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One of our most important challenges as an interdisciplinary Center is to allow scholars from different disciplines at different levels with different academic goals and professional backgrounds to achieve a common purpose. The following policies and procedures have been created to facilitate this cooperation by allowing faculty, staff, and students to more easily navigate through our common professional and academic environment.
General
Guidelines for Center Facilities and Equipment
Facilities:
Center Offices (Jones
Hall 100)
Arrangement:
The Jones Hall 100 suite is divided into 10 different office spaces lettered
a-i.
A: Executive Director
B: Director of Development & External Programs
C: Assistant Director Graduate Programs and Graduate Advisor
D: Assistant Director Undergraduate Affairs
E: Office Space
F: Student Workers
G: Assistant Director of Administration
H: Office supplies/copy/fax
I: Program Manager, Educational and Public Programs
Reception: Administrative Secretary
Jones Hall 103
B: Visiting Faculty
C: Visiting Faculty
D: TAs
E: Conference Room
F: Files and Archives
Guidelines:
The
Stone Center is open from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Guidelines for use by
staff and student workers are as follows:
- Student
workers arrange their schedules with the Assistant Director of Administration.
- In
the office environment student workers are expected to wear professional
attire. We discourage the use of cell phones in the office.
- Phone
messages should include the date, time and signature of message taker.
- Work
areas must be kept neat and projects put away at the end of the day.
- Please
avoid food and drinks while working at the computer.
- If
you are unable to report to work, please call your supervisor immediately.
- Persons
requesting appointments with the Executive Director should be referred
to the Assistant Director of Administration, who maintains his calendar.
- The
Administrative Secretary keeps an inventory of office supplies, stationery,
etc. Please notify her if you are using the last item or when supplies
are low.
- Center's
stationery is for official Stone Center business only. The standard
Center format is to use 12pt. Arial font, and set top margin at 1.25",
bottom margin at 1", left margin at 2" and right margin at
.75."
- Students/TA’s
may receive faxes but may not use Center phones for long distance calls
or to send faxes.
- Reserve
class readings are located in the reception area. Students should follow
their professor's guidelines for checking out readings. We do not make
copies here.
- The
Center has a plan in effect for safeguarding our property during hurricane
season. The president's office will announce when the University will
close - this information can be obtained by calling the Tulane Alert
Line 862-8080 or 1-877-662-8000.
- The
last person out of the main office is responsible for securing both
locks.
Greenleaf Conference Room (Jones
Hall 100A):
Guidelines
- In order to reserve the Greenleaf Conference
Room you must first contact the Stone Center Administrative Secretary.
After confirming that the room is available on the date requested, you
must come into the Stone Center to fill out the appropriate paperwork
to officially reserve the date.
- The conference room
is a “smart” classroom. It has built-in video, DVD, and computer (Internet,
PowerPoint, etc.) and projection capabilities.
- Other Audiovisual
equipment (overhead projector, slide projector) is available but must
be reserved at least five days before the event (form available from
the Stone Center's Administrative Secretary).
- Prior authorization
is required for use of all Conference Room equipment.
- Conference room will
be available one half-hour prior to the event.
- A university faculty
or staff member needs to be present during the event at all times.
- Functions are usually
held during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.) unless otherwise
arranged.
- University Security
is needed when alcoholic beverages are served, when attendance is over
20 people, or when events are held after dark. The sponsoring department
is responsible for contacting and paying for University Security.
- Conference room key
should be left on the table in the Conference room after end of event.
The door locks automatically.
- The Stone Center staff
does not provide event support (this includes setting up equipment.)
Facilities Services should be contacted for additional setup.
- Sponsoring Department
is responsible for returning Conference Room to its original condition.
Please place all trash in the dumpster located in the back of the building
(in front of the UC).
- Priority use will
be given to Stone Center events, committees, core seminars, official
student organizations, associated institutes, councils and affiliated
faculty. We do not generally make the Conference Room available for
classes, which remove the room from service for other special events
for the entire semester.
Stone Center
Lounge (Jones Hall 101)
This space plays an important role for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
in Latin American Studies. It is a place of information (bulletin boards
and mailboxes), congregation (tables and coffee), and sustenance (food).
Informal meetings are frequently held there. This room is open 8:30 to
5:00 work days and by special arrangement.
