The Bloustein School seeks to improve our increasingly urbanized and interconnected world by exploring  planning approaches and public policy solutions that are healthier, greener, fairer, and generate greater  prosperity than do current practices. It pursues equitable and efficient solutions to public problems at  multiple levels from the global to the local and emphasizes the professional perspectives of urban  planning, public policy, and public health. Within each of these domains, the school advances its  aspiration to be a global leader in teaching, research, and service by engaging society’s challenges with  focused programs that align current strengths with emerging needs. Read the full Mission Statement

The Rutgers web site, rutgers.edu, offers information that faculty and PTLs will find helpful under the tab Information for: Faculty and Staff as well as Information for: Current Students. A campus map is also available from RU-Info. Several subject areas in this guide will refer you to the Rutgers web site for information.

See the Administrative Staff page

The doors of the Bloustein School, 33 Livingston Avenue, Civic Square, are generally open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Once you have obtained a Rutgers University ID card and have it activated by the Business Office, you will be able to enter the building after hours.

For accident, medical, fire or police emergency, call 911.  To reach the Public Safety Communication and Dispatch Center call 732/932-7211.

In the event of a weather emergency, check http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/status

A “delayed opening” for the New Brunswick/Piscataway campuses is defined as opening at 9:50 a.m. An “early closing” on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campuses is defined as no classes after 4:10 p.m. Please do not call the Rutgers police for closing or cancellation information.

Cancellation of daytime classes are generally broadcast before 6:30 a.m. by participating stations and cancellations for evening classes are announced in the late afternoon. Please do not call the Rutgers Police for closing or cancellation information.

When announcements are made, campus status information will also be available through:

Rutgers University Facebook page

Rutgers University Twitter (@RutgersU)

RU-info Channel on RU-tv 3

RU-info Call Center at 732-445-INFO (4636)

Via text to 732-662-2664

Campus status information will also be available through these media stations and their websites:

• News-12 New Jersey
• New Jersey 101.5 (FM)
• WCTC Radio (1450 AM)
• WCBS Radio (880 AM)
• WRNJ Radio (1510 AM, 104.7 and 92.7 FM)
• WRSU Radio (88.7 FM)

When possible, the Bloustein School will also post campus status information via the following sources:

Bloustein School website

Bloustein School Facebook page

Bloustein School Twitter (@blousteinschool)

If you must miss a class due to illness or other emergency, please contact your program as soon as possible to make arrangements for coverage of your class.

If you must to miss a class due to a professional reason (speaking engagement, etc.), please contact the Dean of Students prior to the semester in which the absence will occur in order to get approval for your absence and for the school to make alternative arrangements for class coverage.

A packet containing your appointment letter and any paperwork required to put you on payroll will be provided to you each semester. All new hires must consent to a background check and the background check must be completed prior to being hired and starting work. For individuals new to the Bloustein payroll, proof of identity will need to be provided and specific instruction will be given to do so. Please be sure to complete the forms and return them to the Business & Administrative Services office promptly

All questions related to appointments should be directed to Lynn Astorga or Keri Ferreira. Delays in returning forms will result in delays in your receiving payment.

All computing-related questions (including setting up a school account) and technical support are provided by the Information Technology Services Office.

NetID and Email Accounts

All Rutgers employees are assigned a NetID when their hiring information is processed at Human Resources. A NetID is the account that will be used to access almost all of the resources you will need at Rutgers University.  For example, your NetID is used to access the Canvas course management system, the MyRutgers portal, and the REGIS system, which is used to submit official grades at the end of the semester.

If you are a new instructor, you should receive an email from Office of Information Technology providing you with your NetID, as well as a link for activating the account. During the activation process, you will have the opportunity to setup security questions to assist in case you lose your password, to select the various services that you need access to, and to establish a Rutgers email account or address.

Starting in 2017, all instructors must use their official Rutgers Email account (Microsoft 365 “Connect”) to correspond with students. 

Access Rutgers Email | Basic Guide | Advanced Guide

If you have any questions, or need assistance with this, after receiving your NetID, please contact the Bloustein School Information Technology Services group. The Bloustein School Information Technology Services website also has more information.

Bloustein School Computer Accounts

To access the computers in the PTL offices, you will need to apply for an account on the private Bloustein School network.  This account is completely separate from your NetID and is only used to login to the computers located within the Civic Square building.  If you have been allocated space in the building and a PC is located in that area, you should apply for an account.  If you will not be using the computers in Civic Square aside from the computers in the classrooms, you will not need to apply for this account. Please download and fill out the account request form for the Bloustein School network; note that these account requests typically take 1 to 2 business days to process.

