Academic Affairs - Welcome

Message from Neal B. Abraham,
Executive Vice President, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Physics and Astronomy
July 18, 2008

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 events and dates on your calendar, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at nabraham@depauw.edu, or my assistant Jane Griswold at jgriswold@depauw.edu.

Opening Convocation

The Opening Convocation of the 2008-2009 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. on Saturday, August 23, 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 either 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). If you need the regalia for both the convocation and the President's Inauguration ceremony on October 10th, the bookstore will be able to charge you 1-1/2 times the expense instead of paying for the regalia twice if you let them know.

Quick Survey

Meryl Altman, Professor of English and Women's Studies and Faculty Development Coordinator, would like for you to provide information related to your pedagogical approaches and your technology needs for your courses in order to develop the workshop portion of the new faculty orientation you will be attending August 20 and 21. We ask that you click here to access a message and short survey from Meryl.

Human Resources

Upon your arrival in Greencastle, please make your first stop the Office of Human Resources in the Administration Building 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 one of the orientation sessions being offered by the Office of Human Resources. Orientation session dates and times are as follows:

Wednesday, August 13, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Union Building, Room 231
Friday, August 15, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Union Building, Room 231
Tuesday, August 19, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 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 20

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.

My wife Donna Wiley and I invite you and your family (or a guest) to be our guests for an informal picnic dinner at 6:30 p.m. for new faculty members at my house (513 E. Seminary Street). We will be joined by the chairs (and spouses or guests) or other designated representatives of all academic departments, coordinators of interdisciplinary programs and members of the administration. Please contact Becky Wallace (bwallace@depauw.edu or 765-658-4359) in the Academic Affairs Office and let her know if you will attend and how many will accompany you.

Thursday, August 21

The orientation program required for all new faculty members will continue at 8:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast in Cafe Roy at the Roy O. West Library. Meryl Altman 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. At 3:30 p.m. we will adjourn to the Walden Inn for informal questions and social time.

Friday, August 22

The Faculty Institute will take place on Friday, August 22, 2008. Coffee and continental breakfast will be available beginning at 8:00 a.m. on the first floor of East College. Please come to renew acquaintances with our many colleagues and to meet the 40 full-time and part-time faculty members who will begin work at DePauw this year. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Meharry Hall (on the second floor in East College) and will conclude by 11 a.m. After my introductions of new faculty members, Dr. Casey will review the current state of the University and outline several issues which we will face in the coming year. The 90-minute break-out groups will provide an opportunity for discussions of some of those issues.

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 23

At 3:00 p.m. there will be the Opening Convocation of the 2008-09 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. If you need to rent academic regalia for this event, contact either 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. Please contact me if special circumstances require you to be excused from the convocation procession.

Wednesday, August 27

First day of classes.

Other events in the semester:

  • New Faculty Member Workshop, Wednesday, August 27, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
    Union Building 231/232
  • Three other fall meetings for new faculty members to be announced - please check back soon.
  • The inauguration of President Casey as the 19th President of DePauw will take place at 4 p.m. on Friday, October 10th. All faculty members are expected to participate in academic regalia. Students, trustees, alumni, and delegates from other colleges and universities also will participate. Classes are cancelled from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on that Friday (please plan your syllabi accordingly). Mary Dixon will provide you with more detailed instructions for assembling for the academic procession. For this event please order your regalia from the DePauw Bookstore no later than September 22nd.

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. Meryl Altman is also available for consultation about teaching and/or professional activities and opportunities; you can reach her over the summer by e-mail (maltman@depauw.edu) and in the fall in Harrison Hall (second floor), extension 1038.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at nabraham@depauw.edu or 765- 658-4359. I hope that in the meantime you will enjoy the remainder of the summer. I look forward to working with you in the coming year.