New Faculty Orientation
Welcome
Welcome to
Introduction
"We teach who we are." (Palmer, 1998). According to Palmer, when one approaches a teaching position, a faculty member will inquire as to the "what" (the content) and the "how" or methods to use for teaching. Further still, one might ask the "why" or rationale for teaching. Rarely, does one delve into the "who" component. Who is this teacher? Who is this person that teaches? Working with other faculty, administrators, and resources at Samford, including the CTLS, can allow for the exploration of the person to take roots and grow into a strong faculty member with scholarly, researching, service and teaching branches.
The purpose of the new faculty orientation program is to provide opportunities for new faculty members to enhance their knowledge, skills and experience by voluntarily entering a collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership with an experienced faculty member, and attending the various orientation events. Goals of the academic year-long program are to:
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facilitate mentoring-related experiences for new faculty at Samford.
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provide support for new faculty so as to strengthen their sense of community within the University resources and thus enhance their retention.
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motivate and inspire new and experienced faculty members in their teaching, scholarly, servant and research roles.
New Faculty Mentoring Program Cohesion Lunches
Once a month, a new faculty member and his/her mentor are encouraged to get together for lunch in the cafeteria at the "Faculty Mentoring Corner." The area will be demarcated with a sign and will be "Open for Business" on the following dates from 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Dates: to Be Announced.
A Day in the Life of a Samford Faculty Member
Information to facilitate your orientation to
To guide you on your daily Samford journey, you may wish to consult a Samford campus map of the campus and the organizational framework*. The latter will facilitate your understanding of the various departments on campus.
Communication
A campus directory is published twice a year (fall & spring), and typically become available a month into the semester. Directory information is derived from Human Resources. All campus telephones begin with the 726 prefix. The main campus directory number is 726-2011.
A voicemail messaging service is available to all employees and can be password protected. To access your voicemail off campus, dial 726-4000, input 6-(your extension), and then your password. Electronic mail service is currently via Groupwise. Groupwise is available through the Samford network on campus and via the campus portal off campus. You will need your campus id and password to enter the "employee" portal. Over the course of this next academic year, the service will be transferred to Microsoft Outlook. You will be notified when your particular school/department will be transferred. After your email is transferred to Outlook, you can access the service off campus via http://email.samford.edu.
Communication to your students occurs primarily via your course syllabus and WebCT. To assist you in writing the former, a constructing a syllabus template (CAST) is available to you. The latter, WebCT, is a online course management system that is accessible via the campus portal. Introduction to WebCT 6.0 and its various components are being offered these first weeks of the fall 2006-2007 semester. Please email Lisa McNeal (lamcneal@samford.edu) for additional information.
Parking
Of considerable interest to you will be parking. A map with the various parking lots is available. A shuttle (shuttle schedule) is available to transport you to/from the various lots. With the numerous construction projects around campus, we recommend you consulting the Campus Safety website for any updates regarding parking. Parking decals and hang tags are issued to all faculty who drive their cars to work; these devices must be displayed appropriately on your vehicle. Decals and tags may be obtained at the Campus Safety Office,
Dining
Within the
Bookstore
The University Bookstore is located on the first floorof the University Center.Textbooks orders are sent to the Bookstore manager by department heads and based upon inventories. Ordering is done via an online form. Desk copies by the individual department or school can be ordered from the appropriate textbook publisher; otherwise, these copies are charged to the department or school. Faculty members may purchase books and other bookstore merchandise at a 10% discount off the list price (Samford Faculty Handbook, 2004).
Computer and Information Technology
There are a number of computer labs available on campus. To reserve a lab for your course, please contact Vicki Norris in Computer and Telecommunications. The computer labs provide an important link in the delivery of instructional materials and provide students with resources necessary for meeting general needs such as word processing. General access laboratories are available to any member of the Samford community except at times reserved for classroom activities. Departmental laboratories provide for discipline-specific needs and may have more restricted access (Samford Faculty Handbook, 2001).
