What You Need To Know About Faculty Web Sites At TC
If you're looking for ways to better integrate the Internet into the academic environment, then why not take one small step and create a professional, faculty Web site.
If you're looking for ways to better integrate the Internet into the academic environment, then why not take one small step and create a professional, faculty Web site. Now you're thinking, "oh sure, I don't have enough to do already," but there are resources available at Teachers College for you to take advantage of that can make this process relatively smooth. First, here are some things you need to know to help you get started.
Personal vs. Professional
While personal Web sites are hosted on CUNIX, professional Web sites, which is what is being discussed in this article, may be hosted on the TC Web server. Briefly, the difference between a personal Web site and a professional one is that the professional Web site involves interests related to your career here at Teachers College, Columbia University. Your personal Web site may contain information on outside work you do that is not affiliated with TC or any information on hobbies, and so on.
The Benefits of a Professional Web Site
"It's important for the College as a whole for faculty members to have a self-presentation to the world and to potential peers and students," said Jo Anne Kleifgen, Associate Professor of Linguistics & Education at TC. Kleifgen is currently working on a redesign of her professional Web site. Kleifgen added that in a way, there are several audiences for the Web site: One audience may include the professional community in your field, so people get to know your research interests and the courses you teach. Another audience is prospective students so they see what type of things faculty do at the College. A third audience is current students, which is more closely associated with the type of courses they would like to take, and information found on ClassWeb.
A faculty member's professional Web site can become a great resource for those audiences. Professors can put additional information on the site that would be relevant to the classes they teach such as extra reading material references, links to helpful sites, organization and association listings, class announcements, speaking engagements, among other things. Professors can also highlight their research and works published, their educational background and professional interests or student projects. Just be aware of copyright issues when adding site content.
A professional Web site can also supplement the material that faculty members themselves have posted on ClassWeb. Instead of duplicating efforts and posting the same information in two places, use the technology Computing and Information Services has made available via ClassWeb and reference that information from the professional site. A sampling of some of the information faculty members and students can find on ClassWeb include student profiles, searchable discussion groups, and chat. Allowing students to communicate with each other and with the instructor online regarding course-based issues promotes classroom collaboration and can be a very effective means of communication during non-classroom hours. Faculty members may post their syllabi and class assignments on ClassWeb too.
How To Get A Professional Web Site
OK, so now that you're ready for a professional Web site, here's what you need to do next. Any faculty member who wishes to have directory space for a professional home page on the TC Web server should send email to the TC Webmaster at webmaster@www.tc.columbia.edu. If you need help with the content of your site or have questions, please contact Krista McNamara, Web Editor, Office of External Affairs, at x3118 or kam96@columbia.edu.Published Wednesday, Apr. 17, 2002