• The CAFE (Course Accessibility For Everyone) training series: understand digital accessibility and create more accessible and robust course materials.
• Accessibility at Iowa: central nexus for accessibility questions and resources.
• All faculty and staff are invited to learn about digital accessibility policy and practice through Accessibility 101.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing technology with the potential to significantly change the way we learn, work, and engage with information. 

• AI Guidelines and Use Cases: security, privacy, and responsible use considerations
• AI in the Classroom: tips for syllabus policies and classroom use
• Center for Teaching AI Teaching Resources: assignment design, academic integrity, and consultation support
• AI Tools and Teaching: approved tools and features at UI

As costs of attending college continue to rise, the University of Iowa is trying to find new ways to help alleviate the cost for course content. The Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology; University Libraries; and the Hawk Shop bookstore are working on affordable content initiatives as outlined below.

ICON Direct 

Being prepared with course materials positively contributes to a student's academic success.  As a founding member of the Unizin Consortium, the University of Iowa aims to provide students with more affordable access to course content. The partnerships between Unizin and major academic publishers allow ICON Direct participants to save on both eTexts and online learning platforms such as Pearson's MyLab or McGraw Hill's Connect. All enrolled students are given access to these digital materials for their classes through ICON. More information.

OpenHawks: UI Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Grant Program

OpenHawks is a campuswide grant program that funds instructor efforts to replace their current textbooks with Open Educational Resources (OER) for enhanced student success. for enhanced student success. The program is open to faculty, staff, and graduate students who teach for-credit courses and medical residencies at the University of Iowa.

Visit the OpenHawks website to find more information, including specifics on funding categories and amounts, as well as the next call for proposals.

Hawk Shop Bookstore Rentals

Save money by renting your books. The Hawk Shop carries over 1000 rentable titles.  We purchase from hundreds of vendors to get the most competitive prices.  At the end of the semester you just return your rented books to the Hawk Shop in the Iowa Memorial Union.  You can rent eligible books in the Hawk Shop at the Iowa Memorial Union or online.

Feedback is an essential part of teaching development. Gathering student input and engaging in peer observation can help you reflect on your teaching and identify opportunities for improvement. These practices support continuous growth and help align your teaching strategies with student learning needs.

Assessment Framework

At UI, the Assessment of Teaching framework emphasizes a holistic, evidence-based approach. Effective teaching is demonstrated through: 

• Learning-centered teaching practices that are engaging and inclusive.  
• Integration and alignment of learning goals, course materials, assignments, activities, and assessment strategies.  
• Responsiveness to feedback from students and peers related to supporting student learning.
• Commitment to ongoing growth and professional development as an instructor. 

Assessment is based on (1) at least two sources of evidence which, taken together, address the four characteristics above, and (2) a narrative self-assessment that provides context and explanation for the sources of evidence, reflecting on your teaching practices and growth. 

Sources of evidence include peer review, midterm and end-of-course student feedback, annotated teaching and learning materials, support for student learning outside the classroom, and leadership and scholarly work focused on teaching.

The Center for Teaching advances teaching and learning excellence at Iowa. The center is an advocate for evidence-based, reflective teaching and a leader in instructor professional development, responsible for sparking and shaping transformative conversations about teaching and learning on campus and beyond.

Our team collaborates with UI instructors; teaching assistants; department, collegiate, and university administrators; students; and campus partners to create structures and policies that enhance teaching and learning excellence. Get started today:

• Roadmap for Teaching Success: Guidance for how you can be a more effective teacher during your first year at Iowa, and beyond.
• Teaching Resources: View resources and guidance to help you boost student engagement, maximize learning, and grow as a teacher.
• Schedule a one-on-one consultation with the Center for Teaching. Popular topics include developing a syllabus, brainstorming assignments, creating a learning community, and setting goals for and documenting your teaching. Consultations are free, voluntary, and confidential.
• Build your support network. Register for the Center for Teaching’s interactive pedagogical workshops and join a faculty community.
• Subscribe to our Newsletter to learn about future Center for Teaching events, resources, and updates.

