Office of Academic Faculty Excellence
Office of Academic Faculty Excellence
Newly created in 2025, the Office of Academic Faculty Excellence (OAFE) leads university-wide efforts to support and elevate academic faculty across their career advancement. Through signature programs, strategic partnerships, and centralized resources, OAFE supports academic faculty in achieving excellence in their scholarly, pedagogical, and leadership roles. Positioned as a nexus for academic faculty development in collaboration with other units, OAFE ensures that faculty are equipped contribute meaningfully to student success, institutional innovation, and societal impact.
Collectively, the units within OAFE, including the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL); Assessment; the Difference, Power, and Oppression (DPO) Program; and the Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) Program are leaders in faculty development efforts at OSU. OAFE provides programming and services in support of university (re)accreditation, Core Education, annual assessment reporting for undergraduate and graduate programs, orientations for new faculty and graduate teaching assistants, peer review of teaching, inclusive excellence and accessibility in learning, and innovation such as the role of Generative AI in teaching and learning.
Faculty Excellence in Research & Scholarship
- Faculty excellence in research includes contributions through publications, grants, scholarly impact, patents/copyrights, and community-engaged projects.
- Faculty research fuels OSU’s contributions to scalable and sustainable prosperity through the creation of knowledge that positively impacts our society.
- Interdisciplinary and community-engaged scholarship helps OSU translate research findings into real-world solutions.
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
- Teaching excellence at OSU means achieving Quality Teaching through effective and innovative pedagogical designs, active student engagement, promoting inclusive and accessible learning practices, and supporting students in achieving learning outcomes.
- Faculty excellence in teaching is central to the goals of student success, retention, and equity. Faculty who foster inclusive classrooms, mentor students, and close achievement gaps help ensure that every student graduates.
Faculty Excellence in Service
- Excellence in service is represented through active faculty engagement within the university, within their field and profession, and within local and global communities, strengthening both the internal culture at OSU and our collaborations with external partners.
Faculty Excellence in Leadership & Mentorship
- Faculty leaders shape the academic environment by modeling integrity, collaboration, and innovation. Their influence extends beyond individual achievement to foster a culture of excellence, inclusion, and shared purpose.
- Through mentorship, faculty benefit from the reciprocal benefits of learning from and supporting one’s colleagues, graduate students, and postdocs, creating a ripple effect that promotes excellence and helps OSU work toward strategic goals.