Guidelines
- Center staff empties
the refrigerator on Friday evenings; we do not save left over food,
containers, etc.
- If you need to post
a notice on the bulletin boards, please see the Administrative Secretary.
Do not post notices on walls or doors.
Stone Center
Teaching Assistant’s Office (Jones Hall 103-D)
Each year a group of doctoral candidates in Latin American Studies teach
over 180 undergraduates. They share an office in Jones Hall 103-D, where
they prepare courses and meet with students. The Stone Center has adopted
a number of guidelines about the use of the room because so many individuals
with distinct preferences and work habits share it.
Guidelines
- The TA’s office should
never be left open.
- If you have a problem
with the computer, call the Tulane Help Desk at 862-8888 for assistance.
The “Help Desk” can assist in solving most software related problems.
If the “Help Desk” determines that you need hardware assistance, please
notify the Center’s Administrative Secretary.
- The Administrative
Secretary keeps an inventory of office supplies, stationery, etc.
- TA’s may receive faxes
but may not use Center phones for long distance calls or to send faxes.
- Work areas must be
kept neat and projects put away at the end of the day.
- Please avoid food
and drinks while working at the computer.
- Do not use walls and
doors to post notices; a bulletin board is provided.
- The TA office is for
the exclusive use of Teaching Assistants for Latin American Studies
courses.
George H. Norton
Latin American Studies Graduate Student Lounge (Jones Hall 107)
In 1999, graduate students requested that the Stone Center try to provide
space for them to congregate in or near Jones Hall. We were able to secure
permission to renovate one unassigned space, Jones Hall 107. The George
H. Norton Graduate Student Lounge (named for the donor whose son received
a Masters in Latin American Studies from Tulane in 1991) is accessible
24 hours a day – 7 days a week to all graduate students in the Stone Center
for Latin American Studies. The lounge is equipped with workspace, a computer
with Internet connection, telephone (865-5174), chalkboard, bulletin boards,
sofas, and chairs for relaxation and meetings.
Guidelines
The Stone Center
has adopted a number of guidelines to ensure your safety and the functional
use of the room.
- You may pick up your
key from the Administrative Secretary and will be responsible for returning
key to her at the end of school year. Keys are non-transferable and
cannot be duplicated. Lost keys may be replaced for a $5.00 fee.
- To ensure student
safety, doors should never be left unlocked.
The building is usually open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. If you find
that you can’t get in the building, please contact the Department of
Public Safety at x5381.
- In case of emergency
(after hours), please contact the Department of Public Safety at x5200.
- Please avoid food
and drinks while working at the computer.
- The telephone can
only be used for local calls, unless you are making a collect or credit
card call.
- The George N. Norton
Graduate Student Lounge should only be used by the Stone Center for
Latin American Studies students. Consult the Assistant Director of Administration
in case of special situations.
- If you have a problem
with the computer, call the Tulane Help Desk at 862-8888 for assistance.
The “Help Desk” can assist in solving most software related problems.
If the “Help Desk” determines that you need hardware assistance, please
notify the Center’s Administrative Secretary.
- The Center will supply
two black ink printer cartridges and four reams (4 packs of 500 pages
each) of paper per month for the computer and printer. Please see the
administrative secretary for supplies. Given these fixed monthly limits
please be judicious in your use of these supplies and considerate of
the usage needs of your fellow graduate students.
Equipment
Stone Center Copier, Computers, Fax Machine, Typewriter, Phone System,
the copier, computers, printers, fax and typewriter are for the use of
the Stone Center staff. Consult the Assistant Director of Administration
in case of emergencies that require their use by non-Center staff.
TA Copy/Scanner Privileges
Guidelines
The Center recognizes that TAs represent the most important "teaching"
constituency of its undergraduate academic program. The Center also recognizes
that it is necessary to make copies of exams and quizzes and that, at
times, having handouts for classes is central to successful teaching.
There are various ways to do this, including copying and, when possible,
posting them ahead of time on-line as electronic files. The easiest and
most environmentally friendly method is the latter: post documents on
Blackboard and have the students print them themselves. This allows you
to upload handouts and documents from wherever you’re working and spares
you a trip to the Center. For non-original documents (articles) we now
have a high-speed scanner that allows you to convert Xeroxed articles
into electronic files and upload them to Blackboard. You can also submit
articles to the library to post on Electronic Reserves. Considering these
options, your last resort should be Xeroxing. Post assignments whenever possible.
