Welcome to York University as a Course Director!  No matter how much experience you have teaching at York or elsewhere, whether you are new to teaching or just  new to teaching at York, even if you have been teaching for many years in any capacity, this guide is designed to provide you with all of the general information you need as a Course Director at York, all in one place.  No need to go searching throughout the York website, the Teaching Commons website or the vast information all over the internet.  All you need is right here at your fingertips.

View Transcript of Tips for Faculty Before Classes Start Video

We all know that with new students each year, new experiences and challenges come up or come up again; so, even if you are very experienced, this handbook will be useful to help you easily find that resource or that information you need by simply selecting from the table of contents below.

View Transcript of Administrative Tips as You Start Your Course Video

View Transcript of Tips for Your First Class Video

This handbook provides you with specific information about the students at York and strategies for how to ensure they  have a successful learning experience, including all the supports that York has to offer students.  It also includes a variety of course design and teaching strategies to support you and your teaching.  Be sure to check out the Professional Development section to see how you may be able to advance your career.  If you have any questions, or if there is any general information that you are seeking that you cannot find, please let us know by emailing teaching@yorku.ca and we will find it for you and include it or direct you to the appropriate place.  In particular, for Faculty, Department, Program and Discipline specific inquiries, please seek information from the corresponding office.

• Checklist for Course Directors
• Inquiries for your Department
• Teaching at York University
  • History of York
  • Defining Characteristics of York
    • Student Demographics (this information is protected and requires you to login with your Passport York credentials)
  • Senate Policies
• Role and Responsibility
  • Course Director / Student Relationship
    • Student Voices
    • Student Success
      • Faculty Voices - "Information Literacy and Fake News" by The York University Libraries’ Teaching, Learning, and Research Committee (TLRC)
      • Faculty Voices for Student Success
  • Course Director / Teaching Assistant Relationship
    • TA Voices
• Designing Your Course
  • Course and Curriculum Design
    • Faculty Voices - "Problem Based Learning – The Maastricht MOOC" by Justin Podur, Faculty of Environmental Studies
    • Faculty Voices for Course and Curriculum Design
  • Assessment
    • Faculty Voices - "Is anyone else worried about the number of students purchasing essays through third party?" by Susan Murtha, Faculty of Health
    • Faculty Voices for Assessment
  • Instructional Strategies
    • Experiential Education
      • Faculty Voices - "Simulated Person Methodology" by Eva Peisachovich,  Faculty of Health
    • eLearning
      • Support with Moodle (York's Learning Management System)
      • Classroom Technology
      • Faculty Voices - "Top Ten Lessons Learned Teaching a Fully On-line Course for the Very First Time" by Peter Constantinou, LA&PS
      • Faculty Voices for eLearning
    • First Year Experience
      • Faculty Voices - "On teaching academic writing" by Stephanie Bell, Writing Centre
    • Teaching Strategies
      • Faculty Voices - "It’s not about your teaching but about their learning: Increasing student engagement through the jigsaw classroom" by Claudia Chaufan, Faculty of Health
      • Faculty Voices for Teaching Strategies
  • Accommodations and Inclusive Teaching
    • Faculty Voices - "Putting  Student Voices to Work" by Raymond Peart, Autism Coordinator, Disability Services
    • Faculty Voices for Accommodations and Inclusive Teaching
  • Copyright
    • Faculty Voices - "The top 6 things we learnt about Creative Commons (CC) Licensing" by Natasha May and Mandy Frake Mistak, Teaching Commons
  • Course Outline (Syllabus)
  • Evaluation of your Teaching and Feedback from your Students and Colleagues
• Professional Development
  • Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW)
    • Faculty Voices - "The Instructional Skills Workshop" by Justin Podur, Faculty of Environmental Studies
  • Teaching Wheels peer observation
    • Faculty Voices - "Teaching Wheels" by James Andrew Smith, Lassonde
  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
  • Teaching Philosophy and Teaching Dossier
    • Faculty Voices - "Teaching as Activism: A Platform for Social Change" by Andrea Davis, LA&PS
• References