New Faculty Orientation
August 14, 2024
Welcome to UVA Wise!
New Faculty Orientation Agenda
August 14, 2024, Library Room 312
8:00-9:00 Coffee with Provost Johnson and Dean of the Faculty Bruce Cahoon
9:00- 11:00
· Welcome and College History, Intro to Appalachia and Emily’s Local Guide: https://uvawise.box.com/s/5iietndhs16noc974e2dfvxprzjsvj0h
· New Faculty Learning Community Faculty Learning Communities | UVA Wise
· Faculty Expectations and Obligations: https://uvawise.box.com/s/tatwmezmaqxzykabzhl3434j3jrg08jk
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-11:45 Student Policies and Procedure: Narda Porter, Registrar
· MY UVA WISE/PORTAL (https://my.uvawise.edu/ICS)
· FERPA (Verify with Narda Porter, Registrar: https://www.uvawise.edu/registrar)
· Class Rolls and Roll Verification (Week 4) and Early Alert (Week 5) in MYUVAWISE
11:45-12:45 Lunch with Chairs in Library Conference Room
1:00- 1:30 Mike Shell, Will Waggoner, Kendra Sexton
· The Honor Policy and Honor Court: Honor System | UVA Wise
· AI at UVA Wise Faculty Resources | UVA Wise
· General Tutoring at the Academic Success Center https://www.uvawise.edu/academics/advising-support/academic-success-center
· Writing Tutoring at the Writing Center https://www.uvawise.edu/academics/advisingsupport/writing-center
1:30-2:00 Tabitha Smith
· Division for Advocacy and Opportunity https://www.uvawise.edu/about/leadership/division-advocacy-and-opportunity
· Sexual and Gender Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence
· Diversity and Inclusion https://www.uvawise.edu/college-life/campus/diversity-inclusion
· UVA Respectful Workplace Commitment Respect @UVA | UVA HR (virginia.edu)
2:00-2:15 Whitney Wells
· Disability Services https://www.uvawise.edu/college-life/campus/diversity-inclusion/disability-services
· TRIO (First Generation Student) https://www.uvawise.edu/academics/advising-support/trio-student-support-services
2:15-2:30 Sara Schill: Assisting Students in Crisis
· Cavs Care Form in the faculty tab of Home | My UVA Wise
· Free and confidential counseling available for all students M-F 8-5 in Cantrell Hall
2:30-2:50 Human Resources: Francene Meade 276-328-0142 HR (Workday and Benefits) https://www.uvawise.edu/human-resources
· AETNA Medical Provider Finder https://www.aetna.com/individuals-families/find-adoctor.html
· Mental Health Resources FEAP (https://uvafeap.com/) and Aetna
· Dental (https://www.unitedconcordia.com/)
· Vision (https://davisvision.com/)
· Retirement TIAA/Fidelity or VRS: GO SEE FRANCENE ASAP!
2:50-3:00 Faculty Senate President Hannah Ryan
Reminders:
· All Staff Meeting Thursday 8/15 (Tomorrow) 9am- 12pm 2024 All Employee Meeting in the Prior Center Lakeview Room downstairs, free lunch provided in Smith Dining Hall, and Academic Affairs Workshops 1:30-4:30 TBA
· iPad Training Friday 8/16 10-12 in Smiddy 265
3:00 Welcome from Chancellor Donna Henry and Ice Cream Social in Books and Brew (Library 5th Floor)
Emily’s New Faculty Welcome to Wise Guide (Fall 2024)
If you say App-uh-lay-sha, I’ll throw an Apple -atcha!
This region is correctly pronounced App-uh-latch-uh. Regional author Sharyn McCrumb, who often visits the College, explains why this matters at https://youtu.be/eGCqWrsAZ_o Southern Appalachia is a distinct geographic, economic, and cultural region with a unique history and traditions.
Brief Regional and College History
Wise: This region was originally home to the Cherokee and Siouan tribes who had no permanent settlements in Wise, but used the nearby Cumberland Gap, a natural path through the mountains, as a human highway. In the 18th C., Daniel Boone marked it for western settlers calling it the wilderness road. Scottish, English, and German settlers founded Wise as Gladeville in 1874 pushing the Siouans west and the Cherokees into the N.C. mountains, where small bands survived hidden during their forced removal west. The town was reamed “Wise” for Governor Henry Wise in 1924.
The Commonwealth (note that we are not a state) of Virginia has a rich and storied history. The site of the first English settlement and one of the original thirteen colonies, Virginia was named for the “virgin queen,” Elizabeth I. Virginia was the site of the last battle of the Revolutionary War. It was also home to four of the first five U.S. Presidents. Places like Jamestown and Williamsburg still celebrate Virginia’s proud colonial role in America history.
Virginia was also the home of the Confederacy, the Capital was Richmond, and the Civil War, which ended in Virginia, was fought throughout Virginia. Wise was the base of Confederate General Humphrey Marshall until Union troops raided the town June 1, 1862. Reportedly, after being insulted by the town clerk, they burned half the town leaving only three buildings standing on Main Street.
