Frequently Asked Questions: Campus Life
Q1. What are some good ways to meet other faculty outside my department?

A. Vassar is a small, close-knit place, and there are many ways to mingle with
people beyond your department. You will, of course, meet people through your service work at the college (i.e., committees), and through campus-wide programs. You’ll meet them at the Learning, Teaching, and Research Center’s regular programs and campus events. The Retreat, the on-campus snack bar centrally located in Main Building, is a good place to mingle with faculty and students, especially during lunch. The fitness programs, administered by Roman Czula in the Athletics department (roczula@vassar.edu) and advertised via regular campus emails, offer free or small-fee fitness classes, from yoga to kickboxing and beyond, and are a great way to meet faculty, administrators, and staff. Eventually, you may want to get involved with a multidisciplinary program in an area of interest to you; contact the program directors (deanofthefaculty.vassar.edu/organization/programs.html) for more information.
The LTRC also funds groups of faculty through the “Faculty Conversations” program. Consider putting together a group of interested faculty around a scholarly, pedagogical, or intellectual passion or interest, and then contact the Faculty Director of Research Development, Chris White (x7836 chwhite@vassar.edu), or the Faculty Director of Teaching Development, Rebecca Edwards (x5675 reedwards@vassar.edu), for details.

 
Q2. Should I attend faculty meetings?

A. We think so if you have academic suffrage (see the Governance section on
suffrage in “By-Laws of the Faculty” for details, deanofthefaculty.vassar.edu/docs/11- 12-Governance.doc), but no-one takes attendance. They are a great education in how the College works and an opportunity for you to help shape the College’s future and learn about its past. Sometimes they are good theater, with passionate but mostly civil debates; and sometimes they are dull. But they always end by 5 p.m., and cookies are available! They take place generally on the second Wednesday of each month during the academic year at 3:15 in Rockefeller Hall 300.

 
Q3.How do I learn about campus and faculty events and activities?

A.    The office of College Communications sends a twice-weekly “Vassar Events” email to all members of the community. You can also find out what’s going on using the online calendar (campuscalendar.vassar.edu/).

 
Q4. How do I secure funding, reserve a space, and arrange publicity for academic lectures or events by guests from off campus?
A.    Guidelines and Request Forms for academic lecture funding through the Dean of the Faculty office are available online (deanofthefaculty.vassar.edu/docs/Lecture-guidelines-Fall-2011.doc and deanofthefaculty.vassar.edu/docs/Fall-2011-Lecture-Fund-Request.doc). Complete the request form and submit it to the Dean of the Faculty office, with a signature of support from your department chair. View the campus calendar (campuscalendar.vassar.edu/mastercalendar/) in order to make sure that no other lectures or similar activities are scheduled for the time and day you settle on. Once the funding is approved, your department administrative assistant will be able to assist with the arrangements for the event. Funding for your event may also be available from your department or a relevant multidisciplinary program.