University of Pennsylvania
College of Arts and Sciences
Orientation for New Undergraduate Chairs and Program Directors
August 5 or 20, 2015
Agenda
A.
Introductions
B.
The position of Undergraduate Chair within the department
C.
Five key web resources
1. College Web Site
www.college.upenn.edu
2. Web Site for Undergraduate Chairs and Program Directors
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/hdbk
3. Undergraduate Affairs Web Site for Faculty
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/faculty
4. Curriculum Manager
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/curriculum/
5. Advisor InTouch (Penn InTouch)
https://medley.iscseo.upenn.edu/pennInTouch/jsp/fast.do?access=advisor
D.
Three goals for this session are to impart an understanding of your
responsibilities as Undergraduate Chair or Program Director in these
areas:
1. Overseeing, organizing, and producing the undergraduate program
2. Arranging for and doing advising of students
3. Serving as spokesperson for your program and ensuring effective
communication about it to students and other constituencies through
various media
E.
Areas for Discussion
1. Overseeing, organizing, and producing the undergraduate program
a. Oversight
(1)
Course Review
(2)
Major program
(3)
General Education -- locating courses within the College
curriculum
(4)
Curriculum Manager
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/curriculum/
-
Interacting with the Curriculum Committee – New
courses or changes to the major
-
Interacting with Committees that oversee the General
Education Curriculum (Sectors, CCA, CDUS, QDA)
-
Publicizing Freshman Seminars
b. Major Goals Project
c. Operations
(1)
Curriculum Planning and the Curriculum Planner
https://fission.sas.upenn.edu/sso/faculty/planner/
(2)
Preparing roster of courses for each semester (SRS)
(3)
-
Courses needed by your majors
-
Courses for interdisciplinary majors that depend on
your faculty
-
General Education
-
Specific constituencies – freshmen, more intellectually
ambitious students
Other tasks
-
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Students with questions about grades
http://www.college.upenn.edu/grade-review-policy
(3)
-
Approving external credit for inclusion on the Penn
transcript (XCAT)
http://www.college.upenn.edu/xcat
-
Receiving and responding to students – in person, via
email or phone
-
Supervising departmental staff
Analysis
-
IRQDB (Institutional Research Query Database)
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/hdbk/irqdb.html
-
DTA (Departmental Teaching Analysis)
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/hdbk/dta.html
d. Supporting your faculty – Center for Teaching and Learning
http://www.upenn.edu/ctl/
2. Advising and supporting students
a. Life cycle of students in the major
(1)
Informing and advising prospective majors about your
program
(2)
Major declaration process
(3)
Advising and tracking declared majors
(4)
Supporting most talented and ambitious students
(5)
Certifying completion of the major (Junior and Final
Audits)
(6)
Handling students who drop your major
b. Resources for supporting and helping students (See also main
section C above)
http://www.college.upenn.edu/support
Page 3
(1)
Course Problem Notices (CPNs)
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/hdbk/cpn.html
(2)
Course Absence Reports (CAR)
(3)
Weingarten Learning Resources Center
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc/index.php
(4)
Tutoring Center
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/tutoring/index.php
(5)
Writing Center
http://writing.upenn.edu/critical/writing_center/
(6)
CaseNet – Academic Support Team in College Office
Call 8-6341
http://www.college.upenn.edu/casenet
(7)
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)/Student
Health
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/caps/
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/shs/
(8)
Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships
http://www.upenn.edu/curf/
(9)
Career Services
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/
(10) Student Financial Services (SFS)
Students should be directed to the Associate Directors
listed at the bottom of this page:
http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/contacts/index.htm
3. Serving as spokesperson for your program and ensuring effective
communication about it to students and other constituencies through
various media
a. Department or Program website
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/hdbk/webst_rev_deptsassent.
html
b. Major Dinners
http://www.college.upenn.edu/dinners
c. MAP (Major Advising Program)
http://www.college.upenn.edu/map/
d. Listserv for your majors
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e. UAB (Undergraduate Advisory Board)
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ugrad/hdbk/undergrad_advisory_bo
ard.html
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