The town rebuilt as the 18th C. timber and then 19th C. coal industries created booms and busts. The relationship between Wise and mining is a complicated one that is still very sensitive. I encourage you to seek out UVA Wise History Professor Brian McKnight if you would like more information.
Wise has struggled to find stable economic opportunities. The 1964 federal “war on poverty” and a famous Time magazine spread documented the more than 60% poverty rate of the region and inspired the federal creation of the Appalachian Regional Commission, which still exists to invest and improve the region. Read more at Appalachia’s Place in the War on Poverty > Appalachian Voices (appvoices.org). Wise County has roughly 44,000 people of which more than 23% live below the ARC poverty line (Appalachian Regional Commission - Investing in Appalachia's economic future. (arc.gov)). Food insecurity is an issue for 20% of the residents in Wise County (Hunger & Poverty in the United States | Map the Meal Gap (feedingamerica.org)).
The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in Big Stone Gap is an excellent day trip that will also provide you an interactive view of this history. I can also recommend the 2019 film Hillbilly (with interviews by our own Communications Professor Amy Clark).
Be aware that the term “Hillbilly,” J.D. Vance’s concept of “learned helplessness,” and his book Hillbilly Elegy is controversial in Appalachia. Author Silas House writes beautifully of the stigmas and struggles in modern Appalachia in a short piece that might help you understand the story better at Silas House on Eastern Kentucky: 'I am that smudge' (courier-journal.com). You should be very mindful of area poverty levels when assigning expensive books or materials or requiring activities outside of classes.
UVA was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. Much of the Charlottesville campus was physically built by slave labor. UVA Wise is proud of the fact that though we were founded in 1954, when segregation was law in Virginia, we have never been segregated nor denied admission to anyone on the basis of race. Our UVA Wise Division of Advocacy and Opportunity works hard to champion and empower a diverse community. Feel free to reach out to Vice Chancellor Tabitha Smith if you have any questions or concerns.
In contrast to UVA, UVA Wise is a young College. On a snowy December evening in 1953, “two Wise/wise women” at the Inn at Wise, Mary Thompson, the Inn Owner’s wife, and Lois Tracy, Inn Manager’s wife, proposed and advocated for the creation of a local college to visiting University of Virginia Extension Division representative Samuel R. Crockett, Jr., a man who would eventually become the first Chancellor of UVA Wise.
A committee of local men and women is formed to discuss this and they send a delegation of Kenneth Asbury, Fred Greear, and William Thompson, named the “Three Wise Men,” to Charlottesville to meet UVA President Colgate W. Darden and to Richmond to seek funding from the Virginia General Assembly.
In 1954, the College, known as Clinch Valley College, opens on the county’s poor farm property with 109 full-time students, more than two-thirds of whom are Korean war veterans.
In 1956, UVA buys the building and land the College is using for $1. In 1957, the College buys the former home for delinquent boys and names it Martha Randolph Hall. The state’s first commitment to the College manifests into Zehmer Hall in 1959. Miriam Morris Fuller becomes the first African-American student admitted to the College in 1960, at a time when other Virginia colleges and universities were not open to black students. The College receives permission to offer four year degrees in 1966 and in 1968
doubles the faculty to forty members. In 1970, the College awards its first bachelor of arts degrees. See more at Historical Milestones | UVA Wise
In 1999, the College name is officially changed to The University of Virginia’s College at Wise. UVA Wise should be identified as the only division of UVA located outside of Charlottesville. They share a President, currently Jim Ryan, but UVA Wise has its’s own Chancellor and other administration. There are many connections between the two and they appreciate a supportive relationship. One of the most distinctive partnerships is the Year in Wise program, which offers roughly one hundred students waitlisted at UVA an opportunity to complete their first year at UVA Wise and, if successful in their studies, easily transfer to UVA in their second year.
UVA Wise is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and works closely with The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to advance educational excellence at the College.
UVA Wise is a proud home to 1922 undergraduates (2023) with an average class size of 15 students. We are a public liberal arts college offering 33 majors, 39 minors, and 24 teaching licensures. We offer numerous undergraduate degree programs, including Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). UVA Wise began offering graduate programs in Fall 2023 with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction. With an acceptance rate of 76%, the average GPA of incoming students in 3.78 we are moderately selective. More than 80% of all UVA Wise students receive Pell Grants and the Within Reach program offers free tuition to Va residents also in financial need.
Read more about our national ranking as #14 Top Public School and other demographic info at University of Virginia--Wise - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges
Our Mission: Through excellence in teaching, personalized attention and commitment to individual growth, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise prepares students to be engaged citizens. Drawing upon its foundation as a public liberal arts institution in the Appalachian region of Virginia, the College strives to build a diverse community of learners with the drive to serve and lead in their communities, the nation, and the world.
