Information for New Faculty

This page provides incoming faculty with a quick reference to help you get set up on campus as soon as you arrive.

Here is a campus map.

Here is a parking map with civic addresses.

 
Events

  • New Faculty Orientation, held about one week before the first day of classes.  This year (2019) it will be on Thursday, August 29th.  Meet representatives from Administration, Faculty Union, Teaching development, and Research office and learn about bookstore procedures, library services, student services (counseling, medical, writing centre) & classroom technology. Tentative Agenda of the orientation.
  • St. FX Association of University Teachers (AUT) Meet and Greet, usually held in late August/early September. 
  • University Faculty Meeting (new faculty introductions), see the University's Academic Calendar of Events.
     

Department
When you arrive on campus, contact your department. Several arrangements will have been made in advance of your arrival, but these vary depending on individual circumstances. Discuss the following with the Administrative Assistant.

 
Departmental Chair
Every department has its own set of policies. When you ask about these, here are some important items to discuss.

  • Courses/Textbooks
  • Departmental accounts for which you can access or apply to access funds from (including money for teaching/office/lab supplies).
  • Departmental policy on overrides. In particular, what is your role?
  • Procedures for departmental evaluations and expectations towards tenure and promotion (for each of teaching, research and service).
  • Department procedure and expectations for student evaluations (done at the end of each class).

 
Other Essentials

  • Payroll: The Employee Record Form must be completed and submitted with a signed contract and social insurance number to Anne Walsh, Payroll Coordinator, Tel: 867-4872, Email: awalsh@stfx.ca
  • Benefits and Pension: you will be contacted by the Benefits, Pension and Payroll Specialist, for a meeting to set up benefits and pension once all necessary payroll information has been recieved by Human Resources.
  • Register on faculty listserv (e-mail Karen Broussard, kbroussard@stfx.ca)
  • To claim moving expenses, all needed forms are found at this website under Travel Claim. Download and fill out the Travel Claim Form for travel expenses and the Non Travel Expense Claim Form for other expenses. There is also a form for any missing receipts. Print and send the completed forms (with signatures), to Bonnie Gillis, Accounts Payable, Tel: 867-2360, Email: bgillis@stfx.ca. (These forms must be completed for all Departmental and Research related expenses. Original receipts must be provided for all expenses, visa slips only are not acceptable. Please ensure to complete the GST/HST column with the actual amount of tax which appears on each submitted receipt.)
  • Get your Faculty ID and library card. Bring your employee number and photo ID to the Security Operations Centre, 5005 Chapel Square. Your employee number has 5 digits and can be found on your pay stub or by contacting HR at payroll@stfx.ca. A photo will be taken and your ID card will be generated while you wait. Hours are Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm (902-867-2473). Visit the library once you have your Faculty ID card to set up borrowing privileges. More information can be found at the following links:
  • If a grant is to be set up with your name, Accounting Services should send you an e-mail on your StFX computer account. A list of contacts for accounting services can be found here.
  • Sign up for the Faculty Mentoring Program. 

 
Important Information
Here is some information you should be aware of before beginning your first class.

The Collective Agreement for faculty.
Your computer account gives you access to an e-mail account (YOUR_USERNAME@stfx.ca) and two drives both of which are accessible over the internet and in most of the classrooms. The H drive is your personal drive and is password protected. The W drive is public and not password protect, meaning that items posted there are available to the public (and particularly, your students). Anything placed on your W drive can be accessed at: http://people.stfx.ca/YOUR_USERNAME/. For more information, visit the IT website.
Your Faculty ID and PIN gives you access to Banner / Mes Amis. This is where you can view your class lists, enter grades, send e-mails to your class, obtain your monthly statement of accounts, etc. You should take some time to explore the tools available.
For the purposes of tenure and promotion, you should create and maintain a dossier. This dossier is typically no more than two large binders of material and should address each of the following: teaching, research and service. In most departments an evaluation process begins in your second year and continues each year until you apply for tenure. For more details, see article 2.1.4 of the Collective Agreement.
 
Academic, Classroom and Support Resources

 
Food Services:

  • 8th floor Nicholson Hall (coffee and tea, soup and sandwiches)
  • Morrison Hall (main cafeteria)
  • Mini Mo's (convenience store, sandwich bar and café), part of Morrison Hall
  • Bloomfield Centre, 2nd floor (fast food and café)
  • Keating Center Cafe
  • Mount Saint Bernard Snack Shop

 
Links:
Community Groups and Activities (including links and e-mails to local theatre and sports groups)