Frequently Asked Questions

1. AJB Overview and Guidelines  {updates still needed here to reflect restructuring}

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

Directions on reporting Academic Misconduct can be found here.

1. What is Academic Affairs?  It is an institutional office that oversees a variety of academic programs and departments at the College. The short hand for this department is "ACAF" (pronounced "A-CAF")

2. Where are your offices located on campus? Calvert Hall 1st & 3rd floor.

3. Who is in Academic Affairs? Meet us here!

4. Who manages the ACAF Unofficial Directory? Rose Phillips

• For general advising contact Katy Arnett

• For new Advising Training contact the Associate Dean within your Division

1. What is this? All Faculty Email <allfacultymail@smcm.edu> is an email listserv that includes all faculty (with SMCM emails) with the sole purpose of distributing academic affairs related information. 

2. Who can send emails using this? ACAF administrators.

3. Can I request to send an all faculty email? Requests to send all faculty emails can be sent to Rose for review by the VPAA.

4. Who is included in this listserv? All faculty and ACAF administrators.

5. How can I get added to the listserv? Contact OIT. Create a ticket, and submit a request to be added to the all faculty email.

For more information contact Rose Phillips

• Main contact Liz Leininger

• For accountability/vision contact Katy Arnett

• For general questions contact the Associate Dean within your Division

Click here to find the most recent version of the Transparent Teaching & Assessment Google Site (new for Cycle 3!)

• For general APoC questions, contact Kelly Neiles

• For APoC Appeals contact Katy Arnett

• For logistics and planning contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Randy Larsen

• For general questions contact Katy Arnett

1. What is this? All Faculty Email <smcmchairs@smcm.edu> is an email listserv that includes all current Chairs/Coordinators (with SMCM emails) with the sole purpose of distributing academic affairs related information. 

2. Who can send emails using this? ACAF administrators. 

3. Who is included in this listserv? Current Chairs/Coordinators and ACAF administrators

4. How can I get added to the listserv? Contact OIT. Create a ticket, and submit a request to be added to the all faculty email. 

For more information contact Rose Phillips

1. What is this resource? It is a list of current Chairs and Coordinators for the academic year.

2. Where can I find this resource? You can find a current copy of the Chairs and Coordinators List on our Faculty List tab.

3. How often is this updated? It is updated once a year, during the summer before the beginning of the academic year.

4. Who do I contact to make changes? Rose

For more information contact Rose Phillips

For logistics and planning contact Rose Phillips

For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

• For administrative support contact Natalia Barreto

• For questions regarding the script, walk through, and event logistics contact Kelly Neiles

• CORE Inquiries Contact Sahar Shafqat

• CORE 101 & 301 Staffing and First Year Seminars Contact Kelly Neiles

• Curricular Experience Contact Brian O'Sullivan

Contact Randy Larsen

• Main contact Kelly Neiles

• For general questions contact the Associate Deans within your Division

1. What is this? Every year at the beginning of the academic year, a call (email) goes out to all faculty requesting their current CVs and Sabbatical Reports (as appropriate).  

2. When should I expect this email? The email is typically sent the first week of August.

3. What is the deadline to submit my CV and/or Sabbatical Report? Typically, the deadline is August 15.

For more information contact Rose Phillips

Main contact Randy Larsen 

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

1. What is this? Faculty may reserve space on campus for events such as presentations, meetings, etc.  This is different than making a reservation for teaching/classroom. If you are seeking help with reserving classroom space, please contact your Office Associate (OA) in your academic building.

2. How do I make a room reservation? Faculty have the ability to request room reservations through a number of ways. If an event is departmental in nature, they can contact their OA in their academic building to make a room reservation. Or, if it is an approved, public, campus wide event that is academic in nature and does not reside in any current program or department, faculty may request help with room reservations from the office of Academic Affairs.

3. What are examples of events that ACAF can help reserve? Faculty meetings, Division meetings, etc.

4. Who in ACAF should I contact to help make a reservation? Please contact your Associate Dean to ensure your event is approved and routed to the correct ACAF Administrator. 

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

1. What is the Faculty Calendar? The Faculty Calendar is a Google calendar that is managed by ACAF. It focuses on academic dates of interest and faculty meetings. All other general academic events can be found on InsideSMCM. 

2. How do I get added to the Faculty Calendar? Email Rose Phillips from your SMCM email (or provide her with your new SMCM email address) and let her know you need to be added to the Faculty Calendar. She will add you to the calendar and reply to the email to confirm you have been added. Please remember to add the Faculty Calendar to your calendar list. 