Regional Map and Travel Info
From this map, with Wise as the dot in the center, you can see the nearby larger town of Abingdon, Virginia (48 miles) and the Tri-Cities of Tennessee including Kingsport (50 miles), Bristol (62 miles) and Johnson City (74 miles) as well as the much larger cities of Asheville, NC (134 miles), Knoxville, Tn. (150 miles), and Lexington, Ky. (174 miles). Note also the popular regional vacation destinations of Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN (158 miles) and Blowing Rock/Boone, NC (105 miles).
Abingdon: Consistently ranked as Southern Living Magazine’s best small towns, beautiful Abingdon has some fun antique stores, is home to Barter Theatre - State Theatre of Virginia - in historic Abingdon, Virginia, William King Art Museum, a full spa at the Martha Washington Hotel, and multiple exceptional restaurants including: The Historic Tavern, White Birch (breakfast tacos), Greeko’s, Rain (which has an after theater menu), 128 Pecan, Peppermill, Summer’s Roof, Wolf Hills Coffee, Rendezvous (crepes and rolled ice cream), The Girl and the Raven.
The Tri-Cities:
Johnson City: Home page - Mall at Johnson City, Ballet, Symphony, Barnes and Noble, Mr K’s Used Books, Spice World International Market, Fresh Market, a full spa at the Carnegie Hotel, White Duck Taco, Café Lola (French), Wellington’s, Maple Street Biscuit, Freiberg’s (German), Red Meze (Turkish), Mad Greek, Cootie Brown
Kingsport: Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium, Kingsport Carousel, Mustard Seed Café, Red Pepper Indian, Thai Cuisine, Latin Love (Salvadorian), Mac’s Medicine Mart (closest compounding pharmacy that also does pet meds)
Bristol: The Pinnacle | shops, Bristol Motor Speedway, Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Hard Rock Casino, Mother Chuckers (axe throwing and arcade), Eatz Uptown (Appalachian), 620 State, Bristol Bagel Works, Hickory at Nicewonder Farms (Upscale Appalachian owned by celebrity Chef Travis Milton)
Note: Some faculty do live in the Tri-Cities, but be aware that the road can be a challenging drive for newcomers especially in some weather and the College expects faculty to teach inperson unless exceptions have been made with Academic Affairs and HR in advance and be on campus for student activities and other faculty obligations on a regular schedule.
Local Map and Travel Info
From this map, with Wise as the dot in the center, you can see the smallest city in Va, Norton (4 miles) and, a bit farther down I23, the town of Big Stone Gap (16 miles) where most faculty live.
Emily’s Guide to Local Goods and Services
I am often asked for recommendations and favorite activities so I thought I would make a list of some of my favorite unique places and recommendations for fun in the region. Please note the following is for information purposes only. It is not endorsed by the College. Please reach out at any time if there is something specific you can’t find. I am always here to help on or off campus!
Arts: ProArt Home | Proartva hosts numerous local arts events in the area, The Barter Theater in Abingdon https://bartertheatre.com/ offers professional theater on two stages, The UVA Wise Visual and Performing Arts Department (often called VPAR) has a small art gallery, theater and all Steinway concert hall in the Giliam Building with regular shows, concerts and plays advertised usually by campus email.
Benefits: Bookmark and review this site very carefully. Everything on this page is important: Benefits & Retiree Services | UVA Wise
Bookstore: The College Bookstore can order textbooks for you and your students. Walmart (Norton) carries some magazines and popular fiction. Books-A-Million (Bristol and Kingsport), Barnes and Noble (Johnson City), Mr. K Used Books (Johnson City).
Bowling: Hillcrest Lanes (Norton)
Calendar: There is a campus calendar at Campus Calendar | UVA Wise. If you log into myuva, under the Faculty tab, you will also see an academic calendar and exam schedules.
Car
Car Body Shop: Adams Collision (Norton)
Car Inspection/Repair: Required Annually in Va: Collins Auto (Wise)
Car Maintenance: Auto Zone and Advance (Norton), Walmart does tires and batteries (Norton)
Car Rental: You can rent cars for work trips from the College by talking to your Department Chair. For personal use, use Enterprise (Norton)
Car Wash: Warrier Wash (Wise), Supreme Clean (Wise)
City/Town Services
Wise County Government Info Wise County, VA | Official Website
Town of Wise Emergency Numbers | Wise Virginia (townofwise.net)
City of Norton Emergency Services | Norton, VA - Official Website (nortonva.gov)
Big Stone Gap Services Directory - Town of Big Stone Gap
Clothing/Home Goods: Marshall’s (Wise), Ollie’s (Wise), Big Lot’s (Wise), Belk (Wise), Maurice (Wise), Cato (Norton), Beals (Norton)
Coffee Shop: Lincoln Road (Norton)
Dentist: To find United Concordia Dentists go to United Concordia Dental I recommend William Horne (Norton)
Doctor: To find Aetna Doctors Log into Find a Doctor, Dentist or Hospital | Aetna
General Practioner: I recommend HMG Primary Care at Norton - Family Medicine / Primary Care (holstonmedicalgroup.com)
Psychologist/Therapist: FEAP Faculty and Employee Assistance Program https://uvafeap.com/ (counseling and other wellness resources for all UVA employees)
Groceries: Food City (Wise and Big Stone Gap), IGA (Wise), Walmart (Norton), United Grocery Outlet (Norton)
FEDEX: Located inside Dollar General in Appalachia
Fitness: The College has a fitness center with regular classes, multiple courts, and an indoor pool, Jazzercise is at the Norton Elementary and Middle School, Wise has a Municipal Pool, Fit One Gym (Norton), Absolute Fitness Gym (Wise), Appalachian Moon has yoga.
