Orientation for New Undergraduate Chairs

University of Pennsylvania
College of Arts and Sciences

Orientation for New Undergraduate Chairs and Program Directors

September 8, 2016

Agenda

A.Introductions

B.The position of Undergraduate Chair within the department

C.Five key web resources

1.College Web Site

2.Web Site for Undergraduate Chairs and Program Directors

3.Undergraduate Affairs Web Site for Faculty

4. Curriculum Manager

5.Advisor InTouch (Penn InTouch)

6.Annex – site for updating student-facing information that the College manages for departments:

D.Three goals for this session are to impart an understanding of your responsibilities as Undergraduate Chair or Program Director in these areas:

1.Overseeing, organizing, and producing the undergraduate program

2. Arranging for and doing advising of students

3.Serving as spokesperson for your program and ensuring effective communication about it to students and other constituencies through various media

E.Areas for Discussion

1.Overseeing, organizing, and producing the undergraduate program

a.Oversight

(1)Course Review

(2)Major program – Goals and Assessment Project

(3)General Education -- locating courses within the College curriculum

(4)Curriculum Manager

-Interacting with the Curriculum Committee – New courses or changes to the major

-Interacting with Committees that oversee the General Education Curriculum (Sectors, CCA, CDUS, QDA)

-Publicizing Freshman Seminars

b.Operations

(1)Curriculum Planning and the Curriculum Planner

(2)Preparing roster of courses for each semester (SRS)

-Courses needed by your majors

-Courses for interdisciplinary majors that depend on your faculty

-General Education

-Specific constituencies – freshmen, more intellectually ambitious students

(3)Other tasks

-Students with questions about grades

-Approving external credit for inclusion on the Penn transcript (XCAT)

-Receiving and responding to students – in person, via email or phone

-Supervising departmental staff

(3)Analysis

-IRQDB (Institutional Research Query Database)

-DTA (Departmental Teaching Analysis)

c.Supporting your faculty – Center for Teaching and Learning

2.Advising and supporting students

a.Life cycle of students in the major

(1)Informing and advising prospective majors about your program

(2)Major declaration process

(3)Advising and tracking declared majors

(4)Supporting most talented and ambitious students

(5)Certifying completion of the major (Junior and Final Audits)

(6)Handling students who drop your major

b.Resources for supporting and helping students (See also main section C above)

(1)Course Problem Notices (CPNs)

(2)Course Absence Reports (CAR)

(3)Weingarten Learning Resources Center

(4)Tutoring Center

(5)Writing Center

(6)Resources for First Gen Students

(7)CaseNet – Academic Support Team in College OfficeCall 8-6341

(8)Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)/Student Health

(9)Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships

(10)CUREJ – College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal

(11)Career Services

(12)Student Financial Services (SFS)Students should be directed to the Associate Directors listed at the bottom of this page:

3.Serving as spokesperson for your program and ensuring effective communication about it to students and other constituencies through various media

Orientation for New Undergraduate Chairs

A.Introductions

B.The position of Undergraduate Chair within the department

C.Five key web resources

1.College Web Site

2.Web Site for Undergraduate Chairs and Program Directors

3.Undergraduate Affairs Web Site for Faculty

4. Curriculum Manager

5.Advisor InTouch (Penn InTouch)

6.Annex – site for updating student-facing information that the College manages for departments:

D.Three goals for this session are to impart an understanding of your responsibilities as Undergraduate Chair or Program Director in these areas:

1.Overseeing, organizing, and producing the undergraduate program

2. Arranging for and doing advising of students

3.Serving as spokesperson for your program and ensuring effective communication about it to students and other constituencies through various media

E.Areas for Discussion

1.Overseeing, organizing, and producing the undergraduate program

a.Oversight

(1)Course Review

(2)Major program – Goals and Assessment Project

(3)General Education -- locating courses within the College curriculum

(4)Curriculum Manager

-Interacting with the Curriculum Committee – New courses or changes to the major

-Interacting with Committees that oversee the General Education Curriculum (Sectors, CCA, CDUS, QDA)

-Publicizing Freshman Seminars

b.Operations

(1)Curriculum Planning and the Curriculum Planner

(2)Preparing roster of courses for each semester (SRS)

-Courses needed by your majors

-Courses for interdisciplinary majors that depend on your faculty

-General Education

-Specific constituencies – freshmen, more intellectually ambitious students

(3)Other tasks

-Students with questions about grades

-Approving external credit for inclusion on the Penn transcript (XCAT)

-Receiving and responding to students – in person, via email or phone

-Supervising departmental staff

(3)Analysis

-IRQDB (Institutional Research Query Database)

-DTA (Departmental Teaching Analysis)

c.Supporting your faculty – Center for Teaching and Learning

2.Advising and supporting students

a.Life cycle of students in the major

(1)Informing and advising prospective majors about your program

(2)Major declaration process

(3)Advising and tracking declared majors

(4)Supporting most talented and ambitious students

(5)Certifying completion of the major (Junior and Final Audits)

(6)Handling students who drop your major

b.Resources for supporting and helping students (See also main section C above)

(1)Course Problem Notices (CPNs)

a.Department or Program website

b.Major Dinners

c.MAP (Major Advising Program)

d.Listserv for your majors

e.UAB (Undergraduate Advisory Board)