As a faculty member you have access to a wide array of university facilities and resources. Below you will find information and links to the Intranet, University Administration, Teaching Resources, Research, Student Resources, Employment Resources, Campus Facilities and Services, Online Learning and IT&S. The Faculty Handbook provides information and guidelines for faculty and staff.

If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact the Manager of Academic Relations, Kennedy Fitzgerald at 902-457-6127 or email to: kennedy.fitzgerald1@msvu.ca.

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The Mount Intranet is an internal resource used to house important policies, procedures, and forms, as well as other documents that staff and faculty may find useful. To access the Intranet, you will need to log in using your designated username and password.

Reminder: From off-campus, you need to add themount before your username (ex. themountjsmith).

 

Academic Administration

The Mount’s leadership team strives to provide faculty with the best teaching and learning experiences.

Dr. Jöel Dickinson serves as President and Vice-Chancellor
Dr. Lori Francis serves as Vice-President Academic and Provost
Ms. Isabelle Nault serves as Vice-President Administration
Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan serves as Associate Vice-President Research
Ms. Kelly Gallant serves as Associate Vice-President University Relations
Dr. Keltie Jones serves as Associate Vice-President Student Experience
Dr. Antony Card serves as Dean of Education
Dr. Carrie Dawson serves as Dean of Arts & Science
Dr. Susan Trenholm serves as Dean of Professional & Graduate Studies

Academic Departments

Arts& Sciences

Biology
Chemistry & Physics
Economics
English
History
Mathematics
Modern Languages
Philosophy/Religious Studies
Political/Canadian Studies
Psychology
Sociology/Anthropology
Women’s Studies

Professional Studies

Applied Human Nutrition
Business and Tourism
Child & Youth Studies
Communication Studies
Family Studies & Gerontology
Information Technology

Graduate Studies

Applied Human Nutrition
Child and Youth Study
Public Relations and Communications
Education
Family Studies & Gerontology
Women and Gender Studies

Education

Teacher Education
Graduate Education

Convocation

Faculty members play an integral part in the Fall and Spring Convocation ceremonies. All faculty members are encouraged to attend the ceremonies. The Deans’ office sends out convocation notices approximately six weeks prior to the event.

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Mount Saint Vincent University offers a variety of teaching resources to assist faculty.

Registrar’s Office

Relevant academic information, including information on academic offences, is contained in the academic calendars for the undergraduate and graduate programs. A timetable of significant dates is available for faculty on the Intranet.

Class attendance and cancellation

Classes must be held in the location and at the time scheduled by the Registrar’s Office. Any alterations or exceptions must be approved by the Dean. Faculty members who know in advance that they will be unable to hold a class must inform the Chair and Dean by e-mail of the absence and any arrangements made for the class.

Students can see, and Faculty can post their cancellations directly on the class cancellation page.
Information on class cancellation is available on the Intranet.

Library

Located in the E. Margaret Fulton (EMF) building, the Mount Library supports the Mount’s core activities of teaching, learning, and research. The Library also houses the University Archives which are available by appointment.

The Mount faculty ID card is available by visiting the Library’s Access Services Desk. The ID is also used as the Mount Library card and provides access to resources available from the Mount, from other academic institutions in Nova Scotia, and beyond. A list of print and online resources is available from the Library website. A full list of faculty services is available online.

As partners in the academic mission of the University, Liaison Librarians work with faculty by discipline and programs. Librarians help faculty build the collection to support curriculum and research, collaborate to assist with research projects and scholarly communication, as well as offer support for students via in-class instruction or one-on-one by appointment in person or online.

Grading & Evaluation

Policies and procedures regarding final exams can be found on the Intranet.

Grades should be submitted through Web Advisor. For information on how to submit grades please call 902-457-6117 (1-877-733-6788 for off campus or evenings) or email webadvisor@msvu.ca. Grades for all courses having examinations must be received in the Registrar’s Office either five days after the scheduled examination day, or by the Registrar’s Office deadline. If a faculty member wishes to fax in grades, the grades must be faxed to a secure line in the Registrar’s Office at 902-457-6498.

