2015-16 | Faculty
HANDBOOK
President’s Welcome Dear Faculty, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2015-2016 academic year. I am excited and eager to begin our year of engagement at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). I share with you the valued importance of education as we strive to provide the best opportunities, best experiences and best results for our students. Our students come to us at varying levels of preparedness and with divergent goals. Your dedication to each of them is exemplary, and your professional and personal accomplishments are inspiring to me. This handbook includes the most up-to-date information regarding our College policies and procedures. As we continue to move FSCJ forward, we will review and revise policies to meet the educational needs of today’s student. This information is not intended to duplicate information contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the FSCJ District Board of Trustees and United Faculty of Florida, but to be a resource for faculty searching for information about instructional or student policies and to serve as a support to College policies.
Dr. Cynthia A.Bioteau College President Dr. Bioteau’s Bio
I look forward to working with each of you this year and learning more about the extraordinary stories of success that are taking place collegewide. You truly make a difference, and your commitment and enthusiasm to this institution are unparalleled. Many thanks and best wishes for a prosperous academic year. Sincerely, Dr. Cynthia A. Bioteau College President
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2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
Provost’s Welcome Dear Faculty Colleagues: I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to our students, to our institution, and to the Jacksonville community. As faculty members, you serve at the critical intersection where our institutional mission meets the hopes and dreams of our individual students. Your dedication and commitment to the educational process is both critically important and truly admirable. It is the spark that enlightens minds, inspires creativity, and prepares our citizens for better careers. Simply stated, your work transforms lives, and, as a result, our local community and our “global village” receive immense benefits. I’m looking forward to a very exciting year in 2015-16. FSCJ is in the midst of a rejuvenation and transformation that is impacting every aspect our institution. In Academic Affairs, this will manifest with the establishment of five new schools within the College. This school-based structure will help us to enhance communication and engage faculty members in meaningful dialogue on important topics such as continuous program improvement, curricular revision, and disciplinebased pedagogical practices.
Ian P. Neuhard, Ed.D. Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
I am incredibly proud of the work that we are doing at FSCJ, and I feel honored to serve as your next Provost. I have a multidimensional view of my role as CAO where I am not only the Chief Academic Officer, but also the Chief Advocate and Organizer for rigorous and relevant teaching and learning, for increased student success, and for assisting each of you in your ongoing professional development. To that end, I hope you will find this handbook to be a helpful resource on your journey as a faculty member at FSCJ. If you have questions about the contents, or if you have suggestions for improving this document, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I wish you all the best for a very successful year and a rewarding academic career at FSCJ. Sincerely, Ian P. Neuhard, Ed.D. Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
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About Our College College History Florida State College at Jacksonville’s 50 years of growth and change began in the Jacksonville community in 1965 when a group of local and State leaders fought to open Jacksonville’s first publicly funded college. Unlike the remainder of the community, these leaders did not foresee an institution that would be a burden on taxpayers’ dollars, but they saw instead an institution that could bring economic growth and greater leaders to their city, an institution would provide local, highquality, reasonably priced education and training for the people of Duval and Nassau counties. On August 22, 1966, the newly established community college, Florida Junior College (FJC), welcomed 2,610 students in two renovated, temporary facilities: Southside Campus and Cumberland Campus. At the time, FSCJ’s sole mission was university transfer, providing lower-division courses for students to transfer to a baccalaureatedegree granting institution. In 1986, its 20th anniversary, Florida Junior College evolved into Florida Community College at Jacksonville. By that time, the present campuses— South, Kent, Downtown, and North—had been established. The College had admitted its 500,000th student. Enrollment had reached 68,388 students, and the College employed 2,300 faculty, administrators, and staff. The College had broadened its curriculum to offer new programs in many areas, including those that trained and educated students for direct entry into high-demand careers. As the College grew, it required new facilities and programs to accommodate the needs of a growing community. By the mid-1990s, Florida Community College at Jacksonville had established Open Campus Page 3
to foster its burgeoning Distance Learning Program. New centers were created, including a center in Nassau County and the Deerwood Center, which was located in a former shopping mall. In 2006, the College celebrated 40 years of service. It had matured into one of the premier community colleges in the country. It won accolades for its use of technology and for the quality, growth, and relevance of its programs in meeting the changing needs of local and global economies. The year 2006 also marked the beginning of a new era as the Florida Board of Education approved the College’s first bachelor’s degree, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Fire Science Management. Currently, the College offers 13 bachelor’s degree programs, all approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC). On March 3, 2009, the District Board of Trustees approved the name of the fouryear College. On August 1, 2010, Florida Community College at Jacksonville ended its 40-year history and began life as Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). The College, which welcomed Dr. Cynthia Bioteau as its fifth president in January 2014, currently serves nearly 60,000 credit and non-credit students with close to 400 full-time faculty and more than 800 adjunct faculty. As a state college, Florida State College at Jacksonville continues its tradition of remarkable accomplishments and continues to grow to fit the needs of its students and community. Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of SACS to award baccalaureate and associate degrees. Many programs are also accredited by a specific accrediting/licensing agency. Each
Campuses and Centers Downtown Campus Opened in 1977, this downtown landmark lies on the perimeter of the city’s core business, entertainment and sports district, and represents a gateway to success for thousands of students each year. Kent Campus Providing a stimulating, safe, collegiate environment oriented toward helping students to succeed, offer high quality higher education in a friendly neighborhood atmosphere nestled within the Riverside-Avondale Historic District. North Campus Located just eight miles north of downtown Jacksonville, this campus has outstanding facilities including the main campus, a sports complex, and the Criminal Justice Center. Open Campus/Deerwood Center Located on Jacksonville’s growing Southside, Open Campus/Deerwood Center is home to the College’s distance learning programs where convenience and the power of technology bring you a world of learning options. South Campus Located just eight miles from the Atlantic coast, between St. Johns Bluff Road and Huffman Boulevard, South Campus offers a full spectrum of college credit, community education and adult education classes. Administrative Offices The district administrative offices are adjacent to Downtown Campus. Advanced Technology Center The ATC is a technology rich and service driven training venue for all employers with facilities, resources and services unmatched in the First Coast area.
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About Our College program’s webpage contains the name of its accrediting agency. The Commission on Colleges may be contacted at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 300334097, or by calling (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of FSCJ. Florida State College at Jacksonville’s five campuses and two centers offer courses during the day, evening, and weekend. Every campus offers the courses required to earn an Associate in Arts degree for university transfer. The Administrative Offices, including the College President’s Office, are located adjacent to the Downtown Campus in support of Jacksonville’s downtown redevelopment.
College Mission Florida State College at Jacksonville provides high-value, relevant life-long education that enhances the intellectual, social, cultural and economic development of our diverse community.
Vision Florida State College at Jacksonville… Growing minds today, leading tomorrow’s world.
Distinctive Values and Attributes Florida State College at Jacksonville is a values-driven institution of higher education committed to ensuring that every student has a positive overall experience by providing the following: • Excellence in teaching • High-quality courses, services, and learning environments • Innovation and flexibility in the delivery of courses and services • Advanced academic technology • Significant local scholarship resources
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• Responsiveness to student, employer, and community needs • Emphasis on community quality of life and prosperity • Encouragement and support of lifelong learning
College Goals The College mission will be fulfilled, in significant measure, through the continuous and responsive pursuit of academic excellence and through the following collegewide goals: • To prepare students for distinctive success in their academic, personal, and career goals through collaboration within the College community and through individual initiative. • To inspire in students a lifetime commitment to continued learning, informed civic engagement, ethical leadership, cultural appreciation, social responsibility, and multicultural awareness in an interconnected world. • To optimize access to College programs and services. • To provide to students a positive experience in every engagement with the College. • To contribute significantly to the ongoing economic development of the Northeast Florida region.
Accreditation and Outcomes Assessment The Office of Accreditation and Outcomes Assessment (OAOA) provides leadership, support, and resources for institutional effectiveness and regional accreditation. These functions assist the institution by maintaining SACS-COC accreditation, promoting its achievement of mission and
Nassau Center This site is located in the center of Nassau County in Yulee and is equipped with computer and technology enhanced classrooms and labs. Cecil Center This site offers a wide range of programs on Jacksonville’s Westside including the College’s aviation and commercial vehicle driving programs. Urban Resource Center The URC is located on State Street in downtown Jacksonville, adjacent to the Administrative Offices and two blocks west of Downtown Campus.
Board Rules Table of Contents Section 1 General Provisions, Definitions and Governance Section 2 Administration Section 3 Human Resources Section 4 Finance Section 5 Purchasing Section 6 Business Services Section 7 Technology Section 8 Facilities, Planning and Construction Section 9 Instruction Section 10 Educational Support Services Section 11 Student Support Services Section 12 Staff and Program Development Section 13 College Relations and Development
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About Our College goals, and fostering continual enhancement of the institution’s programs and services for the benefit of the College community. OAOA is responsible for SACS-COC accreditation correspondence and reports, Quality Enhancement Plan coordination, Substantive Changes, and other reaffirmation and compliance activities. OAOA supports annual program and unitlevel institutional effectiveness activities of academic programs, academic and student support services, and nonacademic units. Further information about The Office of Accreditation and Outcomes Assessment is available on the College website. Guidelines for the College’s program and unit-level institutional effectiveness process are detailed in APM 02-1601. Faculty members in all academic and nonacademic programs are called upon to design their Outcomes Assessment plans and reports for their programs or disciplines in a collegial manner.
College Organization and Administration District Board of Trustees Florida State College at Jacksonville is operated by the District Board of Trustees, whose members are appointed by the Governor. The Board of Trustees has the authority and responsibility to establish rules and standards deemed appropriate for the efficient operation of the College. These rules and standards can be found in the Policies and Procedures section of the College website. The District Board of Trustees is required by Florida Statute and State Board Rules to prescribe human resources rules for the College. It does so by creating a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the District Board of Trustees of Florida State College at Jacksonville and the United Page 5
Faculty of Florida–Florida State College at Jacksonville. The CBA is a Rule of the Board of Trustees that provides for the terms and conditions of full-time faculty employment at the College. The full-time faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement may be found through the employee portal on the Human Resources webpage
Organizational Structure The current organization of Florida State College at Jacksonville is depicted on the Organization Management webpage, which is located in Organization Management under the College tab in the employee portal. An overview of the organization of each campus is available on the College’s website.
