New Faculty

Tips on Getting Off to a Good Start at Armstrong

During your first month:

• Introduce yourself to the faculty and staff in your department.
• Participate in at least one faculty forum or workshop.
• Invite to lunch one new faculty member whom you met during orientation.
• Don't hesitate to ask questions - of anyone.
• For each course that you teach, prepare a syllabus that clearly and specifically identifies course objectives, methods, assignments, and policies: provide sufficient detail so that students aren't left guessing as to what you expect of them.
• If you have been assigned to teach a large lecture class, put extra effort into careful planning and organization.
• Make sure that your students are familiar with and understand Armstrong's Honor Code and Code of Conduct.
• Become familiar with such student support services as Disability Services, Counseling Services, and Career Services - and be prepared to direct your students to the appropriate offices.
• Even if you're not teaching online or hybrid-online classes, develop a simple web site with contact information for students and pdf copies of your syllabi.
• If you're not familiar with all of the software on your computer, take advantage of the training sessions offered by IT Services.
• Begin drafting a research plan, setting a timeline and establishing clear goals.
• Get out of your office now and then: visit the Writing Center, the Advisement Center, and the Teaching & Learning Center.
• Consider this bit of advice from Robert Boice's The New Faculty Member (2000): "Moderate over attachment and overreaction: learn to seek out and learn from criticism while reacting less emotionally to it."
• Above all else, maintain your sense of humor.

During your first semester:

• Schedule specific times during the week for research.
• Schedule specific times during the week for conferences and advisement sessions with students.
• Although you won't be invited to serve on any university-wide committees until your second year as a full-time faculty member, fulfill your service requirement on one or two departmental committees.
• Attend a grant-writing workshop, and consider applying for an internal grant.
• Maintain a teaching portfolio with all class materials, assignments, syllabi, and exams.
• Attend an advisement workshop even if you haven't yet been assigned any advisees.
• Arrange a meeting with your department head to discuss requirements and procedures for promotion and tenure.
• Invite a colleague to visit one of your classes and comment on your teaching.
• Save supportive e-mails and letters of thanks from students and colleagues.
• Attend the end-of-term dinner hosted by the Faculty Development Committee, and exchange a few war stories about your first hundred days at Armstrong.