Scanner
The scanner is located Jones 100 D, the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Affiairs' office. Because
it only accepts single sheets of paper (not books or magazines) you need
to Xerox materials first. You can then e-mail them to yourself from the
computer or upload them directly to blackboard. We will have a quick (it’s
very easy) training session at TA orientation each semester. The scanner
is only when the office is open, from 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday through
Friday. Because it is located in the Assistant Director's office we ask that you be courteous and arrange a time with Assitant Director to use the scanner.
Copies
The Center’s photocopier machine is available for TAs to use in order
to facilitate quality classroom instruction. However, TA usage of the
Center's photocopier must be coordinated with that of the Center's other
administrative and curricular business. To help better coordinate this
usage, the following guidelines have been established to make efficient
use of the photocopier to support the Center's teaching and administrative
goals.
• As with the scanner, the Center's copier is available from 8:30am to
5:00pm, Monday through Friday. For after-hours copying, TAs can request
a Copy Card from the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Affairs to be used in the LIbrary or may use the on-campus FEDEX KINKOS located in the University Center with pre-approval from the Assistant Director of Administration on a reimbursement basis.
• TAs should only copy from loose-leaf originals. Copying materials directly
from bound textbooks, monographs, or journals should be undertaken at
the library.
• TAs will have a maximum photocopy limit of 10 pages per enrolled student
for each semester. Final enrollments as of the last day to add into the
class will be the benchmark for student enrollment numbers.
• Each TA will be assigned a unique user code.
• From 12-1pm, TAs will have preferential use of the photocopy machine.
However, TAs should recognize that Center staff may also need to use the
copier during these hours and thus TAs should be willing to work with
Center staff in sharing copier usage during these times. Center staff
will show TAs the same courtesy during the other hours of the day.
• As a common courtesy, TAs should always inquire as to the machine's
availability before using it. Common courtesy also dictates that TAs should
not simply expect that the photocopy machine is available upon demand.
• TAs should attempt to spend no more than 10 minutes occupying the photocopy
machine per session.
• TAs should copy only materials that are relevant to the classes that
they are teaching for the Center. Personal use of the Center’s copier
is prohibited.
• TAs are expected to comply with all copyright laws.
• TAs should respect the fact that Center staff will be working nearby
as they are using the machine and should thus work as efficiently and
as quietly as possible in making their photocopies.
• Abuse of photocopying privileges by one TA will affect the privileges
for all TAs.
TV/VCR
There is a TV/VCR for TAs use. Please reserve with Administrative Secretary.
Maps, Slide Projectors,
Overhead Projectors, Extension Cords
All maps, slide projectors, overhead projectors and extension cords must
be reserved and then checked back in to the Administrative Secretary at
the front desk. Do not leave slide projectors or overhead projectors in
Room 103-D unless it is after 5:00 p.m. If you are using the equipment
after hours, call and leave a message at x5164 to let us know that the
equipment is in Room 103-D.
Computers
When a computer problem arises, call the Tulane Help Desk at 862-8888
for assistance. The "Help Desk" can assist in solving most software
related problems. If the "Help Desk" determines that you need
hardware assistance, please notify the Center’s Administrative Secretary.
Report all other equipment
breakdowns to the Center’s Administrative Secretary.
Equipment should be reserved
a week in advance. We do not reserve equipment for a whole semester.
Policies
and Procedures Specific to Faculty and Staff
Handbooks
Staff Handbook
The official version of the Staff Handbook is available online at http://www.tulane.edu/~hr/staff_handbook.pdf.
Faculty Handbook
The official version of the Faculty Handbook is the latest dated version
in the University Archives. Each time a change is made, the Office of
Academic Affairs will place a new version in the University Archives.
The latest dated version in the University Archives controls if there
is any difference between it and this web version, or between it and any
printed version noted below.
The Faculty Handbook
will also be distributed in hardcopy to all deans, department chairs,
and program chairs each summer. When changes occur, a hardcopy of the
revised section will also be forwarded, on a timely basis, to these same
individuals. A limited number of additional copies will be printed and
made available to any faculty member on request, on a first-come, first-serve
basis. However, these faculty members will not receive any notices of
changes. Of course, one may download the Faculty Handbook from the following
website, http://www.tulane.edu/~fachand/.