Flowers/Gifts: Sexton’s Flowers (Wise), Sweet Peony Flowers and Gifts (Norton), Clapboard House Gifts (Wise)
Furniture: Clapboard House (Wise), Ashley (Wise), Grand (Wise), Big Lot’s (Wise)
Garden Club: Town and Garden Club (Wise)
Gardening/Hardware: Wise and Norton both have locally owned hardware stores, Lowes (Wise), Tractor Supply (Wise), Rural King (Norton)
Hair: I recommend Toni’s Salon (Wise and Big Stone Gap)
Kiwanis: Group meets in Wise
Laundry: Wise Coin Laundry/ Norton Dry Cleaners
Massage: Mantra Massage (Wise), Toni’s Salon (Wise and Big Stone Gap), Appalachian Moon (Norton), Full Spas in Abingdon and Johnson City
Movies: Cinema City (Norton), Central Drive In (1950’s drive in between Norton and Appalachia)
Nails
By Appointment: Toni’s Salon (Wise and Big Stone Gap), Jenn’s Nails (Wise)
Drop in: Unique Nails (Norton) and Norton Nails
Pets
Supplies: Petsense (Norton), Pawlished Pet Supplies (Wise), Tractor Supply (Wise), Petsmart (Kingsport)
Grooming/Boarding/Training: Paw Plaza (Wise), Far Fetched (Big Stone Gap), Petsmart (Kingsport)
Vets: Wise Co. Animal Hospital (Wise), 4Paws (Duffield), Pound Vet
Hospital (Pound)
*The only 24 Hour/ Emergency Vet is Airport Vet Airport Pet Emergency Clinic | Open 7 Days a Week in Blountville (apecvet.com) in Blountville, Tn. (61 miles).
Pharmacy: CVS (Norton), Walgreens (Clintwood), Food City (Wise), Walmart (Norton), Mac’s Medicine Mart (Compounding Pharmacy in Kingsport)
Pool: On Campus (Indoor) and Town of Wise (Outside)
Restaurants: Most local restaurants have Facebook pages instead of web sites and hours can vary from day to day.
Wise: Mood Dog Pizza, Roma’s (Italian), Yamato (Japanese- including vegetarian sushi!), New China Garden (Chinese), El Dorado and Monterrey (Mexican), Reno’s, Piggy Went a Smokin’ (BBQ), The Charc Board (Try the woodbooger bowl and grab and go boxes)
Norton: Lincoln Road Coffee House (Maple Danish! and grab and go lunches), Woodbooger Grill, Fish Tales (the Catfish!), Mi Finca and Los Rodeos (Mexican), Alfredo’s (Italian and Greek), Dear Osaka (Japanese), Dairy Queen, Asia Café Buffet, Doughmakers Pizza (pizza and lunch salad bar M-F ), Southern Craft Brewery
Big Stone Gap: The Pastry Cottage (Bakery and Brunch), Good Times Pizza (pickle pizza!), Curklins, Three Forks Sandwich Co, 404 Creamery, Red Flower (Chinese), Country Kitchen, Moon Dog Pizza, Big Cherry Brewery
Coeburn: Oma’s Haus (German)
Appalachia: Appalachian Mercantile (Bakery and Brunch), Black Bear BBQ
Pound: Vonda’s Hometown Restaurant
St Paul: Puerto Nuevo in the Western Front Hotel
Roller Skating: The Great (Norton)
Shuttle: The MetGo shuttle provides free transportation around Wise and Norton M-F 7am-5pm. Get the App to reserve a ride:
Travel and Tourism: I recommend Home - Visit Wise County VA
UPS: Located inside CVS in Norton
Fun Things to Do On a Weekend
Go to Big Glades Community Square (Wise) or Norton City Park and watch kids play in the fountain.
Buy an Apple Stack Cake from Food City and use a recipe from an Appalachian cookbook (Pound native and multiple James Beard award winning Chef Sean Brock’s Heritage is my recommendations) to try the local favorites, soup beans and cornbread.
