Milestones throughout the term

Prior to your arrival: Need to do

1. Sign your offer letter or letter of appointment

   • Sign and return the letter to your school/college representative by the designated deadline. 

2. Complete background check(s)

   • Complete the background screening, sent to you via email. 

3. Verify and sign your I-9 form with a wet signature

   • For those teaching on campus, meet in-person with your school/college representative or Human Resources. Remote faculty may meet with a notary that acts as a Seattle University representative and send the hard copy via mail. 

Why? 

These three tasks are required to set-up your Seattle University credentials. Once completed, you will receive access to your email account, Canvas, and Redhawk Hub (the Seattle University intranet site with numerous resources) 

Prior to your arrival: Good to do

1. Access communication systems

   • Email, Microsoft Office, and Redhawk Hub are Seattle University’s primary communication channels. mySeattleU provides access to course rosters, student advising information, tax forms, and earning statements. Contact Information Technology Services for support. 
   • Use your Seattle University email address to communicate with all Seattle University affiliates. Security risks arise for FERPA protected information when using communication modes outside the Seattle University firewall. 

2. Access Canvas

   • Canvas teaching software is Seattle University’s learning management system. Contact the Center for Digital Learning and Innovation (CDLI) for access and page set-up support. 

3. Access ID cards and campus buildings

   • ID cards provide access to campus buildings and some rooms/labs and Managed Print Services devices. Contact SUpercopy for support. 
   • For other room and physical office keys, contact your chair/program director, department/program administrative assistant, or Public Safety for support.  

4. Access teaching supplies

   • Contact your chair/program director, department/program administrative assistant for support. 

5. Access parking permits or ORCA cards

   • Contact Transportation and Parking Services for support. 

Why? 

Accessing the resources above will help you communicate with students and colleagues and help you successfully launch your work at Seattle University. 

Prior to your first class: Need to do

1. Complete compliance trainings

   • Access required trainings on EngageSU. Contact Human Resources for support. 
   • Why? Various legal trainings are required as faculty employees of Seattle University. 

2. Prepare your course syllabus

   • Refer to the syllabus template provided by the Center for Faculty Development. You are not required to use the template, but your syllabus must include all elements (those designated with **) required by Academic Assembly. 
   • Check in with teaching colleagues or your chair/program director to ensure your syllabus specifies information required by the course, department, or program accreditation standards. 
   • Access the Seattle University academic calendar to incorporate important dates into your syllabus calendar. If necessary, schedule your course’s final exam based on the quarter’s final exam schedule. 
   • Why? Using the syllabus template helps you incorporate all elements required by Academic Assembly, university regulations, and state or federal law. Your course syllabus, which should also include a course schedule, provides students with the information they need to succeed in your course.   

3. Understand academic integrity policies

   • Why? Familiarize yourself with the Seattle University Academic Integrity policy to know the standards and procedures for both students and faculty when potential violations of academic integrity arise in your course.  

4. Order course textbooks and materials

   • If necessary, use the Campus Store Faculty Adoption page or contact your department/program Library Liaison for support. 
   • Why? Course textbooks should be ordered in advance to ensure students have access when the course starts.  

5. Publish your Canvas course page

   • Ensure your Canvas page includes your syllabus. Use CDLI’s Canvas instructor guides to help answer any questions. 
   • Why? Your course Canvas page provides students with the information they need to succeed in your course. 

Prior to your first class: Good to do

1. Plan your first day of class

   • Use the Center for Faculty Development’s Post-Pandemic Teaching page for recommendations on classroom pedagogies and policies.  
   • Why? A good plan for your first day will help foster student engagement and a supportive class environment.  

2. Access your course photo roster

   • Use the Faculty Module in mySeattleU or the People tab in Canvas, described in CDLI’s Canvas New Term Checklist page.   
   • Why? Start building connection and community by getting to know your students before you meet them on the first day of class.  

3. Visit your teaching “space”

   • If teaching on campus, visit your classroom, which you can find on this campus map. Find information about the technology in your classroom at the Redhawk Hub ITS Classroom and Lab Support page. 
   • If teaching virtually, test out your technology and refer to CDLI’s Teaching Online page for support. Contact your chair/program director or department/program administrative assistant to see if you have access to hardware such as headsets and microphones. 
   • Why? Ensure you have access to needed technology and equipment in your classroom or virtual teaching space.   