Florida State College at Jacksonville Foundation Florida State College at Jacksonville Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to secure financial resources for FSCJ to provide students in need with access to an affordable, quality education and to enhance the lives and the economic development of Northeast Florida. The Foundation strives to provide access to educational opportunities at FSCJ to individuals who need financial assistance. The Foundation’s scholarships, capital projects, and distinctive programs ensure that graduating high school students and adults who are pursuing new careers can realize their educational dreams. One hundred percent of a donor’s investment is applied directly to her/his chosen designation.
Volume I
District Board of Trustees
Volume II Administration
Volume III Human Resources
Volume IV Finance and Accounting
Volume V Purchasing
Volume VI Business Services
Volume VII Information Technology
Volume VIII Facilities, Planning and Construction
Volume IX Instruction
Volume X Educational Support Services
Volume XI Student Services
Volume XII Staff and Program Development
Volume XIII Public Affairs
Further information about Florida State College at Jacksonville Foundation, Inc. is available on the Florida State College at Jacksonville Foundation’s website.
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About Our College Academic Structure The College’s Academic Disciplines and Programs of Study are organized into the following five Schools: • School of Arts and Sciences • School of Business and Professional Studies • School of Education and Technology • School of Human Services and FSCJ Online • School of Health Sciences Faculty Discipline Liaisons serve as representatives for their respective Schools, facilitating communication across the college. Liaisons represent the perspectives of interrelated curriculum areas within a given School across all campuses.
Educational Programs Florida State College at Jacksonville currently has more than 150 program options. By offering day, evening, and weekend class schedules; online courses; and locations throughout seven areas of Duval and Nassau counties, FSCJ strives to make its degree and certificate programs convenient and accessible to the community. More information about all of the following programs can be found on the Degrees and Certificates webpage.
Bachelor’s Degrees The college offers Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees for students with associate degrees who wish to further advance their education. Bachelor programs are designed to provide exceptional education and training in industries that are in high demand. There are currently 13 bachelor’s
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degree programs available in fields such as the health sciences, business, and technology, which will provide students with viable career pathways.
Associate in Arts/University Transfer Degree The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree consists of all of the general education requirements necessary for students to matriculate into a bachelor’s program at the College or at another college or university in Florida, where an FSCJ A.A. guarantees acceptance. FSCJ credits are also accepted at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and internationally. Furthermore, the College has transfer agreements with several universities offering online degree programs. The A.A. is an ideal program for new students who may not yet know which major or career path they are interested in choosing. These students have several convenient options when working toward an A.A. degree, including studying in a traditional classroom setting, completing an accelerated A.A. degree program in 18 months, or earning their entire associate degree online. There are many benefits to completing the first two years of a bachelor’s degree at FSCJ rather than a four-year university, including lower tuition, smaller class sizes, and faculty who are focused on teaching rather than research.
Associate in Science Degrees The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree is a two-year program that is a wonderful option for students wishing to quickly begin a career. There are over 40 A.S. programs from which to choose, ranging from Aviation Operations to Radiation Therapy. Depending on the general education prerequisites, students may also apply their credits to a bachelor’s degree. In fact, many of the A.S. programs are designed to
Course Delivery Options On Campus Instruction/WebEnhanced
The instructor meets with students “face-to-face” for most of the course instruction; however, some course materials or activities (0-29%) may be online and require some Internet access. Online components may include access to course content, course notes, and exams.
Hybrid
A hybrid course is one that blends online and face-to-face delivery of the course content and instruction. A substantial proportion (30-79%) of the content is delivered online; these courses typically use online discussions and have a reduced number of face-to-face meetings. Additional guidelines are available in the Appendix.
Online/Distance Learning
A fully online course is one which most or all of the content is delivered online (80-100%), and it typically has few or no face-to-face meetings. Some fully online courses require proctored testing at approved testing sites or centers and class activities that must be completed outside of the classroom.
Accelerated Options
Accelerated curriculums are a prescribed sequence of courses that are tailored to a program of study and designed for students who wish to earn their degrees as quickly as possible. The courses themselves are the same, but a more efficient schedule is created by determining which courses to take when and what kinds of courses would hasten progress, such as enrolling in eight-week, online sessions. More information is available on the Accelerated Curriculums website.
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About Our College transition into the FSCJ B.S. and B.A.S. degrees.
Associate in Applied Science Degree The College currently offers an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S) degree in Automotive Service Management Technology, which provides training in engines, transmissions and transaxles, brakes and electrical systems so that students can become expert auto technicians.
Developmental Education With the May 2013 passage of Senate Bill 1720, developmental education in the Florida College System underwent significant reform in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Effective Spring 2014, a student who entered the ninth grade in a Florida public school in 2003 or after and earned a standard Florida high school diploma, or a student who is serving as an active duty member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Services, will not be required to take the placement test (PERT) or enroll in developmental education at any Florida College System institution State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315. If a student is exempt from placement testing and developmental education, the student may still opt to be assessed or may enroll in developmental education, and the College will provide assessment and instruction upon the student’s request Developmental Education Options There are several types of developmental reading, writing, and math courses that are available to students. Students are placed into programs based on their PERT scores, so the following list of courses is organized in ascending order of score requirements:
• Modularized courses last four weeks and are one to two credits each. Instruction is individualized to meet each student’s learning needs. • The Early Start/Bridge program is a non-credit, self-paced, computerized program in which students study independently with the goal of retaking the PERT and testing out of developmental courses. • Direct Entry into Gateway courses permits non-exempt students who score in the upper range on the placement exam for reading, writing, or math to enroll directly in gateway (college-credit) courses in communications and mathematics. There are different options, so students should see a College advisor to discuss the appropriate pathway for their major and/or meta-major.
Technical Certificates Technical Certificates provide technical training for specific fields in fewer credit hours than are required for an associate degree. A certificate provides the foundational information of a particular industry, which allows students to enter the workforce quickly or later pursue an A.S. degree.
Applied Technical Diploma Currently, an Applied Technical Diploma is offered for Medical Coder/Biller. This program produces competent, entry-level health care workers.
• Compressed courses last eight weeks and are four credits each.
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About Our College Workforce Certifications Workforce Certifications provide the handson, practical skills and information necessary for students to dive into a new career or gain new skills for promotion in a current job. These non-credit programs prepare students for real-life workplaces; some even include internships and preparation for licensure exams. While all certificate programs can be completed in less than two years, some take as few as eight weeks to complete.
Continuing Education Continuing education courses focus on professional development and career advancement. Professional development classes help individuals and businesses hone their career skills in order to advance in the workplace. More information can be located on the Continuing Education webpage.
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General Faculty Information Academic Calendar College calendars including Academic and Registration Calendars are located on the College website. These calendars are intended for students while the Operating Calendar provides the status of the College for employees. The Operating Calendar is located on the Human Resources home page, which can be accessed through the employee portal.
Class Roster The class roster posted in Artemis is the official class roll for all course sections. This class roster is used to complete all student administrative and grading activities. Attendance should be closely monitored during the first two weeks of class, as the refund and withdrawal deadlines approach and pass, and when the drop and failure for nonattendance windows open. If a student shows up in the classroom and is not listed on the roster, then the student must contact enrollment services to resolve the issue. Students are not permitted in the class until they resolve their issues and show up on the roster. Blackboard rosters, grade books, and third-party vendors such as MyMathLab and MyCompLab may retain students who have dropped or withdrawn from online course sections. These students generally display on the Blackboard roster with a unique icon by their names and should automatically be denied access to the online classroom. Faculty teaching online may contact the Open Campus Resource Center for assistance at (904) 997-2628
Convocation Fall Convocation is the convening of board members, administrators, faculty, adjunct faculty, and staff at the beginning of the fall term. During Convocation, information is disseminated about current programs, products, and services; updates regarding the College’s priorities and goals are Page 9
explained; new faculty are introduced; and awards are presented. While adjunct faculty members are encouraged to attend the event, all full-time faculty members are required to be present at Convocation.
Curriculum Committee The duties of the Curriculum Committee are to provide a forum for discussing curriculum issues and to serve as an advisory body to the Vice President of the College regarding the coordination, development, revision, expansion, and inactivation of the College’s instructional courses and programs. The President of the Faculty Senate, or designee, is the Chair of the Curriculum Committee. The process for developing, adopting, and revising curricula is detailed in APM 09-0304. Any full-time faculty member may recommend the revision, creation, or inactivation of specific courses. Such should only be done in collaboration with fellow faculty from the field.
Calendars Academic Collegewide Events Financial Aid IT Maintenance Operational (The Operating Calendar is
located on the Human Resources home page, which can be accessed through the employee portal.)
Discrimination, Harassment, or Retaliation Florida State College at Jacksonville is an equal access, equal opportunity College and affirms its commitment to ensure that each member of the College community shall be permitted to work in an environment free from any form of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, religion, age, disability, gender, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or veteran status. In Board Rule 6Hx7-2.26, the College recognizes its obligation to work toward a community in which diversity is respected and appreciated and in which equal access and equal opportunity are provided. This rule also affirms the College’s commitment to ensuring that employees who complain about discrimination or harassment are protected from retaliation 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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General Faculty Information based upon their good faith opposition to alleged discriminatory conduct. Pursuant to this policy, the College establishes a procedure whereby employees or applicants for employment may file a complaint of alleged discrimination or harassment without fear of retaliation. It shall be a violation of this policy for any officer, employee, student, agent, or vendor/contractor to discriminate against, harass, or retaliate against as hereinafter defined, any other officer, employee, student, agent, or applicant for employment. Discrimination and harassment are forms of conduct that will not be tolerated and shall result in appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action, up to and including termination (of employment, of a contractual relationship, or of student status). This policy extends to all officers, administrators, staff, department heads, consultants, contractors, faculty, temporary instructors, employees, students, student workers, applicants for employment, and any others who have any relationship with the College whatsoever.
