Lecturers
As experts in their fields, lecturers infuse their expertise and experience from their professional careers directly into the curriculum for UH West Oʻahu students. OPDAS supports these valued faculty members with an annual orientation, office space, updated information about UH West Oʻahu policies and procedures, and serves as a resource for questions. Lecturers are included in virtually all OPDAS-sponsored events. A lecturer list-serve is maintained and used to keep lecturers informed of opportunities for professional development and updates of campus policies.
Lecturer Orientation
In January of each year, a convenient evening Orientation welcomes lecturers with an aloha and mahalo from senior administrators and informative speakers from various departments, including the library, human resources, the office of distance learning, academic advising. Lecturers are also welcomed at the August Orientation for New Faculty.
Lecturer Office Space
Lecturers share an office in E-206, which is coordianted by OPDAS so that lecturers can meet with students and have a place to work on campus. Questions about this space should be directed to the OPDAS Coordinatore at opdas@hawaii.edu.
Professional Development
Lecturers are invited to attend many of the faculty professional development opportunities offered through OPDAS. Events can be found on the ODPAS Calendar. Information about events is also shared through the UH West Oʻahu Lecturer listserv.
Teaching Awards
The UH West Oʻahu Teaching Awards Committee seeks nominations each year for the selection of the Lecturer Excellence in Teaching Award. Lecturers can also be nominated for the Laulima Teaching Innovation Award. The Open Education Resources Committee coordinates the Open Educator Award, for which lecturers can be nominated.
Lecturer Representation on Faculty Senate
Lecturers participate in shared governance through representation on the Faculty Senate. Lecturers elect representatives to serve one-year terms as Senators with voting privileges. Lecturers who serve as senators also serve on a Faculty Senate standing committees.
Small Group Instructional Diagnostic (SGID)
What is SGID?
SGID is a formative assessment technique used to obtain anonymous, mid-semester feedback from your students about your class. SGIDs can be conducted for all types of classes using any mode of delivery (in-person, hybrid, or online). After a preliminary meeting between the instructor and a trained facilitator to discuss the process, on a conventient date, the instructor leaves the room or virtual space, and the facilitator meets with the class for thirty minutes and collects anonymous answers to a set of questions. The facilitator compiles the feedback into a confidential report for the instructor, which is discussed during a follow-up meeting. SGID provides the instructor with an opportunity to reinforce your class learning outcomes with students while addressing student concerns and adapting before the end of the semester.
SGIDs are conducted in October for the Fall semester and March for the Spring semester, and will be limited to one per faculty member per semester.
Requesting an SGID
A faculty member who would like to have an SGID done will submit a request, at least two weeks in advance, by contacting opdas@hawaii.edu.
Assigning an SGID
Once a request has been received, the OPDAS Coordinator will forward the request to the facilitators asking if anyone is available to perform the SGID.
Facilitating and Follow Up
The assigned facilitator will contact the faculty requesting the SGID to set up a time to meet and discuss the three standard questions and information the faculty member would like to receive. Once a date has been agreed upon, the facilitator will conduct the SGID and then schedule a follow-up with the faculty member to discuss the results.
The OPDAS Coordinator is to be included in all correspondence between the facilitator and faculty member. When the SGID has been completed, the facilitator will notify the OPDAS Coordinator who will enter the information into a tracking spreadsheet, and credit the facilitator.
Facilitator Training
OPDAS offers training for new SGID facilitators. Training begins with an orientation session offered during the August and January Professional Development Institute Weeks. After attending the orientation, new facilitators will observe one full SGID process and conduct their first SGID with a more experienced SGID facilitator serving as a coach.
Mentoring Program
The Mentoring Program offers new faculty an opportunity to partner with a tenured faculty member who can help guide them through the first years of working at UH West Oʻahu, using the contract renewals to prepare for tenure and promotion. The mentoring relationship also provides support for new faculty with life-work balance, helps newer faculty to negotiate the particularities of this university, and creates a professional relationship that benefits both partners. Mentoring pairs are assigned by the Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs (AVCAA) with the help of questionnaires that identify similar areas of interest. Untenured faculty members are encouraged to apply to be paired with a mentor in their first year, but may apply at any time by contacting the AVCAA.