On your way back from Big Stone Gap, stop at The James Walker Robinson scenic memorial overlook/Benge’s Gap for awesome pics of the sunset and the beautiful Powell Valley below.
From downtown Norton go the windy three miles up to the Flag Rock recreation area. There it is an easy walk to visit the famous Woodbooger statue and beyond him see the stunning vistas from Flag Rock. This is a MUST do in the last week of October. If you drive farther up, you will pass the Norton Reservoir and then reach the High Knob Observation Tower, where on a clear day you can see three states (KY, VA, TN).
Enjoy the arts and go to a Pro Art event, the King Art Museum, a play at the Barter, a movie in Norton or the Central Drive-In.
Park at Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap and walk or bike the three-mile Greenbelt, the paved path along the river (especially fun when decorated in December) or if you are more adventurous walk or bike the six miles of the old railroad bed that is the Guest River Gorge Forest Trail #216 (access the trailhead in Coeburn).
Rent a kayak from Stone Mountain Adventures (They will deliver and pick up a rental kayak to the most local lakes) and go kayaking on the peaceful Norton Reservoir, which is perfect for beginners.
Buy or rent a copy of the charming 2014 film Big Stone Gap, filmed in the area and written by former resident and writer Adriana Trigiani, a prolific writer/producer who has written several books about the area. She is frequent very fun visitor to the College.
Go see Little Stony Falls (24ft waterfall) the easy way: Starting in Dungannon, follow Rte 72 north for 7.7 miles, then turn left onto Retford Rd (Rte 664.) After 0.4 miles, take a slight left at Corder Town Rd/Quartertown Rd. Follow Corder Town Rd. for 0.8 miles, then turn left onto Forest Road (Rte 700). Follow Forest Rd. for 1.3 miles, then take a slight left onto Rte 701. The trailhead is at the end of the road.
Go to Big Stone Gap and tour The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park for an interactive look at the area’s history. (Don’t miss their Festival of Trees in December with the Woodbooger (our Bigfoot) Tree!)
Take a hike on any one of the easy trails around us. See this great list of local trails at Hike | Norton, VA - Official Website (nortonva.gov) and https://www.alltrails.com for more hiking info. Expert hikers might consider hiking to nearby Devil’s Bathtub, a pivotal location in Barbara
Kingsolver’s 2023 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Demon Copperhead. I can’t recommend this book enough to teachers: It will make you want to work even harder for our students. For advanced group hikes look for Virginia Naturalist and Norton City social media for info.
Drive to Breaks Interstate Park (47 miles), the Grand Canyon of the South, and camp out, rent a cabin or stay in the lodge.
Go to St. Paul in Spring and hike the Clinch Trail to view Bluebell Island when the flowers are in bloom.
Go float the Clinch River (90minutes-3hours depending on conditions). Trips start in St. Paul with rental gear and transportation back from CLINCH RIVER ADVENTURES
Go walk the suspension bridge over the Clinch River in Cleveland, Va and visit Tank Hollow Falls (small waterfall with a picnic table). In Cleveland, at the Cleveland Baptist church, make a sharp turn downhill onto gravel road to reach the falls (100 feet from the parking area).
Go to Natural Tunnel State Park (33 miles) and explore the 850ft long natural tunnel, fish, rent a cabin, hike, or take the chair lift (fun in winter when lighted).
Go to Abingdon, rent an electric or traditional bike at Virginia Creeper Trail Information and Bicycle Rentals (vacreepertrailbikeshop.com) and travel the 34 mile Creeper Trail to Damascus. Take the shuttle back if you get tired.
Go picnic at any of these local lakes: Bark Camp Lake (12 miles), Big Cherry Reservoir (19 miles), Norton Reservoir (8 miles), Wise Reservoir/Bear Creek Lake (3 miles), North Fork Pound Reservoir (13 miles).
Rent an ATV and explore the Spearhead Trails Rentals – Spearhead Trails
Learn about Appalachia Music (the Big Bang of County Music and the Bristol Sessions) at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum Home - The Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol (a Smithsonian Museum). Music lovers should also visit the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood.
See a concert at Home | Carter Family Fold and Music Center (Hiltons), Lay’s Hardware (Coeburn), Jettie Baker Center (Clintwood), Big Cherry Brewery (Big Stone Gap), The Paramount (Bristol).
