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Clark University
Office of the
Provost

Important Information for Faculty

Picture of new faculty starting in Fall 2019.

Welcome to the Clark University community.

This site offers basic information that will be helpful for new faculty members as you begin your careers at Clark. While not meant to be comprehensive, the following items provide some guidance about dates, policies, and resources at Clark. Please feel free to contact Amy Lee in the Provost’s Office 1-508-793-7766 if you have questions or concerns.

STUDENTS IN DIFFICULTY: As a recognized practice, Clark follows the policy that all concerns about students in difficulty should be channeled through a single location, and for us that is the Dean of Students Office. If you have concerns about a student — whether you have observed specific behaviors, such as a student missing classes, not handing in work, or behaving erratically — or if you have more diffuse concerns, please contact the Dean of Students Office (x7423). Staff will evaluate all reports and refer them appropriately.

New Faculty Orientation will take place throughout academic year 2022-23.  For more information on faculty orientation, visit the Dean of the Faculty page.

Day of Week Key:        M = Monday, T = Tuesday, W = Wednesday, R = Thursday and F = Friday

Daytime Classes Seminars Evening Common Times

(no classes)
M-W-F  8-8:50 a.m.

9-9:50 a.m.

10-10:50 a.m.

11-11:50 a.m.

12-12:50 p.m.

 M     2:50-5:50 p.m. M      6-9 p.m. W     1:15-4:15 p.m.
M-W    12-1:15 p.m.

4:15-5:30 p.m.

 T      2:50-5:50 p.m. T       6-9 p.m. R     11:40-1:25 p.m.
M-R      1:25-2:40 p.m. W     9-11:50 a.m. W      6-9 p.m.
T-R        9-10:15 a.m.

10:25-11:40 a.m.

4:15-5:30 p.m.

5:40-6:55 p.m.

 R      2:50-5:50 p.m. R       6-9 p.m.
T-F       12-1:15 p.m.

1:25-2:40 p.m.

2:50-4:05 p.m.

 F      9-11:50 a.m.

1:25-4:25 p.m.

 M-W     7-8:15 p.m.

T-R        7-8:15 p.m.

Many new faculty arrive in Worcester with small children, and questions about child care often come up. Current faculty have offered childcare recommendations in the local area. These are suggestions only, and are not meant as a comprehensive list or as endorsements.

The Clark OneCard is your multipurpose Clark ID card. You will need it to access Goddard Library, the Kneller Athletic Center, and other facilities and services on campus. You will need to have a photo taken to initiate the process; email the OneCard office or call x7109 to set up a time. The office schedules regular hours for taking student ID photos, and you may drop in during these times — but you risk waiting in line.

If moving expenses are awarded, the maximum amount is specified in your contract letter. These are handled as reimbursements as we don’t normally pay moving companies directly. Reimbursements are processed as quickly as possible.

Should you choose to handle the move yourself, we will reimburse you for packing supplies, etc., but please note that for purchases you make on your own, we cannot reimburse you for sales tax.

Choosing (and dealing with) a moving company can be stressful. Here is a website that others have found to be helpful (though it is not endorsed formally by Clark): http://www.movingscam.com

There are no written guidelines for what Clark considers to be moving expenses, so if you have a question, just email Amy Lee or call x7766. Generally speaking, we choose to define “moving expenses” broadly. For example, reimbursable expenses might include moving company payments, packing costs, storage costs, pet moving expenses, office moving expenses (boxes of books, etc.), and trips to Worcester to look for housing. Expenses we would not consider reimbursable are meal costs while traveling, lawyer or realtor fees, points paid for purchasing a house, and penalties incurred due to breaking a lease in order to move to Worcester.

To request reimbursement, fill out the Moving Expense Reimbursement Request. If you have not yet gone through the I9 process with Human Resources, then you will also need to complete and submit a W4 form.

