Welcome to Michigan State University. It is our hope that your life at MSU will be fulfilling and successful, now and in the future. To enable you to begin the process of learning the lay of the land at MSU, we have created this orientation website designed specifically for new Fixed Term Faculty. We invite you to explore this website carefully. It provides information on relevant orientation events and materials designed to assist you in your transition to life in our University community.

See below for relevant Orientation Videos, Orientation Events and Professional Development Opportunities, and selected Additional Resources. We strongly suggest that you review all of the materials to ensure that you are aware of what is available to assist you.

Individuals with appointments like yours arrive at MSU throughout the year, but the majority begin their appointments in mid-August. For that reason, we offer Technology Workshops in late August each year. In the meanwhile, you can and should take advantage of the numerous online orientation resources and information linked to this webpage.

In addition to these events and resources, we strongly encourage you to speak with your unit supervisor about the availability of unit-based orientations, resources, and/or one or more mentors who can assist in orienting you to your new role. As you will see, MSU is a highly decentralized institution and resources are often available in several places across campus, so it is often worthwhile to explore the full array of options through your unit as well as centralized offices.

Again, we wish you a warm welcome to Michigan State University. If you have any questions about these Orientation Events, please contact Cindi Leverich at fodevent@msu.edu.

Videos     Events/Professional Development     Additional Resources

New Faculty Checklist

• Checklist

Orientation Videos

• Starting State

  Please review the Starting State - your guide to employment at MSU by clicking the above link. The Starting State video is designed to help you settle in as a member of our community. This program will introduce you to the University, allow you to enroll in your benefits online, familiarize you with important policies and procedures, and provide various kinds of information that we hope will be useful to you in your first weeks and months here. Web site links provided in the video connect you to additional detailed information you will find helpful.

  Following your review of the Starting State video, benefits representatives are available between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Room 140 Nisbet Building and are committed to answering your individual questions. If you need help in your benefits online, representatives will be available to provide assistance.

• Advancing Knowledge, Transforming Lives   [15:35] 
  [To save the video to your desktop, right-click link and select "Save Target As..."]

  Advancing Knowledge, Transforming Lives provides an introduction to Michigan State University as a research university in the land grant tradition. This video traces MSU's history, focuses on the theme of land grant to world grant, our core values of quality, inclusion and connectivity, and our tri-partite mission of teaching, research and outreach and engagement. This video is particularly relevant for academic administrators with faculty appointments.

  • Advancing Knowledge, Transforming Lives   [Transcript w/o Video]
• Fixed Term Faculty at Michigan State University   [15:40]
• Implications of the Union of Non-tenure Track Faculty (UNTF) contract for Academic Specialists and Fixed Term Faculty who teach and their supervisors   [4:36]
  (This video clip is also included as an addendum to the video entitled "Academic Specialists at MSU.")

Professional Development Opportunities

During an Orientation event, participants had a chance to generate questions for a panel of MSU faculty and administrators. Given time constraints, only some of the questions were answered during the program. Below you will find responses to all of the questions that were generated during the program and listed on the table “white boards.”

Responses to Questions Raised at the Fixed Term Faculty, Academic Specialist, and other Academic Staff New Faculty Orientation 2009

Many thanks to those of you who participated and engaged so fully during the program. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact Julie Rojewski at facdevel@msu.edu.

• Technology Workshop: 
  An Introduction to MSU’s Libraries, Computing and Technology Resources

The session will introduce available online resources that will be useful for teaching and research. Topics include:

1. 1. Using ANGEL: An introduction to MSU’s principal centrally supported course management software. Learn how to post content, enable your course, manage rosters, and more.
   2. Library resources: Explore e-resources, learn about Distance Learning Services, and find out about library programs, along with other tools for efficient and effective research and teaching.
   3. Technology resources: Learn to use the Registrar’s instructional support tools, including submitting grades and retrieving class lists, as well as find out how to get access to seminars and hands-on learning on technology topics.
   4. Classroom technology: What will you find in your classroom? Learn how to use a technology cart, use a student response system, and find out where to get help, training, and advice for classroom technology issues.

Please bring your MSU NetID and password. To access some of the resources, such as your courses in the ANGEL course management system, you also will need authorization from your department chairperson.

Orientation for 2013 is set for Tuesday, August 27. Locations, times and registration information can be found in your letter of invitation.

Additional Resources

• Academic Governance
• Academic Human Resources (AHR) / Human Resources (HR)
  • Benefits
  • The Faculty Handbook
• Advancing Diversity through the Alignment of Policies and Practices(ADAPP)
  • Annual Performance Review Toolkit
  • Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Toolkit
  • Best Practices for a Successful Academic Search
  • Faculty Mentoring Toolkit
• Campus Maps
• Controller's Office
  • Payroll
  • Travel
• Department of Police and Public Safety (DPPS)
• Family Resource Center (FRC)
• Libraries, Computing and Technology (LCT)
  • Angel
  • LCT technology training
  • MSU Net ID Information
• Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
• Office of Faculty and Organizational Development (F&OD)
  • Online Instructional Resources (OIR)
• Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
• Office of Planning and Budgets (OPB)
• Office of the President
• Office of the Provost
• Office of the Registrar
• Office of the Vice President for Research for Graduate Studies (VPRGS)
• Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities
• The Graduate School
• Top "10" Things New Faculty Need To Know
• University Outreach and Engagement (UOE)
  • Usability & Accessibility Center
• WorkLife
• Writing Center

Again, we wish you a warm welcome to Michigan State University. If you have any questions about these Orientation Events, please contact Cindi Leverich at Fodevent@msu.edu or (517) 355-7483.