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Faculty Committees

Educator Resources

Faculty as Educators

Faculty are critical to Upstate’s educational mission and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development is dedicated to helping you be outstanding educators. All faculty development seminars and workshops are available to all faculty, residents, staff, and students of all colleges. Most sessions are offered virtually or with virtual and in person options.

All Upstate faculty have roles in education. Your role may be as a mentor and coach, clinical preceptor, classroom teacher, small group facilitator, teacher in a laboratory setting, or other role. We hope you will consider participating in our faculty educator programming. Calendar link.


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Faculty Educator Development Seminars and Tooboxes

This series of monthly seminars is planned and organized by a committee of interprofessional faculty. Seminars are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 12-1 PM via Zoom.

Objectives

  1. Examine important concepts regarding key topics in biomedical and health care education (hot topics, patient safety/quality, teamwork, social determinants of health, humanities)
  2. Analyze best practices for teaching at Upstate (research skills, pedagogies, professionalism, communication, scholarship, curriculum design, technology, simulation)
  3. Collaborate to foster new models of teaching (Faculty scholar’s dinner, other workshop activities)

Past presentations are archived and available on Upstate's video platform, Kaltura. This page will appear to be empty. Please log in with upstate ID with blue log-in button at top right of page, and it will populate. ARCHIVED VIDEO ACCESS.

The last session of the year (traditionally the Faculty Scholar’s Workshop) is held during the evening of the first Tuesday of June and has traditionally included hands-on workshops, highlights of Uptstate innovations in education, and invited speakers.   

Faculty Toolbox Sessions

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development encourages all faculty to suggest new ideas for faculty development presentations. One option is to submit a “Toolbox” application.

Toolbox sessions are generally offered as 2-3 hour workshops and are arranged based on availability throughout the academic year. Topics are based on faculty interests and may include interprofessional education, social determinants of health, finance management, leadership skills, and others. Toolbox applications are reviewed by the Faculty Educator Development Steering Committee.

We invite and welcome faculty to apply to present a toolbox session. Please use the Upstate Faculty Toolbox Request for Proposals guidelines and submit a toolbox proposal to Ann Botash, MD, at botasha@upstate.edu.

Academy of Upstate Educators

The Academy of Upstate Educators provides ongoing support for Upstate faculty educators, including BEST workshops, creative educational ideas brainstorming sessions and coaching mentorship. Membership in the academy is competitive and interested faculty are welcome to apply through the nomination process.

Medical Education Journal Club

Facilitated by Drs. Thomas Poole and Thomas Curran, these sessions provide a forum for discussion of published manuscripts relevant to medical education. The group meets on the third Monday of each month from 12-1 PM. Journal club articles are distributed via email during the month prior to the discussions.

Active Learning Collaborative

The Active Learning Collaborative is a peer mentoring group that meets monthly to discuss educational challenges and opportunities, with a focus on integrating new technologies into teaching to enhance active learning and engagement. Check out this library guide for more resources.

Norton College of Medicine

Volunteers

The Norton College of Medicine enthusiastically supports faculty who volunteer to teach in one or more of our College courses or clerkships. Please contact the Curriculum Office for available teaching opportunities and, if you are not employed at Upstate, visit our Voluntary Faculty page for more information.

Promotions

In the Norton College of Medicine, all promotions require the completion of an educator portfolio. This portfolio is required whether you are being promoted with excellence in education, service, or research and is especially helpful for those considering promotion with excellence in education. We are proud of our emphasis on education and continually work to improve the experiences of our students.

Educational excellence requires outstanding accomplishments in all areas of education:

  • Teaching Activities (precepting, classroom, feedback, and more)
  • Learner Assessment
  • Curriculum or Program Development
  • Mentoring and Advising
  • Educational Leadership & Administrative Activities

Teaching philosophy

Fearless LearnerThe Norton College of Medicine recognizes learning styles may shift based on learner background, course content, learner and teacher goals and objectives, and other reasons. Because of this, we are continually renewing our medical student curriculum. This requires ongoing course evaluations and feedback to course directors and instructors, as well as ongoing faculty development to help our faculty learn new teaching skills. Our faculty are committed to increasing active learning and engagement of students in the learning process.

