3.02.34 - Teaching Focus

Policy Title: Teaching Focus

Impact: Employees

Responsibility: Office of Instruction

Effective Date: 05/27/09

Last Update:

Relates to Procedure: 3.02.34

Legal Citation(s):

I. Policy Narrative

To achieve the student success and teaching excellence commitments of North Idaho College’s mission statement, the college recognizes that keeping faculty focused on their primary responsibility of teaching is vital to the college’s success. Accordingly, teaching thirty-credit hour equivalence per academic year, teaching development, and other activities that directly advance student learning are expected to comprise the foremost responsibilities and the predominant focus of faculty time and effort. College service, including student advising and committee duties, must be limited so as not to interfere with this primary focus. Should additional college service be required, adjustments to the faculty member’s contract are required, subject to approval by the faculty member, the appropriate division chair, dean, and the vice president for Instruction.

Procedure Title: Teaching Focus

Impact: Employees

Responsibility: Office of Instruction

Effective Date: 05/20/09

Last Update:

Relates to Policy: 3.02.34

Legal Citation(s):

General Faculty Duties and Responsibilities

It is understood that the specified activities of faculty are intended to support the college mission and adhere to college policy.

Faculty members report to their respective division chairs (as their immediate supervisor), deans, and the Chief Academic Officer and are expected to work cooperatively with other faculty, staff members, division chair and administration. 

Faculty members are responsible for teaching students, developing curriculum, professional development, and participating in the departmental/divisional monthly meeting and college-wide activities, including student advising, committee work, and college governance, subject to the following guidelines:

1. Teaching Activities

Full-time faculty members are responsible for a thirty credit hour teaching load equivalence per twelve month period as assigned by the institution. Changes to the contract-specified standard workload require agreement of the faculty member, the respective division chair and dean, and the vice president for instruction.

Responsibilities related to teaching:

Faculty members are expected to:

1. 1. Create classroom activities and climate conducive to achieving learning outcomes for all assigned courses.
   2. Demonstrate competence in their teaching fields and related technologies.
   3. Utilize appropriate and current college teaching techniques and/or methodologies.
   4. Teach students in assigned classes in accordance with catalog descriptions and official syllabi.
   5. Distribute and/or make available to all enrolled students on the first day of each class a course syllabus.
   6. Maintain five office hours per week at times most accessible by students. The schedule of classroom and office hours must be posted as soon as possible at the beginning of each semester.
   7. Prepare for classes; however, to ensure educational quality, preps for classes for which an instructor has never taught will be minimized.
   8. When teaching distance education courses, faculty members may replace office hours with on-line availability in proportion to the number of distance courses taught.
   9. Prepare and periodically revise course syllabi and provide updated copies for division files.
   10. Maintain accurate class records of students' grades and attendance records for financial aid and college tuition payment purposes and submit to division offices at each semester’s conclusion.
   11. Consider the general and special needs of students, assist them in meeting educational challenges, and, when necessary, refer them for additional help from other college services.
   12. Assume the ethical responsibility of meeting and teaching classes during the time and length of term as defined by the college course schedule.
   13. Complete in a timely manner required instruction-related tasks including submission of mid-term and final grades, textbook orders, required copies of course syllabi, TRIO requests for student performance reviews, and requests for class schedule input.
       
       
2. Teaching Development

Faculty members are expected to:

Maintain current knowledge in teaching discipline(s) through personal reading and other professional development activities, preserve industry linkages, and continually develop and improve courses. Changes to the contract-specified standard workload require agreement of the faculty member, the respective division chair and dean, and the vice president for instruction.

Responsibilities related to teaching development:

Faculty members are expected to:

1. 1. Maintain ongoing professional development in accordance with the NIC Instructional Professional Improvement Policy, including keeping abreast of pedagogical developments through ongoing participation in professional organizations, university courses, in-service training, independent reading, conference attendance, or faculty renewal and development programs.
   2. Develop and maintain a personal action plan for improvement.
   3. Maintain competence in assigned teaching fields including industry certifications where applicable.
   4. Maintain appropriate professional technical certification as state mandated.
   5. Maintain teaching quality by completing the performance reviews and self-evaluation described in the Faculty Evaluation Policy.
   6. Use student evaluations of instruction (formal and informal) to improve courses.
   7. Practice ongoing course innovation and improvement.
   8. Recommend course content updates as needed.
   9. Recommend textbooks, supplementary materials, reference materials/resources, library books and periodicals, and other supplemental items as needed.
   10. Identify supplies, equipment and other learning resources needed to support instructor’s teaching and make recommendations to division chair.
   11. Maintain life-long learning activities.

C. College Service

1. 1. Advising:
      Faculty members will serve as academic advisors for students majoring in their disciplines and/or to meet divisional or college needs for general education advisors. The number of advisees may vary depending on the number of majors in a division and institutional need for general education advisors; however, the number of advisees assisted by a faculty member may not exceed 30 advisees, unless otherwise agreed to by the faculty member.
      If it is necessary for a faculty member to be the advisor for more than this workload, adjustments in other responsibilities or compensation are required. Changes to the contract-specified standard workload require agreement of the faculty member, the respective division chair and dean, and the vice president for instruction. 
      Responsibilities related to advising:    
      
      Faculty members are expected to:

1. 1. 1. Assist advisees in planning their class selections and course workload.
      2. Respond to advising inquiries from assigned advisees.
      3. Encourage and support student retention.
      4. Assist advisees in exploring requirements for transfer degrees.
      5. Inform advisees of educational and occupational opportunities as they present themselves.

ii. Committee Responsibilities:
Each faculty member is expected to serve on one institutional committee but will not be required to serve on more than two committees. Faculty members may volunteer to serve on more than two committees, but voluntary service does not qualify for additional compensation or adjustments to other duties.

Responsibilities related to committees:

Faculty members are expected to:

1. 1. 1. Perform committee service when elected or appointed by the Faculty Assembly Executive Committee, their respective division chairs or deans, the vice president for instruction, and/or the president, subject to agreement by the faculty member. In cases where faculty have not agreed to serve on a college committee, the administration reserves the right to appoint, with no additional compensation, those faculty to one committee during an academic year.
      2. If applicable, plan for and schedule program advisory committee meetings and program reviews in conjunction with division chair.
      3. Attend committee meetings and notify the committee chair if cannot attend.
      4. Notify division chair and dean of all committees served each semester.

iii. Governance, Campus Welfare and Learning-Support Activities:

Responsibilities:

Faculty members are expected to:

1. 1. 1. Actively promote NIC’s focus on student learning through contributions via the participatory governance structure and recommendations to the administration.
      2. Observe and support college regulations, policies, and programs.
      3. Attend campus-mandated training sessions such as those regarding sexual harassment or FERPA.
      4. Suggest improvements in the policies and procedures of the college through established channels as necessary.
      5. Communicate to division chair matters pertaining to specific course needs, issues, or concerns.
      6. Contribute to annual creation and evaluation of department goals.
      7. Participate in campus governance so long as does not interfere with primary teaching duties.
      8. Attend and participate in monthly division meeting and other meetings convened by the vice president for instruction or the president.
      9. Participate in commencement.
      10. Assist in program review and accreditation processes when required. Dependent upon the length and intensity of the service provided during the duration of these tasks, the faculty member’s other committee responsibilities will be temporarily suspended to facilitate this periodic overload.
      11. Perform peer review of other faculty members as provided in the Faculty Evaluation policy.
      12. At the faculty member’s option, may assist in student activity programs by accepting assignments as advisors, sponsors, or supervisors of student organizations and events in lieu of a committee assignment.