Welcome to UAlbany! We know that when you begin a new position, many questions arise about how to navigate your new institution and community. Below, we’ve assembled answers to some of the questions we frequently hear from new faculty. If you don’t find what you need to know here, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (518) 442-5521 or send an e-mail with your question to teachingandlearning@albany.edu.
What resources does UAlbany provide to support my teaching?
Pedagogy Support
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Online Education (CATLOE) provides a wide array of pedagogical resources for all instructors at UAlbany.
- Individual consultations provide specialized support on any teaching topic of interest to instructors.
- Each semester, we offer teaching-focused Workshops and Events for faculty and instructional staff.
- Our Early Semester Survey service allows instructors to collect feedback from students early so that they can respond to student concerns.
- The Teaching A to Z section of our website features short articles that draw on the current research on teaching and learning to guide teaching practices.
- CATLOE regularly publishes print articles on teaching topics, which are available in hard copy in our office and can also be found in electronic form on the publications page of our website.
- CATLOE maintains a print resource library, featuring current and classic titles about various topics of interest to UAlbany faculty. Instructors are welcome to come to our office and make use of the library.
Technology Support
CATLOE provides support for effective use of technology in support of teaching.
- CATLOE’s media digitization service allows instructors to digitize existing media into formats that can easily be made available for students in their courses.
- Information Technology Services (ITS), offers Instructional Technology and Design Services, including online and face-to-face training for Blackboard, the University’s current Learning Management System (LMS), and other learning technologies.
- ITS also offers Test Scanning Services, which provides free Scantron forms for short-answer tests, and processes the completed forms.
What resources does UAlbany provide to help me support my students?
Our students’ lives are complex, and many times they need support beyond the classroom to ensure their success. Below are some of services the University provides for students with a variety of needs.
- The Office of Access and Academic Enrichment offers students on campus a variety of support services to assist them with improving their academics and maintaining academic excellence. These services include weekly study skills workshops, weekly study groups for selected courses, career workshops, faculty and peer mentoring.
- The Advocacy Center for Sexual Violence provides a safe and welcoming environment for students to receive support and advocacy services in the aftermath of sexual violence including, but not limited to, sexual assault, intimate partner violence and/or stalking.
- Community Standards supports and promotes a civil community through the establishment and administration of the student code of conduct, Community Rights and Responsibilities.
- Counseling and Psychological Services promotes the behavioral and emotional health, furthers the social development, and enhances the academic success and personal resilience of University at Albany students.
- Disability Access and Inclusion Student Services supports students by ensuring a fully accessible living and learning environment for the University’s programs, services and activities in order to prepare them for a successful future in a diverse and global society.
- Student CARE Services coordinates services for struggling students; advocates for students and teaches them self-advocacy skills; responds and reaches out to students who come to their attention via concerned faculty, staff, parents, friends, fellow students or to the student’s own request for assistance; empowers students by supporting them through their difficulties and empowers the campus community toward a culture of care and concern by encouraging all members to reach out and let them know of students in need.
- The Writing Center assists both students and faculty with academic writing across the disciplines, providing assistance for writers producing essays for graduate school admissions, resumes, theses, dissertations and creative writing. The Center offers one-on-one tutorials for students, classrooms presentations, and consultations with faculty designing writing courses or assignments.
What resources does UAlbany provide to support my research?
Establishing and maintaining a productive research agenda is crucial to the success of new faculty, and the University offers several resources to support faculty success in research.
- The Division for Research supports the development and dissemination of new research. This division sponsors events and training to support faculty seeking funding or opportunities to share their research.
- The UAlbany Libraries offer many useful resources to support your research, including Interlibrary Loan and Special Collections and Archives. Faculty also have access to subject librarians who can provide personalized help with research in their disciplines.
- ITS provides several services in support of the institution’s research activities, including advanced or specialized storage and applications, research data services and software.
What resources does UAlbany provide to support me on the path to tenure?
The path to tenure begins when you become an Assistant Professor, and the University provides several resources that can help ensure your success.
- Many pre-tenure faculty take advantage of ITLAL’s individual consultations to support them as they navigate the challenges of an academic career. Faculty can invite ITLAL staff to observe a class and provide feedback on their teaching, which can help prepare for required peer observations for tenure.
- The Promotion and Tenure page published by the Office of the Provost provides a detailed guide to the tenure process and recommendations for documenting your work effectively.
- Your department and/or college or school may also provide you with resources that will support you on the path to tenure. Talk with your department chair or dean to see what kind of support is available to you.
What’s happening in the UAlbany community?
In addition to academic resources, UAlbany has a vibrant culture, with many different opportunities to get involved.
- The New York State Writers Institute offers a variety of programs focused on literature, writing, and performance. The Institute brings many writers, filmmakers, and performers to campus each semester.
- The University Art Museum features exhibitions, programs, publications, and collections focused on contemporary visual arts.
- The Performing Arts Center hosts many music, theater, and dance performances each academic year.
- UAlbany Sports include 7 men’s teams and 9 women’s teams in sports ranging from football to volleyball.
What’s happening in and around Albany?
If you’d like to learn more about local, state, and national history, you might be interested in visiting these sites and museums.
- The New York State Museum explores and expresses New York State’s rich natural and cultural diversity, past and present.
- The Albany Institute of History and Art, one of the oldest museums in the United States, is the major repository for the region’s heritage, with nationally significant collections.
- The Underground Railroad Education Center provides education about local Underground Railroad activity during the mid 1800’s.
- The Saratoga National Historic Park is the site of the Battles of Saratoga, a key turning point in the American Revolutionary war.
If you’re interested in the arts, you might want to visit these local performance venues.
- The Capital Region is a common stop-over for touring concerts and shows in venues such as The Egg and The Palace Theater in Albany, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in Saratoga Springs, and Proctor’s in Schenectady.
- Tanglewood, a performance venue for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is only an hour away in Lenox, Massachusetts.
- For some laughs, the Mopco Improv Theatre in Schenectady hosts shows every weekend.
If you would like to enjoy live performances in the beautiful upstate summer, you might be interested in some of these events.
- The Playhouse Stage Company presents live theater events.
- A short drive away in Cooperstown, New York, the Glimmerglass Festival (July and August) offers opera and musical theater performances in a park-like setting.
If you enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, biking, and skiing, you have many options near the Capital District.
- Albany is bordered by the Adirondacks to the North, the Catskills to the south, the Berkshires and Green Mountains to the east, and the Finger Lakes farther to the west.
- Dippikill Wilderness Retreat is a private 850-acre wilderness retreat facility owned by the Student Association of the University at Albany (and faculty can camp there!)
- Howe Caverns, John Boyd Thacher State Park, Peebles Island State Park, Moreau Lake State Park, Cooper’s Cave (inspiration for Last of the Mohicans) and the old Mohawk Towpath of the Erie Canal are all just a short drive away.