The Office for Faculty Excellence supports all faculty – adjunct faculty to full professors – in teaching & learning excellence, career advancement, and academic leadership, through in-person and online programming, a robust website, and faculty development programming designed for sustained impact on faculty excellence and student success.
The Office for Faculty Excellence (OFE) promotes faculty excellence in teaching and learning through education and coaching on a variety of teaching and learning topics, developmental programs, and specialized services developed for faculty groups seeking support for specific classes or students. OFE provides guidance on teaching for both new and seasoned instructors, and for teachers on every track. OFE integrates the University’s determination to support all students’ success through efforts that bring data and evidence-based practice to faculty seeking to advance their teaching to inspire and meet their students’ needs.
The Office for Faculty Excellence offers support for faculty beyond teaching and learning:
- Support for research and career development, through writing groups and workshops, that aid faculty in learning systems and strategies for doing the hard work of an independent scholar. OFE also serves as a clearinghouse to guide faculty to the many programs, offices, and informational sources that join OFE in supporting their excellence.
- Support for academic leaders, from department chairs to course coordinators through resources that make it easier to do the job well. Resources such as the Chairs Tickler File, Best Practices in Faculty Hiring and the Chairs Dashboard (in Tableau) equip leaders with information, data, and resources that can help faculty leaders support excellence in their programs and faculty.
The Office for Faculty Excellence is part of the Provost’s Office and is located on the first floor of Sprague Library.
Director
Dr. Emily Isaacs, Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor in the Department of Writing Studies, has a long record of teaching, scholarship, and service at Montclair State University. Dr. Isaacs published Writing at the State U: Instruction and Administration at 106 U.S. Comprehensive Universities (2018) and Intersections: A Thematic Reader for Writers with Catherine Keohane (2017). She has published numerous articles on teaching writing, writing programming in public higher education, and challenges in higher education.
Associate Director
Dr. Catherine Keohane has a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University. She supports faculty of all ranks in their career development. Catherine has published in the field of writing studies and eighteenth-century British literature, and oversees OFE’s support of faculty research and writing. She works with faculty to support both student and faculty belonging, and is the OFE lead on Strong Student Campaign communications. Catherine published Intersections: A Thematic Readers for Writers with Emily Isaacs (2017). She previously served as Director for Writing Placement in the First-Year Writing Program. She is also the President of the Burney Society (North America).
Program Coordinator
Dalilah Smith-Santos joined the OFE in January of 2023 after seven years working for the MTA in the Real Estate Department where she served in several capacities, most recently as the Facilities Management Administrator. Prior to working at the MTA, Dalilah worked for the Children’s Aid – Next Generation Center supporting this NYC organization in providing services to help children in poverty succeed and thrive. Ms. Smith-Santos received her B.S in Public Administration from John Jay College.
Faculty Developers
Dr. Vera Senina is an interdisciplinary scholar and teacher whose expertise combines the humanities with digital technology and artificial intelligence. She specializes in issues of technology in higher education and scholarship, international faculty development, graduate instructor support, and fostering faculty expertise in navigating the political dynamics of today’s higher ed classroom.Vera also has top-company industry experience in project management and employee development.
Dr. Courtney Glore Crimmins is a Faculty Developer in the Office for Faculty Excellence and serves as OFE’s Adjunct Liaison. She supports faculty of all ranks in teaching and and development, including systems training. Courtney facilitates OFE’s “Just for Adjuncts” programming, a series of professional development workshops and drop-in sessions, as well as the newly-developed Adjunct Orientation. Courtney is also an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, where she teaches German. She has a Ph.D. in Germanic Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.
Faculty Lead
Graduate Assistants
Hajar Ismailzada is a graduate assistant for the OFE. She is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with a School Psychology certification. Her future goals consist of becoming a certified school psychologist and earning a Psy.D. in School Psychology