SPCS Faculty

Information for Faculty

SPCS intentionally engages adjunct faculty as our primary instructors. Members of our full-time faculty direct the School’s academic programs and strategy. Our adjuncts, who are scholar practitioners with both workplace experience and academic and teaching credentials, bring real-world experience and cutting edge theory into the classroom when they teach.

Adjunct FacultyFull-time FacultySPCS Guiding PrinciplesOnline Teaching Resources

Updates & General Information

Tell us your story. Update your online bio. Find out who sits on SPCS committees. And review the list of program chairs. If you need additional details, information, review details below.
12

faculty appointments

~150

active adjunct faculty members

12

average number of students in SPCS classes

Fall 2023 Faculty Meeting

The Fall 2023 Adjunct Faculty Meeting will be held in person. All adjunct faculty members are encouraged to attend, even if not teaching during the semester. Updates for the academic year, including our renovated space in Special Programs Building, will be shared during the meeting.

  • Thursday, August 24, 2023
  • Jepson Alumni Center
  • 5:00-7:45 p.m.

Effective Teaching Tools

Effective teaching is at the heart of the School, part of the fabric of the Richmond experience. The resources provided below offer tips and tools for faculty training and improvement, along with links to forms and resources needed to teach and administer classes effectively.

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Innovations in Teaching Teaching resources along 14 dimensions of innovation. Lists annual award winners along with nomination form.
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Online Teaching Resources Hundreds of online teaching & learning resources, organized by category.
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Miers Undergraduate Research Award Faculty nominations accepted annually for undergraduate research excellence.
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UR Faculty Hub University’s pedagogy-focused resource for all faculty.
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SPCS Online Teaching Community Housed on Blackboard (look for TR176), an SPCS community of practice.

Resources for All Faculty

Improving Instruction

The Innovations in Teaching framework defines teaching innovations along 14 dimensions. SPCS gives an annual Innovations in Teaching Award to an adjunct faculty member who demonstrates innovative teaching practices. Nominations for the annual award are generally due in early December.

Our Online Resources for Teaching & Learning have been collected by a committee of adjunct and full-time faculty, spearheaded by Bob Spires and John Zinn. This event is updated as new tools and resources become known and available.

Continuity of Instruction

The University has collected tips, resources and techniques for ensuring that students are able to continue making progress toward their degrees regardless of circumstances. Recent experience with the coronavirus pandemic reveals the importance of making a plan to continue instruction. The following summarizes primary recommendations:

Campus Emergencies

In the case of an active shooter: Run. Hide. Fight. University of Richmond Police recommend watching this video illustrating the value and effectiveness of this response to an active shooter on campus.

All campus emergency alerts are posted to alert.richmond.edu and sent by email to your Richmond account. Log in to BannerWeb to opt into emergency communication by phone and text to ensure speedy receipt of emergency communications.

Reminders

Faculty meetings are held early in the spring and fall semesters. SPCS Night and Commencement are held early in May.

You may wish to become a Safe Zone Ally to support LGBTQ members of the Richmond community.

If you are interested in additional employment opportunities at Richmond, visit SPCS job postings or the HR online jobs site.

Free and discounted professional development opportunities are available for all faculty; review the list on the Adjunct Resources page.

Faculty & Staff Accomplishments

Tom J. Shields
Shields Co-Authors A&S Next Case Study

Tom Shields, associate dean and chair of graduate education, with Emmy Ready, visiting lecturer of Latin American, Latino & Iberian studies, co-authored an A&S Next case study titled “Multilingual Student Success in Public Schools” examining issues of Latinix students’ graduation and retention rates in Richmond Public Schools. Alums Lyons Sanchezconcha, GC’23, Victoria Case Gochez, GC’22, and Jonathan Zur, ’03, collaborated on the project.

View Bio
Daniel L. Hocutt
Hocutt Published in Computers & Composition

Daniel L. Hocutt, SPCS web manager and adjunct professor of liberal arts, published “Composing with Generative AI on Digital Advertising Platforms” in a special issue on composing with generative AI in Computers and Composition.

View Bio
Ann C. Hodges
Hodges Featured in WalletHub, Newsweek as Labor Expert

Ann Hodges, SPCS paralegal studies program chair and professor of law emerita, is featured as a labor market expert in a WalletHub article, Hardest-Working Cities in America (2024) and carried by Newsweek. Hodges answers questions about worker productivity, employee engagement, and employer contributions to workers’ quality of life.

View Bio
Dr. Lauranett Lee
Lee Honored as 2024 RVA Community Maker

Lauranett Lee, adjunct assistant professor of liberal arts, has been named an RVA Community Maker for 2024 by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The VMFA’s yearly project honors African American leaders from a variety of fields and showcases the Black history being made every day in Richmond.

View Bio

SPCS & Relevant Events

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    Spring 2023 SPCS Faculty Meeting
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    Spring 2023 SPCS Faculty Meeting
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    Spring 2023 SPCS Faculty Meeting
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    Spring 2023 SPCS Faculty Meeting
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    5-Year Service Award Recipients: Jan Nelson, Drew Baker, Karen Carpenter & Kelly Merrill with Dean Wilson
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    10 Year Service Award recipients: Lynne Bland & Rob McAdams with Dean Wilson.
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    15-year Service Award Recipient: Maria Poindexter with Dean Wilson.
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    20-year Service Award Recipients: Linda Fisher Thornton, David Kitchen, George Hiller & Chris Turpin with Dean Wilson.
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    25-year Service Award Recipient: William Prior with Dean Wilson.
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    Promotion announcement: Linda Fisher Thornton to Adjunct Professor, pictured with Associate Dean Shields.
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    2023 SPCS Innovations in Teaching Award Recipient Bruce McKechnie with Dean Wilson and Associate Dean Shields.