Week 1: Need to do

1. Familiarize yourself with supports for student well-being

   • Understand your faculty role in supporting student that encounter challenges or hardship at this CARE Team page. 
   • Why? If you notice students struggling with academic, health & wellness, psychological & social, basic needs, or safety concerns, you can contact the CARE Team via the Office of the Dean of Students. This office will facilitate formal and informal outreach and check-ins with both on- and off-campus resources. 

2. Support students with disabilities

   • Read student accommodation letters sent to your email from Disability Services (DS). If necessary, complete student testing agreements in the faculty portal, myDS. Find more information about your faculty role in supporting DS students at the Redhawk Hub DS Faculty & Staff page. 
   • Why? Arranging accommodations for DS students helps you support their success by providing flexibility for their unique circumstances.  

3. Support student athletes

   • Encourage student athletes to send you class absence letters. Have them follow the class absence policies for student athletes to arrange accommodations for missed classes. 
   • Why? Arranging accommodations for student athletes helps you support their success by providing flexibility for their unique circumstances. 

Week 1: Good to do

1. Note student academic activity

• Ensure your students are attending class or engaging with Canvas and course assignments. 
• Why? Recording academic activity will help you complete the required 10-day roster check during Week 2.   

2. Plan your first week of classes

• Use the Center for Faculty Development’s Post-Pandemic Teaching page for recommendations on classroom pedagogies and policies. 
• Why? A good plan for your first week will help foster student engagement and a supportive class environment. 

3. Check in with your department, college, or school

• Why? See if there are any additional local tasks you need to complete as a regular part of your faculty role. 

Week 2: Need to do

1. Complete the 10-day roster check

   • Confirm your student rosters for each course you are teaching on mySeattleU. Find more information about submitting roster checks at the Redhawk Hub Office of the Registrar’s Roster Checks page. 
   • Why? Roster checks allow you to record whether students’ academic activity. This allows the Financial Aid office to allocate disbursement. Students who are not marked as having engaged in academic activity by the end of the second week of classes cannot and will not be provided federal aid for that course, regardless of enrollment status. 

Week 2: Good to do

1. Administer an early, low-stakes assignment.

   • Have students submit an early assignment so you can provide them with early formative feedback. 
   • Why? An early assignment will help you fill out the Early Feedback Surveys you are required to complete during Weeks 3-4.  Find more information about the benefits of such feedback at the Center for Faculty Development’s Early Feedback page  

2. Access academic support resources

   • Familiarize yourself with resources provided by the Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, such as Learning Assistance Programs, the Writing Center, and Research Librarians 
   • Why? These resources can provide support for both you and your students in developing learning skills and writing projects and papers.  

3. Consider attending a faculty success event

   • View events offered by the Center for Faculty Development, the Center for Jesuit Education, the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, or the Center for Community Engagement. Other campus centers and offices can be found at this AirTable. 
   • Why? Attending events can help you find community at Seattle University by connecting with colleagues around shared interests. 

Week 3: Need to do

1. Complete early feedback surveys

   • If you are teaching undergraduate courses, provide formative feedback to each student on mySeattleU based on their performance in the first weeks of the course. Find more information and example statements to help you fill out these surveys at the Center for Faculty Development’s Early Feedback page 
   • Why? Seattle U students have requested more timely feedback to support their success and university data reveals that this approach improves student retention and academic achievement. These surveys are part of the Early Feedback Initiative (EFI), a campus-wide effort to provide undergraduate students with timely academic feedback, allowing ample time for support and improvement. 

Week 3: Good to do

1. Administer an early, low-stakes assignment

   • Have students submit an early assignment so you can provide them with early formative feedback. 
   • Why? An early assignment will help you fill out the Early Feedback Surveys you are required to complete during Week 4.  Find more information about the benefits of such feedback at the Center for Faculty Development’s Early Feedback page 

2. Consider attending a faculty success event

   • View events offered by the Center for Faculty Development, the Center for Jesuit Education, the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, or the Center for Community Engagement. Other campus centers and offices can be found at this AirTable. 
   • Why? Attending events can help you find community at Seattle University by connecting with colleagues around shared interests. 

Week 4: Need to do

1. Complete early feedback surveys

   • If you are teaching undergraduate courses and did not complete them during Week 3, provide formative feedback to each student on mySeattleU based on their performance in the first weeks of the course. Find more information and example statements to help you fill out these surveys at the Center for Faculty Development’s Early Feedback page 
   • Why? Seattle U students have requested more timely feedback to support their success and university data reveals that this approach improves student retention and academic achievement. These surveys are part of the Early Feedback Initiative (EFI), a campus-wide effort to provide undergraduate students with timely academic feedback, allowing ample time for support and improvement.  