To find additional resources and upcoming events, please visit teaching.center.uiowa.edu. 

Contact the Center for Teaching at teaching@uiowa.edu.

Required and recommended course syllabi information may be found on our Course Syllabi Information webpage. Refer to your college/department for more specific information on your syllabus.

Teaching a Community-Engaged Course can be exciting and deeply rewarding. Research indicates these courses are a high impact learning practice, often leading to deeper student understanding of course material, higher overall GPAs, and better retention rates. 

If you teach a course that includes work with a community partner, apply for the Community Engaged Course (CEC) designation and promote your course to students interested in community engagement. This short, simple online form is reviewed by the Office of Community Engagement who will also assist you with any questions you might have. Applications for Spring course designations are due in mid-October. CEC-designated courses will be designated on MyUI and will also be listed on the Office of Community Engagement website: engagement.uiowa.edu.

Benefits of designating your course as a CEC include:

• Community engaged courses receive extremely favorable reviews from students at Iowa. Recent survey data indicates that over 90% of students at Iowa who took a community engaged course would enroll in another community engaged course. The designation via MyUI is the best way for students interested in engagement to proactively seek out your course.
• The Office of Community Engagement offers assistance with syllabus development and modification, community partnerships, assessment and evaluation, and other items needed to successfully teach a community engaged course.
• The CEC designation is a good way to connect with other instructors teaching community engaged courses. The Office of Community Engagement offers gatherings for CEC instructors who would like to learn more about community engaged teaching and consider opportunities for collaboration.

Apply for the CEC designation for your course.

For questions about the designation, e-mail Jan Warren, Community Engagement Manager at jan-warren@uiowa.edu.

Distance and Online Education partners with faculty to design and deliver engaging, effective online instruction. Our knowledgeable staff provides consultation on all aspects of designing and teaching a fully online course: online course administration, instructional design, media development, technical support, and exam services.

We are ready to help you explore and implement new strategies, technologies, and best practices in online education. Start by browsing our curated do-it-yourself online professional development resources. Ready to develop your online course? Schedule a consultation or apply for the next Design4Online cohort.

• Learn more about Distance and Online Education
• DIY Professional Development - Explore online teaching and learning best practices.
• Teaching Online Preparation Course - Self-paced, self-enroll course includes helpful tips for new and experienced instructors.
• Design4Online Program - Comprehensive cohort-based program assists instructors in designing or redesigning online courses through the implementation of best practices and leading online pedagogy.
• Faculty teaching online courses can request DOE services:
  • Online Course Administration - As the main point of contact during online course delivery, the course administration team provides online instructors with targeted assistance and support.
  • Instructional Design and Course Redesign - Developing an online course is different from preparing to teach a face-to-face course. Our instructional designers collaborate with faculty to develop engaging, effective online courses.
  • Media Development - From high-end, production studio recordings to voiceover PowerPoint, the media team collaborates with instructors throughout the production process.
  • Exam Creation and Delivery - Our exam services team assists online instructors in the development and delivery of proctored online exams to facilitate an efficient and secure exam process for both instructors and students.

The ITS Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology (OTLT) provides expertise, tools, and services to optimize teaching and learning through learning sciences research, ICON, teaching and learning data, and advanced classroom and instructional technology. 