Equal Access/Equal Opportunity The District Board of Trustees, by official action, adopted Board Rule 6Hx7-2.1, titled Equal Access/Equal Opportunity. The rule establishes the Board’s legal, philosophical, and practical commitment to equal access and equal opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, genetic information, or disability. The Equal Access/Equal Opportunity rule applies to all educational programs and services, to affirmative action in employment, and to the treatment of all persons who wish to provide goods or services to the College.
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Faculty Senate The Faculty Senate is the faculty’s representative body. The Senate promotes and advocates for the interests of faculty relative to academic and instructional policies, procedures and practices, professional development, academic freedom, certification and credentialing, and, in collaboration with administration, appointments to committees, task forces, councils, and other deliberative bodies as deemed necessary by the Senate or administration. Additionally, the Senate represents and advocates for all faculty, including adjuncts, regardless of status or modality relative to curriculum, teaching and learning, and academic matters. More about the purpose and function of the Senate can be learned in APM 02-1908.
Graduation and Commencement At the conclusion of each term, students who meet all graduation requirements for their specific degree or certificate programs are automatically graduated, and the graduation date is recorded as the final day of the term. Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Commencement exercises, recognizing bachelor’s and associate degrees, are held each year at the end of the spring term. Therefore, students graduating at the end of spring term are invited to attend the ceremony while students graduating at the end of fall or summer terms may participate in the formal Commencement exercise the following spring. Further information about graduation and Commencement is available on the College website. It is the responsibility of each full-time faculty member to attend the appropriate Commencement ceremony; in addition, adjunct faculty are encouraged to attend Commencement ceremonies as well. The 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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General Faculty Information dates of Commencement ceremonies are reflected on the Faculty Calendar of Work Days.
Grievance Process Grievance procedures for full-time faculty are identified in Article 10 of the faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Adjunct faculty with a concern should contact the appropriate dean.
Outcomes Assessment Planning Meetings At Florida State College at Jacksonville, there are specific days each year, designated as Outcomes Assessment Planning Meetings, that have been dedicated solely to one or more major steps in the Outcomes Assessment cycle. Outcomes Assessment Days are typically collegewide events for faculty, program managers, and deans to engage in activities such as participating in seminars and workshops and listening to guest speakers. Outcomes Assessment Planning Meetings are campus-based meetings for hands-on assessment activities in program and discipline groups. Participation by full-time faculty in these activities is expected.
College at Jacksonville.
Release of Student Information Pursuant to Public Law 93-380, Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), students and their parents are advised of certain practices and procedures at Florida State College at Jacksonville that relate to student records. Once a student is enrolled in a postsecondary program, parents no longer have any rights to student information under this Act unless the student gives written consent to release the information to the student’s parents, or the parents provide evidence that the student is a dependent of the parents as defined in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
More information can be found at the office of Accreditation and Outcomes Assessment webpage.
Under this Act, a student or parent (if eligible) will be accorded access to the student’s record within a reasonable time after the submission of a written request to the custodian of that record. Suitable arrangements will be made by the College to permit the record to be reviewed in the presence of a representative of the custodian of the record. When receiving requests for release of student information, College personnel must follow the procedures detailed in APM 10-0601.
Participatory Governance Model
Social Media Policy and Guidelines
The timely and meaningful participation of college constituencies in decision-making processes is essential to the advancement of FSCJ. Furthermore, the administration of the College is committed to a participatory governance model designed to ensure bidirectional communication and broad collaboration in the continuous development of policy and improvement of programs and services. A brief description of each governance group is available on the College website. Mandatory subjects of collective bargaining are negotiated with the United Faculty of Florida-Florida State Page 11
List of Governance Groups • District Board of Trustees • College President’s Cabinet • College Leadership Council (CLC) • Faculty Senate • Career Employees Council (CEC) • Administrative and Professional Collaborative (APC) • Student Government Association (SGA) • Campus Governance Councils (CGC) • Curriculum Committee • Deans’ Council • Library/Learning Commons (LLC)
A brief description of each governance group is available on the College website.
The social media policy and guidelines are detailed on the College website over the development and management of the social media presence of the College and its organizational divisions, campuses, departments, and employees for instructional and non-instructional purposes. The policy and guidelines also govern development and activity of social media content for chartered student organizations. In addition, they illuminate a direct relationship between employee and student behavior in social media platforms with associated policy and procedure 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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General Faculty Information governing expectations of employee and student conduct. Examples of social media include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The College’s overall social media presence is intended to provide the College community with a venue to share information, thoughts, ideas, and experiences through discussions, postings, photos, and videos. Divisions, campuses, departments, and faculty of the College are encouraged to consider the use of social media in pursuit of unit goals, objectives, and instructional and student learning outcomes. Any questions regarding official social media accounts, policy or procedure should be referred to the Director of Marketing and Communications.
Standards of Conduct and Compliance for Faculty Board Rule 6Hx7-2.28 describes the expected standards of conduct that are required for an individual to work in the College. The standards are intended to express the District Board of Trustees’ commitment to conducting the daily business of the College with the highest caliber of professionalism, personal ethics, and integrity and to express the expectation that all employees will be in compliance with the standards. An individual who does not meet and comply with this Rule will be subject to discipline up to and including termination.
Florida, and accepted the obligations and responsibilities placed upon them.
The United Faculty of Florida The United Faculty of Florida-FSCJ (UFF-FSCJ) is the faculty union. UFF-FSCJ negotiates the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which dictates the full-time faculty member’s rights and responsibilities as an employee of the College. UFF-FSCJ advocates for the labor rights of all full-time faculty members at the college, manages grievances on behalf of UFF-FSCJ members, and offers legal counsel to UFF-FSCJ members, among other services. UFF-FSCJ is also part of the statewide United Faculty of Florida, which advocates on behalf of all faculty in the state for more academic freedom and better labor conditions, lobbies the state in support of the interests of faculty members, and offers support and counsel in the event of labor conflict. More information about UFF-FSCJ can be found by looking on the Web or by emailing.
In addition to the Standards, the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession and the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida were adopted by the Florida State Board of Education and are binding upon those who practice in this profession in the public schools of Florida. Faculty members must sign statements signifying that they have read the codes, recognized their rights as members of the education profession in Page 12
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Policies and Procedures Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism Academic dishonesty, in any form, is expressly prohibited by the rules of the District Board of Trustees of Florida State College at Jacksonville. As used herein, academic dishonesty includes the following: • Cheating, which is defined as the giving or taking of any information or material with the intent of wrongfully aiding one’s self or another in academic work considered in the determination of course grade or the outcome of a standardized assessment. • Plagiarism, which is defined as the act of stealing or passing off as one’s own work the words, ideas, or conclusions of another as if the work submitted were the product of one’s own thinking rather than an idea or product derived from another source. • Other inappropriate behavior, which may include but is not limited to falsifying records or data; lying; unauthorized copying; tampering with, abusing, or otherwise unethically using computer or other stored information; and any other act or misconduct which may reasonably be deemed to be a part of this heading.
Alleged Academic Dishonesty in the Classroom Each faculty member shall communicate the College’s policy on academic dishonesty (detailed in APM 11-0604) to each class section with which that faculty member is involved. This subject is to be considered an integral part of the faculty member’s course syllabus. A faculty member who has a concern regarding a student’s conduct in the area of academic dishonesty should follow the procedures detailed in this policy.
Due Process Any student alleged to have committed any Page 13
act of academic dishonesty shall be entitled to due process prior to the administration of disciplinary action including suspension and dismissal. Due process is described in the Board Rule 6Hx7–2.18.
Attendance Regular Class Attendance Students are expected to attend all their scheduled classes. A successful college experience requires a student’s regular class attendance as well as conscientious preparation and active engagement in the classroom. Simply stated, students are expected to attend classes, participate actively, and complete assignments according to the schedule outlined in the course syllabus for each class.
Credit Hour Attendance Policy It is the policy of Florida State College at Jacksonville that every instructor will describe within his/her course syllabus the specific policy on class attendance, missed assignments, and make-up work while ensuring that students have the opportunity to make up work they have missed for an absence in the following categories: • College Sponsored Activities – Absence as the result of activities including but not limited to performing arts, debate, honors, athletics, student government, student organizations or departmental functions. • Illness – Absence from illness or injury that prohibits attendance as documented by a qualified medical professional. • Critical Illness or Death of Immediate Family Member – Absence supported by documentation that the student had to provide care or support for an immediate family member. 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Policies and Procedures • Military Obligation – Absence as the result of military orders for short-term duty assignment. • Jury Duty/Subpoena – Absence supported by documented official requests from a court of law. • Religious Holidays – Absence for observance of religious holidays – In accordance with this policy, students are expected to notify their instructors at the beginning of a term if they intend to be absent.
Exceptions The above policy may not apply to certain academic courses or programs that require a specified number of completed hours within a defined time-frame such as clinical experiences, practicums, and internships or externships for which attendance is governed by licensing agencies, accreditors, or other external regulatory entities.
Clock Hour/PSAV Attendance Policy (34 CFR 668.164(b)(3)) Unlike Credit Hour programs, students pursuing a career or workforce certificate in a Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) program attend their classes on a clock hour basis. One accountable hour of attendance is based on the student’s actual presence and participation for a complete 60-minute period, with each instructional hour allowing up to a 10-minute break. Instructors are required to record attendance daily, including arrival and departure times. Clock Hour/PSAV program attendance is particularly important to a student’s financial aid distribution, which is based on the student’s completion of a specified number of hours and weeks (a defined payment period). Individual programs will stipulate their anticipated schedule of payment periods at the beginning of the program.