Financial
Support for Affiliated Faculty, Staff, and Students
Grant
Opportunities
The Stone Center offers financial support to its affiliated faculty, staff,
and students for a variety of activities and research. The necessary forms
needed to apply for different financial support programs are available
on the website at http://stonecenter.tulane.edu/, click on Grants & Funding. Each program of financial support has both general and specific
guidelines, please be sure to read over these guidelines before completing
the appropriate application form.
All application files
can be downloaded from our Center Website for use on your personal computer.
When you are finished completing the forms, please print them and return
to the Stone Center office, or email them to the Stone Center’s special
funding application account, scapply@tulane.edu. If you have any questions,
please contact the Stone Center staff for assistance.
Funding for Faculty,
Staff, and Special Events
The guidelines and forms listed on the website should be used when applying
for financial support to travel (faculty & staff), bringing a guest
lecturer or performer, sponsor a business meal (faculty & staff),
or undertaking special projects not covered by one of our other funding
programs (faculty & staff). Please note that guidelines for staff
and students may vary for each funding program.
Funding for Faculty
Summer Research
The Stone Center provides a limited number of grants to core and affiliated
faculty to conduct fieldwork, acquire materials, provide project assistance,
and in very special cases, offer compensation for uninterrupted time for
research and writing, during the summer months. The guidelines and application
are also located on the Stone Center website at stonecenter.tulane.edu
(“Grants & Funding”).
Service Learning
Course Development: Integrating Service Learning
There are several ways that faculty incorporate service learning into their courses:
Within a 3 credit course
Students are required to do the service component of the course. All students are required to do at least 20 hours of service in addition to any orientations and rap sessions. Students should have a reflective piece integrated into class lecture, rap sessions and paper requirements (journals or other written assignments).
As an option within a 3 credit course
Students are given an option to do service learning or a research paper. Students electing to do service learning will be required to do at least 20 hours of service in addition to any orientations and rap sessions. Students should have a reflective piece integrated in class discussions, rap sessions and paper assignments (journals or other written assignments).
A fourth credit option
Faculty may use this as a requirement or as an option. The fourth-credit requirements are clearly defined in a document approved by the LAS faculty (December 1997). Students must complete at least 40 hours of service (could be inclusive of rap sessions and orientations), have a reflective piece (rap sessions, journals, class lecture integration, class discussion), and complete a product that can be evaluated at the end of the semester (paper, project completed at the agency). The department must list the 189 or 389 course designation as a one-credit course in which students can enroll.
Requirements for Service Learning in Academic Courses
Service learning may be incorporated into a 3-credit academic course, with the approval of the faculty member’s department and LAS curriculum Committee. If course credit is to be offered specifically for a service learning experience, the following procedure, approved by the LAS faculty on December 3, 1997, should be followed:
In conjunction with the didactic three-credit course (beyond the 100 level), students may be offered the opportunity to sign up for a one-credit course in service learning. The faculty member offering the course will decide whether a service learning experience is available. Similarly, the student should have the option to decline to participate in service learning.
In order to set up a service-learning course, the Department contacts Kim Echols, at the Registrar's office (x5231), who will list a one-credit course in Service Learning. Each course offered with a service learning add-on must receive a separate listing, using the Department prefix plus the numbers "189 or 389" and a section number. A student taking the additional course credit in service learning will:
Spend at least 40 hours in a community setting during the semester
Complete a "reflection" component, such as a journal or a diary or weekly meetings of a group of peer volunteers that will allow the student to describe and evaluate his/her experiences with the activity.
Complete a product that can be evaluated at the end of the semester - this might involve producing some work that will be of benefit to the community organization (e.g., a brochure, a data management system, a plan for staff organization) or it might be a review paper concerning theories and knowledge in the area of the student's activity, etc. Meet regularly with his/her instructor to discuss the service learning experience, so that it can be monitored and, if necessary, reoriented, and will be based on demonstrated learning - not merely on hours of service completed.
Students who are placed at an agency as part of Tulane's work-study cannot carry out service learning hours at the same site. Students will not be remunerated in any monetary form from the enrollment in and completion of a service-learning course.