Faculty must use the correct MSVU undergraduate and graduate grading schemes and notations, which are found in the MSVU Academic Calendars.

Grade reports, web advisor materials, and other student lists that are no longer required by faculty must be disposed of in secure shredder boxes and NOT in recycling bins. Faculty should review their practices to ensure that students’ privacy is being protected. For further information, contact the FOIPOP Officer at 902-457-6436.

Grade change forms are available on the Intranet. All grade changes require a Dean’s approval before they can be recorded in students’ records.

Once final grades have been submitted, there is a limited range of acceptable reasons for submitting a grade change. Normally, only changes resulting from errors in the original calculation of the final grade will be approved.

Students who have been ill or unable to complete the course work for acceptable reasons are governed by the regulations of the (Incomplete) INC and (Deferral) DEF grades. Grade changes which result from DEF, INC or IP (In-Progress) grade submissions do not require a Dean’s approval and can be submitted directly to the Registrar’s Office within the formal deadlines established for each term. Further information regarding grade changes can be found in the Faculty Handbook on the Intranet.

Course Evaluation

Faculty will receive notification from the Deans’ Office regarding courses scheduled for evaluation. By the last week of each course, faculty members are required to provide students with “Student Ratings of Instruction” forms. The actual date of administering the evaluation is determined by the faculty member. Forms, pencils and directions for administering the evaluation are delivered to the faculty mail boxes, site coordinator, or classroom on the scheduled dates.

Faculty members should not stay in the room while evaluations are completed. A student should be designated to take responsibility for collecting the completed evaluations and returning them to the Deans’ office. Courses taught via distance will also be evaluated, using an online format.

Academic Policies for Faculty

Academic policies approved by Senate can be found on the Intranet.

Teaching & Learning Centre

The Teaching and Learning Centre is a virtual resource that provides faculty with information on course design and professional development.

Faculty Resource Centres

Faculty Resource Centres are shared computing offices equipped with computers and printers. Information on Faculty Resource Centres can be found on the Intranet.

Professional Development for Faculty

Part-time Faculty and Full-time Faculty are encouraged to pursue professional development opportunities. Professional Development expense claims can be found on the Intranet.

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The Mount’s Research Office advises faculty on research policies, external and internal funding, as well as University Research Ethics Board policies and procedures.

Research

The Research Office offers guidance on the guidelines, policies and procedures for integrity in research and scholarship.

Funding

The Research website provides information on internal grant applications as well as all the required application forms.

Ethics

The Research website includes general information on research ethics, policies and procedures for conducting research with human participants, and information on the research ethics review process.

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Student Services

Faculty can refer students to a wide variety of Mount services offered through the Office of Student Experience.

Disability Services

The Mount’s Policy for Accommodating Student with Disabilities is located on Disability Services website. The University is dedicated to adapting academic environments for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities must register with Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations.

Please refer to the Guide for Faculty for examples of common disabilities and accommodations. Disability Services are reserved for full-time and part-time students and are part of the Office of Student Experience.

Counselling

Faculty members are encouraged to contact a member of Counselling Services if they’re concerned about a student. Students can also access counselling services on their own.

Academic Advising

Academic Advising is available to assist students with planning for their degree.

Career Planning

Students seeking career advice can be referred to Career Planning Services. Through career planning services, the Mount offers a variety of career-related services, resources and opportunities for students.

Aboriginal Student Centre

The Aboriginal Student Centre (ASC) provides students with the opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal culture. The ASC also provides academic advising and counselling services.

Writing Resource Centre

The Writing Resource Centre is a free service where students can meet one-on-one with tutors to address their individual writing concerns.

International Student Centre

International students with questions or concerns about their program or student status should be directed to the International Education Centre.

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Both full-time and part-time Faculty employment are governed by collective agreements. Both full-time and part-time collective agreements are available on the Intranet.

The latest version of the Handbook for all Faculty, Librarians, and Lab instructors is available here.