The Bloustein School requires a copy of your curriculum vitae or resume. Please submit a copy to Lynn Astorga.

All office space is assigned by the dean’s office. PTLs will be provided shared office space in room 551 and access to a copier located in room 564. You are allowed a maximum of 1,500 copies per semester. Please contact Lauren Bowman to set up an account. Faculty and PTL mailboxes are located in room 564.

Temporary parking permits for the fall and spring semesters are available online.  The temporary permit is valid for 30 days after the employment start date.  Once PTLs receive their first paycheck, they can apply for a parking permit online at https://ipo.rutgers.edu/dots/faculty-staff-permits.

PTLs teaching in the Civic Square Building may park in the garage during the semester they are teaching only. Parking and Transportation Services will activate university ID cards for entry into the CSB garage. Summer permits must be purchased from Parking and Transportation Services. These permits also allow PTLs to park in general faculty/staff lots on campus.

The Bloustein School requires demonstration of continuing professional development for all full-time faculty members, including attending professional conferences, participating in training and workshops, and maintaining licenses and certifications in their fields. These items must be included in their tenure and promotion materials, as well as in their annual report to the dean on their teaching and professional activities. The Dean provides sufficient funding to support these requirements and the faculty are encouraged to apply for faculty development opportunities beyond giving papers at professional meetings.

Reappointment of part-time (professional) faculty is based upon maintenance of licenses and professional currency, as well as teaching evaluations. Part-time faculty reappointments are reviewed every semester by the Program Leader and the Undergraduate Program Director

Payroll for academic year part-time faculty runs

• September 1 through January 31 (fall semester), or
• February 1 through June 30 (spring semester).

Completed paperwork should be returned Keri Ferreira in the Business & Administrative Services office, room 172. After your employment start date (Sept.1 or Feb.1) log onto the Rutgers Portal my.rutgers.edu to complete your tax forms and sign up for direct deposit.

Payroll checks are directly deposited in the bank account that you designate every two weeks on Friday.  Paycheck stubs may be accessed on line at my.rutgers.edu – look for the Employee Self-Service tab.

If you do not sign up for direct deposit, your payroll check can be picked up from the mailroom on the 5th floor of the Civic Square Building.

The Bloustein School requires demonstration of continuing professional development for all full-time faculty members, including attending professional conferences, participating in training and workshops, and maintaining licenses and certifications in their fields. These items must be included in their tenure and promotion materials, as well as in their annual report to the dean on their teaching and professional activities. The Dean provides sufficient funding to support these requirements and the faculty are encouraged to apply for faculty development opportunities beyond giving papers at professional meetings.

Reappointment of part-time (professional) faculty is based upon maintenance of licenses and professional currency, as well as teaching evaluations. Part-time faculty reappointments are reviewed every semester by the Program Leader and the Undergraduate Program Director.

For information pertaining to retirement plan eligibility, please check the Rutgers website.

Please check the Rutgers web site for the most recent bargaining agreements. The negotiated agreements are available on the web site of Academic Labor Relations.

There are various provisions governing reappointments and salary increments of which you should be aware.

The University Photo ID serves as the primary form of identity verification throughout the university.  All faculty and PTLs must obtain a photo ID if they do not already have one.  To do so, you must bring the following items to University Human Resources at 57 Route 1 South, New Brunswick, NJ (ASB-II on the Cook Campus):

• Your appointment letter
• Photo ID, and
• ID application signed by Sharon Fortin, Director of Business Administration & Human Resources

Please check the Rutgers web site, https://ipo.rutgers.edu/publicsafety/online-photo-submission for further information.

Please note that ID card activation is necessary to gain entrance to CSB parking/building/office. Please contact Keri Ferreira with any questions.

Faculty and PTLs are required to hold two hours of advising hours per course per week at a designated location on campus. Please provide your advising hours to Lauren Bowman by the end of the first week of classes. This information will be made available to students and staff. It is the faculty member’s responsibility to inform staff of any change in those hours. The Associate Dean of the Faculty will monitor and remedy this policy.

