“As associate provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, I plan to improve the institutional climate for faculty,” Briggs said. “To enhance faculty retention and performance.”|Courtesy of the University of Houston.
Last month, the University announced the hiring of a new associate provost of faculty development and faculty affairs.
James Briggs, a professor of biochemistry at the college of natural sciences and mathematics, assumed the position July 1.
“The provost’s cabinet and staff have been extremely welcoming,” Briggs said. “I was visited by many of the provost’s cabinet who welcomed and briefed me on ways that they wanted to interact with me in this role.”
As the associate provost of faculty affairs, Briggs is responsible for activities related to the recruitment, hiring, orientation, professional development, recognition, promotion and tenure of faculty.
Although the position has a high volume of tasks to complete, his prior leadership experience has prepared him for what is to come, Briggs said.
“The adjustment has been surprisingly smooth,” Briggs said. “My prior roles as associate dean, department chair and serving in the faculty senate prepared me well.”
In addition to his prior knowledge, Briggs said that the transition has been smooth due to the assistance he has received from staff as well as the outgoing provost.
“My predecessor, Mark Clarke, has spent hours with me in person, on the phone and via email to assist with the transition,” Briggs said. “I also spent time meeting with the provost, cabinet members and staff to learn about any challenges this role might encounter.”
Though he only started this month, Briggs has already hit the ground running.
“A current challenge is preparing for the onboarding of about 180 new faculty that were hired during the recent recruitment cycle,” Briggs said. “A three-day orientation and onboarding event has been planned for Aug. 15-17, where the new faculty will be introduced to the University and hear about our institutional goals.”
While Briggs was reluctant to share his plans for new initiatives, he said that his main goal is to improve the faculty experience.
“As associate provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, I plan to improve the institutional climate for faculty,” Briggs said. “To enhance faculty retention and performance.”
