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 Tenure System Faculty, Health Programs (HP) Faculty, College of Law Faculty, and Librarians and National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory Continuing Systems Appointments. 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. Although you will receive an invitation to the in-person Orientation Events, 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 a set of three Orientation Events beginning in late August each year. They include an Orientation Event, a Research Workshop and a Technology Workshop. If you arrive after these Events have occurred, you are welcome to attend these Orientation Events the following August. In the meanwhile, you can and should take advantage of the numerous other 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 Jodi Chambers at chamb101@msu.edu.

Videos Events/Professional Development Additional Resources

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]

Orientation Events and Professional Development Opportunities

Orientation for New Tenure System, Health Programs Faculty and Continuing Appointment System Librarians

The Office of the Provost sponsors annual orientation programs to assist new faculty in learning more about the academic community at MSU. The orientation program provides an overview of the University, identifies expectations of the University community, and facilitates active involvement in faculty affairs.

Program participants are notified about this annual Orientation Event by invitation only and receive registration materials in the mail. The list of invitees is generated from appointment actions entered into the Academic Human Resources database system. To ensure an invitation to this session, please contact your department and/or dean's office to verify appointment paperwork has been submitted.

2009 event dates, locations, times and registration information can be found in your letter of invitation.

During the Orientation held on August 19, 2008, 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.� We also plan to use these questions as a source of input about topics of high interest for future orientations.
Responses to Questions Raised at the Tenure System New Faculty Orientation 2008
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 Jodi Chambers at chamb101@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. 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.

2009 event dates, locations, times and registration information can be found in your letter of invitation.

Additional Resources

For more information, contact the coordinator Jodi Chambers at chamb101@msu.edu or (517) 355-8359.

Orientation For New Tenure System, Health Programs Faculty, College of Law Faculty, Continuing System Librarians, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory Appointments, and Executive Managers

Orientation Videos

Orientation Events and Professional Development Opportunities

Additional Resources