Do I Need to... - Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Teaching FAQs

Do I need to ...

… use Brightspace for my course management system?

… hold office hours?

… use any required language in my syllabus?

… report any evidence of sexual harassment?

… get a key to any classrooms?

… hold my class if there is bad weather?

… use a standardized grading scale in my class?

… use Brightspace for my course management system?

Faculty have sole discretion on classroom pedagogy and are not required to use any given platform outside of MaineStreet for entering final grades. Maine’s supported learning management system is Brightspace, which can be supported by IT and CITL.

… hold office hours?

Office hours are required per the faculty handbook. Office hours can be held face to face, or virtually using Zoom. Often faculty offer these at scheduled times or by appointment.

… use any required language in my syllabus?

There are five required policy statements that need to be included in every syllabus.

… report any evidence of sexual harassment?

As an employee of the University, you are a mandatory reporter and therefore required to report all evidence of sexual discrimination, harassment, or assault involving the university community need to be reported. For incidences involved students or for more information contact the Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

… get a key to any classrooms?

Academic classrooms should be unlocked. Some classrooms, such as the active learning classrooms, may require your MaineCard to access the room after normal business hours. If you are teaching in one of these courses, contact classroom scheduling (um.scheduling@maine.edu) to be sure there will not be a problem getting into your classroom.

… hold my class if there is bad weather?

Only the President of the University has authority to cancel classes due to weather. Many faculty, especially those teaching in spring, find it useful to have students prepared to meet via Zoom if weather is bad.

… use a standardized grading scale in my class?

There is no University-wide equivalence between percentage (such as 80%) and letter grades (such as B). Each instructor can make these determinations and should outline them clearly in the course syllabus. The definitions for the A-F grades as well as AU, DG, F*, I, L, LP, P, TH, and W are outlined in the grades and grading section of the undergraduate catalog. Guidelines for grading graduate courses are slightly different.