If you are submitting more than two or three receipts, please do not simply attach them to the moving form and be done with it. Instead, include a separate paper with a list of items, dollar amounts, and a total reimbursement amount. If you have many receipts, please number your list and write the corresponding number on each receipt. The more organized you are in your presentation, the fewer issues will arise and the sooner you’ll be reimbursed. Be sure to include receipts and not invoices. We need to know that you paid for something before we can reimburse you. Please fill out the moving expense form online, print it, sign it, and submit it with your list and your receipts to me.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Amy Lee at any time. Please send all completed paperwork either via interoffice mail (“Amy Lee – Provost’s Office”) or to:

Amy Lee
Provost’s Office
Clark University
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610

Some faculty, especially those in the sciences, are awarded startup funds, as designated in their appointment letter. They can be accessed directly, or through your department administrator, who will be notified of the specific account numbers and can help you with processing payments or reimbursements. In the unlikely event of non-reappointment, continued use of unexpended start-up funds must be cleared by the provost.

Part of Information Technology Services (ITS), Academic Technology Services (ATS) facilitates the use of technologies to enhance and strengthen teaching, learning, and scholarship at Clark. ATS partners with faculty, staff, and students to imagine ways to use technology to meet academic goals. While not an all-inclusive list, academic technologists can help you:

  • select technologies to enhance your work and courses
  • “Flip” your classroom
  • use technology (or don’t!) for instructional design
  • create or implement assignments focused on students learning and reflection — especially in “LEEP-y” ways
  • design and implement web-based surveys and collaborative online learning experiences
  • navigate Moodle and other web-based course tools
  • reserve equipment for classes and events

When you need help, whom should you contact?  The best starting points are as follows:

  • When you have an issue with your username/password, your Clark computing equipment, or have software questions, you should call, email or visit the Help Desk and work with the Desktop Support Services group. (Academic Commons at Goddard Library, helpdesk@clarku.edu, x7745).
  • If you need AV equipment delivered to your classroom, or would like to borrow equipment to take to a presentation on or off campus, contact Media Services by email, by phone at x7724, or by stopping by their office on the ground floor of Jonas Clark Hall.
  • As you consider the integration of technology and the teaching/learning/research environments you create, you need support with Moodle, or have questions about curriculum-oriented software, you should contact the Academic Technologist assigned to your department.
  • If you aren’t sure who to contact, you can reach out to any member of the team and we will help you get the support you need. Below is a listing of contact information:
        • ITS Help Desk
          Phone: (508) 793-7745 | helpdesk@clarku.edu | Academic Commons
        • Liz Hamblett, Director of Academic Technology Services
          (508) 421-3714 | ehamblett@clarku.edu | Carlson 117
        • Joanne Dolan, Manager for Online and Instructional Technologies
          (508) 793-7472 | jodolan@clakru.edu | Goddard 407
          Primary contact for faculty in Education, English, GSOM, History/CHGS, IDCE, Online faculty, Political Science, Sociology, and SPS.
        • Michael Krikonis, Academic Technologist
          (508) 793-8807 | mkrikonis@clarku.edu | Goddard 407
          Primary contact for faculty in Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, LLC, Math/CompSci, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, V&PA
        • Tim Johnson, Academic Technology Associate
          (508) 793-7214 | tjohnson@clarku.edu | Goddard 407
        • Jim Cormier, Manager for Campus Media Services
          (508) 793-7724 | jcormier@clarku.edu | Media Services

Faculty assembly meetings are held monthly on Wednesday afternoons at 2 p.m. Faculty assembly and other important dates for 2022-23 are as follows:

FALL SEMESTER 2022

9/7 New Faculty Orientation 2-4
9/14 Faculty Steering 2-4; Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3
9/21 Recommended for respective department meetings; Thursdays 11:45-1:00 are also available
9/28 Faculty Assembly 2-4

10/5 Faculty Steering 2-4; New Faculty Orientation 2-4
10/12 Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3
10/19 Faculty Assembly 2-4
10/21 Fall ClarkFest
10/21-22 Board of Trustees Meeting
10/26 Recommended for respective department meetings; Thursdays 11:45-1:00 are also available

11/2 Faculty Steering 2-4; New Faculty Orientation 2-4
11/4 Equity in Action Conference
11/9 Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3
11/16 Faculty Assembly 2-4
11/23 Day before Thanksgiving
11/30 Recommended for respective department meetings; Thursdays 11:45-1:00 are also available