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Clock Hour/PSAV Excused Absence Unless otherwise stipulated or regulated by the accrediting agency, state licensing agency, or program, students enrolled in Clock Hour/PSAV programs may have up to 10 percent of the clock hours within each of the program’s defined payment periods considered as excused absences. These are absences that do not have to be made up. Any missed hours exceeding this 10 percent excused absence threshold must be made up. Instructors will clearly identify within their course syllabus the specific attendance requirements for the course and the possibility of making up work and assignments.
Missed Assignments/Make-Up Work (Credit Hour & Clock Hour/PSAV) It is the responsibility of the student to request an opportunity to complete missed work. Instructors should accommodate excused absences by coordinating with their students ahead of time, when possible, and by providing a reasonable amount of time to make up missed work. For graded work that requires participation (e.g., discussions, group activities, and labs), instructors will attempt to provide reasonable alternatives that can achieve the same learning outcomes. Nevertheless, an instructor may ultimately determine that a student’s missing certain assignments, an excessive amount of class time, and/or participation in sanctioned activities, whether excused or not, would preclude successfully accomplishing the required course learning outcomes.
Course Outline and Syllabi Each active, college credit course in the curriculum must have an approved course outline. Faculty members are obligated to teach each course in accordance with the approved and official course outline. Official course outlines are available at the Curriculum Services webpage. 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Policies and Procedures In addition to the outline, each teaching faculty member must develop, maintain, and distribute a course syllabus based upon the course description and content in the approved course outline. This syllabus should contain the components identified in APM 09-0201. Every semester, faculty members shall submit a copy of the syllabus using one of the three options available in the “Online Syllabus” section of Artemis. Faculty shall make their syllabi available in digital format by clicking the “publish” tab in the “Online Syllabus.” Syllabi should be submitted electronically to the designated supervisor via the employee portal in Artemis. Faculty may also choose to make portions of the syllabus or the entire syllabus available to students in hard copy format. Completed syllabi must be available for the students during the first week of the term. Changes may be made to syllabi at any point so long as all students are made aware of such changes in a timely manner.
Class Sessions Multiple sessions are offered each fall, spring, and summer term to give students excellent flexibility and options for scheduling classes. College credit and non-college credit classes are scheduled in 16-, 12-, 8-, and 4-week sessions. There are A, B, C, and D, sessions, all spaced approximately one month apart with the A session beginning at the start of each term. Four-week courses are usually limited to special topics only. The length of summer session courses is shorter than those offered in fall and spring. Up-to-date information regarding class terms can be found on the College’s Academic Calendar
Final Examinations Each faculty member who teaches a college credit course must administer a final examination during the exam time set aside Page 15
by the College for each term or, at the professor’s discretion, must provide another appropriate instructional activity during the specified times in lieu of a final examination. Examination procedures are detailed in APM 09-1102.
Grading Drop for Nonattendance Process Dropping a student for nonattendance is a mandatory process performed by all instructors to stop unnecessary financial aid debt. The nonattendance window (time frame for online input), which is the first window to open for each 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-week session, allows the instructor to select students who have not attended at least one of the first two class meetings. By selecting one or more students, the instructor drops her/him from the class roster. The drop process refunds money to the payment source (i.e., student, financial aid, veterans, third party). The process for dropping a student for nonattendance is fully outlined in Faculty Documents, found in the employee portal under the Faculty tab.
Grading Systems Each instructor will assign a grade based upon student performance as measured by criteria established in the instructor’s course syllabus. Certain courses may offer the Pass/Fail option as identified in the course outline. All instructors must document the last date of attendance for students who do not complete courses successfully due to attendance on the final grade form. College credit grading policies, Professional and Career Education grading policies, grade forgiveness, course repetitions, incomplete grades, failures due to nonattendance, and withdrawals are all explained in the current College Catalog.
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Policies and Procedures (“FN” Grade) The FN grade indicates that a student has failed a course due to nonattendance. It is calculated as an “F” in the student’s grade point average. For students receiving financial aid, failure for nonattendance may require the student to refund to the College all or part of her/his financial aid. The FN grade will be assigned by the faculty member at anytime following the final withdrawal date for the course. Students who are in a failing status because of nonattendance but return to the course prior to the withdrawal date may elect to withdraw from the course.
Incomplete Grades (“I” Grade) Incomplete grades may be assigned at the faculties’ discretion to permit students to complete required course work that they were unable to complete in a timely manner due to non-academic reasons. Faculty may ask students to document their requests to assist in the decision. Faculty are asked to post their policy regarding “I” grades in their course syllabi and, before awarding the grade, to review that policy, and to confirm that the student has a passing score and has completed at least 75 percent of the course work. “I” grades require the completion of a written agreement, and faculty are expected to complete this agreement, receive the student’s acknowledgement, and send a copy of this “I” grade form to the academic dean prior to assigning the grade. Instructions on the incomplete grade are located in Faculty Documents, found in the employee portal under the Faculty tab.
Withdrawals Please note that faculty cannot assign students a withdrawal or “W” grade, nor can they change a failing or incomplete grade to a “W.” Students may withdraw themselves without academic penalty any time prior to the published session Page 16
withdrawal deadlines. Special circumstances may apply to a student’s third attempt at a course and withdrawal from college preparatory courses. Withdrawal information is detailed in APM 11-0605 and the current College catalog. Students requesting to withdraw from a class are notified that the process will take three college business days. During this period, course instructors are sent an alert of the student’s intent to withdraw from the class through the instructor’s employee portal. It is also during this time that an instructor can contact the student if appropriate; the student can elect to cancel his or her request, or the request remains in force. Requests that remain in force will be recorded as of the date the request was initially made. Students are encouraged to communicate with their instructors prior to withdrawal. Students desiring a withdrawal after the published deadlines may request a grade change for extenuating circumstances from the Campus Dean of Student Success.
Letter grades will be assigned for courses as follows:
A = Excellent B = Good C = Average D = Poor F = Failure FN = Failure for Non-Attendance W = Withdrawal I = Incomplete X = Audit
Grade Forgiveness and Course Repeats All courses attempted will appear on the transcript. Per State Board Rule 6A-14.0301, students may repeat a course to improve a previously earned grade of “D,” “F,” or “FN.” A withdrawal grade may also be repeated. A student may have a total of only three attempts in any course. Upon the third attempt, the student will receive an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “F,” or “FN.” Students may not withdraw from the third attempt. A fourth attempt may be allowed only through a general appeals process based on major extenuating circumstances.
Student Appeals Faculty are encouraged to resolve all issues with students informally when possible. For cases in which that is impossible, there is an appeal process for students challenging 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Policies and Procedures their grades. Students should be referred to the Students Rights and Responsibilities webpage for information and procedures.
Grade Submissions and Changes
required to use the work. These guidelines are intended to assist faculty in evaluating which works may be used when the College has not obtained permission.
All final grades are to be submitted within the final College grading timeline via Artemis. The College developed an “early alert” system in which faculty will receive reminders of grade deadlines. Once grades have been entered into Artemis, they may be changed by faculty recommendation and with the approval of the academic dean.
Copyright law is contained in United States Code, Title 17. The faculty member should refer to the United States Code concerning any issues or questions and consult with the Office of General Counsel. Additionally, the faculty member should refer to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Section 21, concerning the authorship of copyrighted works and intellectual property
Guidelines for Faculty Use of Copyrighted Works
Copyright Infringement
Copyright law protects the rights of authors of any original literary, scientific, or artistic work, including works with minimal creativity. Copyright protects “original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression... from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” If the work can be seen, heard, or touched, it is likely protected by copyright law. Copyright protection applies the moment a work is created in a tangible form of expression without the need for any legal or official action by the author. The law recognizes copyright protection to last for specified periods of time (17 USC §302). Copyright law gives the author the exclusive right to copy, distribute, perform, display, and create derivative works. A work can be used or licensed for use by another only with written permission by the copyright owner. The College regularly obtains permission for the use of a wide variety of electronic, print, photographic, graphic, and other fixed media for faculty or administrative use. There are a number of circumstances in which copyright does not apply or where the law recognizes an exception. In these cases, permission is not Page 17
Copyright infringement (17 USC §501) occurs when someone who is not the copyright owner exercises one or more of the exclusive rights provided to the copyright owner without permission and in a manner that is not expressly authorized by the Copyright Act (“the Act”). The Act includes some limits on these exclusive rights so that, in some instances, copyrighted works may be used without permission and without infringing the owner’s copyright. Two of these limits are described below, under the sections addressing fair use and the use of copyrighted materials in the Classroom. When these limits do not apply, permission from the copyright owner is required. One way to infringe a work is to copy it verbatim. While word-for-word copying of an entire work is clearly copyright infringement, verbatim copying is not strictly required in order for there to be a copyright issue. Courts have found infringement where the new work is substantially similar to the copyrighted work.
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Policies and Procedures Unprotected by Copyright Works Not Protected by Copyright Not every creative work is protected by copyright law, such as works considered to be in the “public domain,” which can generally be summarized into four categories: • Expired Copyright by Date – Any work published in the United States before 1923 may be freely used without permission For works published after 1977, copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the author (or last surviving author for works by multiple authors) dies. • Expired Copyright by Failure to Renew – Since before 1964 copyright law required renewal every 28 years, works published between 1923 and 1964 may be in the public domain, but confirmation of an expired copyright should be acquired from the U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov/). • Waiver of Copyrights by the Author – A work may be dedicated to the public domain by the express choice of the author or owner. The statement, “This work is dedicated to the public domain,” must be visible on the work. • Content That Is Not Copyrightable – Unless used in advertising or in a way that qualifies for trademark protection, short phrases, titles of books or movies, names, titles, common idioms, facts, laws, and theories are not protected by copyright and may be freely used. All works that were created by a federal government officer or employee in that person’s official capacity are considered in the public domain. However, certain publications may have photos or other content that renders the work Page 18
protected. In those instances, the copyright protection will be noted on the work. While works that are determined to be in the public domain can be freely used, there is no clear definition of public domain, and the scope of this term is often misunderstood since there are many interpretations. It is important to note that a work is not considered to be in the public domain simply because it is on the Internet. If there is any doubt whether a work is within the definition of the public domain, it is best to assume that it is not. The Office of General Counsel should be consulted with any questions or concerns about whether material can be legally used.