OTLT units 

• Instructional Services: delivers service management and support for instructional technology used across the university, such as ICON, UICapture, Top Hat, Turnitin, Elements of Success, and more. They provide training, documentation, and guidance to instructors and staff on implementation and best practices.
  • Learn how to integrate academic technology into your course with Instructional Services. Register for a technology training session or book an appointment with a Student Instructional Technology Assistant (SITA).  
• Learning Spaces Technology: provides technology consulting, training, and management for more than 300 technology-equipped learning spaces across campus. They also design and install audiovisual systems in classrooms, labs, and meeting spaces to support the needs of instructors, students, and staff.
  • Explore your university classroom technology. Find a Classroom Guide specific to your assigned classroom.
• Research and Analytics: can transform gigabytes of data into teaching and learning insights, helping you understand how students engage with course materials and supporting your data-informed curriculum review and decision-making. They collaborate closely with departments and programs looking to ground curriculum decisions in evidence of student learning.
  • Discover how your students engage with digital course materials and tools (e.g., ICON, clickers, eTexts) to generate actionable insights. Contact Research & Analytics for a consultation.

Subscribe to the OTLT newsletter to learn about upcoming events, services, and the latest news about incorporating technology, learning analytics, and more into your teaching.

Contact us if you would like a consultation in any of these areas or email us at its-otlt@uiowa.edu. 

The Office of the Vice President for Research has as its goal the support and advancement of research, scholarship, and creative activity on our campus. Through a broad variety of activities and services, the Office of the Vice President for Research seeks to play an important role in the underpinning of these creative activities in the public and private sectors in our region.

The Research Development Office (RDO) is a core unit within the Office of the Vice President for Research. The RDO team orchestrates campus-wide initiatives that spark collaboration such as Innovation Labs and Ideas Labs. We strategically oversee internal funding initiatives to ignite research and discovery on campus, in our local communities, and beyond. We help facilitate connections to resources enabling motivated researchers to identify funding opportunities, develop grantsmanship skills, and create connections that support successful research proposals.   

• Pivot: an online funding database, helps identify funding opportunities tailored to your profile, tracks opportunities over time, and connects with potential collaborators.
• Write Winning Grant Proposals Phase I and II: Phase I comprehensively addresses both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to writing competitive grant proposals. Phase II consists of four to six months of ongoing virtual consultation regarding a specific grant application.
• NSF CAREER Club: The NSF CAREER Club is designed to give assistant professors (or equivalent) who are eligible to submit CAREER awards the knowledge and resources to craft competitive CAREER applications. Club participants will take part in events and services including editing, graphic design, and review services.
• NIH K Club+: The K Club+ is designed to give early career researchers who are eligible to submit NIH K Awards the knowledge and resources to craft competitive K applications. Club participants will take part in events (e.g., grant writing training) and services including editing, graphic design, and review services.
• External Grant Review: RDO facilitates external reviews of proposals to external funding agencies. External review of proposals prior to submission provides critical feedback to strengthen the proposal improving the overall likelihood of success.
• Research Services Fair: Join your colleagues for an afternoon vendor-style fair that provides an opportunity for researchers to learn about campus resources and services available for their research and scholarship.
• Research Development Office Events

The Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) offers a range of services for faculty, staff, and students seeking external funding for research, training, service, and other scholarly endeavors that enrich the University of Iowa and its broad and far-reaching communities. DSP staff can advise and assist you with the following and more:

• proposal preparation questions related to specific funding opportunities,
• interpret sponsor guidelines,
• review and approve grant and contract proposals and detailed budgets,
• negotiate contract and grant terms and conditions,
• facilitate post-award project management, and
• monitor and advise on issues of regulatory compliance.

Learn more about the Division of Sponsored Programs. Contact dsp@uiowa.edu.

The Human Subjects Office (HSO) is the administrative office for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the UI Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). The HSO also houses the Conflict of Interest in Research Office, the Clinical Trials.gov Program and provides support for use of the single or external IRB model.  We offer many resources for faculty, staff and student researchers, but the most important ones for new UI faculty are outlined under Get Help. We especially want to call your attention to the following

• Resources for New Researchers
• Research Navigation Tool and IRB Orientation
• Training Requirements
• UI IRB Standard Operating Procedures and Researcher Guide

The UI IRB uses a homegrown eResearch application system called HawkIRB. Visit the Education and Training page of the HSO website for information about HawkIRB trainings, IRB office hours, and other resources. Additional information is available on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Our staff are available to assist you by phone (319-335-6564) or email (irb@uiowa.edu).

