Resources for New and Adjunct Faculty

Welcome to IWU! We hope this page helps you navigate your first year(s) teaching at IWU. If you cannot find what you are looking for on this page, please email a suggestion to thorpe@iwu.edu.

Getting Started at IWU:

See HR’s New Employee page for the first steps for any IWU employee. This page includes a list of our many abbreviations!
Once you have your IWU log-in information, my.iwu.edu (the Pathify Dashboard) will be your portal to essential employee functions, such as reserving a room or finding business office forms .
See Banner Self-Service/Ellucian Banner (in the Tool Menu) to access information about your class rosters and room assignments, to post office hours, to enter mid-semester and final grades, etc.
New faculty, including adjunct faculty, will learn their office assignments from an Administrative Specialist in their area or the Associate Provost in August or January.
If you would like to take a campus tour, you can schedule one by contacting Admissions: Shannon Wisecup shanwise@iwu.edu (309)556-3031 or Molly Munson-Dryer mmunsond@iwu.edu .
Remember to check your classroom before the first day of classes. If you have trouble with the technology in the room (for example, the wall-mounted touch panels in State Farm Hall are how you turn on the projectors!), contact Information Technology Services at it@iwu.edu or call (309)556-3900.
IWU hosts a New Faculty Orientation series for tenure-line, teaching-track, and visiting faculty. Contact Brenda Milcik bmilcik@iwu.edu for more information and access to the schedule of events.

Developing your course and syllabus:

Syllabus: Every course must have a syllabus that, at minimum, provides students with the following: information about the aims, format, and activities of the course, as well as the attendance policy, grading policy, and office hours (IWU Faculty Handbook V.A.5).
- Here is a syllabus template that outlines IWU's policy statements and syllabus best practices. Feel free to adapt this template as suits your class. Also see the template for an updated list of campus resources you can give to students!
Schedule: Consult the academic calendar to plan for non-class days as well as our mandatory mid-semester grade reporting at the end of the 7th week of class.
- The final exam schedule can be found under “Important Dates” in the menu on the Registrar’s page .
- Note that, for accreditation purposes, all courses must meet during the final exam period, whether it is for an exam, writing session, or other class activity.
- Multifaith Calendar: as you plan your schedule, please be aware of the major religious holidays (see the Multifaith Calendar link here). Faculty members are requested to exercise reasonable flexibility in accommodating students with conflicts due to religious observance.
- Sports: Student athletes make up nearly half of our student body. If you need to check the athletic schedule for any reason, you can find it here: www.iwusports.com . The athletes are also expected to request a mid-semester progress report from their professors. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Kim Nelson-Brown, Assoc. Athletic Director knbrown@iwu.edu .
Books and Library Resources:
- Course materials can be ordered through the IWU Bookstore run by Follett . There is a tab in the bottom menu “Online Adoptions” that will help you order books for your course. If you are already in Moodle, the link for adoptions is also available there. As of Fall 2023, Bob Rynerson is our Follet Course Material Market Manager ( r.rynerson@follett.com )
- Library Resources: Library faculty can assist with information literacy instruction, coordinating streaming video access , and connecting you to the library's many services and resources . To place course materials on reserve, please email reserves@iwu.edu for more information.
Submitting Grades: The Registrar’s Office sends out reminders to submit mid-semester grades at the end of the 7th week of class and final grades at the end of the semester. See here for instructions on how to submit those grades .
Technology and Learning Management System (LMS):
- New full-time faculty work with their Chair and the Associate Provost to request permanent computer equipment. See the Guidelines for Departmental Computer Purchases for options.
- We are a Google campus, so all faculty and students have access to Google Suite using their IWU email account.
- LMS: In Fall 2023 we are using Moodle as our official LMS. Starting in Spring 2024, we will be officially using Canvas. Student information will be automatically uploaded to the official LMS from Banner.
  - To access the official LMS: https://courses.iwu.edu
  - For the basics of getting started in Moodle, see Moodle™ Basics - v3.11 and Advanced Usage of Moodle™ - v3.11
  - For help with the LMS: email a detailed request to Information Technology Services at it@iwu.edu or call (309)556-3900
- For help with Instructional Design: email Steph Guedet, Lead Instructional Designer, sguedet@iwu.edu
Innovation Resources: There are internal grants available to support curricular or instructional development. These are described in the Faculty Development Handbook on the Thorpe Center website (under “Faculty Development”). Please note that visiting and adjunct faculty are eligible to apply for Instructional Development Grants to innovate their pedagogy.

Helping Students Help Themselves

If a student is not responsive to your efforts to address excessive class absences, failure to complete assignments and meet course requirements, and/or indicates challenges with mental health or displays other concerning behavior(s), please use the Student of Concern form to alert the Student Success Team. Faculty are encouraged to provide students with information to access campus resources. A list of campus resources to give to students may be found here. A list of referral numbers for faculty to use to help students can be found here.
Urgent, but non-emergency issues should be referred directly to the Dean of Students Office. For the Dean of Students Office: iwu.edu/student-affairs (309) 556-3111, dstudent@iwu.edu Holmes Hall 103
In the case of emergencies, dial 911 and contact Campus Safety at 309-556-1111.
Faculty will be notified of any approved student accommodations via accessibility@iwu.edu . All adjuncts are encouraged but not required to complete IWU's Faculty Training for Accommodations. To be added to the self-paced course, please email accessibility@iwu.edu
If you have received an Accommodation Notice from accessibility@iwu.edu and have questions on how the accommodation should be implemented for your course, please reply to that email with your question. The Office of Student Accessibility Services will be in touch with information or to set up a meeting to discuss this accommodation need.

Where to get answers

A good place to start is to ask your chair or administrative specialist for help.
Adjuncts can also direct questions to the Associate Provost’s Office .
Gateway instructors can also reach out to the Writing Program Director or Associate Dean for Curriculum and Instruction through the Thorpe Center email .
Faculty members can always email the Provost’s Office for help.
Many answers about new employment and how to get started at IWU can be found on HR’s New Employee page . This includes a list of our many abbreviations!
A list of campus resources for students can be found here.
For technology help in your office or classroom: email a detailed request to Information Technology Services at it@iwu.edu or call (309)556-3900

Engagement with Campus

All first year students are expected to participate in the Summer Reading Program , which culminates in their first college discussion during the Turning Titan Orientation week.
IWU supports an Annual Intellectual Theme , and we encourage instructors to connect with the summer readings, course clusters, and annual theme events when it is appropriate for their course content.
Other campus events are posted on https://my.iwu.edu/events/all

Did you find what you were looking for on this page? If not, please email a suggestion to thorpe@iwu.edu.