Appreciative Orientation

VUSN Faculty Orientation - Community Chair Guide

Appreciative Orientation

Appreciative Mindset

VUSN Faculty

As the core of the VUSN mission, faculty are committed to advance nursing education, health equity, and well-being through scientific discovery, innovation, evidence-based care and lifelong learning. Investment in the success and well-being of each faculty member supports the vision of VUSN, to be the glogal leader in the transformation of health care and the nursing profession. Framed by VUSN’s core values of excellence, kindness/civility, inclusivity, and integrity/trust, faculty engage in a meaningful and intentional orientation throughout the first year of their academic role. Faculty are assigned to a VUSN community at the acceptance of their job offer that guides their orientation to VUSN.

VUSN Community Chairs

Leading with an AM, the CC guides faculty through a 12-month process that includes regularly scheduled meetings, assignment of a mentor, and participation in VUSN and VU orientation days, and engagement within the academic community. The CC partners with faculty to collaboratively (1) identify faculty strengths and potential challenges, (2) develop and monitor of an individualized plan for success, and (3) early identification, intervention, and relevant referrals to promote a sense of belonging and professional value, wellness, development as an educator and scholar, engagement in service, participation in the VUSN community, and job satisfaction.

Appreciative Orientation Guide

VUSN Faculty Orientation - Community Chair Timeline

Design (Month 7-8)

• Design an approach to achieve 2-3 reasonable goals
• Explore resources/support to be successful in the faculty role
• Identify ways to balance work/life integration

Don’t Settle (Month 11-12)

• Create bigger dreams and shared visions
• Identify areas of continued growth in the faculty role

Discover (Month 3-4)

• Meet other faculty and participate in community and school life
• Learn about resources for scholarship, teaching, and service
• Review appropriate rank criteria

Disarm (Month 1-2)

• Build relationships
• Identify strengths, skills, & passions
• Understand the role of the Chair
• Understand the role of a VUSN faculty member

Dream (Month 5-6)

• Envision future goals
• Highlight the importance of employing resources to meet personal and professional goals

Orientation planMonths 1 - 12:

Deliver (Month 9-10)

• Make steps towards meeting 2-3 goals in the design phase
• Request support/guidance/help of the CC, mentor, or other

• ObjectivesThroughout this phase, the faculty member will:
• Explore opportunities to meet other faculty and participate in community and school life
• Learn about VUSN’s available resources for scholarship, teaching, and service
• Review appropriate rank criteria

• Chair – faculty 1:1 meetingGuided Questions for reflection
• How do you define success in your faculty role?
• How can we effectively leverage your identified strengths to navigate your transition to the faculty role?
• What challenges do you anticipate during your transition to becoming a VUSN faculty member?
• How have you planned to manage these challenges?
• Which resources will best meet your needs?

• OutcomesBy the conclusion of this phase, the faculty member will:
• Identify strategies to navigate anticipated challenges as a new faculty member
• Learn about and/or access resources of interest/need
• Connect with group/person affiliated with the resource
• Understand rank criteria to consider future goals

Discover (Month 3-4)

Appreciative Mindset

Those engaged in AO should apply the six components of appreciative mindset (AM; Bloom et al., 2008). The first component includes fundamentally caring and believing in the potential of each person. Second, a person employing the AM possesses an attitude of gratefulness, especially in times of uncertainty. Third, the AM involves a commitment to continually honing one’s craft through practice and dedication, while also providing one another grace during moments of growth. The fourth component of AM is ensuring that power is used toward the wellbeing of all. Committing to be curious about each other’s stories instead of being judgmental marks the fifth component of an AM. Finally, those with an AM are committed to becoming culturally aware and responsive.

• ObjectivesThroughout this phase, the faculty member will:
• Engage in relationship building
• Identify faculty’s strengths, skills, & passions
• Understand the role of the CC
• Understand the role of a VUSN faculty member

• Chair – faculty 1:1 meetingGuided Questions for reflection
• What are your strengths according to the Strength Finders Assessment?
• Do you agree with the assessment findings?
• What do you consider to be your best skills?
• What is a professional or personal accomplishment that makes you proud?
• What are your hobbies or interests; what do you do for fun?
• What is your understanding of the faculty role?
• How do you view yourself as a faculty member?
• OutcomesBy the conclusion of this phase, the faculty member will:
• Understand strengths identified personally and in the Strength Finders Assessment
• Establish a relationship with the CC, community members, and faculty
• Feel welcomed to the VUSN community
• Use the CC as a resource for orientation/faculty needs
• Envision self as a VUSN faculty member

Disarm (Month 1-2)

Appreciative Orientation

Appreciative Orientation (AO) is an intentional, consistent, and aspirational approach to orienting new faculty to VUSN. The theory-to-practice framework applies the positive principles of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987) and the tenets of Appreciative Advising (Bloom et al., 2008). AO consists of six phases (i.e., Disarm, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver, and Don’t Settle (Bloom et al., 2008) across a 12-month orientation period. Throughout the orientation, the Community Chair (CC) focuses on the strengths and potential of the individual to promote a sense of belonging and professional value, wellness, development as an educator and scholar, engagement in service, participation in the VUSN community, and job satisfaction.