Technological assistance can be obtained by contacting the Technology and Learning Center (TLC). As the use of technology has become a more integral part of the learning process, faculty must have the resources and services that allow them to take advantage of this trend. The TLC addresses this need by providing a place where faculty can develop technology based learning materials. The TLC also provides knowledgeable support staff to assist faculty in this endeavor. Support is offered for developing classroom materials and individualized materials for delivery to students via computer laboratories or networks. The TLC staff provides training assistance for faculty through individualized and group seminars.
Library
The Harwell G. Davis Library is the primary library serving all students, faculty and staff. There are over one-half million volumes that can be accessed by the online public access catalog. The reference collection includes electronic databases and access to the Internet. In addition to the book and periodical collections, the library houses a Multi-Media Collection, a Government Documents Collection, and a special collection. The Samford Library system also includes the
Center for Teaching, Learning & Scholarship
In 1998, the Pew Charitable Trusts provided funding for Samford to establish the Center for Problem-Based Learning (PBL) to assist in the development, maintenance and assessment of PBL efforts at Samford. The PBL Initiative has involved conversion of many courses from using lecture as the primary teaching method to PBL. PBL is considered an active form of teaching, and leads to active, engaged learning on the part of students by being student-centered and problem-focused. Students work in groups to solve their respective assigned problems and the faculty member acts more as a facilitator or guide. For more information, you may view the varied resources at http://www.samford.edu/pbl. In August of 2003, the decision was made to evolve the
Community Resources
Further instructional resources available in the
The department of Counseling Services is located on the first level of Pittman Hall (Building #10 on campus map). Counseling Services offers individual and group student counseling, outreach programs, training opportunties, as well as assist students with disabilities. For more information, please contact the Director, Marcia Hamby, at 726-2105 or 726-2065.
Fundings and Grants
For monies to obtain supplies, workshop registration and travel, please see your department head for your school's particular policies and procedures. If you are seeking funding for innovative student learning and teaching, we encourage you to explore your ideas with your department head or Dean who will refer you to the appropriate individuals. You may also wish to refer to the Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects and the Academic Grants Office websites for proceeding through the review process and for inquiring about corporate and foundation grant seeking opportunities. The Samford-in-Mission project is another potential source for funds. Their monies are awarded to activities related to the goals and objectives of the SIM grant.
Health Services
We endeavor to promote and maintain those conditions that will permit students, faculty and staff to realize optimum physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual well-being. Any registered student that has submitted a completed health form, including a physical exam, may use Student Health Services. Faculty and staff members of
Benefits
Information on faculty benefits can be found on the Human Resources Department* website.
Post Office
An official U. S. Branch Post Office is located on the ground floor of the
Printing Services
The Print Shop is located in Brooks Hall, Room 112. A form is available to delineate your printing needs.
Publications
Samford University prints a number of publications. Inside Samford is a monthly academic newsletter that outlines administrative and faculty activities. A reminder to contribute to the newsletter is sent out monthly in advance of the next newsletter. Other publications include Seasons and The Belltower. A description of each of these and more can be found on the Samford Publications website.
Emergency Procedures
The Emergency Procedures Manual has been designed to provide guidelines for dealing with a variety of campus emergencies. While the manual does not cover every conceivable situation, it does supply the basic administrative guidelines necessary to cope with most campus emergencies. The policies and procedures are expected to be followed by all administrators whose responsibilities and authorities cover the operational procedures found in the guide. Campus emergency operations will be conducted within the framework of the guidelines. Any exceptions to these crisis management procedures will be conducted by, or with the approval of, those administrators directing and/or coordinating the emergency operations.
Networking with your Faculty Peers
There are a number of opportunities for you to connect with your faculty peers. These include, but are not limited to, Faculty Institute, Faculty Shoptalk, convocations, journal clubs, Faculty Women's Club, Christian Woman's Center, music and theatre events. Events often are posted electronically via the email and university calendar systems.
Time Management Tips for New Faculty
Want some tips as to how to acclimate to the faculty role? The attached tips may be of assistance to you.
*Available only on campus