Exemptions to Copyright Face-to-Face Teaching Exception The Copyright Act has an exemption for accredited, nonprofit, postsecondary, educational institutions, like the College (17 USC §110(1)). The exemption allows faculty to use copyright-protected materials for face-to-face teaching activities that take place in a classroom (or in a similar place where only enrolled students are present). The only proviso is that the copy of the work used must have been lawfully obtained. This is a broad exception, which will apply to most works used in a classroom as long as a few factors are met: • The use is made, directed, or supervised by an instructor as an integral part of the class session. • The use is directly related and of material assistance to the teaching content of the transmission. • The transmission is limited to students officially in the course. • The institution has policies regarding the copyright to promote compliance. 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Policies and Procedures
The exception will most likely apply to everyday, face-to-face instruction. More information can be found at U.S. Code Copyright website.
Fair Use Exception While authored works are protected by the Act, there are certain uses that are considered a “fair use” of the work, which allows for use without permission of the author. The work may be used and the use considered fair, allowing for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. The Act 17 USC §107 provides guidelines and sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether the use of a copyrighted work is fair use: • The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes. • The nature of the copyrighted work. • The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole. • The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work. The distinction between what is fair use and what is infringement in a particular case will not always be clear or easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may be used safely without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission. Notwithstanding the fair use exception, the “safest course is to get permission from the copyright owner before using the
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copyrighted materials” (U.S. Copyright Office, Fair Use [ June 5, 2014]). More information concerning fair use visit the US Code Copyright website.
Works Not Legally Acquired The exceptions for fair use as set forth in the TEACH Act do not apply to copyrighted works that were not legally acquired. Faculty should never use any works that they know, or have reason to believe, were not lawfully made or acquired.
Copyright Notice Faculty should always include the notice of copyright on copyrighted works used in class.
For More Help Contact the Office of General Counsel with any questions concerning copyright.
President’s List and Dean’s List Students who achieve academic excellence during a term are recognized by being placed on the College President’s list or Dean’s list. This is done at the completion of each term. The criteria of eligibility for each list can be found in the current College catalog.
Religious Observances The College shall reasonably accommodate the religious observances, practices, and beliefs of individual students in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work assignments. Students who have a concern regarding the College’s implementation and/ or interpretation of this rule shall have the right to formalize that concern through the general student appeal process. Further information about accommodations for religious observances is located in Board Rule 6Hx7-2.1.
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Policies and Procedures Standards of Academic Progress The purpose of the Standards of Academic Progress (SOAP) is to communicate clearly the College’s minimum expectations of academic progress for college credit students, Postsecondary Workforce Training students, and Vocational Preparatory students. Affected students, precise standards, and the specific definition of satisfactory standing are identified in APM 10-0605. This APM also explains the standards of academic progress for students on academic warning, academic probation, and academic suspension.
Student Conduct Florida State College at Jacksonville is dedicated to maintaining an environment that fosters student success. The College endeavors to protect the rights of students and expects all students to act responsibly. Each student is subject to federal and state laws, respective county and municipal ordinances, and all rules and regulations of the College. Violations of published laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations may subject the violator to the appropriate disciplinary action by College authorities. Disciplinary action, unless otherwise provided by law, may include fines; the withholding of diplomas or transcripts, pending compliance with rules on payments of fines; and the imposition of probation, suspension, or dismissal. Students shall be afforded due process prior to the administration of disciplinary action for violation of this rule as defined in Board Rule 6Hx7–2.18. Any act or behavior by a student that impairs, interferes with, or otherwise disturbs or obstructs the orderly conduct, processes, functions, and/ or interests of the College is expressly prohibited. Such acts or behaviors are listed in Board Rule 6Hx7-11.1. Page 20
Procedures for Handling Violations of College Standards of Conduct The Campus Dean of Student Success will be responsible for student discipline. Any administrator, faculty member, career employee, student, guest of the College, or other College staff person may allege violations against any currently enrolled student. When the Campus Dean of Student Success receives information that a student has allegedly violated a Board Rule or other College regulation, the dean or her/his designee shall investigate the alleged violation(s). APM 11-0601 contains detailed information. The College has partnered with the Student Assistance Program to provide short-term person- al counseling to students as well as referral to community resources for longerterm counseling. A recommendation for counseling may be appropriate for a student who is dealing with personal issues affecting his/her general well-being and/ or academic progress. The Crisis, Community, Disaster Preparedness, and Community Resources section of the employee portal, located under the College tab, may be helpful for assisting students with problems.
Textbook Adoption The bookstore contractor provides the College with the capability of adopting textbooks online through an e-adoption process. The online e-adoption form must be submitted to the contractor prior to College deadlines for textbook adoption. The faculty member must submit the completed e-adoption form (which includes a pre-adoption attestation to comply with Florida statutes) to her/his appropriate associate dean, program manager, or campus dean for approval. Deadline for completed textbook adoptions can be found in APM 06-1303. View a book adoption video. 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Faculty Resources Requests from off-campus bookstores for information about College textbook adoptions are to be referred to the oncampus bookstore contractor. By contract, the on-campus bookstore is required to provide or sell that information.
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Faculty Resources Center for e-Learning The Center for eLearning (CeL) coordinates and develops the online courses for the entire College, focusing on a shift toward standardized, competency-based education. FSCJ’s course model allows for the delivery of high-quality courses in both the online and hybrid formats. Open Campus houses and manages the CeL, but the resources are available to all campuses and centers. To promote student success through innovative teaching, learning, and technology, all faculty and adjunct instructors who plan to teach online are required to complete an online training program. This comprehensive program assists faculty in understanding and adopting best practices for online teaching, which can differ significantly from face-toface instruction, and provides the opportunity for expanded involvement in course customization for those faculty interested in building or enhancing their own courses. To access current term offerings for the online training program consult the Catalog under the College tab in the employee portal.
Computer Technology (Artemis) Artemis employee portal is the College’s secure, Web-based information hub. The employee portal provides faculty access to class rosters, email, pay stubs, and numerous other College resources. To log in to Artemis is done simply by entering the College-provided username and password.
Technology in the Classroom All FSCJ faculty members have a number of computing resources that allow them to enhance learning with technology, including the following:
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• Email • Artemis (employee portal) • On-campus wireless access • Blackboard and computer training (Innovation Center for Professional Development) • MediaSpace (media cloud storage) • H: drive storage • Web conferencing • Instructional software • Webspaces/blogs • Respondus • Soft Chalk More information about these resources can be found by selecting Tech Tools under the Technology tab in the employee portal.
The College requires that persons using College technology resources read and accept the Florida State College at Jacksonville Computing Facilities Policies and User Agreement.
Computer Accounts and Access to Technology Florida State College at Jacksonville provides computer accounts and access to technology resources for all faculty, students, and staff for educationally related purposes. The College assumes full responsibility for the accuracy and appropriateness of official College World Wide Web (WWW) pages. Individual (personal) pages are provided as professional and educational work areas. To access this resource, a Friendly Name must be generated on the Profile page in the employee portal. These individual pages are reviewed for adherence to technical standards only. Individual page 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Faculty Resources content is determined by the page owner, is not reviewed by the College, and is subject to review upon formal complaint by a responsible party. For more information visit the Acceptable Use Policy webpage. Further information about the terms and conditions for access to and use of the FSCJ Internet Server(s) is available on the College website.
Duplication Services Duplication services are available for faculty on each campus. The procedures for using these services are available through the immediate supervisor’s office.
Employee Assistance Program The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Health Advocate is a short-term, confidential counseling and/or crisis intervention service provided for employees and their family members. It helps employees and their families resolve personal and work problems through professional assistance. This service includes up to eight free sessions per year for the employee and his/her family with a licensed counselor who is available 24 hours per day by telephone. Health Advocate can be reached by calling the 24-Hour CARELINE (877-240-6863) or by visiting their website. Further information about the program is available in APM 03-1301.
Early Alert System An Early Alert system providing faculty with communication tools related to students’ academic performance can be found in the employee portal under the Faculty tab. Early alerts can be generated for one or multiple classes under an instructor’s schedule and sent to one or more students at a time. The Early Alert System page provides instructions on how to use the system.
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Faculty Resource Centers The Faculty Resource Center (FRC) offers Blackboard assistance, workshops, smallgroup help sessions, and individual support to full-time and adjunct faculty. Whether you are interested in creating dynamic presentations, podcasts, and iBooks, developing a blog, using clickers in the classroom, or building your online presence with your courses, the FRC is the place to visit. More information about these resources can be found by selecting Faculty Resource Centers under the Technology tab in the employee portal.
Library and Learning Commons The Library and Learning Commons (LLC) is an instructional area of the College offering academic support services with an optimal learning environment by providing a variety of learning, research, and teaching resources – physical and virtual – to students, faculty, and staff of the College. Both current and retired FSCJ employees have LLC privileges, and a College ID is all that is needed to check out materials. The LLCs are open morning, evening, and weekend hours at seven campus and center locations. LLC staff and faculty provide the following resources at the library, in the classroom, or via the Web in order to support instructors of traditional, hybrid, and online courses: • Tours of the Library and Learning Commons. • Instruction using the online catalog to find books. • Instruction using databases to find scholarly articles and media. • Instruction on evaluating websites and avoiding plagiarism. Faculty are encouraged to request materials to be purchased for instructional
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Faculty Resources purposes. The LLC also facilitates a reserves section where faculty may place items for in-house/limited used by students, faculty, or staff. If a resource is not available at a specific location, users may place an item on hold or request an interlibrary loan. Further information about the LLCs is available on the College website. Detailed Library and Learning Commons Resources for Faculty can be found in the Faculty Documents under the Faculty tab, employee portal.
