Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE)

Faculty Quickstart Guide

Welcome to Cal Poly Pomona! This page will help get you started in your faculty career at Cal Poly Pomona. Please contact the Faculty Center at 909-869-2890 for more information.

If you're on campus and you don't have an office or a place to hang out yet, the Faculty Reading Room on the 2nd floor of the University Library is a great place. You are also welcome at the Faculty Center in Bldg 1 Room 227 and to use the conference room in 1-228 if it is free. If you need a computer, Blackboard help, or other technology help, eLearning's Studio 6 in Bldg 1 Room 205 is perfect for you.

We also have face-to-face orientations for both tenure-track and lecturer faculty:

  • Tenure Track Faculty Orientation: Usually held the week before classes begin in fall. Watch for emails the summer before you join.
  • Lecturer Orientation: Held the week classes begin in fall. Your chair can inform you.

Calendars

  1. Campus Events Calendars
  2. Pay and Holidays Calendar
  3. Academic Calendars

Policies

  1. University Catalog
  2. Policy Manual

Around Campus

  1. Useful Campus Websites (doc)
  2. People-to-know (doc)
  3. Campus Maps

What's Happening on Campus

  1. PolyUpdates - Cal Poly Pomona's weekly electronic newsletter (sent via email)
  2. PolyCentric - Cal Poly Pomona news and announcements

Emergencies

The direct phone number for Cal Poly Pomona police is 909-869-3070. If you are using a cell phone, call 909-869-3070, NOT 911. (911 calls from cell phones are routed to state police, causing delay.)

For a full overview of all campus emergency services, including police, visit Emergency Services. Carefully read Emergency Procedures (pdf) and keep a copy in a visible location.

Enroll in the Safety Alert System to receive emergency text and voice messages. Emergencies are announced on the University website home page, the digital marquees, through department phone trees, and by building marshals and safety officials.

Background Check

Faculty are subject to background checks before hiring. This will happen automatically when you are offered the position. The background check must be completed before you can get a Bronco ID number or email. Visit the background check information page for more details.

Signing Up at HR

Preferably before, but at the latest on, your first day of employment, go to the Human Resources office on the 1st floor of the tower part of the CLA Building, aka Building 98 or “the pointy building.” You will fill out several employment forms which will then be sent to Payroll.

  • To save time, you can visit the New Faculty Employee Sign Up website. At the top of the page is a list of links and instructions for HR paperwork. Fill out the forms online, print, and bring to HR.

What to Bring

  • Bring your ORIGINAL social security card. Copies are NOT acceptable.
  • Bring the contract letter that your department provided.
  • If you are not a US citizen, you will need ORIGINAL identification documents suitable for the I-9 form. Acceptable documents may be found at the US Citizenship & Immigration Services website.

Bronco Number and Bronco Card

Bronco Number

After you sign up with HR, they will send your information to Payroll. Payroll will get you “in the system” and you will be issued a Bronco number and a “claim code.” This information will reach you via SNAIL MAIL ONLY.

If you are not on campus to sign up with HR, you can still get your Bronco number and claim code ahead of time. Print out, fill out, and sign these two forms:

  1. Information Access Confidentiality Form (pdf)
  2. Personal Data Form (pdf)
  • Submit the forms along with a copy of your contract letter from your department to Payroll: Attn: Sandra Davis, Bldg 98-B1-1, 3801 West Temple Ave., Pomona CA 91768. You will get your Bronco number and "claim code" via SNAIL MAIL ONLY.

Bronco Card

To get a Bronco card, you will need your Bronco number. Go to the Photo ID Unit, CLA Building (building 98) 2nd Floor, tower side. Bring a photo id such as a driver's license, state identification card, passport, etc. The Photo ID Unit will verify in its database that you are an active faculty member.

Parking Permit

  • If your contract is for the full year, you may purchase a permit for the whole year and have it directly deducted from your paycheck. Take your Bronco card AND your contract letter to the Cashier's office in the CLA Building on the Japanese garden side – Building 98-B1-123.
  • Quarter-by-quarter permits may be purchased online.
  • Additional parking information

Benefits Eligibility and Orientation Sign Up

  • Complete benefits website
  • Tenure-line faculty are almost certainly eligible for benefits, but you must sign up for them. It is to your great advantage to sign up for benefits as soon as possible.
  • Lecturers may or may not be eligible for benefits. To find out if you are eligible, see the Health Benefits Eligibility page. To summarize, you are eligible if your appointment letter states that you are appointed for at least 6 WTUs (at least 0.4 time) for two consecutive quarters.
  • To sign up for benefits orientation, visit the Benefits Orientation page.

BroncoDirect (PeopleSoft) Access

After you are signed in with payroll and have your Bronco number, you will automatically be granted instructor access to BroncoDirect. Tenure-track faculty are automatically granted advisor access as well. If lecturer faculty serve as advisors, their department chair will initiate a request for them to get advisor access.

