If you currently work at Saint Martin’s*, you should have your very own page in our web directory. This is your very own calling-card, your Saint Martin’s resume, your own hagiography, your digital bubble-gum baseball card, and your Pokédex listing, all in one! (Boy, that went downhill fast.)
This is your own space to talk about yourself, to share your mission and vision for the community and students, and to provide impressive statistics (don’t know your SLUG percentage? We can calculate the rate of article publication over time, and give more weight to articles written in direct response to your academic opponents! … Why are you looking at me that way?).
More than a yearbook
The website directory is the most-used and most-public-facing campus resource for staff and faculty contact information. Prospective grad students use it to see the research interests of their potential mentors. Accreditors may reference it to see how we talk about our teaching credentials. In order for it to play its part in the symphony of our website as a whole, each directory listing has to be as mission-focused and professional as the rest; at the same time, it’s your own space to show your creativity and unique set of experiences and skills that set you apart among your colleagues.
Give us the facts!
Your office number, phone number, and email address are critical so that your colleagues and students can reach you, and if the nature of your work keeps you out of the office during most business hours, feel free to provide your cell phone number, if you are comfortable with it.
The whole point is making yourself not im-paws-ible to find
Give us some personality!
In order to express our sense of mission and purpose, you’re encouraged to share a personal mission statement that encapsulates your personal philosophy. It can be related to your teaching philosophy, how you embrace our Benedictine/Catholic mission, or even your objectives for your students or clients. A number of us already have one; check out Dr. Bode‘s as a good example:
You’re also encouraged to share information about your hobbies & interests, family, and personal history. By doing so, you create the potential to open new doors and make new connections, help new members of our community feel at home, and create bonds of trust before you’ve even met!
More official than LinkedIn
Your directory page is also your external proof of the amazing work you do here! We want you to use it to show off your amazing contribution to the university, the work you accomplished prior to arriving here, and the vision you have for your department’s (and for your students’) future.
There are sections in your directory page set aside for links to your personal website, your CV (which is a downloadable link), and we can create sections for you to list (and please hyperlink, if you can) your publications, your career history, your awards and accomplishments, major projects, or anything else you feel is relevant to your contribution and involvement at Saint Martin’s.
And, perhaps more importantly and most visibly, we’d like to see your fields and areas of specialization and your degrees:
Another WWU alum? Vikings represent!!
Harder to update than all of your social media accounts
It’s true, but it’s not social media. This content is meant to live for a year or more, with only occasional updating as to mention major accomplishments (newly married? New publication? New promotion?) at your discretion.
But if any of your essential information is incorrect (such as your office location, your job title, your stmartin.edu email address, your office phone number unless you’re switching it to your personal cell number), this information is housed in several databases that govern payroll, benefits, etc., and not just the website.
When emailing me to notify me of such a mistake, please also include Human Resources (and the VPAA office if you are faculty), and include additionally Doug Troyer if the office phone number or room number is listed incorrectly.
Get a professional photo taken!
Many of us, myself included, need official marketing photos taken for web and other marketing assets. If you don’t yet have an official Saint Martin’s photo, stay tuned, we’ll have a photo shoot the week before classes begin in September. (In the meantime, you can send me a personal photo for the directory. It has to be 260px by 390px or larger and must only show you and no other persons in the photo). Otherwise, many of you will remain bears (how em-bear-assing):
Meet Greg Davis. (I bearly see the resemblance)
Find your directory page and start brainstorming content today!
Faculty, please send your content directly to the Executive Assistant to the dean of your college. Staff can send your information directly to me.
In summary:
- Check your directory page for the facts: office phone #, room #, email address, if you hold a PhD, does your name say so?
- Tell me more about your creds: Research areas and fields of specialization in the program you teach; where you received your degrees and what degrees you hold
- What is your personal mission statement? Share it!
- Tell us all about yourself, personal interests, family life, career background and goals
- List any publications, achievements, awards, honors, etc.
- Give me photo
- But send all of this through the EA to the dean of your college first, hopefully in one email
*If you don’t have a directory page and you’ve already shown up for your first day of work, please contact me and CC Human Resources! We’re only human (for the time being) and it’s entirely possible someone could have been missed.
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