The Office of Undergraduate Research is the hub for undergraduate research at the University of Iowa. We promote undergraduate involvement in research and creative projects at the University of Iowa. We do this by facilitating mentorship in these works and providing platforms for students to explore research communication. We host several events during the year aimed at showcasing student research and undergraduate professional development.

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is proud to have several funding opportunities available for undergraduate researchers.

• Fellowships fund mentored undergraduate researchers for the summer and/or academic year via a scholarship.
• Travel awards support conference or professional development travel
• Research supply grants provide funding for students to purchase supplies for a project or to travel to access materials such as archives or museum collections

• Iowa Research Online – Iowa Research Online (IRO) collects and showcases the innovative research scholarship and creative work produced by the University of Iowa’s talented faculty, students, and staff. Its purpose is to foster discovery and collaboration as well as demonstrate the impact of teaching and learning in Iowa and beyond.
• ITS Research Services - Assists with both high performance and parallel computing and data visualization.
• UI Research Park - Is located within the corporate limits of Coralville.
• Obermann Center for Advanced Studies - Is dedicated to scholarship and provides a uniquely supportive environment where scholars working individually or in collaboration can reflect, write, and meet in easy interchange.
• Center for Social Science Innovation - An interdisciplinary research hub that supports and hosts University of Iowa faculty and student social scientific research. CSSI has the physical space for collaborative work and meetings, and UI faculty and students are encouraged to reserve spaces for their research.
• University Research Council - Advises the Vice President for Research in the formulation, review, and application of policy guidelines for University research funding.
• University Libraries - The University of Iowa Libraries is the state’s largest library system and includes the Main Library and six branches that serve specialized areas of study (Art Library, Lichtenberger Engineering Library, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, Pomerantz Business Library, Rita Benton Music Library, and Sciences Library).

Created in 1909, the Iowa Board of Regents provides governance and oversight to Iowa's three public universities - the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa. The nine Regents (one of whom must be a full-time student enrolled at one of the three state universities) are appointed for staggered six-year terms by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Iowa Senate. The Board maintains a listing current members and staff contacts at their website.

The president, appointed by the Board of Regents, is the principal officer of the university, with additional administrative responsibility assigned to the executive vice president and provost, the vice president for finance and operations, the vice president for research, and the vice president for student life.

The university’s organization places major administrative responsibility at the collegiate level through the collegiate deans. The university is comprised of eleven colleges that offer undergraduate and graduate education, professional education, and education and training in the health sciences.

The University of Iowa continues to honor a long tradition of shared governance in which university-wide policies and initiatives are made in collaboration with the campus’s many leaders and shared governance representatives.

Faculty Promotion and Tenure Procedures

Professional Rights and Responsibilities

• Ethics and Responsibilities for University of Iowa Faculty
• Mandatory Reporting Requirements for Academic and Administrative Officers Under the UI Policy on Sexual Harassment
• Confidential and Non-confidential Resources
• FERPA Certification Requirements for Instructors
• Working at a Public University

Classroom Policies

• Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Research Ethics and Compliance Policies

• Human Subjects
• Animal Resources
• Environmental Health & Safety
• Research Integrity & Security
• Conflict of Interest in Research

Guidelines Regarding Political Activity by Faculty at the University of Iowa

Learn more about Faculty-Related, Administrative, and Student/Instruction-Related Policies

• Getting Off to a Good Start is a guide to resources and advice to help you as you begin your career at the University of Iowa.
• Faculty Support & Guidance is designed to assist the campus community in responding to situations in which faculty members are targeted by individuals or groups outside of the university based on the content of the faculty member’s scholarship, teaching, clinical care, and/or service.
• The purpose of the Guidelines Regarding Political Activity by Faculty of the University of Iowa is to ensure that UI faculty members know their rights and responsibilities under applicable policies as they engage in discourse about political matters.
• With the launch of the new Office of Writing and Communication, students now have a unified hub for guidance, workshops, and mentorship to help them sharpen these valuable skills. “Writing and communication are essential in every discipline, and Iowa has long been a place where these skills are nurtured, celebrated, and elevated,” says Daniel Khalastchi, OWC executive director.

