Welcome Letter

Dear Adjunct Faculty,

Welcome (or welcome back!) to the University of Alaska Anchorage. We are glad you will be teaching for us this semester. This letter is part of your orientation to working as a UAA part-time faculty member. Your school may provide an orientation as well.

Human Resources, Employment Information, and Benefits

Please sign and return your Letter of Appointment. Visit the Employees page for more information. If you have additional questions, please contact your departmental administrative assistant.

Adjunct faculty at UAA receive many benefits. Ask about tuition waivers, discounted parking permits for the Anchorage campus, Wolfcard discounts, People Mover rides, Microsoft Office 365, and other software.

UA User Account

All University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) systems are accessed through your UA user account which is automatically generated after you submit your signed paperwork to Human Resources. To look up your UA username or change your password, go to me.uaa.alaska.edu. Your account is used to access:

  • Email. Your department, university administration, and students will contact you via your username@alaska.edu address. UA uses Google mail and calendaring. 
  • Blackboard Learn. Manage your classes with Blackboard Learn: share resources and files; post, receive, and grade assignments; hold online discussions; and more.
  • UAOnline.
    • Employee Services includes benefits, job data, and paystubs.
    • Faculty Services is where you enter final student grades, view class roster, student prerequisite status and student information.
    • Update your Personal Information so that UAA can contact you in the event of weather closures and other campus emergencies.

Required Training

  • Title IX. As part of our commitment to a campus culture of respect and a safe environment for students, the UAA Chancellor requires all UAA faculty to complete Title IX training. Title IX is the federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in all university activities. 
  • FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal law that limits which information we can disclose about students. All faculty must be aware of student privacy rights in regard to their student records (e.g. grade and, completed assignments). 

Teaching, Technology and Library

  • IT Services Technical Support Center assists with Blackboard, email, etc. at 786-4646 or 877-633-3888.
  • Academic Innovations & eLearning supports UAA online, distance, and eLearning instruction at 786-4496 (M-F 8am to 5pm).
  • Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) provides faculty development (training and support around teaching practices). 
  • UAA/APU Consortium Library provides collections and services to support university educational and research programs:
    • Subject Librarian for your discipline: Library research instruction, research consultation, collection development, and information services.
    • Wolfcard (UAA ID card) serves as Library card and can be obtained at the Library.
    • Remote access to research databases (use UA Username).
  • Your college or department may have specific adjunct resources as well.

Campus and Student Safety

Please review the following emergency phone numbers, especially if you are teaching in the evening.

  • Know the location of your classroom emergency phone (if there is one) and Emergency Evacuation Plan.
  • Anchorage Campus Police at 786-1120 assists with car trouble, locked classroom, safety escort, and disruptive students.
  • 911 assists with car accidents, crime, medical emergencies, and threats/violence.
  • The UAA Care Team reviews reports about concerns regarding the well-being and behavior of students.
  • The University of Alaska Notification System makes every effort to release information about emergencies (incidents) that may disrupt university operations.

IDEA: Course Evaluations

You will receive an email from UAA Course Evaluations requesting that you complete the Faculty Information Form (FIF). Students will automatically gain access to surveys in Blackboard during the last two weeks of the semester unless you request a change in survey dates. IDEA course evaluations are not generated for courses with 10 students or fewer.

Grades

  • Final grades must be entered in UAOnline by the semester deadline. Late grades hold up financial aid and student registration; please submit grades in a timely manner.
  • To enter grades, log in to UAOnline with your UA username. From the main menu, click Faculty Services, Enter Grades, and then choose the term and course.

Tips and important websites

  • The Registrar maintains a Dates and Deadlines calendar for each semester. You can also access a variety of UAA event calendars online.
  • The Student Help link in every Blackboard course provides a wide variety of support resources for students.
  • Refer students to an advisor when they have questions about dropping or withdrawing or other advising questions, particularly as this may have financial aid implications for the student. 
  • Code of Conduct issues, such as cheating or plagiarism or classroom behavior: Contact the Dean of Students or speak with your department.
  • View the most up-to-date semester course schedule on UAOnline to find your course meeting dates and times. Go to UAOnline (no need to log in), click Current Students, Class Schedule Search, and choose the term, campus, etc. If you click the CRN of a course, it shows how many students are enrolled and course notes.
  • Some adjuncts are represented by the United Academic Adjunct APEA-AFT union (see your appointment letter).
  • Find more information at the UAA Adjunct Faculty Gateway.