Adjunct Faculty Handbook

Revised January 2024

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

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WELCOME

Welcome to North Central Michigan College! I am very pleased that you have joined our instructional team. North Central is committed to delivering exceptional higher education to our students, and we need you to help us fulfill that promise. We value your expertise as an adjunct faculty member, as well as your skills in the classroom. Our students expect a great deal from faculty, and it is my hope that you will provide a challenging and stimulating experience for those you teach (and mentor). For some students, you may be the only contact these learners have with a representative of the college. I trust that you will value your unique position at North Central.

I invite you to become an active member of this learning community. Please do participate in our varied campus activities, as you are able. Best wishes for a successful and productive experience!

David Roland Finley, Ph.D.

President

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FOREWORD

Please allow me to thank you in advance for sharing your time and talent with North Central Michigan College. We could not deliver the great product we do without you! I hope you find your experience with us rewarding as you help students achieve their dreams of a college education. This handbook covers a variety of topics we thought would best assist you as you begin to prepare for your time with us. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions as they arise, 231.348.6812 or mandrews@ncmich.edu

VISION

MISSION

 

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

The College does not employ any permanent adjunct instructors. In the scheduling of both full-time and part-time/adjunct faculty for NCMC courses, the College reviews a variety of factors including, but not limited to, full-time faculty load requirements, matching skills with course openings, location of courses, etc. The administration reserves the right to select and schedule both full-time and part-time faculty as course needs dictate. Adjunct faculty are hired to teach semester-by-semester as the College’s needs dictate. Being hired to teach in a single semester does not obligate the College nor the Adjunct faculty member to future teaching assignments. 

ADJUNCT FACULTY JOB DESCRIPTION

See a full job description in the appendix.

ADJUNCT FACULTY CREDENTIALS

See appendix F for a complete description of required credentials.

EMPLOYMENT RECORDS

As a condition of employment, all adjunct faculty are required to have on file with EduStaff an application form, criminal background check, a resume, official transcripts of all post-secondary education, and copies of licenses and/or certificates. Adjunct faculty must also complete a W-4 form, an I-9 form, and submit them to EduStaff.

PAYMENT OF WAGES

Pay for adjunct faculty is based on contact hours taught. Adjunct faculty will be paid one check every two weeks per the regular employee pay period of the college. 

Usually, there will be six or seven paychecks beginning early in the semester. You will be notified by email when the first check is issued.

Pay rates for adjunct faculty are based on a scaled increment for the highest earned degree. Official transcripts must be on file with the College to verify degree status otherwise faculty will be paid at the rate established for the baccalaureate.

CAPS ON HOURS PER SEMESTER

Adjunct faculty are approved to teach up to 12 credit hours maximum per semester (Fall, Winter, and Summer). To comply with the Affordable Health Care Act, the IRS has determined that for every 1 credit hour, the instructor will spend 2.25 hours in preparation. The college is limited to no more than 28 hours per adjunct faculty member per semester. The Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success may grant exceptions for special circumstances.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES

ADJUNCT FACULTY OFFICE SPACE

In Petoskey, we have several offices dedicated to Adjunct use. Please see the Dean of Business, Education, and Adjunct Faculty for the most current list of available offices. 

Your office hours will be posted outside the door, as the office will be shared with other adjuncts. All adjunct offices on the Petoskey campus use the same key. Keys are available from the main administration office. In Cheboygan and Gaylord, both sites have one open office that can be used by adjunct instructors. 

COPY MACHINES

Copy machines are in the main administration office, room 109, room 148, and the Health Education & Science Center building. To print/copy in color copy machine use the “NCMC Color Hold.” Copy machines in Petoskey require your five-digit ID code.

KEYS

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES

CLASS RECORDS

You must distribute the course syllabus to your students and post it through Simple Syllabus on our Learning Management System, Brightspace. To ensure the continuity of course material and transferability of credit to other institutions, please use Simple Syllabus.

Make sure to adhere to the guidelines in your course syllabus. This allows your Dean to support you in the event of a student complaint. 

A copy of your class roster is available online in the portal by clicking on “My North Central”. Click on the “Faculty Tools Tab” and your courses should be listed. Click on the down arrow next to the class and select the class roster.

The last day students may open enroll in classes is the end of the first week of each semester. After these dates, you should review your class roster to note any discrepancies (e.g., a student attending class who is not on the roster or a student on the roster who is not attending class). Report any discrepancies to the Registrar. Submit final grades per instructions from the Registrar.