New Faculty Obligations and Expectations
Useful Links to Bookmark
My UVA Wise: Home | My UVA Wise
Academic Affairs (Handbook, Catalog, Chairs List, Funding Requests: Academic Affairs | UVA Wise
Box: https://uvawise.account.box.com/login
Campus Calendar: Academic Calendar | UVA Wise
Canvas: https://canvas.virginia.edu/
Catalog: College Catalog | UVA Wise
CEEI: The Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation | UVA Wise
Facilities Work Request (move furniture, room repairs): Facilities Management | UVA Wise
Faculty Directory: Faculty & Staff | UVA Wise
Faculty Staff Resources: For Faculty & Staff | UVA WiseFaculty Handbook: University of Virginia's College at Wise - Faculty Handbook - Page 1 (publitas.com)
Faculty Senate: Faculty Senate | UVA Wise
Honor System: Honor System | UVA Wise
Inclement Weather Policy for Classes and Exams: The Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation | UVA Wise
IT (can remote in): 276-376-4509 UVa-Wise Technology Support Services (uvawise.edu)
Marketing (Branded Stationery, PowerPoint Templates, etc): Office of Marketing and Communications | UVA Wise
Media Services (video, etc): Submit a Request for Assistance (uvawise.edu)
Password Recovery: Password Help & ID Lookup - UVA ITS (service-now.com)
Registrar (FERPA, Rooms) : Office of the Registrar | UVA Wise
General Faculty Expectations
You are expected to spend this first year becoming a model of teaching excellence as you continue to pursue your ongoing scholarship. To assist you, the Provost has generously waived all service expectations with the exception of the New Faculty Learning Community for you this year. Do not volunteer for committees or any other service this year.
Understand Academic Triage: Start with me, your Mentor, then your Chair when you have questions or concerns. If they can’t help or are the problem, go to Stephanie Perry (HR) or Bruce Cahoon, (Dean of the Faculty).
We are an in-person College. If you are employed here and have chosen to live away from Wise, you are expected to arrange for reliable transportation and to schedule personal commitments to enable you to fully meet the full-time work obligations of your contract.
Unless you have made arrangements with your Chair and HR, you are expected to work full time on campus: Average Teaching Load (16 Hrs) + Office Hours (8 hrs) + Service (10-16 hrs) = 40
We are an open-door campus. You should keep your office door open unless you are having a zoom meeting or private conversation.
Be aware of the campus calendar (The full year and future calendars can be accessed from inside the Faculty tab of Home | My UVA Wise if you scroll to the very bottom of the page) and special events you are expected to attend like Convocation (August 20, 2024), Research Day (April 17, 2025) and Commencement (May 10, 2025), all dates you are required to be on campus.
Please be mindful of professional decor, dress, and behavior any time you are on campus, including weekends.
Personalize your space in ways that invite all people who might visit to feel comfortable.
Please use preferred names and pronouns and be mindful of using appropriate labels for partners or significant others with colleagues and students.
Be kind. The relationships you form this year will be important throughout your many decades here. Be kind to faculty and especially the staff. Mutual respect and collegiality are not only best practice, they are UVA policy: Respect @UVA | UVA HR (virginia.edu)
Our campus is a great place to walk dogs, but please clean up and remember that no pets except registered service animals are allowed in campus buildings.
Please keep your work area, including the hallway outside your office, clean. Place a Facilities Management work order to have art hung, furniture moved, or have trash that will not fit into a can including books removed at Facilities Management | UVA Wise
Please avoid any plants or strong scents including cooking odors, air freshener or perfume that may trigger allergies or illness in students or colleagues. Also, smoking is not allowed inside the building or within 25 feet of doorways, and alcohol/drugs are not permitted on campus.
Please contact the Genna Welsh Kasun in the Marketing Office any time you have questions about media, publicity, public relations, branding or marketing. Get branded stationery, etc at Home | University of Virginia Wise (uvawise.edu). As a courtesy, please consult Genna before making public statements to the press.
Be mindful of cultural differences around physical contact and certain conversations (politics, sex, religion).
When explaining concepts to others, ask yourself, “Would a person with this education and experience level (regardless of gender, race, position, etc) already know this?” If so, then there is no need for an explanation. If you are not sure, ask what they know and fill in gaps.
Be careful discussing student concerns in areas where other students might overhear you. It is never appropriate to share problems you may have with other faculty with students. Please be careful where and with whom you discuss personal and private matters. Please know you can discuss any issues in our Faculty Learning Community, with me privately, or with Bruce Cahoon any time and we will honor your privacy.
You can get IT Help by calling the Help Desk at (276) 376-4509. You will have a Netbadge (requires Duo Mobile App on your phone) and a computing password. To reset your passwords go to Password Help & ID Lookup - UVA ITS (service-now.com)
Embrace our beautiful Appalachian Mountains and be on the watch for snakes or bears on campus. Avoid both. Depending on your location, wasp spray may be useful in your office.
Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion
· All Faculty Contracts including Tenure Track positions are renewable one-year contracts. Satisfactory performance outlined in expectation here and on your contract is required for renewal.
· All full- time faculty must complete a (SOPA) Statement of Professional Activities (submitted on the faculty tab of MYUVA) at the end of the academic year. I highly recommend recording your responses using a word processing program (Word, Pages, etc.) so you can retain a copy for yourself. The automated system does not save a copy for you, and copies are difficult to request after the fact. SOPAS are used by Chairs to write annual renewal letters and are the draft for future tenure and promotion documentation. I will send you a word template and CEEI will offer a workshop on this in Spring.
