New Faculty Support

Welcome to Yale

We at the Poorvu Center are delighted to welcome new faculty to the vibrant community of teachers and scholars at Yale. This page serves as an introduction to new faculty to resources related to teaching policies and guidelines, best practices for teaching, how to get started with Yale-specific instructional tools, and timely support available as we navigate both residential and remote learning environments.

Timely Support Available to New Faculty

We offer timely programming in resilient course design, recognizing that teaching at Yale may occur in both residential and remote learning environments, and that flexibility will be encouraged for both instructors and students as the public health situation evolves.

Self-Directed Support

The Poorvu Center has developed an Academic Continuity Resources Canvas site, which includes recordings and resources from workshops offered during Summer 2020/Fall 2020 to prepare Yale instructors for remote teaching. Core workshop topics include Preparing to Teach Online, Connecting to Each of Your Students, Adjusting Assessments for the Changing World, and Engaging Students Online.

Request Access to Poorvu Center workshop recordings and resources on Canvas @ Yale:

Learning about Teaching at Yale

Yale represents many cultures and subcultures of teaching and learning that reflect the diversity of disciplines and perspectives of Yale students and faculty across undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. The resources below include expectations for teaching and learning at Yale as well as insights into the elements that make up these cultures:

Getting Started: Best Practices

Employing the below practices can help you develop a resilient course that is adaptable to both residential and remote teaching and learning environments. Poorvu Center staff are available to assist you throughout this process.

Start by creating specific course learning goals for your students. Consider the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities you intend for students to develop in your course.
Guided by your course goals, consider which class activities and assessments will provide opportunities for your students to practice and achieve the learning you intend.
On the first day of class and throughout the semester, think intentionally about how to build community in the classroom, which will support your students’ sense of belonging and performance.

Getting Started: Instructional Tools

As you get settled in your new role, we encourage you to become familiar with Yale instructional tools, which will benefit your students in both remote and residential teaching settings:

Getting Started with Zoom - Zoom is Yale’s web conferencing platform, used by Yale instructors to hold synchronous classes and office hours, as well as to bring guest speakers to class remotely.
Getting Started with Canvas - Canvas is Yale’s learning management system, a platform where Yale instructors can post their course materials, administer assessments, facilitate discussion boards, coordinate group work and more.

Academic Continuity