Office of Academic Affairs Welcomes 78 New Faculty at 2026 Summit

BATON ROUGE - As LSU welcomes a new class of students this fall, the university is also welcoming a new class of faculty. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the LSU Office of Academic Affairs welcomed 78 new faculty members to LSU during the New Faculty Summit.

Held each year before the start of the fall semester, the New Faculty Summit is a university-wide orientation for faculty from all colleges and departments. The Summit helps new faculty begin their LSU careers with confidence by introducing them to university policies and procedures. In addition, faculty are provided opportunities to connect with colleagues across the university.

“Faculty are central to LSU’s growth as a research university,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Provost Joseph Messina. “They do research and work with students every day. As LSU works toward becoming a top 50 public research university, we must continue to recruit strong scholars and provide the resources and support they need to succeed.”

Sessions throughout the day covered key areas of university life, including: teaching and classroom management, academic and university policies, research and economic development, Moodle, 

Sessions throughout the day covered key areas of university life, including:

• Teaching and Classroom Management, presented by Jennifer Baumgartner and Will Monroe
• Academic Policies, presented by Jacqueline Bach
• Research & Economic Development, presented by Robert Twilley
• Moodle, presented by Greg Brignac
• Faculty Senate, presented by Daniel Tirone
• Student Support, presented by Brandon Common
• Leadership Development Opportunities, presented by Kristin Sosnowsky
• University Policies, presented by Jane Cassidy

In addition to the day’s presentations, attendees had the opportunity to connect directly with campus offices at a Resource Showcase. On-campus units that participated in the Resource Showcase include: 

The New Faculty Summit is sponsored, in part, by Campus Federal Credit Union. Campus Federal was founded in 1934 by seven LSU employees. Today, they are one of Louisiana’s largest credit unions, serving over 44,000 members, individuals, families, and businesses across Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport. 

Support for the new faculty cohort continues beyond the Summit. Throughout the academic year, new faculty are invited to attend monthly Faculty Quick-Starts, which provide opportunities to learn more about topics relevant to their work, connect with campus resources, and continue building relationships with colleagues across LSU.