Creative Writing Program
Creative Writing Program

MFA Graduate Instructor Resources

This page lists some of the resources our MFA graduate instructors might need as they teach their creative writing classes. Things usually go smoothly, but there are always some bumps in the road.

Ideally, we should try to address most class problems at the lowest level possible. This means between the instructor and the student(s)—assuming the instructor knows what to do and is comfortable doing so. But it doesn't mean you have to solve every class issue alone. You can—and should—seek advice from the program administration or your faculty advisor. You don't need to parse through UVA policy and web pages in a vacuum.  We're here to back you up. And, a gentle remember that it's always a good idea to document what you have decided through emails to the student(s) and others.

Sometimes an instructor's first efforts do not resolve the issue, or the issue is more serious, or a seemingly small issue escalates. In those cases, we begin looping in other UVA entities like association deans and the Office of the Dean of Students. When to address things yourself and when to bring in others can be a difficult line to discern. There are a lot of if-thens depending on the situation. But again, remember that you have many willing program administrators and advisors ready to help you. If you are ever unsure, seek advice.

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Calendars

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ENCW 2300/2600 Resources

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Respiratory Illnesses

  • There is no longer a special policy or set of guidelines for Covid. Instead, UVA follows CDC guidelines, and the CDC groups Covid with other respiratory illnesses and provides guidance at this link. 
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Undergraduate Academic Policies

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ENCW Local Policies and Enrollment

  • Our program's undergraduate curriculum page is on this site, here. That page details how we set up our undergraduate courses and how we manage enrollment, as well as how undergrads can request permission to take our 3000+ courses.
  • Instructor/Faculty directions on how to manage waitlists, do ad hoc permission to add a student, etc. can be found on this UVA registrar page.
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Learning Accommodations

The Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) - Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, students can request reasonable learning accommodations because of physical or learning disabilities. At UVA, students apply for these accommodations through the SDAC, which then notifies the instructors. A guide for instructors appears here.

The SDAC also maintains a faculty page at this location, where you can log in via Netbadge and see which students in your classes have accommodations on file and what those accommodations are.

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Emergency Help

  • 911 - If it's an imminent or serious crisis, call 911. The dispatcher will connect you with the appropriate UVA or local resource.
  • CASS on Call - Care and Support Services (CASS) is available 24/7, either at their daytime phone or through the UVA Police Department. If you have a pressing need concerning a student that is not appropriate for 911, start here.
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Reportable Incidents

As a "responsible employee," you often have mandatory reporting requirements, especially if you encounter a student who has been sexually assaulted, experienced relationship violence, or been stalked, or one who has possibly encountered harassment or discrimination by UVA faculty, staff, and students. 

  • Just Report It - One-stop site for reporting sexual misconduct, bias/discrimination, hazing, and more. If you think you have a reportable incident, this is the best place to make your report.
  • Title IX and Sexual Misconduct - Title IX and Sexual Misconduct policy and reporting obligations. Mandatory reporting usually occurs with incidents involving sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. When instructors learn about potential incidents in an academic context, they usually do not have a mandatory reporting obligation, but if they learn about the same incident in a non-academic context, they almost always do. If a student asks for academic accommodations (a delayed paper deadline, being excused from class) because of a sexual assault, relationship violence, or stalking, you almost always have a reporting obligation. When in doubt, talk to the associate director or director of creative writing or your faculty advisor.
  • Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights - If you think you may have a student facing discrimination, including harassment, in violation of the University's non-discrimination and equal opportunity policy statement, you can consult with this office.
  • Confidential Resources - No one in the Creative Writing Program is an official UVA confidential resource and can promise confidentiality. If your student would like to speak to someone confidentially, they should contact someone on the webpage above.
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Next-Level Help

(The people you go to when we can't solve a problem at the instructor or program level)

  • Athletic Resources for Instructors - Start here if you need help with a student-athlete. A list of all the Academic Coordinators listed with their assigned sports appears here.
  • Academic Advising Deans - Academic advising deans can help with students who seem to be falling behind, or keep missing class--and your own efforts haven't helped. You can identify a student's dean by looking in Stellic; writing Jeb Livingood (434-924-6675), who can look them up for you; or by calling Monroe Hall at (434) 924-3351, or by writing askthecollege@virginia.edu. While you might not call an academic dean when a problem first arises, they are a great resource when your efforts as an instructor seem to stall. They do prefer to hear about issues sooner rather than later—so don't hesitate to call.
  • CASS on Call - Care and Support Services (CASS) is a good resource when you have a student problem that goes beyond academics. For example, a student seems under great stress or appears to be struggling with depression or substance abuse. If you don't think you should be calling 911 because a student's issue does not seem quite that severe or imminent ... but you still want to call someone, start with CASS. And if you don't want to do the calling, you can ask your student to consider making the call themselves. 
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Plagiarism

  • UVA Honor Committee - One might think plagiarism would never happen in a creative writing class, but one might be surprised. UVA encourages faculty and instructors to respond to cases of plagiarism or other academic fraud using the UVA Honor System. If you think you might have an honor violation in your class, we strongly urge you to talk with the associate director of CW or your faculty advisor before taking any action.
  • The Faculty Handbook -  This page in the faculty handbook details the Honor System and faculty rules in cases of academic fraud. 
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Field Trips

Recommendations on field trips appear here. You cannot require field trips outside of your normal class time, though optional trips can often enhance learning. Trips off grounds or involving transportation can expose you and the university to significant liability issues, so review the Risk Management site linked above.

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Citation and Style

  • MLA Handbook - Go-to resource for college humanities paper format and citation. UVA network only.
  • Chicago Manual of Style - Go-to resource for the print industry. UVA network only.
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Funding and Travel

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Letterhead

  • Sometimes you need to write a letter of recommendation. This folder has some Word and PDF templates for Creative Writing Program letterhead.