Frequently Asked Questions for New Faculty

Please click on bulleted items below to see individual answers, or click on "Expand All" to view all answers at one time.

Getting Oriented

• What should I do first?
  • Make sure that a New Hire Access Form is filled out by your department secretary
  • Fill out Human Resources paperwork
  • Log on to Information Technology Services (ITS) Self-Service to get your UNF network ID/account set up.  For assistance, reference the FAQs.
  • Get your UNF Osprey 1Card
• How do I get my email?

  Staff, faculty and regular OPS email is delivered to Exchange and they use Outlook or Webaccess to read their email.  You can access Webaccess directly, or through myWings.

   

  New employees should set up a "friendly" email address - simply log on to ITS Self-Service to go to the "Create Alias" menu.  Choose the alias that you prefer and click "Apply" to save the change.  Visit the ITS Faculty & Staff Email page for more information.

• Where do I park?
  You will need to purchase a parking permit.  As a faculty or staff member, you have your choice of several parking and payment options.  For more information, refer to Parking Services.
• How do I find my way around campus?

  For help navigating your way around campus, check out our interactive map. 

   

  Note:  the buildings are numbered in the order in which they were built, so do not assume that Building 50 will be in close proximity to Building 51 (for example.)

• How do I get into my office and/or lab?

  Complete the Key Request Form electronically through myWings. The form is located on the Staff tab.

   

  Note:  you must activate you key after you have received it by inserting it into the lock of each door it opens within a short amount of time.

• How do I get paid?
  You will fill out the paperwork to set up your payroll in your initial Human Resources packet.  If you need to make changes or apply for sick or annual leave, refer to Human Resources Pay and Leave.
• Can I get paid 12 months instead of 9?
  Yes.  Faculty can change their pay schedule during Open Enrollment, typically from March 1 to June 30 each year.  You will receive e-mail notification of upcoming Open Enrollment information early in the Spring semester.  Contact Human Resources if you have specific questions.
• Where can I find a bite to eat?

  There are a variety of dining options on campus.  Check out this site for a complete listing of venues and hours of operation.

   

  For off-campus dining, check out the Jacksonville Dining Guide.

• What should I do if I need technical help?
  • Center for Instruction & Research Technology (CIRT) is available to provide assistance with instructional design and technology integration including Blackboard, PowerPoint, Scantron reporting, clicker integration, web design, project consultation or data analysis.  
  • The Help Desk is available if you need help with classroom computer and audio visual equipment, network connectivity, campus software applications and operating systems, university-owned Dell computer hardware and peripherals, or password resets.
• Where are the rules?

  The Faculty Handbook was prepared by the staff of Academic Affairs working cooperatively with the Faculty Affairs Committee of the Faculty Association, the United Faculty of Florida, and other contributors.

   

  Additionally, information about University policies and regulations can be found here.

• Where can I find a schedule for what is going on around campus?

   The University's Calendar of Events will show you the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedule for what's happening on campus.  It provides you with the option of viewing either the Academic Calendar, the Events Calendar, or both.  More specifically, you might find it helpful to seek out and note the dates of the following:

  Academic Deadlines & Important Dates

  (In addition to the Master Calendar, you can download a semester schedule from CIRT, which will list much of the information below in an Excel spreadsheet.)

  • Academic Calendar
  • Religious & University holidays
  • Family Weekend

  Special Events

  • Commencement
  • Fall Convocation 
  • Fine Arts Center events
  • Lectures
  • New Faculty Orientation

  Important Meetings

  • Faculty Association (First Thursday of every month: 12:15pm, Building 16, Room 3100)
  • United Faculty of Florida - events
  • Research & Sponsored Programs 
  •   CIRT training sessions & seminars 
  • OFE lectures, seminars & webinars 
• Who should I contact about a security or safety issue?
  • The University Police Department (UPD) can be reached day or night at (904) 620-2800.
  • The Support our Students (SoS) Team can assist with disturbing or disruptive student behavior.
  • The Crisis Management Team (CMT) ensures that the university is prepared for a wide variety of potential disasters.
• Where can I find information about relocating to UNF and Jacksonville?
  Academic Affairs has developed a relocation resource page for new faculty.

Preparing for Classes

• How do I know what and where I teach?

