Loyola University Maryland

The Office of Academic Affairs

Part-Time Affiliate Faculty

Getting Acclimated to Your Department and Asking for Help from Administrative Assistants

If you are on campus during regular business hours, don’t hesitate to make contact with your department chair to share concerns or seek guidance in your teaching or the curriculum.  They are an invaluable resource.  If you teach mostly during the evenings, it is still advisable to keep in touch with your department chair, if only by email.

Your department’s Administrative Assistant can be an even greater resource for navigating the day to day workings of the college and getting your work done.

  • Copying class materials – There are two options for obtaining copies of material for class. The preferred method is to submit your request at least 3 days ahead of time, so that it can be processed at Loyola’s offsite Duplicating Center.  This is cheaper for the department, and more efficient.  The second option is to have it copied locally by your Administrative Assistant.  Beware however, that he/she is working for numerous professors, and will also need time to complete your request. Try and plan ahead for classroom materials that you might need that could be copied in advance. It is recommended that exams be submitted to your Administrative Assistant by email 36 hours in advance to allow sufficient time for offsite copying.
    • Rush jobs can be accomplished if a machine in the building is available for use and if the job is not too large.  Take advantage of Blackboard and upload as many documents as you can to your course site, and instruct students to download copies.  If they need to bring the item to class, instruct them to do so. 
    • When you want to make your own copies, your Loyola ID Card serves as your copy card (departments also have department copy cards as well).  Either of these may be used in copy machines throughout the College campus.  If you are teaching at either the Timonium or Columbia Campus, you can also use your Loyola ID card to make copies. 
  • Obtaining copyright permission.  The College respects copyrights.  If the material that you want copied is copyright protected, please ask your Department Administrative Assistant how to obtain permission to copy the material through the Copyright Clearance Center website: http://www.copyright.com/. The Department Chair must approve this expense.  In most cases, copyright charges are passed on to the students.  Beware of sending materials to Central Duplicating that might be copyright protected.  They will not duplicate them. 
  • Typing of Class Materials.  It has become generally standard procedure for instructors of all ranks to prepare/type their own materials for courses.  This would also be recommended for part-time affiliate faculty members.
  • Reserving and Obtaining AV Equipment.  Overhead projectors are provided in every classroom and most classrooms are equipped with permanent TV/VCRs.  In addition, most classrooms are technology ready with computer facilities, Internet access, document cameras, screens and projectors.  It is a very good idea to check your room before class starts and be sure you know what equipment is there and how it works.

In the event that your classroom lacks equipment that you need to teach, your Administrative Assistant can help you obtain this equipment. You can also call the AV Department directly to reserve your equipment.  The number is 410-617-5555.  If you are teaching at either Columbia or Timonium, the receptionist can also help you.

While your department’s Administrative Assistant can be a valuable resource for you, College policy has determined that it is not appropriate to ask your Administrative Assistant to perform any of the following tasks: proctor exams (request another member of the faculty to do this, if you are unable), record grades, hand out graded work to students, make trips to the library (During the fall and spring semesters, work study students are available to go to the library and to pick up items that you have reserved.  Please give at least a day’s notice so that this task can be worked into the student’s schedule.), or do a faculty member’s personal work.