The following resources are intended to help with the teaching process throughout the semester, though they may be useful before or after as well!
Information on student enrollment and class rosters is available within MyUTK. For instructions on accessing the roster, see OIT’s help page on class rosters.
The Provost’s Office supplies a page on basic instructor responsibilities, including a quick guide to dealing with academic dishonesty, and a downloadable resource list for helping facilitate student support resources.
All instructional faculty members are obliged to report information about sexual harassment, abuse, or assault under certain circumstances. Although this information is usually covered in unit orientations and mandatory training, the Title IX Coordinator’s office has more information available.
If you are asked to communicate information about students (for instance, to parents or other stakeholders), it’s important to know what you can and cannot say. Faculty members’ roles as instructors are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and UT has a page discussing our obligations under FERPA here.
Most departments on campus will find office space for all faculty members, including those on temporary part-time contracts, but not all of these spaces will be ideal for you or your students. Indeed, many students find office hours intimidating, particularly when they have a basic question that they fear will not reflect well on them. Many universities are working to reduce one of the psychological barriers that makes attending office hours so intimidating by asking professors to meet their students in more accessible, and neutral, spaces (Nadworny, 2019; Rentschler, n.d.).
So, what type of space should you choose when selecting an alternative office space for meeting with students? Most universities select spaces where students are normally found, such as the library, the student union, or near tutoring centers (Nadworny, 2019; Rentschler, n.d). Another popular choice, especially during the pandemic, is offering virtual office hours via Zoom or a message board. These physical and virtual spaces help level out the power dynamic and the intimidation associated with speaking with a professor, which can increase the number of students attending office hours (Nadworny, 2019; Rentschler, n.d.).
If you have concerns about your position or duties, or about any aspect of university culture, you may want to talk with the Office of Ombuds Services where staff can provide confidential advice. You may also eventually want to communicate with the appropriate representative from the Faculty Senate—the website includes information about who represents each unit at UT.
By being a UT employee, you may qualify for a variety of discounts with local activities and vendors—see the list of employee discounts for more information.
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