2. Complete student athlete progress reports 

   • If you have student athletes in your course, fill out the brief survey linked in the email you receive from the Seattle U Associate Athletic Director. Note that these are different from the early feedback surveys and must also be completed. 
   • Why? For NCAA eligibility purposes, the Athletics Department regularly monitors the academic progress of student-athletes to ensure eligibility and satisfactory progress towards a degree. 

Week 4: Good to do

1. Solicit student feedback for your course

   • Ask students to provide feedback about your course. Find more information and example feedback strategies and forms at the Center for Faculty Development’s Soliciting Student Feedback page. 
   • Why? This will help you identify what’s working (and what’s not) to effectively meet the needs of your students. You can improve your teaching and students’ learning while you still have time to implement changes in your course.  

Weeks 5 and 6: Need to do

1. Raise alerts for students of concern

   • Submit an early alert if you notice a student struggling and in need of campus support resources. An early alert is a short form you complete via the SLATE Faculty Portal to express concerns for students encountering academic, health & wellness, psychological & social, basic needs, or safety hardship. Find more information about your faculty role in supporting students of concern at this CARE Team page. 
   • Why? For students that are struggling academically, an early alert will connect them with academic advisors and learning support contacts. Early alerts are especially useful for students who are in danger of failing and would benefit from withdrawing from the course during Week 7. 
   • Why? For students that are struggling with health & wellness, psychological & social, basic needs, or safety concerns, an early alert will connect them with the Office of the Dean of Students. This office will facilitate formal and informal outreach and check-ins with both on- and off-campus resources.  

2. Complete student athlete progress reports 

   • If you have student athletes in your course and did not complete them during Week 4, fill out the brief survey linked in the email you receive from the Seattle U Associate Athletic Director. Note that these are different from the early feedback surveys and must also be completed. 
   • Why? For NCAA eligibility purposes, the Athletics Department regularly monitors the academic progress of student-athletes to ensure eligibility and satisfactory progress towards a degree. 

Weeks 5 and 6: Good to do

1. Solicit student feedback for your course

   • Ask students to provide feedback about your course. Find more information and example feedback strategies and forms at the Center for Faculty Development’s Soliciting Student Feedback page. 
   • Why? This will help you identify what’s working (and what’s not) to effectively meet the needs of your students. You can improve your teaching and students’ learning while you still have time to implement changes in your course.  

Weeks 7 to 10: Need to do

1. Raise alerts for students of concern

   • Submit an early alert if you notice a student struggling and in need of campus support resources. An early alert is a short form you complete via the SLATE Faculty Portal to express concerns for students encountering academic, health & wellness, psychological & social, basic needs, or safety hardship. Find more information about your faculty role in supporting students of concern at this CARE Team page. 
   • Why? For students that are struggling academically, an early alert will connect them with academic advisors and learning support contacts. Early alerts are especially useful for students who are in danger of failing and would benefit from withdrawing from the course during Week 7. 
   • Why? For students that are struggling with health & wellness, psychological & social, basic needs, or safety concerns, an early alert will connect them with the Office of the Dean of Students. This office will facilitate formal and informal outreach and check-ins with both on- and off-campus resources.  

2. Complete student athlete progress reports 

   • If you have student athletes in your course, fill out the brief survey linked in the email you receive from the Seattle U Associate Athletic Director during Weeks 8 to 9. Note that these are different from the early feedback surveys and must also be completed. 
   • Why? For NCAA eligibility purposes, the Athletics Department regularly monitors the academic progress of student-athletes to ensure eligibility and satisfactory progress towards a degree. 

Weeks 7 to 10: Good to do

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Finals week and the week after: Need to do

1. Submit final grades

   • Check in with teaching colleagues or your chair/program director for guidance on grading practices, including assigning incomplete grades. 
   • Final grades are due by noon (12PM PST) the Wednesday after finals week. Find more information about the Seattle University grading system and instructions for submitting grades at the Redhawk Hub Office of the Registrar’s Grades page. 
   • Why? Submitting final grades on time provides final summative feedback to your students as required by university guidelines 

Finals week and the week after: Good to do

1. Check in with your department, college, or school

   • Why? As the term ends, see if there are any additional local tasks you need to complete as a regular part of your faculty role.