3. I don't have an SMCM email yet, what do I do? Contact Michelle Forinash in HR.

4. How do I add the calendar? Instructions for Adding the Faculty Calendar to Your Calendar List

1. What is faculty housing? Housing near campus for use by faculty.

2. What are the available options? See the Faculty Housing Brochure

3. Who manages the faculty housing? How do I make a reservation? Contact Mary Grube for more information

Main contact Mary Grube

Main contact Sahar Shafqat

• For coordinating logistics contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

1. What is this? A small magnetic plastic name badge for use at College events. 

2. Who is eligible for a name badge? Every faculty member is eligible for a name badge. 

3. How do I request one? Contact your Associate Deans within your Division

4. What does this cost?  The first round of name badges for ACAF programs (e.g. Academic Department, OIE, CITL, etc.)  are complimentary from the Provost budget. After that, the department/programs will cover the cost from their budgets. 

Inside SMCM Instructions: 

If you or your office needs a magnetic name badge, please provide this information to Lee Capristo at lwcapristo@smcm.edu. You’ll be emailed a proof of your order. After you approve your proof, you’ll get an email from the vendor giving you the link to make payment and provide the shipping details. 

• For help in the Central Division contact Lea Waldridge 

• For help in the North Division contact Anna McGee 

• For help in the Riverside Division contact Lucy Myers 

• For help in the Central Division contact Lea Waldridge 

• For help in the North Division contact Anna McGee 

• For help in the Riverside Division contact Lucy Myers 

1. What is this resource? It is a list of important dates for the academic calendar.

2. When is this updated? It is updated twice a year. Once before the beginning of the fall semester (during the summer) and a second time before the beginning of the spring semester (during late fall).

3. How is this distributed? It is sent in an all faculty email and posted on the ACAF Calendar tab. 

For more information contact Rose Phillips

1. What is LEAD? Learning Through Experiential and Applied Discovery.

Main contact Sahar Shafqat

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

Main contact Sahar Shafqat

Main contact Randy Larsen

Main contact Sahar Shafqat

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Katy Arnett

Students who are paid as SHIP interns or federal work study will continue to use Time Clock Wizard.  Students who are part time employees that are paid from grants or program budgets should follow this procedure.

Step 1: Hiring faculty will forward an email with dept chairs approval to their Academic Fiscal Administrator with the following information:

• Student's Name:

• ID # :

• Work Title:

• Department paying:

• Rate of Pay:

• Start date:

• Direct supervisor's name and email.

Step 2: The AFAs will prepare the paperwork for the Associate Dean's signature.  If the student is already on contractual payroll at SMCM, the AFAs will prepare the 311 form which does not require students signature.  Once the AD signs the 311, the AFA's would send an email to the student with a timesheet template and date/time due.  The AFA will also email the supervising faculty member to tell them that it is okay for the student to start working.  

Step 3: Student workers should complete and sign their timesheet every two weeks. 

Step 4: The student should forward the timesheet to their direct supervisor for their electronic signature.

Step 5: The supervisor should verify the hours, electronically sign the timesheet and forward it to their respective Academic Fiscal Associate no later than noon on Fridays. AFAs have a limited window in which to enter student hours into the payroll system before it closes. If supervisors are late getting these documents to the AFAs, students may be forced to wait an additional 2 weeks to get paid.

Please contact your Academic Fiscal Administrator if you find you have specific questions not answers in the above resource.

TBD

1. Who is eligible for regalia rental? All faculty (tenure, tenure track, visiting, instructor and lecturers) are eligible.

2. How much does it cost? Regalia rentals are a complimentary. Academic Affairs covers the cost for faculty regalia rentals. 

3. How do I rent regalia?  There are two email "calls" sent out every academic year to all faculty via the all faculty email (your SMCM email) with a Google form and instructions to submit a request. A call goes out in June for Fall regalia rental, and another goes out in February for Spring regalia rental. Due to the required lead time on shipping, regalia rentals must be placed at-least two months in advance. 

4. Once I order my regalia how do I get it? The regalia will be delivered to Mai, to which she will send the regalia forward to your respective academic building's mailroom. Once there, your Office Associate can help you locate your regalia. 