Academic: http://scheduling.rutgers.edu/calendar.shtml

Bloustien Faculty Meetings: Email Tamara Swedberg to be added to this calendar

Bloustein School events: https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/events/ 

Rutgers University events:  http://ruevents.rutgers.edu/events/

Class schedules are set one year in advance and due to minimal space, are very difficult to change. If it is necessary to make any change to your class time and/or location, you must contact your program director as soon as possible.

Rutgers University policy requires that each course and each instructor should be evaluated each semester, to help assess strengths and weakness, to show progress, and to determine whether/what changes would be useful. The school insists on effective teaching and will make decisions based on that criterion. Student evaluations are completed online. Notice will be sent to instructors when online evaluations are available. The instructor should then advise the class at least three times that the evaluations are available and ask that they be completed as soon as possible. Student feedback is important for our courses to be continually improved.

Information on creating a syllabus can be found at http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/teaching/syllabus.htm.

You must submit an electronic copy of your course syllabus 30 days prior to the start of the semester to BOX via the instructions from Prof. Julia Rubin, Associate Dean of Academic Programs.

At minimum, the syllabus should contain:

• Course number and title
• Instructor’s name, office hours, email address, and other contact information
• Course description, with learning goals and objectives
• Required texts and assignments
• Grading and attendance policies
• Schedule of topics
• Academic Integrity Statement

To assist you in designing your course, copies of past syllabi for specific courses are available. Please reach out Dean Rubin for these. You are also encouraged to talk to members of our faculty who have previously taught the course. While you have the academic freedom to determine the specific content and evaluation strategy for your course, it is imperative that you match your content to the course title and official catalog description. You should plan for students to receive feedback on their progress throughout the semester (quizzes, assignments, hourly exams, or other formal evaluations). It is not appropriate to base a final grade on a single assignment, paper, or exam. Graduate final exams or presentations can be held during the last scheduled class or by arrangement. The schedule for undergraduate exams, including date and location, is determined by the University Scheduling office.

Homework and reading assignments vary widely, but 2 to 4 hours a week is an approximate average load for a three-credit course. Be sure to communicate the requirements, learning objectives and outcomes, and evaluation strategy of the course clearly in your course syllabus.

The Rutgers Learning Centers work with students, faculty, and professional staff through a variety of free academic support programs to promote student achievement.

The Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research offers a variety of materials and workshops to assist faculty.  A list of scheduled workshops is available on its web site.

The Rutgers University Libraries comprise one of the nation’s leading academic library systems.  In addition to its large collections in a variety of different areas, it offers a variety of services including classroom instructions, research assistance, and consultations to assist faculty and their students.

Book orders (edoptions) should be placed online at http://rutgers.bncollege.com.  The bookstore will also gladly accommodate you if it is more convenient to email your order to TM660@bncollege.com or hand-deliver your order to the bookstore.

Course packets are not prepared in the school. There are several alternatives available to you, primarily scanning and posting your readings on Canvas. Please contact Lauren Bowman at least 3 weeks prior to the start of class for further information.

If you have a problem regarding Bloustein School (CSB-Civic Square Building) room set-ups, please contact Thomas Calhoun. Please note the standard configuration for CSB classrooms is tables and chairs facing the whiteboard. If you change the configuration for your class, please return it to the standard set-up. If there are any problems with heating/air conditioning/electrical, please contact the Facilities Request.

If you have a problem with a classroom outside of the Civic Square Building, please contact Digital Classroom Services.

Class rosters are available online. Rosters contain sensitive information and access to them must be restricted. In order to verify that rosters are only accessible by those authorized, permission is granted by Lauren Bowman. Faculty and PTLs must access them by use of their NetID and password. Online rosters give you the ability to view and print rosters, obtain email addresses of students, pull up photos of students, and submit warnings and grades online. You can access your roster at: http://sims.rutgers.edu/rosters.

Warning rosters are issued a few weeks into the semester for undergraduate students only and allow faculty and instructors to formally warn students that they are doing poorly at this point in the semester due to poor performance, poor attendance or both. Warnings can be entered online with a warning of W1: poor performance, W2: poor attendance or W3: both. This warning does not go on a student’s permanent record. Again, verify that the roster accurately reflects the students in the course, so that they receive their grades correctly.

From time to time, you will encounter students who are unhappy about a particular grade in a course. Students are required to discuss the grade with you first. Please try to provide students with a way to contact you, by phone or e-mail, after the semester is over so that they can discuss any grade issues with you. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), be aware that you cannot discuss a student’s grades with his/her parents or others, unless the student has given you written permission to do so.

