The FastStart Program is a cornerstone of AE3. FastStart’s goal is to help new faculty to be successful as both instructors and researchers in the COE, and focuses on teaching, advising, managing a lab, obtaining grant support, among other issues. It is also a significant support base for new faculty to interact regularly with colleagues. FastStart is organized around three main workshops during the academic year, and also offers on-going support through informal monthly lunch meetings, classroom observations, social events and workshops.

Click here to view the current schedule.

Approximately 215 faculty have completed the FastStart program since its inception in 1994. Those who have completed the program have increased student course evaluation scores and higher course evaluation scores than their peers. Using a Likert scale evaluation, 99%-100% of participants consistently respond with either 4 or 5 to the statements that the workshop helps them to understand important concepts, helps them develop in their careers, that they will apply what they learned to their own careers, and that they will recommend the workshop to others at their institution.

"The FastStart workshop and the classroom peer review arranged by CTE (with Prof. Prasanta Kalita and Prof. Ty Newell) were really key in helping me develop the courses and teaching style. I would like to communicate back my appreciation for all the help I have received - thank you!" - Professor Rohit Bhargava, BioE, 2009 Everitt Award for Teaching Excellence.

"Spending time reflecting on and talking with other teachers about teaching decreases, rather than increases, the amount of time spent on teaching." (Robert Boice, 1991)

When you have successfully completed this program, you will be able to:

A. Manage your career as a faculty member at UIUC

B. Explore answers to these three questions:

1. What do we want our students to be able to do?
2. How can we help them do it?
3. How do we know if they can do it?

C. Participate in a culture of dialog, and a network of both formal and informal faculty support.

• Build a research program, including choosing research directions, managing your laboratory and students, acquiring and managing funding.
• Mentor students and be mentored by senior faculty colleagues.
• Develop a personal mission statement and personal development plan for strategic planning and to guide your actions.
• Manage your time and stress, including special considerations for female and racial minority faculty.
• Use strategies to help make your work more effective, efficient, and fun.
• Integrate the research/teaching/service dimensions of your job.
• Develop an effective syllabus.
• Construct and use lesson plans.
• Approach the first day of class with confidence.
• Construct learning objectives that are appropriate, student-centered, and measurable.
• Use learning objectives in ways that direct student learning.
• Adapt instruction to allow for a variety of student learning styles.
• Design instruction which is inclusive and appreciates diversity in the classroom.
• Understand student needs and motivation and thereby modify your teaching.
• Apply learning theory and development models in your courses and in dialoging with students.
• Use effective speaking skills, classroom dialog management, and question and discussion techniques to deliver lectures
• Foster teamwork, team building, and communication skills via cooperative learning and other techniques.
• Involve students actively in the learning process.
• Interact constructively and fairly with women and racial minority students.
• Develop effective exams, quizzes, homework, lab assignments, writing assignments, and other grading tools that are consistent with course objectives.
• Prevent and deal with cheating.
• Ensure fair evaluation of student performance.
• Deal effectively with "problem students".
• Evaluate your own teaching performance and identify strengths as well as needs and opportunities for improvement.
• Feel positive and energized about teaching, about the workshop, and about being a faculty member at UIUC.

We welcome your suggestions for other goals and objectives that would help you succeed as a member of the faculty.

"I learned new techniques and at the same time, I was using those in my classes during [the program]. I knew for sure that I was doing a better job in my class from attending the workshop, and that was my primary motivation."

"Learning how to make the courses more interesting to the student was my motivation for completing the program. It’s definitely paid off in my introductory freshman course, where we’re trying to inform and motivate new students in our discipline."

"The program was really very beneficial for my teaching and also the organization of my research group."

"It was interesting to learn something about teaching in a 'formal' course as opposed to on the job.'"

"I found that the issues that were discussed were absolutely on track, and enhanced my teaching ability virtually immediately."

"It was very interactive and that set up the way I should teach. This helped me because I had never taught in the US before."