· The College has a promotion system for Instructors who are not tenure track to apply for Senior positions. Details on this will be announced soon and CEEI will offer Promotion Workshops to assist anyone applying.
· Unless you have negotiated for a different time clock, pretenure review is at year three, tenure is at year six and Full professor review is at yearTenure is based on Teaching (50%), Scholarship (25%) and Service (25%) and CEEI offers Tenure Workshops starting in August.
· Tenure and Promotion ePortfolio is due to Department in January, Department Votes in February> College Committee Votes in March->Provost Decision in April-> Chancellor Letter in May-> UVA Board usually in August
Scholarship Expectations
· If you are tenure track faculty, you are expected to maintain or begin an active research agenda starting your first year unless you have negotiated a scholarship waiver.
· Talk to your Chair about scholarly activity expectations and standards in your department and field. Each Department has different expectations and defines scholarship differently.
· UVA Wise Databases: https://uvawise.libguides.com/az.php (We have JSTOR!)
· UVA Charlottesville Databases: https://search.lib.virginua.edu/signin Netbadge required
· Interlibrary Loan https://uvawise.libguides.com/c.php?g=1332342&p=9812524
· Liaison Librarians at UVA Wise: Library Directory (uvawise.edu)
Teaching Expectations
You should hold all classes at your assigned time, dates, modality, and place. You cannot change these designated expectations without permission from your Chair, the Provost, and in some cases HR. If you need a room reassignment, get approval from your Chair before requesting a new location from Tina Willis tlw3w@uvawise.edu. If you temporarily move or cancel a class you must post a notice on the classroom door providing dates and new location in advance.
If your department requires final exams, you must follow the exam schedule on the faculty Tab of MYUVA and hold any exam in the time, place, and modality designated for your course. You may NOT move your final exam or change the modality with the permission of your Chair.
You should hold in person and on campus office hours (2 hours per week per course or 8 hours weekly for 4 courses) in your campus office with the door open. These hours must be posted on your door by the first day of classes. Because many of our students are first-generation students, it is a good idea to explain what office hours are to your students so they understand this is a time they can visit you without an appointment. You are expected to keep this schedule regardless of whether students have scheduled appointments with you until the last day of classes.
You must provide grades to students including midterm grades to all Freshmen in a timely manner. Be aware of our +/- final grade distributions: Grade Descriptions and Point Value (uvawise.edu)
Take attendance. The College policy is that students must attend 60% of all classes to receive credit for a course. You can and should make a tougher policy if needed.
Submit Roll Verification (4 weeks), Early Alert (week 5), midterm grades (10/11), and final grades (noon on 12/16) on time.
Submit Cavs Cares and Conduct Referrals on the Faculty Tab of MyUVA any time you are concerned. When you have concerns you need to discuss with students, always provide them with written notification or a follow-up email to document your concerns.
Be aware of the inclement weather and snow schedule for classes and exams at Inclement Weather Policy | UVA Wise. I highly recommend you sign up for text alerts.
You should check your campus email daily and respond in some way (“Come see me” is ok) to all student emails with 48hrs of receipt.
You have been assigned courses based on your vitae and, more significantly, our student needs as a college. You are expected to teach these and others as your Chair assigns. You may sometimes be asked to teach things outside your specific expertise. This is common at small colleges, where we often need to serve many student needs with very few faculty members. If you are interested in teaching a new or different course than assigned, please be aware that new courses are not guaranteed and, when possible, are at the discretion of the Chair and Academic Affairs.
Consider coming to class ten minutes early to check in with students personally. Research shows these individual contacts make a significant difference in a student’s motivation and sense of satisfaction with an instructor.
Start and end your classes on time and be fully prepared with carefully proofread slides, handouts, and materials in hand when you walk in the door. Wipe the board at the end and/or turn off the overhead.
Plan each class in advance with specific learning goals (Bloom) and periodic low stakes assessments to evaluate mastery and determine the appropriate pace.
Present materials in a loud voice with deliberate intonation and repetition of key ideas, and equal attention to all students and all sides of the room. All faculty are required to have a presence on Canvas. I highly recommend you explore how it can invigorate your teaching and simplify your course delivery. Talk to our Instructional Designer Molly Perry if you want ideas or models of interesting Canvas teaching tools and techniques.
Slides or handouts should be distraction free, on point, legible, and read aloud to reinforce concepts. Consider the assertion + evidence design style for slides.
Engage student in learning as much as possible. Try role play, games, think/pair/share, etc to reinforce concepts.
Be supportive even when you need to be directive with student responses. “That is good. Can you think of another ...”
Please make every attempt to return graded work within two weeks: This is the national best practice in teaching. Student improvement and course satisfaction are directly linked to the quality and timeliness of your feedback. Be kind in your feedback.
Explain why assignments or activities are needed or relevant to the course or discipline. Students value courses more when they understand the big picture.