MSVU Faculty Handbook 2023-24

Precedence

The Mount’s precedence system is designed to recognize the seniority of part-time faculty. To be placed on the precedence list, faculty must have taught a minimum of two full units over the course of at least two academic years and received satisfactory evaluations. At the Mount, part-time teaching positions are awarded based on qualifications and precedence. Once all the qualified applicants have been identified, the University consults the precedence list. A qualified applicant that has taught seven units will have a precedence of seven and will be awarded the position over a qualified applicant with precedence of two. For more information on precedence please consult Article 12.9 of the part-time faculty collective agreement.

Pay

Faculty can find their paystubs by logging in to WebAdvisor. Please remember once you have logged in, that although you are a faculty member, you will find your pay stubs and T4 forms under the Employee link. Financial Services strongly advises part-time faculty members to sign up for an electronic version of their T4. You can find this under the Employee Profile section of the Employee link.

Vacation

Full-time faculty receive 4 weeks’ vacation during each agreement year. Part-time faculty receive vacation pay of 6.0% which is included in the stipend amounts for Part-time faculty.

Holidays

There are no classes, buildings are not open, and faculty and staff are not available on the following holidays:

Nova Scotia February Holiday
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Victoria Day
Canada Day
Natal Day
Labour Day
Thanksgiving Day
Remembrance Day

There are no classes on Caritas Day, normally the Wednesday closest to January 31st. Administration and staff members will be at work and all buildings are open on that day.

The University closes the week between Christmas and New Year. During the Christmas closure period, buildings and residences are closed, and heat and lights are reduced to a minimal level. Only essential services personnel are on duty (security, steam plant, and switchboard).

Other religious holidays and observances can be arranged by agreement with the member’s Dean and Chair/Director or the University Librarian.

Pension and Benefits

Please contact Human Resources for information on full-time faculty pension and benefits.

Tuition Reduction

Faculty and their dependents are eligible for employee tuition fee reduction. This policy can be found on the Intranet.

Harassment & Discrimination

The Mount is committed to equity and diversity in employment. The Mount holds strongly to their commitment to fair treatment in the workplace and provides support through our Harassment & Discrimination policy and procedures.
For more information, contact equity.officer@msvu.ca.

Accessibility

Faculty members should contact Human Resources regarding accessibility services.

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Mount Saint Vincent University campus is located on the Bedford Highway overlooking the Bedford Basin.
Our campus is scent free and adheres to a strict environmental policy.

Parking

Parking permits are required for general parking.Pay & display parking permits are available for hourly or daily periods. Permits are available at the Assisi Information/Security Desk on the ground floor of Assisi. Fire lanes and disability parking are strictly enforced 24 hours a day. MSVU Security issues Halifax Regional Municipality tickets to violators.

Public Transit

Halifax Transit bus schedule information is available at the Seton Academic Centre Front Desk, the Rosaria Student Information Desk, and Assisi Information Centre. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Transit at 311.

Access to Buildings

Seton Academic Centre and Rosaria buildings are open Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The Seton Academic Centre is locked on Friday at 6:00 p.m. The 1st floor main entrance of Seton is open on weekends based on the Library hours. Evaristus hall is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The E. Margaret Fulton Centre (EMF) is open during Library hours.

Keys will allow you access to the buildings outside of regular open-campus hours. Faculty members may inquire about a key request by calling the Facilities Administrative Assistant at 902-457-6502.

Security

The Campus Security Office is responsible for emergency and safety services. Security staff are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Security Office is located on the first floor of Assisi Hall and can be reached at 457-6788.In emergencies, please call 902-457-6111. If you are locked out of your classroom, please call 902-457-6412.

Mailing Address

166 Bedford Highway
Halifax, NS
B3M 2J6

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The following services are available to Mount faculty.

Photocopying

Photocopiers are located in Seton Academic Centre, Seton Annex, Evaristus, Rosaria, and the EMF Centre for general faculty use, as well as in the Faculty Resource Centres (Seton Academic Centre 341 and Evaristus 376A). Departmental Administrative Assistants can provide information regarding the most convenient facility in the area, copier cards, and the departmental photocopying budget. Photocopying must be done in accordance with applicable copyright regulations found on the Intranet.