FINAL GRADES

Final grade instructions will be sent out by the Registrar. All final grades are to be submitted online per the instructions by noon on the first Tuesday following the end of the semester.

GRADING AND STATUS SYSTEMS

The course work of each student is rated as follows:

 

*Certain designated programs have courses taken on a pass-fail basis up to a total of 16-semester credits in each program.

Each grade assigned for an hour of credit (exclusive of physical education and pass/fail courses) creates an honor point value. Total values are arrived at by multiplying the number of honor points for a grade by the number of credits in the course.

Incomplete
A student who fails to complete all the requirements of a course because of extenuating circumstances may receive an incomplete (“I”). An incomplete is given at the discretion of the instructor and is intended to be granted only in situations where most of the coursework has been completed and the student is doing passing work. The remainder of the course requirements, as determined by the instructor, must be fully satisfied by the end of the next semester, or the “I” grade will automatically be recorded as an “E.”

Withdrawal from Classes
A student will receive a "W" (Withdraw) if they withdraw through the 14^th week of the regular semester or through the sixth week of the summer semester. A “W” grade will appear on the official transcript without penalty. All course withdrawals and additions must be processed through the Student Services Office.

“No Grade” and Auditing Status
The "NG" (No Grade) is a temporary status used only until the faculty member officially submits a grade to the Registrar.

A student who wishes to attend the class sessions of a course but who does not wish to receive credit for it may register as an audit (“AU”). The deadline for declaring the audit for Fall or Winter semester is the fifth week; for the summer semester, the deadline is the third week of the semester. Courses audited cannot be counted toward graduation requirements.

Note: Your grading policy must be included in your course syllabus.

GRADE CHANGE FORM

Instructors may change a student’s final grade by submitting a grade change form to the registrar. The form may be found on the portal under Faculty Tools.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

The college does not have an attendance policy. If you choose to establish one for your course, the consequences for students who fail to comply must be clearly stated in your course syllabus.

STUDENT MISCONDUCT

Membership in the college community carries with it obligations relative to conduct both within and outside the classroom. Students are responsible for obeying municipal, state, and federal laws which govern the community, as well as the rules and regulations of the college. The Student Code of Conduct (see the Student Handbook) also applies to off-campus activities, such as field trips, off-campus classes, and college-sponsored events.   

If a student participates, individually or in a group, in any violation of the Student Code of Conduct, they can be subject to disciplinary action.Misconduct should be reported using the form found on the Portal under the tab titled “Forms”. Complete this form as soon as possible after any incident that involves any serious form of student misconduct or to report any student behavior that you feel may cause harm to the student, yourself, or other students. Also, if you observe behavior that you think is a threat to you or others, call 911.

COLLEGE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

SPRING BREAK POLICY

Spring Break will coincide with the Spring Break of the institution hosting the off-campus classes. For example, NCMC classes offered in Gaylord will recognize the Spring Break week of Gaylord Area Schools.

NCMC students taking classes at more than one NCMC location may find their classes observing different Spring Break periods. In these cases, students are responsible for making individual arrangements with their instructors. Faculty are encouraged to make reasonable accommodations for students missing class because of conflicting Spring Break periods. However, faculty are not expected to provide special instruction for students absent for this reason. Responsibility for getting material missed under these circumstances rests with the students.

SMOKING POLICY

NCMC is a tobacco-free workplace. To maintain a healthy work and learning environment for all students, employees, and visitors, the college prohibits the use of tobacco products and electronic smoking devices or anything that involves or mimics smoking.

For purposes of this policy, tobacco is defined as any tobacco product that is smoked, chewed, or consumed in any other fashion. Products that are part of a smoking cessation program, including patches or gum containing nicotine, are not banned by this policy.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

In the event of an emergency Call 911. Please see red flipcharts in every classroom on and off campus titled “Emergency Guide”. Note: If you use a college telephone on campus, simply dial 911 (no other numbers). In the event of a medical emergency, make the individual(s) as comfortable as possible until assistance arrives. 

INCIDENT REPORT

Anytime an incident occurs in the classroom or at the facility in which you are teaching, that involves a medical, security, or safety concern, an Incident Report should be completed. 

Once completed, the college administration is automatically notified and will be able to address the issue directly.

To submit an Incident Report: Log into the NCMC portal, click on “My North Central”, click on “Forms”, and select Incident Report.

FIRE EVACUATION POLICY

In the event a fire alarm sounds while classes are in session, students and staff are to evacuate the building following the evacuation plan in your classroom. Proceed in an orderly manner to the nearest exit and withdraw a minimum of 100 feet from the building. 