5. How do I return my regalia? You can return your regalia directly to Mai (or Natalia) following the end of the event. If you forget to return your regalia that day, you can send the regalia through interoffice mail (attach a label to the plastic bag that reads: "Return to Mai Savelle in Calvert 106A") or hand deliver it to Calvert 106A (or, if the office is door is locked when you arrive, please leave in the hall beside the door and send a follow up email to notify Mai).

6. I forgot to place an order for rental regalia, what can I do?  Please contact Mai to let her know you need regalia and provide your height. Sometimes, there are spare regalia that may be used. However, spare regalia is first come first serve, and size/colors are not guaranteed. If there are no available spare regalia, then faculty are encouraged to ask their colleagues that do not plan to attend to use their regalia, or forego wearing regalia. 

For more information contact Rose Phillips

1. What do I need to do before I can submit a reimbursement? Please request approval from your Associate Dean and/or the VPAA for a reimbursement before submitting your documentation (see below). If you have already received written (email) approval for a reimbursement, then you may move forward to the next step. If you have not yet received written approval, please first contact either your Associate Dean or the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty (CC Mai Savelle, Executive Assistant) to request approval for a reimbursement. 

2.  How do I submit my reimbursement documentation? When it comes expense reimbursements (either for moving expenses or in general), you will need to complete a form called the SMCM Expense Account Form (aka "travel reimbursement", "expense form", "reimbursement form" - it lives by many names, but this is what we mean). 

You can find a blank version of this form on the Business Office Travel Guide website.

Please complete your name, address (use the address you would like the reimbursement sent to), purpose of travel, the amounts you spent per category per day (columns B-H as used), and then total the amounts (column I/row 31), and sign and date on the line for "Signature of Traveler" (row 42). Our office will complete the Budget Account lines (rows 33-39).

Please also include all of your receipts from your move. The Business Office requires hard copies so for digital receipts, please print the email confirmation of payment, or pdf invoice. For smaller hard-copy receipts please tape them to a sheet of paper and attach them, along with the reimbursement form for the Business Office. 

Here is the order of operations:

1) Complete the SMCM Expense Account Form

2) Attach physical receipts

3) Drop off the forms (or send via mail) to your AFA (see below) for processing

4) AFA will send this document forward to Mai/the VPAA/Dean of Faculty for approval 

5) Once approved, the AFA will send the paperwork on to Jamie Athey <jcathey@smcm.edu> in the Business Office for processing

6) Once processed by the Business Office, your reimbursement will be released by the State (this could take a few weeks)

Please contact your designated Academic Fiscal Administrator (aka your "AFA") for your division to help with questions, clarification, or to submit your paperwork.

• Anna McGee <almcgee@smcm.edu> North Division. Calvert 323 (third floor)

• Lucy Myers <lhmyers@smcm.edu> Riverside Division. Calvert 323 (third floor)

• Lea Waldridge <lgwaldridge@smcm.edu> Central Division. Calvert 323 (third floor)

The AFAs will continue to be your main fiscal administrator, moving forward for expense (and other fiscal) related questions. Please save their contact information for future use.

Please review the new faculty resources here

Please contact your Associate Dean if you find you have specific questions not answers in the above resource.

Main contact Katy Arnett, Katie Gantz

1. What is the Ross Fellows? Read more about the Cluster Hire Initiative here

2. I am a Ross Fellow and I want to learn more about how to spend my funds: Guide to Ross Fellow Funds

Main contact Sahar Shafqat

For technical difficulties contact Anna McGee

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto or Lea Waldridge

• For conceptual questions contact Kelly Neiles

Main contact Randy Larsen

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Kelly Neiles

• Faculty may request access for students after hours to buildings.

• Please use this form to submit a request for student access.

• For conceptual questions or technical difficulties contact Randy Larsen

• For technical difficulties contact Natalia Barreto

• For conceptual questions contact Kelly Neiles

1. How is this collected? Currently, the process to submit the syllabi is managed through a Qualtrics survey, distributed out of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) each semester.

2.  Who do I contact for a copy of a certain syllabus? For syllabuses submitted Spring 2023 forward, please contact Anne Marie Brady <ambrady@smcm.edu>  in OIRP. For syllabuses submitted prior to Spring 2023, please contact your department chair.

3. Do you have general information on how to create a syllabus? Please refer to the CITL Resource "SMCM Common Syllabus Language". Contact Sam Elliott, CITL for more information on this resource (and others like it on the CITL page). 

• Who Signs What Documents in ACAF