Computer Labs On each campus there is at least one open computer laboratory for use by Florida State College at Jacksonville students enrolled in classes for the purposes of research, writing, and homework. Document scanners and pay-per-use copiers and printers are also on hand for student use. Further information about computer labs is available on the College website.
Tutoring Labs Individual tutoring is available in several subjects including math, science, writing, and foreign languages. The labs operate on a walk-in basis and offer one-on-one tutoring with career and student tutors, and each lab offers study tools to empower students to succeed in their classes, such as relevant handouts and reference materials. Lab tutors also provide workshops and classroom orientations to complement classroom instruction.
Additionally, students can access 24-hour online tutoring via Smarthinking, which offers assistance in many subjects not available on campuses, such as nursing and economics. Instructors can find the Smarthinking link under the Tools section of Blackboard, and students can access it through their Connections account.
Mail The Central Mail Department is responsible for collecting mail from each campus daily. When U.S. mail is picked up, postage is applied, and the mail is presorted. Prior to sending any large mailings, central mail should be contacted, so funds can be applied to the postage account to cover the postage. The central mail staff is also responsible for the delivery of internal mail, which is processed daily. The Central Mail Department provides assistance with or information on high-volume folding and stuffing, large-volume mailing, and courier pickup. General mail information can be found in APM 06-1201.
Parking In order to park in a space designated as faculty/professional, a valid decal is required. Faculty should consult with Campus Security to learn more about parking rules for a specific campus and to acquire a decal if necessary. Campus Security is responsible for parking enforcement, issuing tickets, and towing. Vehicles may be subject to ticketing and towing if they disrupt the normal operation of the College, obstruct fire lanes, are double-parked, or are abandoned. More information can be found in APM 06-1004.
For online students or students who do not wish to drive to a physical campus, there are also Virtual Labs in each subject that are available through the Community page on Blackboard; in these Virtual Labs, students can find handouts, PowerPoint presentations, and other tutorials. Page 24
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Faculty Resources Professional Development Innovation Center for Professional Development The Innovation Center for Professional Development offers courses and certificate programs to all Florida State College at Jacksonville full-time and adjunct faculty and staff. The center also cosponsors the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. These specially designed programs and activities are intended to enhance the job performance and career growth of all College personnel. Workshops are available in face-to-face, online (synchronously and asynchronously), and blended formats. Workshops covering a wide variety of topics are offered throughout the year. To access current term offerings or to register for any event, consult the Catalog under the College tab in the employee portal.
Center for Learning Enrichment The Center for Learning Enrichment is a faculty-centered body dedicated to promoting, facilitating, and honoring the enhancement of learning and teaching, and it is dedicated to improving the learning process throughout the FSCJ community The Center membership includes 10 faculty members representing the five major campuses. The Chair of the Center is a full-time faculty member, appointed by the Vice President of the College in consultation with the Campus President, Center Mentor, and Center members. Ex-officio members include the Center Mentor and the Director of Faculty Development. Budgets are provided to support Center activities, which include faculty workshops, Speaker Series, International Conference for College Teaching and Learning, and the Faculty Awards process. The Center also supports the Florida State College at Jacksonville Author Series, Learning Page 25
Communities, Faculty Orientation, and Faculty Exchange programs, as well as Study Abroad and Scholar-in-Residence programs.
Travel Florida State College at Jacksonville promotes the enrichment of its faculty through continuing education opportunities such as workshops and conferences. The rules governing travel expense reimbursement fall into two categories: in-district travel and out-ofdistrict travel. In-district travel does not require written pre-travel authorization as long as the travel is required as a part of officially assigned duties at a location other than the traveler’s assigned location. With a few exceptions, mileage reimbursement will be authorized only for the incremental mileage between the traveler’s regular work location and the temporary work location. Meals are not reimbursable expenses unless approved by the supervising and budget administrators. Written approval is required before out-ofdistrict travel takes place if a faculty member wishes to be reimbursed. Out-ofdistrict travel will be approved if it is required as a part of officially assigned duties at a location other than the traveler’s assigned location or if the travel relates to the position and provides a clear benefit to the individual and/or College. The Budget Supervisor will review the proposal and look at factors such as cost and availability of funds. Before traveling, faculty members must fill out a Professional Development Travel Prospectus form as well as a Request for Line of Duty Leave form. Specific information regarding the reimbursement of travel expenses can be found in APM 04-1001. 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Faculty Resources Resource Development Grant Applications Members of the faculty interested in seeking external funding through grants are encouraged to discuss the concept for the grant with their immediate supervisors. Once the concept has been approved, faculty should contact the Resource Development Department team to discuss ideas or goals. Team members in the Resource Development (RD) Department assist in searching for potential funding sources, facilitating proposal development, and submitting the proposal to the potential funding source. Further information can be located on the Resource Development webpage.
Publishing Professional Articles Although the RD department does not publish books or articles, the department can assist faculty with information on how to publish, publishing protocols, and how to begin. Publishing is important to our profession because it advances education and celebrates good work at the College.
Student Workers Requests for student workers may be made at the beginning of the school year. A request for student help should be made to the instructor’s immediate supervisor. Allocations of student assistant funds are made to the campus after the College budget is approved and the Campus President assigns priorities. There are two classifications of student workers: Federal Work Study students (paid from federal funds) and student assistants (paid from College funds). Students currently enrolled at least half time at Florida State College at Jacksonville and not otherwise employed by the College may also be hired as student workers through the disabled student services program as note takers, readers, tutors, scribers, learning disabilities tutors, or interpreters for the hearing impaired. Further information about work-study is available on the College website.
Institutional Review Board An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is defined as an “administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the institution with which it is affiliated” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Human Research Protection). The College’s IRB is tasked with reviewing and approving any research to be conducted on the College campuses; this includes master’s studies, doctoral dissertations, or projects. All procedures are detailed in APM 10-1104.
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Student Ser vices Academic Advising Advisors are available to assist students with the achievement of their academic goals. Academic advisors help students identify appropriate courses, select majors, select transfer institutions, and assist with academic problems. Advising also provides assistance with class scheduling and graduation requirements. Students are encouraged to seek advising on a regular basis in order to achieve their educational objectives. Appointments may be scheduled through the Student Success Office. Further information about academic advising is available on the College website.
Financial Aid Florida State College at Jacksonville offers many types of financial assistance to students who would be unable to further their education without such support. Depending on the type of aid, eligibility is based on one or more of the following criteria: financial need of the student, income (in the case of dependent students, the student and parental income are used), educational costs, academic achievement, availability of funds, disability, and/or special talent. Inquiries regarding financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office on the student’s home campus. Further information about financial aid is available on the College website
Assessment and Certification Center Services Credit by Examination Students can earn up to 45 semester credit hours toward an associate degree through credit by examination. This may be a combination of Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES subject standardized tests and/or transfer credit. Additional credits may be
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obtained by participation in the College Courses Challenge Exam (CCCE). More information regarding these tests is located on the College website.
Course Placement Testing Florida State College of Jacksonville utilizes the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) as its course placement test. The test includes subtests of writing, reading, and mathematics skills. Further information about course placement testing is available on the College website. Information about which students are required to take the PERT in this Faculty Handbook under Educational Programs/Developmental Education.
Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) Assessment and Certification Centers administer the state-required TABE to those enrolled in vocational certificate programs of 450 or more contact hours. Further information about the TABE is available through the campus Assessment and Certification Center.
Academic Advising and Counseling FAQs For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, click here: Counseling FAQs.
Make a Plan for Success (MAP) As part of our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), FSCJ has developed a plan for success to enhance student achievement. You can view the entire plan here: Make a Plan for Success (MAP).
Proctored Testing Support for Online Course The Assessment and Certification Center located at Open Campus at Deerwood is responsible for managing and coordinating proctored testing functions for Open Campus students. Proctored testing is a mandatory component in many online courses to ensure academic integrity and student 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Student Ser vices authentication. Both paper/pencil and computer tests are scheduled at various campus locations in classrooms, computer labs, and assessment centers for local online students. Exams are offered at varied times and days to ensure that students are able to schedule testing around their school and work schedules. Remote students are those on-line students who do not live in Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Bradford, Union, or Baker counties. A student may be able to take tests or exams at preapproved remote locations by the Assessment Center personnel before her/his testing date. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Assessment Center to begin the remote testing process. Remote test site students are asked to complete a Remote Test Site and Proctor Form. The official Open Campus proctored testing hand- book contains current procedures.
Services for Students with Disabilities Florida State College at Jacksonville recognizes the importance of assisting and encouraging all students to reach their full potential. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended in 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the College ensures that its admission requirements are uniformly applied, and that its services, activities, facilities, and academic programs are accessible to and usable by all qualified students. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) implements and coordinates reasonable accommodations and disabilityrelated services to promote the full participation of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of college life.
the syllabus for each course. The following is a sample syllabus statement: “Students with Disabilities: The College fully complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require accommodations in order to effectively participate in this course due to a diagnosed disability, you should contact the College’s Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. All requests must be made in a timely manner.” Other information may be found in Faculty Documents under the Faculty tab in the employee portal.
Student Counseling The College offers personal counseling needs to students through the Student Assistance Program. Students who are currently enrolled may be referred to the services of an independent, licensed counselor. The consultation service is confidential and without cost to the student for a maximum of three sessions per year. The procedures for student counseling by the Student Assistance Program are outlined in APM 11-0704.
Career Development Center Services Career planning services are offered at the Career Development Center on each campus. Students who are undecided about their future career plans are encouraged to make an appointment with a counselor to begin the career planning process. The Career Development Center partners with Career Source to help students find the right opportunities to meet career goals.