If you cannot reach a resolution with the student, you should refer the student to the appropriate program director, and provide the program director with any relevant material. If the program director cannot resolve the disagreement, the student then has the right to see the Assistant Dean for adjudication. It is important to explain to the student these steps, so they are aware of their options during a grievance or grade review.

Students may add courses and drop courses without a “W” (withdraw) being noted on their records at the beginning of each semester. Students are advised to check with the Registrar’s office for the appropriate time lines. If the initial meeting of a class does not occur until after the drop period, the “W” shall be waived provided that the student drops the class with the permission of the dean within one business day after the first meeting of the course.

Students use the Rutgers web-based online registration system to drop and add courses, adding courses primarily through the use of special permission numbers unique to each course and available only through the program. New Ph.D. students must register in person.

All non-matriculated students and select courses in the programs require special permission numbers. Students may contact you prior to the start of class for permission to take your course. Please confirm your approval to Marie O’Brien for graduate courses. Special permission numbers are not used to waive prerequisites to a course.

For courses in the Civic Square Building, all classrooms are equipped with a computer and projector or TVs. Please reach out to Michael Samman if you need help with the equipment.

For classes outside the Bloustein School, please visiting the Rutgers Digital Classroom Services page, click on “Contact Us” on the menu, then click on “Request equipment.”

If you give a final exam in your course, please be sure the arrangements are listed in your course syllabus. If you teach an undergraduate course, your final examination is to be administered during the time assigned to your course through University Scheduling and clicking on “Exams” in the top menu. You can administer make-up examinations when a student is able to satisfy the faculty member that the exam was missed through no fault of the student. A note from a doctor, the student health service, or the college dean’s office is sufficient to document medical absences or schedule conflicts. Other excuses are accepted at the discretion of the instructor.

The make-up exam should be administered by a faculty member or a graduate student in a suitable space, without distractions or the opportunity for academic dishonesty.

Inappropriate make-up exam situations include:

• Asking a staff member to arrange the exam space and to “proctor” the exam
• Putting the student alone in a public space, such as the student lounge, a conference room, or a storage room
• Using another faculty member’s office
• Having an undergraduate assistant supervise the exam in the faculty member’s office, with the faculty member absent.

Appropriate make-up exam situations include: Schedule of topics

• Holding the exam in the faculty member’s office or another space supervised by the faculty member
• Finding space for a graduate student TA to conduct the proctoring
• Arranging a standard make-up time and place for the course
• Placing the student in a classroom where a full-hour proctored exam is in progress for another course, with a faculty colleague administering the exam.

Final grades are due in the office of the Registrar within 48 hours of the scheduled date of your final exam or submission of final assignment. Grades are submitted online. If you cannot submit your final grades by the university due date, please contact Lauren Bowman to make other arrangements immediately, as this could hinder a student’s graduation.

The appropriate grades for your course are listed online on your roster. If you have specific questions regarding a grade for a student, please consult the program director in your area. Further information can be found at https://nbregistrar.rutgers.edu/facstaff/index.htm.

Incomplete grades are given to students, who are enrolled in graduate courses and who fill out an Incomplete Agreement form, which is available in the Student Services office, room 183/184. Incomplete grades are given at the discretion of the instructor when the student has not properly completed the course work requirements (i.e., major assignment or examinations). An incomplete grade becomes a PIN (permanent incomplete) after one year.

Temporary grades (“T/” grades) may be given in undergraduate courses. See here for more information.

Please note that it is a violation of federal law and university regulations to post any student grades by name or social security number, either physically in a university building, on the Internet, or in any other manner. After the end of the semester, students are able to phone the registrar for term grades and, if you wish for students to be able to reclaim final exams, you may leave them, in alphabetical order, with Lauren Bowman.

You should retain all course papers and exams for a period of one year.

Grade changes can occur in two instances:

1. If a student was given an incomplete grade, or
2. If there has been a mistake in the final grade submitted for a student

If you need to change a grade for either of these reasons, you can go online to http://sims.rutgers.edu/rosters. Grade changes can be made online by following the prompts on your roster. Please be sure to indicate the reason for the change of grade. This request will be forwarded for approval by the Dean’s Office. You will receive notification and instruction on the approval or rejection of the grade change.

Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) is the official platform at Rutgers for hosting course materials. https://canvas.rutgers.edu/ 

For more information on instructional design and technology services at the Bloustein School, visit https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/its/ 

The University’s Academic Integrity Policy can be found at: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/academic-integrity-at-rutgers.

