ArtCenter New Faculty Orientation
We are very excited to have you join us and work with our students. Below, a series of steps are outlined that will help you get oriented to the College and ready for the first day of teaching. Also, keep an eye out for future emails with information about additional orientation events and resources for new faculty members as we get closer to the term start.
To get started preparing for the upcoming term, please:
· Schedule your required 1:1 New Faculty Orientation meeting – to be held remotely over Zoom – using the link send you in your welcome letter. This will be with either Sam or Wendee. The 1:1 Orientation will cover syllabus preparation and course planning, strategies for grading, evaluation and critique, College and classroom policies, and resources, support, and access to facilities across both campuses. Additional topics to be covered depend on familiarity with the college and experience as an instructor and any questions you may have.
And then, some additional steps to complete:
· After your 1:1 keep an eye out for an email from the Office of Faculty Affairs with Next Steps for New Faculty and information about payroll and benefits, campus access including parking passes and ID cards, and the HR process. Contact Faculty Affairs (megan.clark@artcenter.edu) if you have any questions about payroll and benefits, your contract or offer letter, or about arriving to and navigating campus. Some information about the campus and academic calendar can be found in the About section of ArtCenter.Edu. You will receive a separate email from Human Resources with your offer letter and new hire paperwork and steps for the onboarding process. If you do not receive an email in the next week, please contact HR directly at hr@artcenter.edu or 626.396.2470. Completion of your paperwork will generate your ArtCenter Inside access and email address.
· Save the Date – Check your ArtCenter email before the term starts for an invitation to the New Faculty Technology Orientation, a group meeting. We will cover the ArtCenter digital credentials, review ArtCenter Canvas (our learning management system) and how to upload your syllabus before Week 1, and also cover Turnitin, YuJa, Zoom, and other online resources, in-class technology, and audio-visual (AV) capacities. Each of these areas will be introduced by our support teams who will also share their contact information for further support as needed. We will record this and send out the link if you can’t make it.
· Review the ArtCenter Syllabus and Weekly Plan Template or Graduate, MDes-Specific, or ArtCenter Extension template if appropriate and prepare a draft prior to your 1:1 Orientation meeting. The completed syllabus will be uploaded to ArtCenter Canvas by the Friday before the term starts (required), distributed to the students on the first day of class and submitted to the department. The syllabus and weekly plan template is available on the Faculty Development Inside.ArtCenter page and completed samples are available in the section on syllabi, along with a checklist to use for guidance. Templates are available for Undergraduate courses, Graduate courses, and ArtCenter Extension courses. Please also visit the section below on Rubrics to see samples and a template.
· Please review the Checklist for Day One, also available on the Faculty Development Inside.ArtCenter page
If we can help in any way as you work to set up your course and get ready for Week 1, please don’t hesitate to reach out via my ArtCenter Email (Sam). In the Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning (CITL) along with me is Wendee Lee, Faculty Director of Teaching & Learning and an Alum and long-time Faculty Member from the Product Design Department. Faculty members often reach out to us to work on their syllabus, for help with course/curriculum design, setting up assignments, creating a grading rubric tied to project briefs, and different methods for critique and ways to engage and support all students - Wendee and I are both available for faculty coaching beyond the orientation and first term of teaching. We will be in touch soon with more information for New Faculty Orientation and keep an eye out once the term starts for invitations to new faculty gatherings and other CITL programs. We look forward to meeting and working with you on your syllabus and plan for your course!