New Faculty FAQs

Resources and Contacts for Teaching Questions

As you transition to Elon, you’ll find that many people can complement the help you are already receiving from your department chair and program assistant. Here are a few targeted resources as you get started:

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) can assist you in adapting courses you’ve taught elsewhere or as you develop new ones that are engaging and challenging. We would be happy to meet with you to talk about any aspect of your courses or teaching at Elon.

CATL also has an extensive library of resources about teaching and learning. You can search for & borrow these using the main library database or browse the shelves in Belk Pavilion.
You can find out more about CATL programs throughout the year on our website at
www.elon.edu/teaching.

At Belk Library, you can access the library’s holdings for your teaching and research, request office delivery of books, work with your department’s library liaison to develop materials for a course, and ILL resources for teaching and scholarship. Questions regarding the Belk Library can be directed to Patrick Rudd or your department’s library liaison.

Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) can help you with all things related to instructional technology. TLT provides support for Moodle and other software, consults with faculty about integrating technology into courses, facilitates seminars and events, and can help you create multimedia course components and learning objects. TLT provides the support needed for the innovative use of technological tools, in the spirit of student-centered pedagogy and engaged learning. Visit www.elon.edu/technology for more information, including the Tech Knowledge Base.

Accessing other online tools

After you have your Elon email address, you can access other essential online tools.
On the www.elon.edu “Resources” menu you can also access:

Moodle — the Learning Management System where you can post course materials and assignments
OnTrack — where you can access class rolls, view student photos, see your course schedule, and, eventually, submit course grades and mid-term assessments
and other helpful quick links to the Directory, Calendar, Library, and Maps

For more information about any of these tools or services, visit the Faculty/Staff Technology Guide on the Instructional Technology site to find more about technology essentials at Elon.

Asking the Right Questions

If other new faculty experiences are any indication, your first weeks—or year—at Elon will be exciting, as you get to know new colleagues and students; it may also, at times, feel like information overload, as you learn new policies, procedures and get to know distinctive features of the university or departmental culture.

Below, you’ll find a list of critical questions to learn the answers to your first year. Be sure to seek out the answers to help you better understand your role at Elon. We’ve gotten you started with a few hyperlinks to official policies and handbooks. Follow up by asking your chair, program assistant, and colleagues to help you answer others, including departmental and institutional culture and policies.

Keep in mind that the answers may vary based on your type of academic appointment or your department or school.

Institutional and Departmental Information

Where do I find more information about Elon’s mission, strategic plan, or student body?
What is the mission or strategic 5-year plan for my department or school? How do these connect to Elon’s mission and strategic plan?
Who are my department, school, and university administrators and support staff?
Who are my Academic Council representative(s)?
How does the University Curriculum Committee process work?
How are decisions made about course offerings, faculty assignments to courses and scheduling?
- What am I scheduled to teach in the spring? How do I apply to teach a summer course?

Faculty Roles and Responsibilities

What are the expectations of me this academic year (and in the years to come) regarding teaching, scholarship/research, contributions to the life of the university (service and committee work), advising and mentoring, or departmental and faculty meetings?
- What are the policies for promotion and tenure?
- What does the annual review process look like (What is a Unit 1? A Unit III?)? When are their deadlines?
- What are SPoTs (Student Perceptions of Teaching)?
- For all of these questions and more, consult the current Faculty Handbook.
Who do I ask questions about logistics – that is, things like making photocopies, getting keys, finding my office and where I park? Talk with your departmental program assistant.
What funding and other resources are available to support research and professional development for scholarship or teaching, including:
- Funding for professional travel to conferences
- Summer funding for new faculty (Note: application deadline November 1)
Where can I find resources or feedback on teaching?

Course-Related Questions

- Who do I contact regarding technologies for teaching and learning?
- How do I access course information and rosters using OnTrack and Moodle?
- What academic policies do I need to include on the syllabus? Such as,
  - Elon’s policies about final exams? About office hours or drop/add policies?
  - Consult the Faculty Handbook.
- Where can I find sample syllabi to give me a sense of how this course has been taught previously? Talk with your chair or coordinator of the academic program you are teaching in.
- How do I order textbooks?
- What dates do I need to keep in mind as I plan a course schedule?

Where do I learn more about resources to support student learning:
- the Writing Center
- the Koenigsberger Learning Center
  - Academic Advising & Support
  - Learning Assistance, and
  - the Disability Resources Office
How do I refer a student who needs some type of support — or who should I talk with if there’s a situation I’m not sure how to deal with?

Grading and Advising

How do I submit midterm assessments and final grades using OnTrack? What are the submission deadlines?
What are Elon’s policies on academic dishonesty? Where can I find out about the Honor Code?
What are the FERPA (Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act) and Elon policies regarding the privacy of student records and information?
Who can help me understand the advising process/expectations? When will I get advisees?
What are the Experiential Learning Requirements (ELRs) for students? How do I learn more about ways I can get involved with:

What are the expectations of the Core Curriculum?

More Words of Advice for Your First Year from Faculty Colleagues

“Ask questions, seek clarifications, and be proactive.”

“Explore your passion, but don’t try to do everything; don’t be an inch deep & mile wide.”

“Be focused (narrowly) in how you give your time. There will be opportunities later to be more involved. Not everything has to be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes. Borrow like crazy from others.”

“Forgive yourself – truly – for when you can’t do it all. The rhythms of the University will start to make sense and you will learn to balance teaching, service, research, and life.”