Print Shop

The Mount Print Shop is a full service on campus print provider.Printing Request forms can be found on the Intranet.

Mail Room

Faculty mail boxes are located in Seton Academic Centre, Seton Annex, and Evaristus. An inter-campus mail service between MSVU, Dalhousie, and Saint Mary’s is available, and should be clearly marked as such.
For more information contact the mail room clerk at 902-457-6297.

Bookstore

The bookstore located in the Rosaria Student Centre is the university’s outlet for textbooks.Information on ordering course materials can be found on the Intranet.

The MSVU Bookstore understands that many part-time faculty members are often hired on short notice and they ask faculty to please order their textbooks as soon as their contract has been signed. If you have any further questions please contact the Bookstore Manager at 902-457-6422.

Athletics & Recreation Fitness Centre

Faculty are offered reduced rates to the university’s Athletics & Recreation Services. For more information contact the Athletics & Recreation Centre at 902-457-6420.

Health Services & LifeMark Physiotherapy

Located in Assisi, Health Services & LifeMark Physiotherapy offers a full range of medical services to students, staff, faculty, and anyone in the community. To make an appointment call the health services and physiotherapy secretary at 902-457-6354.

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Online Learning collaborates with academic departments on the planning, development and delivery of distance and online courses and programs. We can help you select among the current options for creating engaging and effective online learning experiences, and our instructional developer is ready to support you as you transition your courses to the online environment. Each term, our staff coordinate off-site tests and exams for your true distance students, and assist with the setting up and administration of online quizzes.

The Department also supports faculty and student users of the Mount’s course management (Moodle) and web conferencing (Blackboard Collaborate) platforms, regardless of the mode or location of their classes. All courses on the timetable are provided with Moodle sites. They are the “location” for online courses, and are becoming very popular in on-campus courses for document posting, between-class group work, quizzes and more. Collaborate facilitates real-time seminars in online courses, and is available to you for online office hours, snow-day classes, research collaboration and more, even if you don’t teach online.

Hands-on orientation and training for Moodle and Collaborate are readily available for groups of faculty and individuals. We can come to your office, you can come to us, or we can meet you online to prepare you to use teaching and learning technologies with confidence. To book a training session, or to request technical assistance, please send an email to
online@msvu.ca. In addition, self-help documents and videos are always available on our Faculty Resource Site.

The Teaching and Learning Centre is an academic support unit that works with administration, departments, faculty, and staff to support the development, delivery, and advancement of inclusive and accessible learning opportunities. For more information, please visit the Teaching and Learning Centre webpage.

IT&S offers a wide range of services to assist faculty, including Computer Accounts, the Digital Media Zone (DMZ), and Classroom Technology & Support. Computer and Audio Visual questions or problems can be answered by the team of professionals at the Help Desk. To contact the help desk team call 902-457-6538 or e-mail msvu.ca during regular work hours.

MSVU Computer Accounts

While teaching at the Mount, faculty have access to E-mailMoodleWebAdvisor and the Intranet. These systems can be accessed using your Mount username and password.

For more information and/or assistance, contact the IT&S help desk at 902-457-6538, by e-mail at msvu.ca, or visit their Intranet page.

Digital Media Zone (DMZ)

The Digital Media Zone (DMZ) provides digital equipment rentals, bookable space for video production, media and podcast production suites, as well as a digital training room.

Classroom Technology & Support

All Mount classroom are equipped with a standard multimedia system that includes a permanent networked computer, DVD/VCR/CD player, LCD projector, sound system and OHP transparency projector.Detailed information about each classroom’s equipment can be found on the Intranet.

If you encounter problems using classroom technology, please dial x6601 from a Mount phone or 902-457-6538, option 0 from a cell phone, for immediate assistance.

To access additional audio-visual equipment please complete the Audio-Visual equipment requisition form.