Please note that penalties for misconduct range from failing an assignment/exam to dismissal from the university. Academic misconduct almost always happens for two reasons:

1. Ignorance of academic rules and practices (in virtually every recent plagiarism case in the school, material has been taken from an internet site and placed in text without appropriate note or attribution), or
2. Pressure.

Should you verify academic misconduct, or have any problems with dishonesty, ethical violations, or harassment (whether involving you or involving others) please contact your program director and/or staff below. The school needs to know about each case. You should not try to resolve any such issues yourself. The university’s policy discusses violations of academic integrity such as cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and denying others access to information or material. It defines four levels of offenses, with attendant sanctions and grievance hearings.

Students should discuss academic matters (including academic and professional integrity items) with the instructor involved in the issue. Should the problem remain unresolved, the student should approach the program director first and then Steve Weston, Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Services. The dean’s office may then decide the issue or refer the matter to a university-wide hearing for review and decision.

Your course syllabus should contain a statement on Academic Integrity. Should you have any questions or need to review the process, please contact Steve Weston, Assistant Dean, room 186, (848) 932-2728.

Under Federal Law, the university is required to provide reasonable academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities, in legally defined categories. Rutgers has a very specific process that students must follow in order to obtain accommodations. All students must present proof of their disability to their respective undergraduate college or graduate unit for review by the college coordinator.

If a student approaches you directly to ask for accommodations, please inform the student that all requests for accommodations must go through the coordinator at his/her undergraduate college or graduate unit. Undergraduate students may contact the Dean of Students Office at their colleges for the name of their disabilities coordinator. Graduate students and Bloustein undergraduate direct admit students should contact Steve Weston, Assistant Dean, room 186, (848) 932-2728.

The coordinator will work out an individualized plan of accommodations for the student, and the university office of disability services will send a letter to each instructor who is teaching a course for which the student is registered. That letter will specify the particular accommodations to which a student is entitled in that course. Typical accommodations may include extended time on exams, offering exams in a distraction-free environment, note-takers, and perhaps even alternate forms of exams (essay vs. multiple choice)

The Office of Employment Equity is responsible for overseeing and coordinating requests for accommodation received from staff employees with disabilities. These Guidelines are established for the use of staff employees when making a request for accommodation. Visit http://uhr.rutgers.edu/worklife-balance/wellness-programs/disability-accommodations for complete Guidelines.

It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, military service, veteran status, or any other category protected by law.

The university is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. The Office of Employment Equity is responsible for implementation of the university’s Affirmative Action Plan for Equal Employment Opportunity (“Plan”) and monitors the university’s progress with regard to the Plan. The Plan, which covers females, minorities, individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, recently separated veterans or other protected veterans, is available for inspection by employees and applicants for employment on each campus.

A copy of this policy can be found at Rutgers University Human Resources.

Rutgers University respects the religious diversity of its faculty and staff. The University prohibits discrimination based on religion and will provide reasonable accommodations for employees to enable them to exercise their sincerely-held religious beliefs, unless the accommodation imposes an undue hardship on the university.

The Office of Employment Equity is responsible for overseeing requests for accommodation received from faculty and staff employees based on religion.  These Guidelines are established for the use of faculty and staff employees when making a request for accommodation.  Please contact the Office of Employment Equity with questions regarding the Guidelines, at:
Office of Employment Equity (“OEE”)
Administrative Services Building II
57 U.S. Highway 1
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-8554
(848) 932-3973 (phone)
(732) 932-0049 (fax)
employmentequity@hr.rutgers.edu

It is the policy of the university to excuse without penalty students who are absent because of religious observances, and to allow the make-up of work missed because of such absences. Examinations and special required out-of-class activities shall ordinarily not be scheduled on those days when religiously observant students refrain from participating in secular activities.

As the university has grown in its diversity, a list of officially recognized holidays is no longer published. Please ask students to submit, in writing, their intention to be absent from class due to religious observance.

It is the policy of Rutgers University to provide equal employment opportunity and to make the benefits and services of its educational program available to employees and students without discrimination on the basis of certain enumerated protected categories. These categories are race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, military service, and veteran status, and any other category protected by law. Harassment is a form of discrimination and, therefore, harassment directed toward an individual or group, or experienced by an individual or group, based on membership in a protected category, also violates university policy.

More information about this policy can be found at Rutgers University Human Resources.