by Nathan Loewen, Department of Religious Studies
Knowing whom to call for help or where to go for assistance can make the difference in a good teaching day. Sometimes little things like no sound in a classroom can throw off a good start. But there are more substantive issues, too, such as knowing how and where to direct a student in need. While it may be efficient to rely on informal departmental knowledge for the little things (does your department have a “go-to person” for settling into teaching?), the substantive issues require precision.
There are several people on campus who may provide useful information for teaching. A good start is to create a list based on the materials provided during the various training sessions and orientations. Here is an example list to help you get started.
Technology Support
Before class
- For information about instructional technology, such as Blackboard and Panopto, contact the Center for Instructional Technology.
- For issues with UA-provided hardware and software, contact the Office of Informational Technology.
- For issues with an A&S-provided iPad, contact eTech.
- Questions about office supplies? Contact your department to find out how they allocate those resources.
During class
- If you need technical assistance during class, dial “2” from the classroom phone to reach the AVS help desk, call (205) 348-3453, or email avsolutions@ua.edu. (The classroom phone is the fastest way to get AV support.)
After class
- If you experience an issue with classroom technology, file a ticket with avsolutions@ua.edu to have the problem resolved across campus.
- If you call the Center for Instructional Technology, a human will answer the phone. A good conversation will happen where you can talk through the technology issue. More often than not, a solution will appear!
Classroom Emergencies
The campus police know our campus and its various locations. They can best direct first responders to your location.
Here are the numbers to memorize:
- From your cell phone: (205) 348-5454
- From a UA-provided telephone: 8-5454
Remember, the UAPD jurisdiction is larger than you think. Become familiar with the extent of our campus.
Student Care & Well-Being
If you are presented with a student in crisis, contact the Office of Student Care & Well-Being. You might consider visiting the office in Ferguson Center Room 230, calling (205) 348-2461, or emailing bamacares@ua.edu. The Dean of Students Office offers a range of services that coordinates assistance for students who are facing hardships or traumas that interfere with their academic success.
UAct: Creating an Ethical Campus Community
The UAct website provides a list of reporting channels that can be used to report incidences of illegal discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, sexual violence, retaliation, threat assessment or fraud. As an employee of UA, become familiar with your status as a mandatory reporter.
Title IX
The University’s Title IX Office oversees how our University fulfills Federal Laws to foster a campus community free of gender discrimination and sexual misconduct. The office may be contacted by calling (205) 348-5496 or by visiting their office at 107 Burke Hall West.
The Title IX website is supplemented by the Sexual Assault and Misconduct Services and Support page, which compiles the primary resources and support services our campus offers related to sexual assault and misconduct. These resources and services are available to any member of our campus community.
This resource is part of the Teaching Basics series. For more information, contact Nathan Loewen at nrloewen@ua.edu.