Research
and Project Associate Proposals
Objectives and Philosophy of the Program
The goal of the Research and Project Associate Program is to provide graduate students an opportunity to engage in the teaching, research and programmatic life of the Stone Center, its working groups and institutes. Only projects that provide enrichment and learning experiences, which contribute to the professional development of our graduate students, will be selected. In the same spirit, only projects that are institutional in scope will be supported -- for example, research for a monograph by an individual faculty member does not fall within the scope of the program, but the development of a major conference or lecture series does.
Application Process
and Review
Faculty, professional staff, or affiliated centers and institutes may
submit projects. All applications are due on or before August 15 for a
project that will be conducted in the fall semester and December 20 for
the spring semester. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals as
soon as possible, even as much as several semesters in advance for large
pre-planned events.
A committee composed
of the Center Director, faculty, and staff will make the final selection.
Frequently this committee will ask for second drafts and refinements in
proposals before they are supported. Our goal will be to achieve maximal
benefits for all program participants.
Schedule of Work
Research and Project Associates are normally appointed for one semester.
Summer appointments are not available under this program. Nevertheless,
we are cognizant of the fact that some projects might be better served
by full-year commitments. For this reason, reappointments are possible
when mutually agreed upon by all participants.
Fall semester appointments
run from the first week of September through the first week of December
(Thanksgiving week excluded); Spring semester appointments from the third
week of January through the third week of April (Mardi Gras week excluded).
Each Associate must work
6 hours per week (a total of 72 hours per semester). Total hours may be
unevenly distributed over the semester depending upon the specific nature
and requirements of the project and upon the student’s schedule and commitments.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Project Director
The Project Director will be responsible for directing the progress of
the project and counseling the Associate in methods and skills required
to achieve results of the highest quality. He or she will make sure that
the proposed schedule and duties are adhered to and that the project continues
to be a professionally valuable learning exercise for the Associate.
The Associate must complete all hours by the end of classes for each term. Extensions are not permitted. Associates that have not completed their commitments will not be eligible for financial aid.
Duties and Responsibilities
of the Associate
The Associate must complete all hours by the end of classes for each term.
Extensions are not permitted. Associates that have not completed their
commitments will not be eligible for financial aid.
Evaluation
Both the Research and Project Associates and Project Directors are responsible
for completing a brief mid-semester progress report and a final evaluation
of the project and the work experience.
Eligibility
Applicants seeking to become Project Directors must be (1) members of
the faculty of the Stone Center, its working groups, committees, programs
and affiliated institutes, or (2) professional staff members of the Center,
its working groups, committees, programs and affiliated institutes.
Priority is given to
projects that (1) preserve the spirit of the mission and purpose of the
program, (2) provide positive learning and professional development experiences
for associates, (3) show strong promise for advancing institutional goals,
(4) demonstrate careful and thorough planning, and (5) achieve clear outcomes
in the period of appointment.
Brief Description
of Project
To submit a proposal, please provide the following information organized
in the following numbered format. The primary purpose of these questions
is to assess the nature and requirements of the work that will be performed
so that Center staff can create productive collaborations between Directors
and Associates in projects that support our research, teaching, and institutional
goals.
1. Project Director
2. Affiliation
3. Project Title
4. Project Description
(Please explain the project, noting work already accomplished, funding,
and strategic objectives.)
5. Minimum Qualifications
of Associate (Please describe specialized computer or language skills;
subject, disciplinary, or methodological expertise; and previous experience
required of Associate).
6. Key Responsibilities
and Performance Standards (Please define the specific role and duties
that the Associate will have and describe the nature of the collaborative
relationship between the Director and the Associate and degree of independence
of the latter.)
7. Timelines and Benchmarks
(Please outline the approximate time the Associate will devote to different
responsibilities during the appointment. Where applicable, please break
down by project components time devoted to discussion with director, time
attending conference, time mailing letters etc.), providing benchmarks,
work schedules, deadlines, etc.)
8. Work Environment (Please
describe expectations of where the work will be conducted and any specific
equipment the Associate might need to complete the work assigned.)
9. Outcomes and Evaluation
(Please explain the nature of the product that you anticipate from the
project and how you will assess the quality of the contribution of the
Associate.)
Applications
Applications are available by contacting the Graduate Advisor.
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