Be prepared to remediate respectfully as required. Our students often come from very different backgrounds, which they could not control. The Year in Wise students are not our typical demographic.
Set reasonable assignment expectations that are sensitive to the disparate life situations (parenting, elder care, jobs, etc) of our students as well as financial realities in this region. Remember to allow sufficient time for working students with care giving responsibilities to access outside materials and process information. Try to require/provide free/lower cost materials if possible and put books on library reserve when you can.
Try to place all class activities on campus and within the bounds of class times. You should provide transportation (talk to your Chair) for all students and significant notice for any offcampus or out-of-class requirements. Consider carefully the equity problems of requiring graded out-of-class activities for students who may not have transportation, free time, or funds.
Service Expectations
In-person service is required of every full-time faculty member. However, all service in your first year is waived so you may participate in the Faculty Learning Community and focus on teaching and scholarship. If you are on a tenure track, you should still plan to be visible and active on campus the 10 hours minimum service per week our faculty work (New Faculty Learning Community Counts!). Contract renewal and tenure require an active commitment to students, your department, and the College beyond class time and office hours.
Year 1: Your service is limited to the New Faculty Learning Community:
CEEI is happy to support new faculty in their first year at the College with a series of workshops, events, and activities intended to provide information, connection, and support on their journey. Participation in all events is a 10-hour time commitment per semester so all other service obligations are waived. This program, grounded in extensive academic research on successful professional mentoring, provides a general orientation each semester, opportunities for connection and communication as a cohort, and customized individual mentoring to new faculty. This program is required for all full-time faculty and highly recommended for adjunct faculty.
Orientation for all new faculty for Fall 2024 is on August 14th from 8:00- 3pm in the Library Room 312. We will celebrate your arrival with an Ice Cream Social immediately afterward at Boks and Brew.
Monthly Mentor Meetings: All Full Time New Faculty meet once a month with an experienced tenured Faculty Mentor who can help them develop a broader college-wide perspective on issues, expand their social and professional networks, and learn about College collegiality and successful teaching.
Observations: Full Time Faculty observe and reflect on their mentor's teaching by visiting one of their mentor’s classes and agree to allow their mentors to visit one of their classes to be unofficially observed each semester. Per Academic Affairs policy, you Chair will also observe you in a formal capacity at some point this semester.
New Faculty Learning Community: In addition, to encourage connection among the cohort, new faculty are asked to attend a monthly discussion group ( First Wednesday of the Month at 1 pm).
Development: To promote professional growth, new faculty are expected to attend at least one CEEI workshop of their choice each semester.
Engagement: Finally, we ask new faculty to attend one (outside their discipline) campus or community activity/event that includes or involves students each semester to develop a sense of belonging and connection to our campus and region.
· Year 2+ : There are two types of Committees: Senate and Academic Affairs.
Choose your committee service (2-3 committees on average) carefully to reflect the issues you support. Be aware this will be 10-16 hours a week on average.
· Let Hannah Ryan, the President of the Faculty Senate, know your Committee preferences
· Senate Committee List for 24-25: https://uvawise.box.com/s/8nclctlrvyihqxguzp8wspn6apzd6whk
· Respond to the Academic Affairs Committees poll when it is sent to you by email in Spring or contact Sabrina Qureshi if you have preferences.
· Academic Affairs Committee List for 2023-2024: https://uvawise.box.com/s/yawq83nyaflr3ofnkncsql6qw4f78rv9
Funding
NEVER SPEND $ WITHOUT CHAIR PERMISSION.
Academic Affairs Funds:
· Academic Innovation Funds from Academic Affairs (covers anything useful in teaching including software): Academic Innovation Funding Request | UVA Wise
· Research and Professional Development Funds from Academic Affairs (Pre-tenure
$2K/Tenured $1200 annually for conference funding): Research and Professional Development Funding Request for Faculty | UVA Wise
Apply ASAP!
Workday UVA Educational Benefits (covers job related tuition and professional development and conference registration costs): https://hr.virginia.edu/career-development/education-benefits1
Equipment Funds (Talk to Your Chair)
Student Funds: Academic Affairs offers $550 per student at Research and Professional Development Funding Request for Faculty | UVA Wise (SGA Funding Student Government Association | UVA Wise may also be available)
Speaker Funds (Talk to Your Chair or the Lecture Committee)
Supplies and Books: Talk to your Chair or Department Administrator as these are funded in different ways in each Department. Department Staff may be required to order this for you to avoid taxes.
Department Credit Card: Talk to your Chair and be aware you must take online training annually and you or a designee must reconcile accounts regularly. T&E card info: T&E Card | UVA Finance (virginia.edu) Do NOT apply without Chair permission.
Travel Planning: Travel Planning | UVA Finance (virginia.edu) Do not make plans with Chair permission.
UVA Wise Catering: UVA Wise Catering - Wise, VA (catertrax.com) Do not place orders without Chair permission. Department Staff may be required to do this for you.
