Sociology Department

Faculty Resources

This page is intended to let faculty know about common procedures (related to course scheduling and reimbursements) and some of the services that are available to them at BC (equipment and grants, for instance). For more basic information, such as commonly used contact information and dates, see the Orientation page.

Information Related to Courses

To view courses: Sign into Agora and click on Course Offering Schedule to get to a menu that's pretty self explanatory. You can also view courses on UIS. Click on the Q on the lower left of your screen, type 1 and enter, then type MC03 and enter.

To schedule courses: The Chair approves courses and Jean schedules them. The Core Liaison (currently Paul Schervish) also needs to review and approve the syllabi for any new core courses, or for any instructor who's teaching a core course for the first time.

Core courses: For extensive information on core courses at BC, see http://www.bc.edu/core/Task.doc.html. Core courses in Sociology include SC001 through SC099.

To order books:

  • 98% of the faculty order their books on line at the bookstore website. Each new user must enter her or his user ID and create a password to have access to online book ordering. Pages will come up requesting information about the department, course, and type of book. Fill out all the information and submit.
  • Once you've already taught, the Staff Assistant will give you a copy of the official textbook requisition form, which you can, if you prefer, fill out manually instead of ordering the books online. Once it's filled out, you can fax it to the bookstore (2-2808) or take it there yourself and give it to Carol Bisceglia. (The bookstore is in the same building as the post office, McElroy.) You can also email Carol at carol.bisceglia.1@bc.edu with the details of the order.

It's a good idea to physically check the order in the bookstore two weeks before classes start. If there are any problems, it will be too late to correct them once the semester starts.

Desk Copies:Check the publisher's website instructions to find out how these are made. To find the url and mailing address, check the publisher's list (although your publisher may not be on it, in which case you’ll have to search for them on the Internet). You can also plug your information into a sample letter and either mail or email the result.

Coursepack ordering: Most faculty use e-reserves. However, coursepacks can be ordered online, at the same bookstore website used to order books.

E-Reserves Electronic course reserves can be arranged at the library. Make sure you give them ample notice.

Course Websites: Course websites generated through Blackboard Vista can be used in a variety of ways, for instance to give syllabi and other scheduling information to students in the class, to display materials that would ordinarily be put into course packets or on reserve, or to host discussions on class topics. Submit a request form on http://idesweb.bc.edu/ides/website/teaching_tools/bb_vista/create_course

Syllabus: The syllabus should be sent to the office staff prior to class. Samples of syllabi are given on the Office Hours and Syllabi section of our website.

Granting overrides: To grant an override, just send an email to the student giving permission and telling the student to print up the email and bring it to McGuinn 426. Copy the office staff on the email, and make sure it includes the name of the student and the name and number of the course.

To view course rosters: Sign into Agora and click on Course Rosters/Photos, or Agora Portal and click on the Roster button next to your class.

Emailing your class: Your main Agora menu provides a button entitled "Communicating with your class," which directs you how to create an email ID for your classes. The email address will include your course number, section number, and the first initial of the semester: SC#####S@bc.edu (for Spring) and SC#####F@bc.edu (for Fall).

Equipment Support: For support with any kind of video equipment related to your class, contact Classroom Support at 4219. If you want to borrow equipment from them, they need 48 hours notice. Many classrooms have a cabinet which contains equipment, and you can sign out a key from Media Technology (in the basement of Campion) to use it.

Exams: Written classroom exams must be administered unless the instructor has permission from the chair to use a take home exam or some other method. Students must take the exams in the blue books, which should be obtained from the Staff Assistant right before exam time. Exam schedules and rooms will be assigned by the university, and will be posted outside room 426. There's also a webpage that gives exam schedules by category.

Evaluations: Evaluation forms are distributed to students every semester. The completed evaluations are immediately placed in the sealed envelope provided and given to the Staff Assistant or the Administrative Assistant. They are returned to instr uctors after Student Services records the ratings.



Grading:

  • Grading guidelines are given on the Academic Policies and Procedures website maintained by Student Services.
  • Grading must done on line. Information on how to use the system is provided on the Grading Procedures website, also maintained by Student Services.

Expense Reimbursements

The Staff Assistant handles expense reimbursements. Please use the following guidelines in preparing your reimbursements.