To assist in ensuring that all students are aware of support services available through OSSD, faculty should include a statement in Page 28
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Student Ser vices Student Life and Leadership Development Faculty and staff can serve student clubs and organization as advisors. Studies have shown that students who get involved on campus are more likely to interact with their instructors, have higher GPAs, have higher retention rates, and demonstrate greater institutional satisfaction. By taking time to advise a student club or organization, an instructor is making a positive impact on the students’ experiences at FSCJ. The office of Student Life and Leadership Development sponsors curriculum-related campus programing such as speakers, concerts, art exhibits, cultural events, and presentations on financial well-being and interpersonal skills. The Student Life and Leadership Development office may be contacted with ideas or suggestions for collaboration. “Service learning is a teaching method which combines community service with academic instruction as it focuses on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility. Service learning programs involve students inorganized community service that addresses local needs, while developing their academic skills, sense of civic responsibility, and commitment to the community.” - Campus Compact National Center for Community Colleges
Campus. North Campus is the location for baseball and softball. Students may participate in the Collegewide intercollegiate athletic program, regardless of the campus where they attend classes. Students interested in participation should contact the coach or the Director of Athletics and Physical Education. FSCJ is a member of the Mid-Florida Conference of the Florida College System Activities Association and the National Junior College Athletic Association. Further information about intercollegiate athletics is available on the Go Blue Wave website.
Intramural/Recreational Activities Both group and individualized intramural/ recreational activities are offered by Student Life at selected campuses. Activities include flag football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, bowling, horseshoes, billiards, and golf. Information is available on the College website. Four FSCJ campuses offer fitness centers for student use. Special discount passes to a variety of community recreational facilities are available at substantial savings from the business office.
Events Calendar To view upcoming academic, recreational, and cultural events go to the Event Calendar.
Student Life and Leadership Development specialists are available to assist with coordination and logistical support of service-learning projects.
Intercollegiate Athletics A diverse program of intercollegiate athletics is available at the College. Basketball (men’s and women’s), tennis (women’s) and volleyball (women’s) are sports activities based at the South Page 29
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Safety and Security Florida State College at Jacksonville is dedicated to providing a safe working and learning environment for all employees, students, and guests. In order to promptly report criminal actions or other emergencies to the correct authority, a security office is maintained at each of the College’s sites. College security officers are unarmed and do not have police powers, but they work closely with local law enforcement agencies on follow-up actions or investigations related to criminal activities on campus. All employees and students are encouraged to immediately report any criminal or suspicious activity to the nearest security office. Detailed information is available on the College website. The College strictly prohibits the consumption of alcohol on campus or at College functions unless specifically approved by the College President. The use, manufacture, or possession of illegal drugs or narcotics on campus or at College functions is also prohibited, as is the carrying of any type of weapon, concealed or otherwise, on campus, except as part of the law enforcement training program. Additionally, FSCJ is a tobacco and smokefree environment, so smoking on College property is not allowed. The full policy is outlined in APM 02-1803. The College complies with the provisions of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and the Campus Crime Statistics Act as well as other applicable laws pertaining to College safety and security practices. Campus crime statistics and a daily crime logs listing certain reported crimes are available at each security office. Anyone can view the daily crime log for the most recent 60 days upon request at the Campus Security Office during business hours. The College’s Annual Security Report is posted on the Page 30
College’s website. The College’s crime reporting procedures can be found in APM 06-0909.
Biohazardous Waste The College follows established procedures to adequately ensure that all biohazardous waste is segregated, handled, stored, and disposed of in a safe manner. The Director of Risk Management, through the College’s Safety Department, conducts inspections of facilities to determine compliance with the standards as set forth in Chapter 64e-11 of the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Service’s Florida Administrative Code.
Emergencies and First Aid The campus security office should be contacted in situations requiring the rendering of first aid. Emergency information and emergency hotline numbers are fully detailed on the College website. If campus security cannot be reached immediately, or in the event of a serious or life-threatening emergency, dial 911. In an off-campus center, the center administrator should be contacted in an emergency. In cases of illnesses and minor accidents, security will render first aid, or they will call the city emergency rescue unit in cases of more serious illnesses and accidents. Evacuation plans are posted at each campus in case of fire, severe weather, or other safety hazards. Faculty members should familiarize themselves with evacuation plans for the campus on which they are located. Specific information can be found on the Crisis, Community Disaster Preparedness, and Emergency Resources page in the employee portal under the College tab.
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Safety and Security Emergency Information In order to learn about emergencies affecting the College, including information regarding interruptions due to weather, emergency, or security situations, students and members of the public may call the College Emergency Hotline at (904) 6335908 or consult local media for information related to College operations. They may also listen to radio station WOKV-AM 690, which is the official source of College information. College employees have a separate Emergency Employee Hotline at (904) 642-7726.
that endanger life and safety.
Smoking The College maintains a smoke-free environment. The use, distribution, or sale of all tobacco products, electronic devices, and nicotine products not approved by the FDA for tobacco cessation therapy in all indoor and exterior college-owned property, at all institution-sponsored off-campus events, and in all campusowned vehicles is prohibited. Specific details can be found in APM 02-1803.
Emergency Notification Florida State College at Jacksonville has an Emergency Notification System that enables the College to send urgent information and notifications about emergencies on campus by email or text message. While the service is entirely optional, the College encourages everyone to enroll. The sign up is available on the Emergency Notification System under the Employee tab in the employee portal.
Incident Reports All incidents at a campus involving College students, faculty, employees, or property that involve a real or potential danger to public health, safety, welfare, or property must be documented in an incident report. The responsibility for the preparation of an initial incident report rests with College security personnel.
Parking and Traffic Regulations The College maintains a speed limit of 15 mph for all motorized vehicles on all campuses. All city and state regulations and all directive signs governing the use of motor vehicles should be served at all times. Motorists must give right-of-way to pedestrians crossing the street at designated crosswalks. Appropriate authorities will prosecute moving violations Page 31
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Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters Florida State College at Jacksonville Academic Year 2015-16 • A Florida Distance Learning Task Force report (2009) recommended that Hybrid/Blended courses have 50 to 79 percent of the course delivered utilizing some form of technology. • FSCJ currently defines a hybrid course as “… one that blends online and face-to-face delivery of the course content and instruction. A substantial proportion (30-79%) of the content is delivered online, typically uses online discussions, and typically has a reduced number of face-to-face meetings.” • The Carnegie Unit – Originally designed to guarantee students had equal “opportunity to learn” by quantifying the amount of time instructors and students would interact, the Carnegie Unit became the organizing principle of the awarding of credit hours. The Carnegie Unit prescribes that in order for a student to earn 3 credit hours, he or she will attend a course including 3 hours of course time and 6 hours of homework per week. (Carnegie Foundation, Carnegie Unit Report 2015). This organizing principle can be used in hybrid course design. (A portion of the course time is achieved meeting in an on-line environment, either in a synchronous or a synchronous format, while the other portion of 3 hour class time is in a synchronous, face-to-face format. The principle of 6 hours of homework per week is unchanged.) The Carnegie Unit, although a historically accepted guideline that allows for transfer reciprocity of postsecondary coursework has been somewhat mitigated in interpretation by modern measures of learning Page 32
outcomes and mastery of competencies rather than absolute seat time. FSCJ recognizes some of this flexibility in collegewide scheduling particularly in regard to hybrid and online courses. Faculty must provide their academic supervisor with written documentation/explanation (e.g., syllabus) of how all learning outcomes will be met when proposing/requesting an alternative delivery format that deviates from traditional academic standards. • “The default assumptions for the creation of a hybrid course are 50% face-to-face class time and 50% online course meeting time.” (Essentially, a 3-hour credit course would require 1.5 hours meeting face-to-face in the classroom and 1.5 hours meeting on-line.) “In the event the faculty member believes a different format (within the 30–79% online range)” will better serve students and promote student success, “it is his or her responsibility to communicate that request to the relevant administrator before the course listing is made public.” In an effort to make the course’s requirements clear to students, “the general percentage of online work expected by the instructor plus special face-to-face meeting instructions must be included in the course syllabus as well as in the registration schedule of classes.” (In other words, if the course deviates from the assumed 50/50 default, a faculty member must receive administrative approval and make the course attendance requirements clear to students before the semester begins.) • At the time of encoding, as approved by the supervising academic dean, the seat time and online time should be 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters noted, so that the student is aware of the expectations for face-to-face and online class time. • Due to the responsibility of the College to balance the scheduling and delivery modality of courses and programs across campuses, specific faculty requests to offer a course in a hybrid or online format during a given term may or may not be approved by the supervising administrator, even if that course has been recommended by a discipline council for optional delivery formats. Administrators will take academic and pedagogic principles expressed into consideration and make every effort to honor modality of preference requests by fulltime faculty whenever possible within the collegewide precision scheduling model. Delivery modalities for a given course will not be specified in approved College curriculum outlines, as this determination is a joint function of administrative schedule building and the academic freedom of the assigned faculty. • For accreditation standards and compliance, hybrid or blended courses should give students the same “opportunity to learn” by structuring learning opportunities delivered on-line that are as substantive as classroom instruction (“directly related to the objectives of the course / program; measurable for grading purposes, have the direct oversight or supervision of the course instructor, in some form be the equivalent of an activity conducted in the classroom”…”and should not be an increase homework or time on task”) – Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA • There should be no difference in rigor between / among face-to-face, hybrid, and on-line college courses. Page 33
Hybrid/Blended Course Design: The hybrid course design should function to enhance the students’ learning by utilizing the best aspects of face-to-face delivery and on-line delivery and utilize best practices for blended course delivery. The following suggestions represent recommendations for faculty when developing hybrid classes: 1. Foster critical thinking and higher order thinking 2. Provide course guidelines; faculty expectations; course information; faculty information; and FAQs 3. Create online activities for student interaction with content 4. Provide opportunities for students to be actively involved in the learning process 5. Foster student engagement with assignments, readings, and exam preparation 6. Provide prompt feedback to students on performance, questions, and concerns. -Manning and Emmons, 2010, “Best Practices in Blended Courses at a Community College.” FACC Visions) Discipline Councils may make advisory recommendations for hybrid/blended courses that are specific to and promote success in their discipline. Discipline councils may additionally offer recommendations for hybrid courses in their discipline that differ from the assumed 50/50 face-to-face/online meeting default, --however, the process for doing so should include full vetting via the College Curriculum Committee and the appropriate School prior to submission to instructional administrators for scheduling consideration. Discipline councils may also identify and 2015-16 Florida State College at Jacksonville | Faculty Handbook | fscj.edu
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Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters share “discipline specific” best practices to fellow faculty members for hybrid/blended design.
institutions reviewed as part of this research), the terms “hybrid” and “blended” are used synonymously.