• ObjectivesThroughout this phase, the faculty member will:
• Envision future goals
• Highlight the importance of employing resources to meet personal and professional goals

• Chair–faculty 1:1 meetingGuided Questions for reflection
• What are your aspirations as a faculty member?
• If you were going to dream of the possibilities of being a faculty member, what would that look like?
• What do you want to achieve in your first year as a faculty member?
• What do you dream of accomplishing in 5 years?
• How should you position yourself to achieve your desired future state in your role?

• OutcomesBy the conclusion of this phase, the faculty member will:
• Identify 2-3 goals to meet in the next six months
• Verbalize a future aspired state as a faculty member

Dream (Month 5-6)

• ObjectivesThroughout this phase, the faculty member will:

• Create bigger dreams and shared visions
• Identify areas of continued growth in the faculty role
• Chair – faculty 1:1 meetingGuided Questions for reflection
• How has your understanding of the faculty role changed since the start of your employment?

• What have you learned about yourself in the past 12 months?
• What have you enjoyed the most in your first year?
• What improvements can be made either personally or in the community?
• What are your next steps to continue success in your faculty role?
• What resources do you need to accomplish your goals?
• How are you handling any challenges you may be facing?
• What strategies can you personally put into place to support your success in your faculty role?
• In what areas would you like to continue growing?
• How will you maintain work/life integration?
• How can you use your strengths and resources to stretch into new opportunities?

• OutcomesBy the conclusion of this phase, the faculty member will:

• Identify a plan for continued growth in the faculty role
• Find approaches to balance work/life integration

Don't Settle (Month 11-12)

• ObjectivesThroughout this phase, the faculty member will:
• Design an approach to achieve 2-3 reasonable goals
• Explore resources/support available to be successful in the faculty role
• Identify ways to balance work/life integration
• Chair – faculty 1:1 meetingGuided Questions for reflection
• How is your life/work integration?
• How do you engage with your community (peers, colleagues, mentors)?
• Which resources/support will you access to achieve some goals?
• How can I help you meet your needs in your faculty role?
• OutcomesBy the conclusion of this phase, the faculty member will:
• Identify an approach to balance work/life integration
• Design how they will achieve 2-3 feasible goals using available resources and support

Design (Month 7-8)

Appreciative Orientation Guide

1. Community Chair Assignment: New faculty will be assigned to a community based on their scholarship focus, specialty practice, and/or service at the time of hire. The CC and the respective Community Manager (CM) coordinate faculty orientation. 2. Community Chair Responsibilities: A commitment to faculty success requires active engagement in the orientation process and attention to the success and transition to the faculty’s new role. Scheduled, face to face or remote sessions facilitate regular communication and promote a sense of belonging. Meetings with the CC are intentionally scheduled to correspond with new faculty development within the first year at VUSN. The CC meets with the new faculty member a minimum of six times during the first 12 months of employment. During these meetings the chair will use a standardized orientation tool to facilitate identification of strengths/potential needs. The CC will adjust the orientation based on the faculty’s learning needs for their academic role. The CC will take into consideration the faculty’s expertise and prior experience to facilitate a collaborative plan for faculty success. Each orientation session with the CC has specific objectives including time for discussion for faculty topics of choice. Specific guidelines and resources will support consistent implementation of an orientation for all new VUSN faculty.

• ObjectivesThroughout this phase, the faculty member will:

• Make steps towards meeting 2-3 goals in the design phase
• Request support/guidance/help of the CC, mentor, or other
• Chair – faculty 1:1 meetingGuided Questions for reflection
• How did you feel throughout your efforts to achieve your goals?
• Which resources or support did you need?
• What resources/support did you need that were not accessible/available?
• Did you revise your goals based on your personal or professional needs?
• What are some challenges you have faced in this phase?
• What strategies have you used to overcome the challenge(s)?
• What specific needs do you need to enhance your faculty role experience?

• OutcomesBy the conclusion of this phase, the faculty member will:

• Achieve 2-3 goals
• Receive support/guidance from requested person/group
• Identify future resources/support needed to personally or professionally meet goals

Deliver (Month 9-10)