The Drake Institute’s New Faculty FIT (Foundation, Impact, and Transformation) program provides a year-long series of coordinated learning opportunities that promote professional development, mentorship and community-building among Ohio State faculty. Since 2016, the FIT program has connected newly hired faculty with a vibrant network of educators who are committed to reflective, evidence-informed teaching.
The Drake Institute is now seeking Faculty FIT mentors for the 2026-2027 academic year. If you are an experienced Ohio State educator with a demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence, we encourage you to apply.
Each FIT mentor guides a small cohort of new faculty members—typically three to four participants—who meet regularly throughout the academic year to engage in collegial, confidential conversations. Supported by a CarmenCanvas course with curated resources, prompts and activities, discussions address topics such as course design, assessment, student engagement, digital learning, faculty well-being and more.
AY25/26 FIT Program Highlights
We’d like to thank all our academic year 2025-2026 FIT mentors for lending their efforts and expertise and congratulate the many engaged faculty participants who completed the New Faculty FIT program.
Many new instructors and experienced mentors came together to build teaching confidence and community. Twenty-two mentors facilitated cohorts that met an average of six times, with an average of 6.1 total contact hours across the year. Fifty-four FIT participants attended an average of five cohort meetings each. Most meetings were held virtually (60%), with a substantial portion being held in person (38%), supporting both accessibility and meaningful connection.
“It was a great opportunity to connect with other new faculty members and discuss teaching challenges and strategies.”
— FIT mentee, French and Italian
Across the FIT cohorts, we saw strong engagement across colleges and departments. Participants represented 14 colleges, with the largest number coming from Arts and Sciences, followed by Engineering, Medicine, and Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Participants' appointment types were also diverse: 44% clinical track, 41% tenure track, 9% associated track, and 4% practice track.
“My favorite aspect of the program was having the opportunity to regularly discuss teaching questions and experiences with faculty in other departments.”
— FIT mentee, Political Science
Discussions centered on teaching and learning priorities of interest to participants. The most frequently explored Carmen modules were Student Engagement and Active Learning (24%), Introduction to Teaching at Ohio State (21%), Instructional Design and Assessment (16%), AI and Teaching Practices (10%), and Student Learning in the Digital Age (9%). These trends reflect a shared emphasis on practical pedagogy, evolving instructional challenges and sustained professional growth.
“I loved working with my mentor and getting to share ideas about micro‑level challenges (like a specific situation with a student) as well as macro‑level concerns (like assignment design).”
— FIT mentee, English
Recognition and Endorsement
Participants who complete the FIT Program are eligible to apply for the New Faculty FIT Teaching and Learning endorsement, one of 25+ professional learning credentials available from the Drake Institute. This teaching endorsement affirms a faculty member’s commitment to reflective teaching and positions them for further engagement in both pedagogy and research-focused programming offered by the Drake Institute.
Join a FIT Cohort
Each year, the New Faculty FIT Program begins with a kickoff during New Faculty Orientation. New faculty interested in joining a 2026–2027 FIT cohort are encouraged to email drakeinstitute@osu.edu. Registration will open in mid-August.