12/7 Faculty Steering 2-4 (if needed); New Faculty Orientation 2-4
12/14 Faculty Assembly 2-4 (if needed)

SPRING SEMESTER 2023

1/18 Faculty Steering; New Faculty Orientation 2-4
1/25 Faculty Assembly 2-4

2/1 Faculty Steering 2-4
2/3-4 Board of Trustees Meeting
2/8 Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3
2/15 Faculty Assembly 2-4
2/22 Recommended for respective department meetings; Thursdays 11:45-1:00 are also available

3/1 Faculty Steering 2-4
3/8 Spring Break Week
3/15 Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3
3/22 Faculty Assembly 2-4
3/29 Recommended for respective department meetings; Thursdays 11:45-1:00 are also available

4/5 Faculty Steering 2-4; New Faculty Orientation 2-3
4/12 Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3
4/19 Faculty Assembly 2-4
4/26 Spring ClarkFest; Thursdays 11:45-1:00 are also available

5/2 CETL Faculty Professional Development Day
5/3 Final Academic Unit Heads’ Meeting 2-3; New Faculty final check-in/social 4:30
5/5-5/6 Board of Trustees Meeting

Email announcements and agendas are distributed to faculty in advance of each faculty assembly meeting. Please be sure to attend.

Faculty in their first year at Clark typically do not take on formal advising duties. However, after the first year, all regular faculty are expected to advise undergraduate students (and graduate students, where appropriate). Faculty who teach a First-Year Intensive (FYI) course typically serve as pre-major advisers to the students enrolled in that class. An online adviser’s handbook, The 3 Rs, may be accessed at the Academic Advising website.

The teaching evaluation process used paper evaluations up until 2017 but is now completed in an online format. You can find more information on the eUWTE website.

There are two email distribution lists to which faculty can post; neither of which are moderated in any way. Individual faculty can opt out of these lists if they choose. There are listserve guidelines and best practices that faculty must follow. The lists used more often are as follows:

1) faculty-announcements@lists.clarku.edu – This list comprises all full-time faculty, and, because we’re trying to be inclusive here, a smattering of other folks within the Clark community who’ve asked to join. This list is meant for announcements of any kind, e.g. upcoming lectures or concerts, apartments for rent, etc. Faculty can opt-out of this list, but very few have. When you hit REPLY to an email from this list, your email goes to the sender only.

Alternatively, or in conjunction with the announcements listserv, you may post an announcement to ClarkYOU, the University’s internal communication portal that is accessed by the Clark community only.

2) faculty-general@lists.clarku.edu – Although the address is “faculty-general,” messages sent to this listserv show up in your mailbox as “Faculty Discussion.” As the name suggests, this listserv is meant for discussion among faculty, on whatever topics interest you.

In addition to the above, there are listservs to which only the administration can post, and from which faculty cannot opt-out. The one you will notice is faculty-tenure track, which we reserve for important university business only. If you hit REPLY to one of those messages it will be sent only to me (Amy), because I’m the list moderator. In other words, if the Provost or President sends out to this list and you want to write back to the sender, you’ll need to type in that person’s email address directly.

The Writing Center offers free one-to-one writing assistance to all members of the Clark University community. Writing consultants will work with student writers on any piece of writing — short papers, research papers, lab reports, presentations, senior honors theses, graduate school applications, or resumes. Students may bring writing at any stage of the writing process, whether they are brainstorming, outlining, revising, or editing.

Jennifer Plante, Director of the Writing Center and Writing Program, consults with faculty across the disciplines. If you would like to talk about your students’ writing, your writing assignments (formal or informal, in-class or take-home), or your responses to student writing, or if you would like to know more about how you can encourage your students to work with the Clark Writing Center, please contact Jen by email or at 508-793-7469.

Contact Information

Office of the Provost

Office Location

  • Geography Building, Room 212
    Clark University
    950 Main Street
    Worcester, MA 01610-1477

  • 1-508-793-7673
  • 1-508-793-8834 Fax
  • sroyo[at]clarku[dot]edu
Office Hours

  • Monday through Friday
    8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.