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Home Music About Us Faculty/Staff Resources Full-time Faculty Welcome Guide

New Full-time Faculty Resources

Welcome to the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music!

This webpage was created for new, full-time faculty members. You will find links and information pertinent to your first few months on campus, as well as links to familiarize you with the policies and services available at the University of Memphis. In addition to this page, two of your biggest resources will be the School of Music Faculty & Staff Handbook and the University's Faculty Resources website.

Faculty may use the checklist below as a guide to ensure a successful teaching experience for you and your students. Not every item will be applicable to your specific teaching workload, however items are listed in a recommended sequential order.

Table of Contents 

  1. Before the Semester
  2. Preparing to Teach
  3. During the Semester
  4. Frequently Asked Questions 

 Before the Semester

  • Obtain your UofM Campus Card
    Faculty Administrative Services will load your information into the University's Banner System and create a University ID number (UID) and UofM email address. A letter with this information will be emailed to you. This information will allow you to obtain a UofM Campus Card. A campus card provides access to the School of Music facilities and can serve as an ID on campus. Information on campus card processing can be found on the Campus Card page.

  • Register your vehicle; obtain a parking pass
    For general parking permits and a campus map, that information can be found on the Parking and Transportation Services page. Many music faculty park in the Engineering lot.

  • Obtain keys to your office
    The Facilities Manager should provide keys to your office.

  • Complete the FERPA Turtorial
    The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts requires that you complete the following online tutorial. You are only required to complete this training once throughout your employment with the University of Memphis. Completing this tutorial allows access to the Banner Student Information center and to view your class roster. Please find the tutorial and additional information here.

  • Contact the School of Music Main Office, music_office@memphis.edu, for more information on the following:
    • Systems/Computer Access (e.g. Banner, Shared Drives, WorkforUM, etc.)
    • Business cards
    • Supplies
    • Telephone extensions & long distance codes (if applicable)

  • Pre-semester Meetings
    Faculty contracts begin the week before classes start. During that week, the School of Music will have several important meetings that all faculty will need to attend. A pre-semester meeting schedule will be sent to all faculty several weeks in advance. View the 2022 Pre-Semester Meetings and Events Schedule. 

Preparing to Teach

  • Communicate with your Area Coordinator
    Every area in the School of Music is coordinated by a faculty member. A list of the current area coordinators can be found in 1.6a of the Faculty & Staff handbook (F&S handbook). Area Coordinators will be able to help provide information on the textbooks used for your class, dates of juries/final exams, location of your classroom, and access to a class roster if your information has not been uploaded into Banner yet by Faculty Administrative Services.

  • Create your course syllabus
    The syllabus is the contracted agreement between teacher and student that outlines contact information, course outcomes, expectations, resources, and an outlined schedule for homework and exams/juries. The School of Music provides a syllabus template in 3.2 of the F&S Handbook that should be followed. The Area Coordinator will need to approve all course syllabi before being sent to the class.
    • Juries - Every student taking applied lessons is required to perform an end-of-the-semester jury as a final exam. Information on juries should be listed in the course syllabus. More information can be found in 3.9 of the F&S Handbook. 

  • Visit your classroom
    To access your classroom contact the School of Music Facilities Manager, music_facilities@memphis.edu.

  • Reserve a teaching or rehearsal space
    The process for reserving a room to teach or rehearse can be found in 6.1 of the F&S Handbook.

  • Request smart classroom training
    All School of Music classrooms have multimedia capabilities. To schedule an orientation on smart classroom features submit a Helpdesk service request. For more Information on how to submit a request and other information technology services, see UMTech page.

  • If teaching online, become familiar with Canvas
    Canvas is the learning management system utilized at the University of Memphis.The system can be used for creating, hosting, and editing online learning resources. Training tutorials and support can be found on the Canvas website.

  • View your Class Roster in Banner
    Log into Banner and review your class roster. If you are not able to see your class rosters in Banner notify the School of Music Business Officer, music_finance@memphis.edu. Part-time e-contracts can sometimes be delayed by Faculty Administrative Services. In the meantime, you can receive your class roster and student contact information in the following ways:
  • Email your students
    At least one week before the semester all faculty should contact the students in their courses with a welcome email and the syllabus. Faculty should always use their UofM email when communicating with students as this is the primary means of communication for the University.

  • Applied faculty should create a teaching schedule for the semester
    Faculty who teach applied lessons are free to create their own teaching schedule guided by the students' availability. Student lesson times should remain consistent from week to week. More information will be provided by the Area Coordinator.

During the Semester

  • Meet with your faculty mentor
    All new, full-time faculty members will be assigned an official mentor by the Director. The Area Coordinator serves as the faculty mentor for all temporary faculty/visiting professors. More information can be found in 4.12a of the F&S Handbook.

  • Peer Evaluation of Teaching
    All faculty in the School of Music receive an annual peer evaluation of their teaching. This is an important part of tenure and promotion. In the non-tenured faculty member's first year, the assigned Mentor provides a peer review evaluation of the faculty member's teaching. Your mentor will contact you during the semester to arrange a mutually convenient time to observe your teaching. Once the evaluation is completed, the form will be emailed to you and a copy will be kept on file in the School of Music Main Office. More information can be found in 4.12e of the F&S Handbook.

  • Juries, Final Examinations, and Student Recitals
    All faculty should be present for juries, final exams, and degree recitals. The Area Coordinator can provide more information on how these topics relate to your teaching area. More information can be found in 3.9 of the F&S Handbook.

  • Know your Area's policy on midterm grades and final grades submissions
    All faculty are required to submit final grades into Banner. The Registrar Office will send you emails (to your UofM email address) notifying you of grade submission deadlines. The process for submitting grades can be found on the Registrar's Grading website.

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