Blackboard Access

Blackboard access is granted automatically within 24 hours after you “claim your account.” For questions about Blackboard please go to the Learning Technologies page.

Faculty Computers

  • Tenure track faculty are provided a university laptop and desk monitor setup. See the Faculty Laptop Program Guide for more information.
  • Lecturers should check with their department to see if a laptop or other computer can be provided.

University Software Licenses

Cal Poly Pomona provides site licenses for many common tools such as MicroSoft Office, various statistical packages, database programs, etc. See eHelp's Software Licenses page for a complete list.

Getting IT and Technology Help on Campus

  • IT Service Desk
  • Studio 6 - eLearning's computer lab with knowledgeable student assistants to help with Blackboard and other learning technologies.

The California Faculty Association

The California Faculty Association You are represented by the California Faculty Association, a union of27,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches who teach in the California State University system. In classrooms on the 23 CSU campuses, CF A members work hard to teach our students. To join, as an active member with rights to vote and engage fully on behalf of yourself and others, go to: https://www.calfac.org/join-cfa.

Faculty Affairs

Faculty Affairs - University office for questions regarding faculty contracts, evaluation, positions,etc.

Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion (RTP) and Faculty Evaluation

Tenure Track Faculty

  • See all University policies regarding RTP. Your department will provide you with detailed RTP criteria that include departmental teaching evaluation procedures; talk to your department chair.
  • Get a list of new faculty-related questions (pdf) to ask your department.  

Lecturer Faculty

Ombuds

Ombuds - Confidential, neutral, independent, and informal assistance in resolving issues, problems, or concerns.

Course Design

The foundation of a great course is its design – having clear, compelling learning outcomes, along with learning activities and graded activities that contribute to those learning outcomes. This section contains links to some of our favorite resources for designing a great course.

Policies

University policies about syllabi, office hours, final exams, grade appeals, academic integrity, and more.

Syllabus

Office Hours

  • Office hours must be “synchronous,” that is, online office hours must be via a technology that makes you available in real-time.
  • Tenure-line faculty need 4 office hours per week, on 2 different days, with at least 2 hours face-to-face. Full time temporary faculty need 4 office hours per week, on 2 different days. The department may develop its own policy about the format of office hours for temporary faculty. For part time faculty, the number of hours is proportional to the time base.
  • University Office Hours Policy (pdf)

Final Exam Policy

  • All courses must have an appropriate final evaluation (which may take different forms).
  • In-class final activities may not be scheduled before the final exam week. Out-of-class final activities may not be due before the first day of the final exam week. In other words, don't shorten instructional time by giving early finals.
  • If a student has three finals in one day, the student may request the instructor of the middle final to provide an alternative, mutually convenient time (see the University Catalog, Academic Policies).
  • University Final Exam Policy (pdf)

Grade Appeal Policy and Process

  • Although the course grade assigned by the instructor is presumed to be correct, students may appeal a course grade by communication first with the instructor, then with the department chair. See the entire policy and procedure.

Academic Integrity

Handling plagiarism, cheating, or other academic dishonesty.

Accessibility

According to federal and California law, instructional materials posted online must be accessible to students with disabilities, even if no student in the class has requested an accommodation. Faculty are responsible for their instructional materials.

Supporting Students' Wellbeing

Faculty are often the first people to realize that a student is in distress or even in crisis. You see students in your classroom on a regular basis. Don't hesitate to ask for help if you are concerned for a student's well-being.

  • Please call Campus Police at 909-869-3070 If you feel that a student is an immediate danger to himself/herself or others.
  • PolyCARES is the campus portal for reporting concerns about a student's well-being or if you are concerned about a student's potential for causing harm to themselves or others.
  • Student Health & Counseling Services provides short-term and crisis counseling. You can also see a guide for faculty and staff to help the emotionally distressed student (pdf).
  • Title IX governs the university's response to sex-based discrimination, sexual, dating, and domestic violence. Faculty are affected by Title IX in various ways including their responsibility to report incidents even if requested to keep such disclosures confidential. Please inform yourself regarding Title IX.

Enriching the Student Experience

Academic and Social Support for Students

Teaching Technologies

  • Blackboard is Cal Poly Pomona's learning management system. Faculty are encouraged to place course materials in Blackboard and to use Blackboard's grade management features to help students monitor their progress.
  • Cal Poly Pomona has many other technologies that support teaching, such as Lynda.com, Adobe Presenter, Adobe Connect Meeting, Camtasia, and NBC Learn. Learn more about these technologies provided on campus.
  • For support for online or hybrid courses, or help in choosing various technologies, request instructional design consultation using CAFE Request Forms.
  • eLearning provides multimedia learning object development support. See the eLearning Multimedia Repository.

How Teaching is Evaluated

Workshops & Programs

Many departmental service opportunities exist. Check with your department chair.