Module 0411: Starting Fall 2024 Semester
Module 0411: Starting Fall 2024 Semester
The usual suspects
The following are items that are universal to every semester, but a reminder does not hurt!
- Each section (class) should have a Los Rios Canvas shell. As per the current LRCFT contract, section 11.2.5, “All faculty who teach classes shall have the following level of minimum usage of the mutually approved Learning Management System (LMS) for all classes irrespective of modality, except in instances where the use of an LMS is prohibited.” The contract further specifies that:
- Include instructor contact information and office hours when applicable.
- Post the course syllabus.
- Publish the LMS course shell no later than the first day of instruction for online courses, and by the end of the first week of classes for on-ground courses. For last-minute course assignments, appropriate adjustments and accommodations will be made.
- Require students to visit their LMS course.
- Use the LMS gradebook consistent with the grading procedure outlined in the faculty member’s syllabus, ensuring compliance with 8.4.1.8. The LMS gradebook may be customized to reflect the faculty member’s approach to grading, such as contract grading, ungrading, or equity for grading, for example.
- The syllabus of each class should be submitted to the division office before the first class meeting.
- Curriculum updates. Please keep the curricula of the courses that you regularly teach updated as required by Title V.
- Encourage students to utilize the resources available to them, check the CIS Canvas shell for more details.
- Work through the CIS department Canvas shell.
Fall 2024
This section is specific to Fall 2024.
Division change
Computer Information Science (CIS) is officially a part of the STEM-Math/CIS division as of the end of the 2024 summer session. This means Kirsten Corbin is not the dean of the department. Our new dean is Michelle Brock.
Despite the division change, most of what the department does remains the same.
- Physical mail is still housed in the Business Division office.
- STEM 301 is still the main lab for CIS students.
- Keys and classroom assignments remain the same, there is no need to get new keys.
However, there are some changes.
- Student petitions should be sent to the STEM-Math/CIS division office. A new Exchange email address is being requested for this purpose, but it is unknown at the time this document is written.
- Stationarys and supplies should come from the STEM-Math/CIS division.
Convocation Day
According to the LRCFT contract, section 4.6.1, full-time faculty members are required to attend convocation, the division meeting, and the department meeting. At the time of writing this document, all three activities have online participation options.
- Convocation: on the morning of 8/23 in the Student Center. Zoom link to be published.
- Division Meeting: in the afternoon of 8/23 from 1 pm to 1:50 pm. Michelle Brock will host this meeting and share important matters for the division. Zoom link to be published. The physical meeting is held in Arts & Science 103, we will be joining faculty members of the Math department.
- Department Meeting: in the afternoon of 8/24 from 2 pm to 5 pm (at least on paper). The physical meeting is held in STEM 308. Tak Auyeung will host this meeting. Zoom link to be sent by email.
- The full-time first round (one phase) and overload (second phase) teaching assignment requests will be done by 8/30.
- Get first round (for load and only load) requests in by the end of Monday 8/26), do not request past one FTE for this round.
- Get overload requests in by the end of Friday 8/30.
- The Hybrid (part in-person and part online) setup will be Tak’s homebrew SyncFlex (same as prior semesters). We can talk about SyncFlex as an option for our classes if there is interest.
- For this meeting, we have invited a guest speaker to talk about the psychology of teaching and learning. The objective is to incorporate ideas to make instruction more effective without creating more work! This is also “equity and student-centered” because the objective is to help every student succeed.
- A few part-time faculty members are joining the department in Fall 2024, this is a good opportunity to get to know them!
- If there is interest, Tak can discuss using GitHub for OER (open education resource) purposes.
We are still hiring!
There are two open full-time positions available: one programming/web position and one cybersecurity/networking. If you are interested, please click the links and submit your application before the deadline.
Those who are interested can contact anyone to seek advice. However, once the memberships of hiring committees are determined, members of hiring committees should refrain from offering advice.