Welcome back! New information for faculty (Aug. 20, 2007)

Dear Colleague:

Welcome to the 2007-08 academic year! I hope that your summer has been productive and enjoyable. As we move into the fall semester, I want to bring you up to date on several important topics. Additional information on these and other topics is available on my office’s newly re-designed Web site at www.provost.vcu.edu. Click on the banner that reads Welcome Back - Information for Faculty.

Safety
Vice President Bennett and I recently sent you an e-mail with text to include on your class syllabi and Blackboard pages instructing students “What to Know and do to be Prepared for Emergencies at VCU.” Of course, that information is sound advice for faculty as well. At your earliest convenience, I hope you will sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts. To further acquaint you with your role in safety, I urge you to attend one of five Faculty Safety Forums. The forums, which will provide information on the University’s enhanced safety procedures as well as the resources available to faculty when a troubled student is encountered, will be held in the University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms A and B on Aug. 21 at 5:30 p.m. and on Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; in Sanger Hall, Room 1-044 on Aug. 24 at 11 a.m.; and in the George Ben Johnston (GBJ) Auditorium on Aug. 28 at 2 p.m.

Technology
The implementation of the new Banner system is nearly complete. For complete information on how this affects faculty, visit www.banner.vcu.edu/faq.html. Brief training sessions for teaching faculty are being held on both VCU campuses. If you need information on specific technology available in your assigned classrooms, go to www.ts.vcu.edu/media/classroom_support/services.html. Information is forthcoming on classroom technology training sessions.

Enrollment
Overall student enrollment this fall is projected to be more than 31,300, the largest enrollment in VCU history. Of those, 3,850 will be freshmen! The new University College is buzzing with programs for those first-year students including the Summer Reading Program and more than 170 sections of the new Focused Inquiry courses. The University College is emphasizing five key themes for new students:1) Game On – Students should be active in learning and take initiative, both in and out of class; 2) Got Skills? – Learn to maximize the benefits of campus resources and academic support services; 3) Get Connected – Make connections with peers, faculty, advisers and staff; 4) College is a Full Time Job – Academics should be a student’s top priority; and 5) Be a Model Citizen – Respect yourself and others in your new community.

VCU Honor System
The Honor System revisions that were approved last year take effect this fall semester, with faculty playing important roles. The Honor System in its entirety can be reviewed at www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/honor.html.

Resources and policies
There are important resources for faculty throughout the university. On our new Web page, you will find a full list of links to many of these resources. Among the links are the

  • VCU Faculty Handbook – A guide to the policies and procedures that are pertinent to faculty.
  • Board Approved Policies – A complete list of policies that have been approved by the Board of Visitors.
  • Important Dates/Academic Calendar – Important dates for the fall semester include add/drop and late registration (Aug. 23-29); Reading Days on the Monroe Park Campus (Oct. 18 and 19); the last day to withdraw from classes with a “W” (Nov. 2); and last day of fall classes (Dec. 8).
  • VCU 2020: Vision for Excellence [PDF] – the university’s strategic plan that will guide VCU through 2020.

The VCU TelegRAM
Finally, I want to strongly encourage you to read the VCU TelegRAM daily. The TelegRAM was developed as a way to consistently and concisely communicate to all employees and students in the most cost-effective manner available. The TelegRAM is an important resource for keeping our faculty informed. I hope you will take advantage of it.  Past issues of TelegRAM are on the Web at www.vcu.edu/telegRAM.

I hope that this information is helpful for you and I thank you for your continued support of Virginia Commonwealth University. Best wishes for another successful academic year.

Cordially,

Stephen D. Gottfredson
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Cc:  
Dr. Eugene P. Trani
Mr. John M. Bennett
Mr. Don Gehring
Dr. Frank L. Macrina
Ms. Sue Ann Messmer
Dr. Sheldon M. Retchin
Mr. Peter L. Wyeth