SUGGESTIONS TO DEPARTMENT CHAIRS FOR THE ORIENTATION OF NEW FACULTY

Sometime in early August, the Dean of the College's office prepares a list of all new faculty and sends it to the various offices (e.g., mailroom, computer center, telecommunications, payroll) in need of this information. Once this is done, you can gather information to send to the new faculty person:

Before the arrival of your new colleague, send him/her the following information:

o box number (from mailroom)

o office room number (from Associate Dean of the College)

o office phone number (from Telecommunications, x7171)

o e-mail address and initial password (request account by calling x7700)

o contact information for you during the summer

o mailing address: Knox College, 2 E. South St., Galesburg, IL 61401

o for information on Galesburg: http://www.galesburg.org/

o list of landlords with multiple apartments; one list available at the Chamber of Commerce (see below for address and phone) and other information available from the office of the Dean of the College

And gather information and/or materials:

o ask your new colleague about their office computer needs (PC or Mac, any special programs or equipment) and let the Computer Center know (x7355)

o a department copy card (Business Office, x7343)

o map of campus (can get from the Admission Office, x7100)

o Chamber of Commerce newcomers packet (includes a map of Galesburg, which you can mark up with a few landmarks), 471 E. Main St., 2nd floor, 343-1194

o other material from the Chamber (look over their display) and from the Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2163 E. Main St., 343-2485

o college directory (Telecommunications, x7171, SMC E007)

o college catalog (Public Relations, x7337, SMC E113)

Things new faculty will need to do/have shortly after arrival:

o meet with the Director of Personnel (x7200); many things follow from this.

o pick up office & building key (from Administrative Service Center, 368 S. Prairie St.). Check at least 24 hours in advance of new faculty arrival to see that office and building keys are ready, x7255. (The keys are ordered earlier in the summer by the Dean's office.)

o photo ID (call ahead to Dining Services for an appointment, x7243)

o phone authorization codes, business & personal (from Telecommunications, SMC E007, x7171); stop by the office to get brochure on the phone system.

o department account number (with explanation about charging on campus)

o Remind them that the Survival/Success Guide includes much useful information, including a restaurant guide. New faculty receive a print copy in late August. The URL to the online version will have been sent to them earlier in the summer: http://deptorg.knox.edu/facdev/guide/

o If the new person arrives anytime during the summer, consider bringing them to one or more of the summer potlucks.

Other information new faculty will need:

CHARGING:

Phone: Professional calls may be charged with the department phone code; personal calls should be charged to one's personal account via the personal code. This is done by keying in the appropriate authorization code when making the phone call.

Office supplies: A moderate amount of office supplies (paper, pens, paper clips, etc.) may be charged to the department. The best prices on such items are available from Purchasing, which is in a small house at 251 E. Berrien St. Faculty can also charge such items at the bookstore. (Charging books or larger ticket items is off-limits).

Photocopying: Photocopying for courses or a moderate amount of copying for other professional activities may be charged to the department using the departmental copy card. For personal use, one's Knox ID card is used. Funding for very large copying expenses (e.g., multiple copies of a book manuscript) should be requested within research funds available from the Dean of the College.

COMPUTERS: For help on anything regarding your computer, start by calling the Help Desk, x7700. If they can't help you, they should be able to refer you elsewhere. If that isn't working, call the Director of the Computer Center, x7356; he can either help you or direct you elsewhere.

STORES IN GALESBURG: Describe the main shopping districts in Galesburg (downtown, Henderson Street). Consider marking out some things on a local map (grocery stores, coffee shops, the mall, whatever you think they may want to find soon).

Other things to do to help the new person learn about Knox and your department:

o Escort new faculty to Pumphandle and to the President's reception.

o Have a social event or two that will introduce the new person to people in your department, as well as to people outside the department who may be of special interest. (Or, if you are unable to organize the event yourself, see that someone else in the department does so. You can use the entertainment line in the department budget for this expense.)

o Check in with some regularity to see how things are going and to give the new person a chance to ask questions. Encourage other members of the department to do the same.

o Figure out the things specific to your area that a new person may need to know, and convey that information. Other recent hires in your area will be a good source of information about what was mysterious to them. New faculty in the sciences, for example, will need help in figuring out how our labs and supply system work. New people in theatre will need an orientation to CFA and its special features.

o Share documents that will help the new person learn about the make-up, concerns, and plans of the department (e.g., any recent curriculum proposals, the departmental assessment plan). Tell them about the department's ambitions and goals, its philosophy, its style--and ask them about their own. Explain the structure of the curriculum and how this new faculty member's courses fit into that structure.

o Give them a copy of the department budget, and explain availability of funding for office supplies, AV, photocopying, etc.

o Discuss expectations one might have for students (and what students expect of us).

o Talk about grading practices, academic standards, the Honor Code.

o Invite the new person to sit in on your courses (and/or those of other members of the department).

o Go together to the first faculty meeting or two so that you can explain some things during the meeting (who's who, etc.). Take some time to de-brief afterwards--this is a good opportunity to give some institutional history that will explain the weird things that happen at faculty meetings.

o Delegate to other members of the department any of the above that you don't have time for, or where you think someone else could do it better.