New Faculty Orientation | Center For Teaching Excellence | SIU

Hello new SALUKI!  We are excited to welcome you to SIU.

This page will help you begin your transition to the SIU experience as a tenure-track or non-tenure track faculty. On this page, you will find useful links to general onboarding activities and useful links to Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) resources to smoothly guide you into your teaching role.

SPARK Week Agenda

Begin by watching this video from Dr. Craig Engstrom, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, and REGISTERING for Updates, NFO & SPARK Week Activities.

GETTING STARTED at SIU as an instructor is easy as 1-2-3. Here are three soft onboarding activities you can begin doing today to prepare to teach your first courses at SIU. You are not required to complete these activities before your contract start date; however, if you’re eager to begin preparing your courses, let us get you started TODAY. 

You will need an SIU Dawg Tag and SIU email to complete some of these activities. We've tried to provide several resources that do not require having a network ID or SIU email. 

 Learn About SIU’s Learning Management System (LMS) 

SIU is a D2L/Brightspace campus. If you’re familiar with D2L, you already know why we love it so much. If you’re coming from a Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas, etc. campus, we are here to assist you with your transition. You can get started today by doing the following: 

• If you still have access to courses at your former institution that you will teach at SIU, export the course package so you can import content into D2L following these instructions.  
• Register for and Complete D2L/Brightspace Instructor Guided Training [does not require SIU email; download PDF instructions].

Begin Preparing Your Course 

If you're already thinking about your courses, these resources and activities may help you pivot to SIUC's way of doing things.  

• Download a Customizable SIU Course Syllabus/Outline Template (Not a required format, but helpful information about required components) 
• Complete CTE’s self-paced and asynchronous New Instructor Pre-Orientation course (aka asynchronous orientation to SIU and D2L training)
• SIU is committed to the highest standards of accessibility for ALL courses, not just when students request disability support. Always design for online! 1) Read more about accessibility @ SIU;  2) Complete our Award-Winning The Great Escape Course on Accessibility [requires access to D2L]; 3) Download Disability Support Services Checklist 

Download Agenda and Register for CTE’s SPARK Week Activities 

SPARK Week is a week of  Support, Professional Development, Advancement, Resources, and Knowledge for ALL new and returning SIU faculty. 

This event is not required, but we suggest you take advantage of our wide range of online workshops, campus tours, consultations, and more. 

Spark your knowledge, and ignite your potential! 

Fall 2024 SIU SPARK Week Schedule

IMPORTANT NOTES

• This event is optional. However, we have planned several educational online events which will be helpful for everyone.
• SIU is a DIY institution. This means that the CTE offers training, workshops, and support; however, faculty are responsible for building courses, integrating technology, and complying with accessibility standards. We will give you the tools for success—such as 24/7 LMS support through D2L—but you will want to begin taking advantage of the resources on this page as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition to SIU.
• Most questions, including questions about your teaching assignments, will be best answered by your School Director or the College Dean’s Office. Of course, contact the CTE if you have questions about course preparation and LMS support.
• If you are having trouble accessing SIU systems, contact SalukiTech
• Early access to D2L (aka MyCourses). Fortunately, we can give you access to D2L for training and course development before you have an official ID. You can request this when registering for New Faculty Orientation or by emailing teach@siu.edu. Unfortunately, we cannot give you access to your specific course shells for development in D2L until you’re officially listed as the instructor of record and we receive written approval from your program director. To obtain unrestricted access to D2L (MyCourses) you will need a DAWG ID and SIU email. You can claim your network ID by clicking here.