We want our learners to be ready to demonstrate creative thinking and initiative.  Learners are encouraged to recognize there is always more to learn and to actively participate in the process. Upstate created a trademark for the “Fearless Learner” to support our goal to increase opportunities for active learning and engagement of learners.  

We aspire to support learners who are fearless in their approach to learning and are not afraid to ask questions. 

A strong positive learning environment encouraging curiosity and fearlessness in learning includes:

  • Clear expectations for effort and performance
  • Clear assessments
  • Perception of importance of material (relevance)
  • Perception of challenge and ability to achieve success
  • Opportunities to prepare for learning of knowledge and skills
  • Encouragement after setbacks
  • Perseverance of the learner, using renewed approaches
  • Support for learner curiosity

Project ECHO for Community Preceptors

In the fall of 2022, the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, in collaboration with the United Health Services (UHS) Office of the Designated Institutional Officer (DIO) at the Binghamton Campus, and Upstate’s Project ECHO, began sponsoring a monthly, virtual, free longitudinal program of faculty development for clinician educators. This program is intended to provide support to practicing clinician-teachers.

Goals include: 

  • Create a community of preceptors who share knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching medical and health professions students and residents
  • Increase comfort and confidence in teaching for clinician-teachers
  • Support clinician-teachers building stronger relationships to Upstate Medical University 
  • Provide an opportunity for reflection regarding teaching philosophy

All community office as well as hospital-based inpatient and outpatient clinical preceptors from all specialties are invited. Discussion leaders include colleagues from the Binghamton and Syracuse Campuses. CME and MOC are offered. Contact donovake@upstate.edu for details.

Faculty Leadership Essentials for Academic Development (LEAD)

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development sponsors a leadership course for mid-career faculty, offered every other year. The purpose of the program is to challenge a cohort of mid-career faculty to develop forward thinking programs, personal and professional leadership goals and skills, and to network and collaborate within the Upstate community. 

The program begins in the fall of the academic year and continues through May. There are 3, 3-5 hour in person sessions, homework assignments, and synchronous online sessions. Participants learn project management skills, self-reflect regarding personal leadership styles, network with colleagues, and develop a project plan to be reviewed by mentors and course faculty. 

Faculty are encouraged to attend: 

  • All Upstate Medical University faculty, especially mid-career faculty (tenure and
  • non-tenure track) 
  • Faculty developing new or current programs 
  • Faculty inspired to innovate and lead growth at Upstate

The next course will be offered in the fall of 2023. This course is approved for a microcredential through SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Related Committees and Offices

Faculty Educator Development Steering Committee

The Faculty Educator Development Steering Committee meets monthly to review all aspects of faculty development that is facilitated through the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development.

Student Learning Outcomes Committee

The Student Learning Outcomes Committee (SLOC) works to enhance Upstate's systems of learner assessment and program evaluation. SLOC partners with academic degree programs to help maintain and enhance student learning outcomes portfolios and assessment plans. SLOC also supports program accreditation efforts that relate to these two areas. SLOC members include representatives from all four colleges and other key administrative personnel. Educators seeking support and/or guidance in learner assessment or program evaluation can contact their college's representative listed here.

Office of Interprofessional Education

Upstate is committed to improving our mission through interprofessional collaborations and teamwork. Interprofessional education (IPE) for all learners and across all campuses is supported by the Office of Interprofessional Education. This office works with the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development to support faculty in creating and sustaining IPE programming and implementing IPE faculty development initiatives.

Distance Learning Support

The Distance Learning Department of Information Management and Technology provides regular workshops and offers support for faculty who need help with distance learning tools such as learning management systems (Blackboard) and video conferencing technology.

Resources for Educators

The Library's Teaching and Learning Resources for Educators subject guide gives you access to many interesting and varied publications and recommended websites to develop your skills as a medical educator. A favorite is the AM Last Page.

The SUNY Center for Professional Development offers FREE workshops and seminars throughout the year. For more information and to register, visit: cpd.suny.edu

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