  Once you have your N-number and password, you can look up your information in the Faculty Self-Service area of myWings, the UNF web portal.

   

  After logging in to Faculty Self-Service, click on the Faculty Tab.  Once there, you should see several helpful options, including your teaching schedule (detailed, and by day/time), class list information, grade submission and others.

• How do I prepare for the first day of classes?
  • The Office of Faculty Enhancement's Classroom Basics page provides ideas for optimizing the classroom experience.
  • When putting together your syllabus, check out the UNF Syllabus Guidebook and other syllabus resources available from Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE)  and Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT).
  • Check with your chair to determine if your college requires it's faculty to upload their syllabi into an online database.  To upload your syllabus, log into myWings, and in the "Institutional Effectiveness" section on the Home tab, click on the "Syllabus" link.
  • Confirm your book order with the UNF Bookstore:  online, by phone at (904) 620-2665, or in person.
  • Setup Blackboard.  CIRT has a multitude of great online resources in addition to workshops for Bb users.
  • Learn FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
• How do I gain access to the room where I teach, and to the technology equipment within?
  • For access to the classroom where you teach, complete the Key Request Form available electronically through myWings. The form is located on the Staff tab.
  • For access to the technology equipment, you will need to look up the podium combination for your classroom.
  • For additional information about classroom technology and audio-visual needs, visit the Information Technology Services (ITS) website.
• How do I enter grades?
  Check out the following Quick Reference Form.
• What resources are available for me and my students?
  • Check out the Thomas G. Carpenter Library for a wide variety of research materials.
  • For a more detailed list of resources available to faculty, staff and students, check out this exhaustive list.
• What are other people doing around campus?
  You can look up your colleagues in the faculty and staff directory.

Building on Success

• How do I know if I am moving in a successful direction?
  • To stay on the right track, see theOFE's Promotion and Tenure page.
  • In addition, take advantage of the OFE Research Library.  This library, located in the OFE office (Honors Hall, Building 10, Room 1106), houses literature supporting faculty development in the roles of teacher, learner, technology innovator and successful scholar.
  • Need more help?  Set up a Classroom Observation or Confidential Consultation with the OFE Director.
• What other teaching strategies should I consider?
  • The Office of Faculty Enhancement's Learning Theory page provides link to online teaching and learning resources.
  • Need help specifically on assessment?  Check out the OFE Assessment page, which provides immediate information and external links.
• How can I get my research going?
  • Start by visiting the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) website.  ORSP serves as the university's central administrative unit responsible for securing external resources through grants and contracts and providing financial and contractual stewardship of awards.
  •  Additionally, the OFE Research and Publishing page provides link to other helpful services.
• How can I connect with others in ways that are helpful for my teaching and research?
  A great way to connect if by participating in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC).  A FLC is a group of approximately 6-12 faculty members organized around a theme or cohort who commit to meeting regularly and to working collaboratively on issues relevant to all members within the group.
• How can I get involved on campus?
  Check out the OFE Current Events page to stay up to date on campus happenings.
• Who is my Library Liaison?

  The Library Liaison Program was established in order to:

  • enhance the communication between the library and academic units;
  • develop a systematic and sustainable method of developing library collections by working with faculty members;  and
  • identify more clearly library resources needed to support the University’s academic programs and research.

  Individual Liaison listings for each college/department can be found here.

Thriving

• How do I engage my students so that they learn more?
  • Learn more about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).  SoTL is the practice of scholarly inquiry into student learning, which is then used to advance the practice of teaching.
  • Use TLO Pedagogy.  TLO stands for Transformational Learning Opportunities.  TLOs may take a myriad of forms:  study abroad experiences, service learning experiences, research experiences with a faculty member, internships, practicum, field and co-op experiences, directed independent studies with a faculty member, learning communities and leadership experiences.
  • Get involved with Community-Based Learning.  The Center for Community-Based Learning (CCBL) facilitates the collaborative engagement of students, faculty, UNF administration and community experts and partners designed to provide students with rich, real world development and civic involvement while also contributing to the enrichment and well-being of the greater Jacksonville community and beyond.
• How can my research have an impact?
  Get involved with Community-Based Scholarship.
• How can I get funding for my research and teaching efforts?
  •  Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)
  • Review university-wide faculty development programs and grants