tech Park, and several research centers/institutes.

As the contracted exclusive provider of course materials for the University of Connecticut, faculty are required to forward course material adoptions to the bookstore for each semester. In accordance with HEOA requirements, adoptions are due for a semester, once registration begins for that semester. As a new faculty member, adoptions are eagerly accepted as soon as available. Course material adoptions can be provided through the “Adopt Books” link on HuskyCT,  directly on the UConn Bookstore website, under textbooks, faculty resources, or by using this link: https://www.facultyenlight.com/?storeNbr=8207.

You will be taken to Faculty Enlight, which is a web-based platform built exclusively for faculty and administrators, that enables the research and adoption of course materials in one convenient place. Using Faculty Enlight, you will be able to see available material formats and the cost to students, before adopting. You are able to research materials used at other Barnes and Noble Education campuses across the country and there is also a link to curate custom and OER material. Your adoption history is stored in Faculty Enlight for future semesters and you can also call the bookstore at 860-486-1316 with any questions or for assistance.

The Library can help you solve problems big and small by giving you access to the world of information -- assisting with your research, helping with your teaching, and giving you a place to think, innovate, and collaborate.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is one of America’s hidden treasures—a superb collection of over 2,500 puppets from all over the world; an archive of books, manuscripts, posters, drawings, audio-visual materials and photographs all covering the history of puppetry. It is also the new home of the Puppeteers of America’s Audio-Visual Collection: the largest collection of videotapes, films, and other media about puppetry in the United States. The Ballard Institute curates and produces exhibitions of puppetry, both at the Ballard Museum and for touring across the United States. The Institute also offers workshops, museum tours, artists’ forums, film showings, performances, and other events and programs that promote the art of puppetry as a twenty-first-century art form with deep historic and global roots.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre is the producing arm of the University of Connecticut’s Department of Dramatic Arts. CRT produces under a year-round contract with Actors’ Equity Association, and serves as a cultural center for Connecticut and the New England region. CRT productions are directed, designed by, and cast with visiting professional artists, including Equity actors, faculty members, and the department’s most advanced student artists. CRT operates on the belief that the synergy between professional and advanced student artists creates a unique learning environment for the development of extraordinary theatre.

The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History is an important part of the University's broad educational vision--a vision focused not only on passing knowledge to future generations, but on applying this knowledge to solve problems and improve the quality of people's lives. The Museum offers a unique venue to share UConn's world-class scholarship directly with students and the broader general public. We strive to give people of all ages new types of learning experiences and interpret the scholarship generated here on campus in ways that make it relevant and useful to their own lives.

The UConn Dairy Bar opened in 1953 to sell dairy products that were made by the Creamery. The Creamery was established in the early 1900s and bottled milk all the way up until 1991. Today, the Creamery makes ice cream according to its original recipe and sells this ice cream through the Dairy Bar retail establishment, along with a variety of cheeses. An observation window allows visitors to view operations in the adjacent creamery, where all of the ice cream is made.

Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts is the largest college-based presenting program in New England. Each season, Jorgensen events attract more than 70,000 students, faculty and staff from the University of Connecticut, as well as residents from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Jorgensen presents 25-30 nationally and internationally acclaimed artists and ensembles annually, ranging from classical music to world music and dance, classical and contemporary dance, comedy, family programming and contemporary entertainment.

UConn Athletics covers all of the athletic teams and student-athletes. From cheering at Gampel Pavilion and Rentschler Field to participating in victory parades and rallies, UConn fans have some of the best school spirit in the country. And rightfully so. A tradition of coaching winning athletes ensures UConn is a standout in Division I sports and fuels our academic spirit. Our teams work hard to compete at the highest level, racking up championship titles and making us proud. UConn student-athletes are ambassadors for the student body, working just as hard in the classroom as they do in competition. When they’re not training or studying, our athletes give back to the community. From baseball, softball, and soccer to hockey, track and field, and swimming and diving, UConn athletes consistently perform at an elite level athletically and academically. Our students, alumni, and fans from all over Connecticut – and beyond – rally around Husky pride.

The William Benton Museum of Art is Connecticut’s State art museum, located on the University of Connecticut campus at Storrs. Drawing largely from its collection of over 6,500 works of art, the Museum presents exhibitions of art dating from the 15th through the 21st centuries. The museum also creates special exhibitions drawn from outside sources as well as loaned exhibitions.  Special events include gallery talks, campus art walks, academic and non-academic discussions, musical performances, and family programs.

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership, formed by the Town of Mansfield and UConn in 2001, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster the continued development, management, and promotion of Downtown Storrs – a vibrant and economically successful community in the heart of Mansfield. Learn more about the Partnership at https://www.mansfieldct.gov/259/Downtown-Partnership. 

Downtown Storrs is a vibrant, walkable downtown in the Town of Mansfield and features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, services, entertainment, and more! Within an easy walking or biking distance from just about anywhere on campus, Downtown Storrs is home to 80 businesses and over 1,300 residents. The Mansfield Downtown Partnership hosts a variety of community events throughout the year, many taking place on Betsy Paterson Square, the central gathering space located across the street from UConn’s School of Fine Arts. Visit downtownstorrs.org to learn more!

The Town of Mansfield’s Nash-Zimmer Transportation Center is located at 23 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. The Nash-Zimmer serves as a hub for Windham Region Transit District (WRTD), UConn, CTtransit, and Peter Pan buses. UConn buses are free for all and cover the Storrs campus. WRTD serves Mansfield and Windham/Willimantic; visit wrtd.org for more information. CTtransit connects to Hartford and stops hourly at the Nash-Zimmer; for fare information, click here. The Peter Pan bus line connects Storrs with Hartford, Providence, Boston, and New York City; ticket information is available at peterpanbus.com (use “Mansfield, CT” as the location for the Nash-Zimmer).

With a U-Pass CT, UConn undergraduate and graduate students have free access to WRTD and CTtransit buses. (For more information on U-Pass CT, visit https://transpo.uconn.edu/2019/07/09/u-pass-application-2019/)

The Nash-Zimmer Transportation Center also features accommodations for cyclists, and the adjacent parking garage features electric car charging stations. The Town of Mansfield’s Bike Commuter Club provides access to Commuter Club members for bicycle storage and private showers and lockers from 5:00 am to midnight. There are limited spots available due to space; interested riders can sign up for membership at the Nash-Zimmer between the hours of 10:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Downtown ambassadors at the front desk can assist with questions about Commuter Club membership, rates, and policies.

The Mansfield Public Library – Library Express is located within the Nash-Zimmer Transportation Center. Featuring a commuter/reading lounge, the Library Express offers a selection of the latest books, DVDs, magazines, and more. Library Express has a 24-hour book drop, free WiFi, and charging stations for your devices. Stop by or visit their website for more details.