Resources for New Faculty

Registrar’s Office – Click on “Menu” then “Privacy” to learn about key FERPA guidelines.

College Catalog – Learn about the St. Olaf Curriculum, academic regulations and policies, find a list of departments, and so much more.

Student Information System (SIS) – Here you can access your class roster, see the course catalogue, and find important forms. This is also where you will submit grades.

Dean of Students Office – Click “Menu” and “For Faculty” to learn about the Early Alert System, an important tool for faculty to alert the Associate Deans about individual students encountering academic and personal difficulties.  The Associate Deans assist students in need, connecting them with support and resources.

The Honor Council – To report a potential Honor Code violation, there is now a Google Form for faculty members to use: Report Exam Concern to Honor Council.  This form can be used when you have an unsigned pledge or when you want to report your own suspicions.

Center for Innovation in the Liberal Arts (CILA) – Find more teaching resources here, as well as a schedule of upcoming events and recordings of past events from CILA!

• Here is a direct link to CILA’s teaching resources

St. Olaf Guidelines Around Grading (Registrar’s Website)

Before the First Day

Getting to Know You Survey Example

Suggested Syllabus Statements

First Day of Class

How to Teach a Good First Day of Class, by James M. Lang for the Chronicle of Higher Education; see also his book, On Course: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching.

Ideas for Icebreakers

Some Specific Approaches for the First Day of Class, Peter Frederick, Wabash College.

IT Help Desk – Access how-to articles and submit all technology-related questions and issues, including those related to classroom technology, laptop and office tech, software, Moodle and other teaching technologies.

Library Homepage – Search our catalog to locate resources for teaching and research. Set up appointments with liaison librarians, and submit requests for additional materials.

How to set up your access to the Chronicle of Higher Education, New York Times and Wall Street Journal

Our outstanding team of Research and Instruction Librarians are available to meet with students. Arrange a 20-minute research appointment by clicking here. Student research tutors are also available to work with your students. Again, contact a Research Librarian for more information.

College Library Archives – The College Archives, currently housed on the second floor of the Rølvaag Memorial Library preserves college collections for future generations; making them more discoverable for our students, faculty and researchers; and bringing them to life in our classrooms.

Digital Scholarship Center at Olaf (DiSCO) – Located in the Rolvaag library, we offer support for digital assignments, audio and video recording spaces, and a makerspace. LITS Instructional Staff are also available for consulations.

LibGuide — Teaching with Special Collections and College Archives

LibGuide — New Faculty Introduction

Academic Success Center – The Academic Success Center helps our students maximize their potential as learners. The Academic Success Center offers peer tutoring, group study, workshops, one-on-one coaching as well as disability and access services. The Academic Success Center also works with faculty to support academic advising.

• List of Services from Academic Success Center
• Send students to the Writing Desk for help with any writing assignments. Writing tutors will discuss drafts with students (NB: they won’t just give feedback; there’s always a conversation), help students work through any writing challenges they face, and offer process-oriented guidance.

Disability and Access

• Video Recording – Disability, Access, and Limits of Reasonable Accommodation – CILA session

The Taylor Center supports College-wide equity and inclusion efforts, with particular focus on creating a safe, inclusive space for students.

List of Confidential Resources for Students

Title IX Resource Card

Counseling Center – The Center offers a variety of services and programs, including individual counseling, group counseling, workshops, testing, consultation and referrals.  Services are provided without cost to all currently enrolled St. Olaf students.

Student Wellness Scenarios

St. Olaf Professional Development Grants – See here for information about how to apply for funding to support your teaching and scholarship through the Faculty Life Committee.

A list of Additional Resources for Faculty Professional Development at St. Olaf

The Chronicle Productivity Guide to Writing & Publishing (2018) This guide offers practical advice and strategies for developing a project, writing, responding to feedback, creating accountability and/or writing groups, and sustaining productivity.

Vision for Equity and Inclusion at St. Olaf

Chavella Pittman and Thomas Thobin, “Academe Has a Lot to Learn About How Inclusive Teaching Affects Instructors,” Chronicle of Higher Education

Introduction to the OLE Core Curriculum

OLE Core in the Course Catalog

St Olaf’s Academic Assessment Committee

The St. Olaf Roadmap for New Faculty – A compilation of some key resources you need as a professor at St. Olaf.

St. Olaf Resource (Affinity) Groups – Support groups for faculty and staff across various dimensions of identity. Completing the form linked here will sign you up for the group’s email alias.

The Faculty/Staff page on St. Olaf website – A starting place to find many resources you need for teaching and mentoring

Faculty Calendar – Add this faculty calendar to your google calendar so that you are never unaware of a faculty-related event or deadline

The Pledge On Exams – St. Olaf Faculty do not proctor exams in the classroom, but typically sit outside of the classroom in case students have questions. As part of the Honor Code, St. Olaf Faculty include this pledge on their exams. See here for more information regarding the Honor Code at St. Olaf

St Olaf Dictionary of Acronyms (SODA) 

St. Olaf Carpooling Resources

Minnesota 511 Travel Information