Exterior aerial image the North Campus in the fall.

New Faculty: Getting Started at UB

Welcome to UB! At the Office of Curriculum, Assessment, and Teaching Transformation (CATT), we are dedicated to supporting your journey as a new faculty member. Our office provides a comprehensive range of services designed to enhance your instructional methods, streamline assessment processes and optimize your use of UB Learns, our university’s learning management system. Whether you need assistance in developing engaging course materials, implementing effective assessment strategies or navigating the digital landscape of online learning, CATT is here to help you succeed.

We're here to support you!

Below you will find resources from CATT and partner offices across the university to help as you get started at UB. As you prepare to teach at UB, we encourage you to reach out to us for support using the form below:

Connect with CATT: New Faculty

1. Get to Know UB

Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs – New Faculty Resources

The duties of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs include welcoming and orienting new faculty to UB. On this page you will find links to introductory materials and resources you may find helpful in your first year at the University at Buffalo.

UB Libraries – Faculty Support

The University Libraries provide a broad array of resources and services to support UB faculty and teaching assistants. The subject librarian for your department, school, or research center is available to discuss Libraries' resources and services for your research and teaching, and for the students you teach. Please contact your librarian today.

Accessibility Resources – Classroom and Online Instruction

UB is required to provide students with disabilities with access to our courses and programs.  Designing courses with accessibility in mind is critical to ensuring that everyone can participate and learn.

University Policies & Guidelines for Faculty & Staff

This page provides details on policies and guidelines and reflects the subject matter formerly housed in the Faculty Staff Handbook

2. Connect with CATT

Consider a Collaboration Session

Are you designing or redesigning a course and need help with student assessments? Whether it’s a project for one course, multiple sections, or an interdisciplinary effort, our learning designers can collaborate with you to create effective assessments.

Request Instructional Support from CATT

Staff from CATT provide instructional and pedagogical support to help ensure you are equipped to create classroom experiences which promote student success. 

New Faculty Academy: Teaching and Learning Track

This collaboration aims to provide all new faculty members with support as they grow into effective educators and productive scholars. The fall semester track, led by learning designers from CATT, focuses on vital course-building skills and how to incorporate best practices into their courses and foster student academic success.

Course Evaluation Support for Instructors

Instructors can log into UB Course Evaluations to manage their evaluations, view reports and use an interactive dashboard to compare their results to aggregated results from other departments, academic units or all of UB.

Get to Know UB Learns

UB Learns is our university-wide Learning Management System, powered by Brightspace. We've put together extensive guides for instructors to get started with their courses in UB Learns.

Teaching Technology Integrations Gateway

The Teaching Technology Integrations Gateway provides information about the teaching technologies integrated with UB Learns and streamlined guidance for the procurement and implementation of new and innovative teaching technologies and practices.

 

3. Familiarize yourself with UBIT

Faculty Technology Guide

Explore the software and services UB provides to help you teach.

UB Technology Classrooms

Explore what UB technology classrooms have to offer (including hardware and seating capacity), and find instructions for using the teaching stations and other classroom technology.

Getting IT Help from Your Department

Academic, administrative and research units support their faculty and staff in their work. Locate your organization on this page to access your departmental support.

Look Up Passcode or Combination for a Centrally Scheduled Classroom

Access the combination codes for centrally scheduled classroom teaching stations across campus.

4. Prepare for the First Day of Classes

This Semester at UB

This Semester at UB is a resource for instructors to discover essential and up-to-date information related to teaching at the university.

Creating a Syllabus: Undergraduate Courses

The undergraduate course syllabus serves as a contract between the student and professor regarding course expectations and policies. The course syllabus should clearly communicate what the instructor expects of students and what students can expect from the instructor.

Syllabus Guidelines: Graduate Courses

The graduate course syllabus serves as a contract between the student and professor regarding course expectations and policies. The course syllabus should clearly communicate what the instructor expects of students and what students can expect from the instructor.