  1. Tape your receipts to an 8 x 11 sheet of paper.
  2. Write a short memo (it can be on a post-it note) explaining the expense, and sign your name.
  3. Credit card statements alone are insufficient as proof of purchase.
  4. When you get a receipt on line, the receipt has to show the last four digits of your credit card number.

Travel Reimbursements

Travel to conferences may be completely or partially funded by the A&S office under certain circumstances. See the A&S Faculty Travel Reimbursement page and the BC Policies and Procedures Manual for more detailed information about criteria and procedures.

Before leaving, faculty members must submit a Travel Request Form. The Staff Assistant also has a version of this in Excel, so you don't have to fill it out by hand. The form needs to be turned in to the Chair for approval at least 6 ½ weeks before departure.

Within 2 weeks after their return, faculty should turn in their receipts to the Staff Assistant, using the format described under Expense Reimbursements, along with a boarding pass and an expense report sheet that calculates the expenses. You can fill out an Excel or a pdf version of the expense report. The form can also be provided to you by the Staff Assistant. If you have a Mac, you should ask the Staff Assistant or Administrative Assistant for the form adapted for Macs.

Note the restrictions above: credit card statements alone are insufficient as proof of purchase, and any receipt you receive on line has to show the last four digits of your credit card number.

Equipment

Equipment Support: As indicated above, for support with any kind of video equipment related to your class, contact Classroom Support at 4219. If you want to borrow equipment from them, they need 48 hours notice. Many classrooms have a cabinet which contains equipment, and you can sign out a key from Media Technology (in the basement of Campion) to use it.

Departmental Equipment The department owns and will loan out an LCD projector, laptops, a zip drive, a limited number of transcribers, and tape recorders.

The Interactive Media Lab (IML), part of ATS, will permit you to book rooms and borrow equipment.
 

Grants

Internal

There are a number of university grants that are available to full time faculty members. Be sure to check websites to find out about various restrictions and application procedures.

  1. Research Expense grants are administered by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). They're offered twice a year and max out at $2,000. See http://www.bc.edu/research/osp/funding/internal/regchairdean/ for deadlines and additional information.
  2. Research Incentive grants are administered by the Provost's office. They're offered once a year and max out at $15,000. See http://www.bc.edu/offices/avp/faculty_awards_and_grant/rig-guide.html page for links to deadlines and other information.
  3. Undergraduate Research Fellowship grants are offered by the College of Arts and Sciences three times a year. These grants permit faculty to hire undergraduate assistants to help on research projects. For exact deadlines and additional information, see http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/services/faculty/facforms/researchfellows/.
  4. Teaching, Advising, and Mentoring grants (TAM) are administered by University Council on Teaching (UCT). These very competitive grants are offered once a year and max out at $15,000. See http://www.bc.edu/offices/avp/faculty_awards_and_grant/TAM-instruct.html for deadlines and other information.
  5. Teaching, Advising and Mentoring Expense Grants (TAME). These are offered twice a year by UCT, and max out at $2,000. See http://www.bc.edu/offices/avp/faculty_awards_and_grant/tame-instruct.html for deadlines and additional information.
  6. Eighty Percent and Regular Sabbaticals Application. Faculty can apply for the very competetive eighty percent sabbatical to work on research projects. The sabbaticals are awarded by the office of the Academic Vice President (AVP) annually. Find application at http://www.bc.edu/publications/fachbk/policies/sabbatical.html.

External

(All listed by the OSP)

Sabbatical Fellowships

Other Fellowships

Other funding opportunities

Links:

Faculty Handbook: http://www.bc.edu/publications/fachbk/ - a guide to faculty in understanding and using University resources, including policies and procedures, faculty support services and programs, university-wide committees, benefits, and facilities and services.

AVP Faculty Resources and Services: http://www.bc.edu/offices/avp/fac-resrc-serv.html - information on faculty awards, academic technology services, research expense grants, research incentive grants, organizational charts, etc.

A&S Faculty Services and Resources: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/services/faculty.html - a series of helpful links, for instance to the academic calendar, Academic Technology Services, a list of A&S Chairpersons, A&S faculty elections, libraries, and others.

Forms for Faculty: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/services/faculty/facforms.html

Academic Calendar - http://www.bc.edu/offices/stserv/academic/current/calendar/

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Information - http://www.bc.edu/research/rcip/human.html

Office of Sponsored Programs Forms - http://www.bc.edu/research/osp/forms.html

ASA Website - http://www.asanet.org/