Welcome

University Benefits provides information and education on benefits to all UI employees and departments. We are committed to supporting talent, engagement, and the employee work experience, as well as administrating a competitive, comprehensive benefits package to suit you and your family's needs. 

Key Dates & Deadlines

• 1st of the Month: Eligible for benefits the first of the month the date you were hired.
• 30 Days: You must enroll in your benefits within 30 calendar days of your hire or newly eligible date.
• 60 Days: You must enroll in your retirement plan within 60 days of your hire or newly eligible date.
• 1-2 Business Days: After you submit your elections, you'll get a notification email to review your confirmation statement. Make any changes within 5 calendar days from your statement date.

New UI Employees

• Benefit Overview Materials
• Benefits Enrollment Guide

University of Iowa/TIAA

Local financial consultants with TIAA are available for individual meetings. They offer one on one consultations in a way that fits your schedule. These can be held at the local TIAA office in Coralville, virtually over Zoom, or on campus, depending on your location. These meetings can be tailored to assist in meeting your financial goals and address questions such as, "am I saving enough for retirement", "am I managing my investments appropriately" and "am I setting myself up to have a financially secure income all throughout retirement". 

Schedule an appointment with a TIAA investment professional or call 800-842-2252. Opens in a new window

Enrollment

• To select TIAA as your mandatory retirement plan:
  • Log in to Employee Self-Service--> Benefits & Wellness--> Retirement--> Retirement Enrollment
  • Select "TIAA" and submit to the Benefits Office
• You must make your election within 60 days of your hire date or newly eligible date, or you will default to IPERS.
  • Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) is the university's default retirement plan. No action needed if you choose IPERS.
  • Watch for a welcome packet with your Member ID and IPERS My Account details.

The Office of the Provost offers interactive sessions designed for different stages in the faculty lifecycle to help you navigate key career milestones. Explore and learn how to register for new faculty orientation, workshops, and resources designed to support faculty members throughout their careers.

The Office of the Provost and university offer numerous leadership development opportunities, including Foundations for Academic Leadership (FAL) for new DEOs, coaching/mentoring, DEO workshops, campus leadership conversations, and BTAA programs. 

Leadership at Iowa: Iowa can help you reach your goals and realize your potential, whether you are new to leadership, building on years of experience, or wanting to learn a few new skills. Learn more about Iowa's Five Leadership Attributes.

Mentoring is a powerful tool for professional development that fosters growth, skill enhancement, and career progression.

Mentoring of Faculty

Faculty as Mentee

Faculty as Mentor 

• Dual Career Services – Provides spouses/partners of new hires with job search assistance to help them find employment in the Iowa City area.
• Dual Academic Career Fund – Helps recruit or retain tenured/tenure-track faculty by providing partial salary support from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost to facilitate hiring of academically qualified spouses/partners into faculty positions.

• Jobs@UIowa – Browse through current job openings for faculty and staff at the University of Iowa.

• Multiple health and prescription drug plans to get the coverage you need.
  • Health Plan and Dental Plan Options
• Flexible spending accounts and employee credits to cover eligible expenses.
• Receive time for regular vacation and sick leave (if eligible), catastrophic leave donations and coverage, and leaves of absence.
• Access to programs that prioritize employee well-being at work and at home.
  • Well-Being at Iowa
  • liveWELL
• Get other benefits to help with your work-life balance including paid holidays, family services, and more.

• Retirement plan options and tools that help you meet your long-term financial goals.
• Life insurance enrollment options that let you select the best coverage for you.
• Disability and accidental insurance to protect you and your family.