Volunteer Faculty Launchpad Cohort Kicks Off 2025-26 Academic Year
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s newest Volunteer Faculty Launchpad (VFL) cohort met for the first time on Tuesday, September 16, marking the official kickoff of the 2025-2026 academic year program. The launch brought together newly hired full-time faculty, veteran mentors, and TLI staff to set expectations and build connections for what promises to be a year of collaboration, growth, and innovation in teaching.
What is VFL?
The VFL (Volunteer Faculty Launchpad) is a year-long professional development program. It is designed for first-year, full-time faculty who will be teaching during both fall and spring semesters.
Participants:
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are placed in a small group of new faculty peers and paired with an experienced UTK faculty mentor.
- commit to attending at least one TLI workshop/event in both semesters to enhance pedagogical skills.
- engage in peer observations: fall semester includes observing an experienced faculty member; spring involves observing cohort colleagues.
- meet regularly (twice per semester for 90 minutes per session) in their mentor/cohort groups to reflect on challenges, share strategies, and support one another.
- receive a stipend of $1,000 total (split between fall and spring) in recognition of their participation.