5 Vital Tips To successfully Set Up A Meeting As a New Faculty Member
You may be quite hesitant to schedule a meeting with other members in your department as a new faculty member. However, meetings are essential to building a good working connection with your colleagues. As you plan on meeting people in your department, it’s advisable to navigate availability and prioritize the people you would like to meet with time preferences. Here are some suggestions you can keep in mind when setting up a meeting to discuss various academic issues with members of your department.
1. Prioritize from the top
Before setting a date and venue for a meeting, it’s very important to consider the hierarchy in the department. Familiarize yourself with the different positions so that you are clear about who you would like to meet with and why. The department chair ought to be given the utmost priority then try to meet with senior faculty members and junior faculty. Adjunct faculty members should be considered because they might be excellent resources.
2. Find a time that is acceptable to the attendees
Identify some suggested times for your meetings. The benefit of sending out such a list is that it gives a rough estimate of the length of the meeting, the kind of meeting it’s going to be, whether physical or online and also helps the attendees adjust their calendars effectively.
3. Set an agenda for the meeting
The most effective way of achieving an outcome is by setting a goal. Without a plan for the meeting, you`ll realize afterward that it was just a waste of time. You should therefore draft an agenda for the meeting in advance and forward it to all concerned members.
4. Plan for questions from attendees
You have to plan for questions no matter how carefully you think you`ve planned your meeting. Consider what you might have overlooked and if a question is asked and you don’t know the answer it is okay to say that and let the person know that you will get back to them with an answer as soon as time permits. And be sure to follow up with them.
5. Make a follow-up after every meeting
To achieve something worthwhile after your meetings, it’s of essence to set up a follow-up method for your meetings. Failure to effect this could undo all your hard work. You can achieve this by sharing a simple summary of the meeting.
Finally, as a new faculty member, it should be your duty to familiarize yourself with the standards, culture, and rules of the department so you will be viewed as someone who is fully committed to the department and the institution. Consider engaging in career coaching activities at The Acclivity that will help you advance in careers in higher education.