Academic Affairs - Welcome

Message from David Harvey, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Kerry Pannell, Dean of the Faculty
July 30, 2009

Dear New Faculty Member,
Welcome to DePauw. To help you prepare for fall, we've designed this website with information about opening week activities, new faculty orientation in August and throughout the year, and many other resources and services at DePauw and around Greencastle. Please mark these events on your calendar, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 765-658-4359.  You may also send questions to Jane Griswold, Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, at jgriswold@depauw.edu.

Opening Convocation
The Opening Convocation of the 2009-2010 academic year will be held in the Kresge Auditorium of the Green Center for the Performing Arts Center, starting promptly at 3:00 p.m. (with the processional beginning at 2:30pm) on Saturday, August 22, the day new students arrive on campus to begin their orientation. All faculty members are expected to participate in the academic procession in academic regalia. If you need to rent academic regalia for this event, contact Jackie Fowler or Derek Holbert in the DePauw Bookstore (765-658-4926) or email bookstore@depauw.edu. The deadline for ordering regalia is August 8th and the approximate cost is $75 (after August 8th a $20.00 late fee will be assessed for any rush orders, and you will be charged when you order your regalia).

Human Resources
Upon your arrival in Greencastle, please make your first stop the Office of Human Resources in the Studebaker Administration Building (313 S. Locust St.) to complete tax withholding and employment eligibility verification forms. Information regarding the types of identification you will need to provide can be found on the HR webpage under the forms section, titled Brief Information for New Employees. Please note that this employment paperwork must be complete before you may start work and before the University may pay a moving expense allowance to those who are eligible to receive this benefit. You may also obtain a University ID card in the ID/One Card Office on the lower level of the Student Union Building and register your vehicle for a parking sticker in the Public Safety Office on the second floor of the Student Union Building (you will need your vehicle registration card to do so).

Those of you who are eligible to receive employee benefits must pre-register and attend the orientation session being offered by the Office of Human Resources on Tuesday, August 18, 3 p.m., Union Building, Room 231. Registration can be made by contacting the Office of Human Resources at 658-4181. Click here for a message from HR regarding employee benefits.

Wednesday, August 19
Required orientation activities for new faculty members begin with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the Union Building Room 231/232. The program will include an introduction to academic policies and procedures, an overview of faculty e-services, and a discussion about student life.

We invite you to join us for an informal picnic dinner at 6:00 p.m. for new faculty members at the President’s house. We will be joined by chairs of academic departments, coordinators of interdisciplinary programs and members of the administration. You will receive a separate invitation from the President’s office for this event. (Please note change: Spouse/partner or guest should not attend this dinner but should attend the the University-wide picnic at the indoor tennis and track center on Friday, August 21.)

Thursday, August 20
The orientation program required for all new faculty members will continue at 9:00 a.m. with a continental breakfast in Cafe Roy at the Roy O. West Library. Dave Guinee, Faculty Development Coordinator, will guide you through the day’s activities which will include a session about DePauw's Libraries and Information Services and discussions about teaching at DePauw. (Click here for a welcome message from the library). To facilitate these discussions about the conduct of classes at DePauw, we think it would be helpful for you to bring a draft of a syllabus for one of your fall courses for discussion and possible revision once you have learned more about common expectations and standards for courses at DePauw and the experiences of others who have taught in this environment. Please click here for DePauw policies and dates to be aware of when constructing syllabi. You will be joined by other members of the DePauw faculty and administration who will assist in your orientation and preparation for the start of the academic year. The program will include discussions of issues like workload, scheduling exams and papers, attendance and grading policies, as well as overall course design and good practices.

Friday, August 21
The Faculty Institute will take place on Friday, August 21, 2009. Coffee and continental breakfast will be available beginning at 7:45 a.m. on the first floor of East College. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Meharry Hall (on the second floor in East College) and will conclude by mid-afternoon.  This traditional opening day for faculty includes discussions of pedagogy, curricula and the role of the liberal arts college in the changing academic landscape.  
At 6:00 p.m. there will be a University-wide picnic at the indoor tennis and track center, located among the athletic facilities on the west end of campus, to welcome all new faculty members and staff members and their families to the reassembled DePauw community. You and your spouse (or guest) and other family members are invited to this event. Your chair or a member of your department will join you to introduce you to your new colleagues.

Saturday, August 22
Line up for the processional at 2:30pm for the Opening Convocation of the 2009-10 academic year at which incoming students and their families are welcomed to DePauw. The program will begin promptly at 3:00 p.m. in the Kresge Auditorium of the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts, featuring a faculty procession in academic regalia and an address by President Casey. All faculty members are expected to attend the convocation. Mary Dixon, the University Marshal, will provide you with instructions for assembling and lining up in advance (at 2:30 p.m.) for the procession. As noted above, contact Jackie Fowler or Derek Holbert in the DePauw Bookstore (765-658-4926) or email bookstore@depauw.edu if you need to rent regalia.  Please contact Kerry Pannell at kpannell@depauw.edu or 765-658-4359 if special circumstances require you to be excused from the convocation.

Wednesday, August 26
First day of classes.

Other events in the semester:

  • New Faculty Member Workshop, Wednesday, August 26, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
    Union Building 231/232
  • Three other fall meetings for new faculty members to be announced.

You’ll also be receiving information about many Faculty Development activities which take place each semester over lunch and at the 4 o’clock hour. "Faculty Forums" and “Faculty Research Colloquia” provide opportunities to hear about the exciting research and creative work our colleagues are doing. Teaching workshops organized by FITS, by the coordinators of the competency programs in Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Quantitative Reasoning, and by other interested groups are a chance for all of us to share ideas about teaching and learning at DePauw. Dave Guinee is also available for consultation about teaching and/or professional activities and opportunities; you can reach him over the summer by e-mail (dguinee@depauw.edu) and in the fall in 111 Harrison Hall, 765-658-4805.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 765-658-4359. We look forward to working with you in the coming year.