SPCS Faculty

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.faculty appointments
active adjunct faculty members
average number of students in SPCS classes
The Spring 2023 Adjunct Faculty Meeting will be held in person. All adjunct faculty members are encouraged to attend, even if not teaching during the fall semester. Promotions, service awards and the Innovations in Teaching award will be announced during the meeting.
- Thursday, January 5, 2023
- Jepson Alumni Center
- 5:00-7:30 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.
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:
- Determine multimedia needs ahead of time and prepare fail-safes.
- Prepare for emergencies and hazards
- Review planning recommendations for emergencies
- Develop an instructional continuity plan in case of class cancellation.
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 Shields, associate dean for academic & students affairs and chair of the SPCS education program, honored the scholarship and legacy of Dr. John Moeser in an award recipient video from the VCU Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs’ 16th Excellence in Government Awards. Moeser, who posthumously received the Robinson-Hill Expansion of Freedom Award from the Wilder School, was a beloved UR colleague who collaborated with Shields on the SPCS co-sponsored Unpacking the Census project.
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Tom Shields, SPCS associate dean for academic & students affairs and chair of the SPCS Education program, presented the most recent Unpacking the Census information at the UR Faculty Hub’s Morning Blend earlier this week. Shields co-presented with Kyle Redican, director of the Spatial Analysis Lab.
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Daniel L. Hocutt, Adjunct Professor of Liberal Arts, has received the Frank R. Smith Distinguished Article Award for 2023 from the Society for Technical Communication. The award-winning article, co-written with professors from George Mason University and Central Michigan University, was published in November 2022.
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Sarah Calveric, Adjunct Associate Professor of Education and Caroline County School Superintendent, has been named the Region 3 Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. The award makes Calveric eligible to contend for the Commonwealth’s Superintendent of the Year award to be announced in April.
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