Help is here:
A hybrid course uses various delivery methods to best meet course and session outcomes. The blend may consist of any combination of face-to-face classroom instruction, asynchronous discussion forums, and synchronous sessions conducted live over the Internet, depending on course content.
1. Open campus course designers are available to “review” hybrid courses/ on-line courses developed by faculty 2. Professional Development: Blackboard training (modules 1-3, “advanced features,” “using video in Blackboard”) Computer training for Faculty (“creating your own Ebooks,” “creating videos and using movies,” “the technology treasure hunt,” “Ipad for the classroom,” “google hangout,” “multimedia”) Pedagogy (“hybrid teaching,” “getting started: eLearning,” “on-line facilitation strategies”) (check with Bill Ganza regarding a complete list) 3. Organize the resources that can be used (lib guides, online student support labs like the on-line Writing Lab, “Smart Thinking,” library resources, on-line councils (Letters’ Council BB community, for example) – Faculty Resource Centers located at each campus can provide tech support/resources; connect to our open resources on-line (Merlot/etc.)
Additional Resources Hybrid Course Design and Instruction –Brandeis University, Online Learning Advisory Committee Terminology There are no standard definitions for what constitutes a “hybrid” course, but some generally accepted descriptions follow. In online learning literature (and at most
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A well-designed hybrid course takes advantage of the best features of both face-to-face and online learning so that the activities of each reinforce, complement, and elaborate one another. In a poorly designed hybrid course, the online component is viewed as an add-on or a duplicate of what is taught in the classroom. The proportion and structure of online and face-to-face meeting times can vary widely, based on the goals and needs of the program/course.
Hybrid Course Design– Fundamental Questions Faculty wishing to develop a hybrid course should consider the following fundamental questions. Subsequent sections of this document elaborate on related principles and best practices. • What are the learning outcomes for your course? • Which learning outcomes are best suited to the online environment and which are appropriate for the face-toface classroom? • How will you integrate your online and face-to-face course components? • What will online discussions and activities add to your course?
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Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters • What challenges regarding online discussions do you anticipate? How will you handle these challenges? • How will you assess the work in each setting? As indicated above, the first step in designing a hybrid course involves developing/reviewing the course and module learning outcomes (opening with action verbs and indicating skills to be demonstrated upon course/module completion) and determining which outcomes are better suited to face-to-face instruction and which outcomes align with online instruction. Faculty should focus on the integration of face-to-face and online components, as this connection is essential to avoid teaching two parallel but unconnected courses. Learning strategies well-suited to the online environment include: “Hybrid Course Design,” Northeastern University Teaching and Learning with Technology. Accessed July 21, 2011, at (http://www.northeastern.edu/edtech/teaching_ learning/online_pedagogy/hybrid_course_design).
Asynchronous discussions • Application of theory to personal and professional experiences • Case studies • Sharing news items • Peer review of work Group work • Private group discussion board • Group synchronous chat tool • Application/file sharing area or tool • Guest Speakers on the discussion board • Wikis to collectively compile knowledge
These activities are included regularly in fully online courses. To be most effective, hybrid instructors should be trained in these and related online instructional methods including online discussion facilitation and evaluation techniques.
Hybrid Design Guidelines– Best Practices Once face-to-face and online learning strategies have been selected for course/ weekly outcomes, best practices for hybrid course design include: • Create a well-defined syllabus that sets student expectations: define exactly what the outcomes are, how students will be assessed, when students need to be online, and when faculty will be available online. • Create weekly checklists (assignment roadmaps) for students to ensure a smooth delivery and manageable workload. Clearly state what is due for each day/week. More structure is needed in hybrid (and online) course delivery. • Develop an organized and consistent course site so that students can find face-to-face and online materials required for each session/module. • Use a variety of assignment techniques such as individual submission, group work, discussion post-and-critique, and discussion post-and-open-reply. • Tie face-to-face and online interactions to grades. • Integrate a small number of synchronous sessions to elaborate on a complex topic or to serve as virtual office hours. • Create materials to help students with the technology and with time management challenges.
• Online self-assessment quizzes
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Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters Hybrid Design Practices to Avoid
each module/week.
• Avoid the common tendency to cover too much material and include so many activities that it results in a course and a half. Online activities will take (students and instructors) longer than expected.
• Stay current and engaged. Set aside time to focus on the online components, including reading and responding to student postings.
• Avoid using face-to-face sessions for videos or 100% lecture-based classes. When students are in the classroom, they want to interact with faculty and with each other.
• Develop back-up plans when technology fails, and share these with students.
• Avoid too many synchronous online sessions. Select appropriate asynchronous online activities and assignments, and define expectations clearly so that students don’t leap to a “let’s meet” (in-person or online) solution.
Instructing a Hybrid Course– Best Practices • Provide an in-class orientation to the online portion of the course. • Explain the hybrid course format, meeting schedule, and assignments. • Make sure that students understand the workload expectations in both environments. • Highlight any technical needs or particular assignments that may require additional resources.
• Provide students with resources for live technology help.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the course by soliciting student feedback and evaluating results.
Instructing a Hybrid Course– Practices to Avoid • Avoid distributing paper-based handouts in face-to-face sessions. Have all materials available electronically on the course site. • Avoid making course site changes within two weeks of a due date. • Avoid emails. Use discussion boards for class-wide and private communications. • Don’t minimize the importance of the online portion over the face-to-face meeting times. Similarly, don’t rely on upcoming face-to-face meeting times to address questions or challenges that arise in the online portion.
• Clearly state in the syllabus all of the information students will need to know about both delivery media.
Sample Hybrid Structures and Schedules
• Make all assignments and other course expectations as explicit as possible right from the start.
5 “Hybrid Courses: Frequently Asked Questions,” University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Learning Technology Center. Accessed July 20, 2011.
• Clearly present the schedule of in-class and online work, with due dates stated explicitly and repeatedly. Intentional redundancy is necessary in hybrid/ online courses.
Structures • The instructor lectures and facilitates class discussion in the face-to-face classes. Students complete online assignments based on these classroom
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Hybrid/Blended Course Parameters activities. The online assignments are posted to asynchronous discussion forums for online discussion. • Students prepare small group projects online, and they post them to discussion forums for debate and revision. Students then present the projects in the face-to-face class for final discussion and assessment. • The instructor places online course content (text-based lectures; articles; recordings) for students to review. Students use these preliminary online materials to engage in face-to-face small group activities. Subsequent asynchronous discussions take place in small group and class-wide settings.
Meeting Schedules • Face-to-face meeting-weeks alternating with online-weeks • Face-to-face meetings for the first 2-3 weeks, followed by an extended period of 4-6 weeks online, followed by a final set of face-to-face meetings • Other variants are possible, but consistency and adherence to the schedule pre-defined at the outset of the course via the syllabus are important. Brandeis University, Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC)
Common Pitfalls Confusion In total face-to-face or total online classrooms, there is no confusion about where, when, or how classes will be conducted. Students meet three times a week, for example, or not at all. In a hybrid course, expectations shift, and research indicates that students can lose track of the course when they are not in the face-toface mode (“out of sight, out of mind”).
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Also, if students are enrolled in multiple hybrid courses, each of which follows its own schedule for face-to-face and online work, managing expectations can become even more confusing.
Minimizing the Online Component Research also indicates that there is a tendency for hybrid instructors to keep the online component of the class relatively superficial. If not given equal attention by faculty, then there is a tendency for students to do the minimum work required for the online component as opposed to the face-to-face interactions. Faculty who are used to being an active (“sage on the stage”) presence in the face-to-face classroom can face challenges adapting to online discussions where they must maintain an engaged but more collaborative (“guide on the side”) presence. Brandeis University, Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC)
References • Babson College Curriculum Innovation and Technology Group, “Top Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Blended Learning.” 2011. Motley, LaTonya. (March 1, 2007). “Nine Tips for Creating a Hybrid Course.” Online Classroom. Magna Publications. • Northeastern University Teaching and Learning with Technology, “Hybrid Course Design.” • Reasons, Saxon. (May 1, 2004). “Questioning the Hybrid Model.” Online Classroom. Magna Publications. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Learning Technology Center. “Hybrid Courses.” 2011.
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SACSCOC Guidelines Concerning Faculty Credentialling SACSCOC Guidelines Concerning Faculty Credentialling Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1866 Southern Lane Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
Faculty Credentials Guidelines Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1 of the Principles of Accreditation reads as follows: The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, an institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline. The institution also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes. For all cases, the institution is responsible for justifying and documenting the qualifications of its faculty.
When an institution defines faculty qualifications using faculty credentials, institutions should use the following as credential guidelines:
semester hours in the teaching discipline) • Faculty teaching associate degree courses designed for transfer to a baccalaureate degree: doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline) • Faculty teaching associate degree courses not designed for transfer to the baccalaureate degree: bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline or associate’s degree with demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline • Faculty teaching baccalaureate courses: doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline) • Faculty teaching graduate and post baccalaureate course work: doctorate/ terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline • Graduate teaching assistants: master’s in the teaching discipline or 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, regular inservice training, and planned and periodic evaluations
• Faculty teaching general education courses at the undergraduate level: doctorate or master’s degree in the teaching discipline or master’s degree with a concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate
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