If you encounter a fire, pull the nearest fire alarm, and evacuate as instructed above. The alarm automatically alerts the Department of Public Safety Department.

 Fire extinguishers are located throughout all buildings. Please familiarize yourself with their location.

MAINTENANCE

THE SYLLABUS

SIMPLE SYLLABUS

North Central has partnered with the software platform Simple Syllabus to help make creating and maintaining your course syllabi easier and more accessible to your students.

Instead of creating a Word or PDF syllabus document for each of your classes for upload in Brightspace, you will build your syllabi in Simple Syllabus for automatic display in Brightspace course shells. Using Simple Syllabus is as easy as filling out a web form.

Please send questions to syllabus@ncmich.edu.

1. Adjunct Faculty will utilize active learning strategies to assist the learner in meeting the course objectives.
2. Adjunct Faculty will teach college coursework as defined by North Central Michigan College and assigned by either the Dean of Business, Education and Adjunct Faculty.
3. Adjunct Faculty will be evaluated by students and college administration.
4. Adjunct Faculty will participate in outcomes assessment efforts of the college.
5. Adjunct Faculty will conduct themselves in a professional manner promoting statesmanship with students, other faculty, and administrative staff.
6. The College does not employ any permanent adjunct instructors. In the scheduling of both full-time and part-time/adjunct faculty for NCMC courses, the College reviews a variety of factors including, but not limited to, full-time faculty load requirements, matching skills with course openings, location of courses, etc. The administration reserves the right to select and schedule both full-time and part-time faculty as course needs dictate. Adjunct faculty are hired to teach on a semester-by-semester basis as the College’s needs dictate. Being hired to teach in a single semester does not obligate the College nor the Adjunct faculty member to future teaching assignments. 

DUTIES

1. Attends annual planning seminars usually held before both fall and winter semesters.
2. Use the Learning Management System (LMS), currently Brightspace, for posting the course syllabus and student grades.
3. Create a syllabus using Simple Syllabus for each course taught. Syllabi must be made available to all students through Simple Syllabus during the first week of classes.
4. Follow the textbook ordering procedure and will respond promptly to requests for textbook information.
5. Participate in assessment activities.
6. Submit final course grades by noon on the Tuesday following the end of the semester.
7. Use the ncmich.edu email account to communicate with students, faculty, and staff. Check it frequently and respond in a timely fashion to all emails.
8. Arrange with students to be available outside the classroom.
9. Maintain course records as appropriate to normal college procedures and for course assessment.
10. Communicate with students both verbally and in writing according to FERPA guidelines.
11. Participate in professional development opportunities on campus when available.
12. Follows all college procedures and policies.
13. Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. See Adjunct Faculty Qualification (Appendix C) for more detail.
2. Minimum two years teaching in a post-secondary environment preferred.
3. Knowledge of adult learning theory and techniques
4. Demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, the mission of a comprehensive community college.
5. Skills necessary to identify and use relevant technology.
6. Excellent written/verbal skills.

APPENDIX B

COPYRIGHT FAIR USE POLICY

North Central Michigan College acknowledges and encourages the appropriate use (i.e., reproduction, distribution, performance and display) of copyrighted works and materials for teaching, scholarship and research purposes consistent with federal copyright law and the standards for fair use. Given both the importance of complying with federal copyright law and the difficulty of determining fair use, this policy provides guidance for the use of others' work as well as links to copyright and fair use resources.
 
For purposes of this policy, copyrighted works and materials include all audio visual, electronic, and printed works and materials under copyright protection. Some materials are not subject to copyright protection, including:

works that lack originality (e.g., the phone book);
freeware;
US Government works;
facts;
ideas, procedures, concepts, principles or discoveries as distinguished from a description, explanation, or illustration thereof; and works in the public domain, including works with copyrights that have expired (generally older than 95 years). Since a copyright notice is no longer required, the absence of the ©, especially for works published after 1978, does not necessarily mean the work is in the public domain.

The concept of fair use is embodied in section 107 of the copyright law. This law provides that certain limited use of copyrighted materials for such purposes as teaching, criticism, commentary, reporting, scholarship and research is not infringement of copyright. The law sets forth four factors to be considered when making a determination of fair use:

• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a 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.

APPENDIX C

ADJUNCT FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS

At North Central, all prospective faculty are divided into two broad categories that reflect their primary teaching role: general education / transfer courses or occupational courses. The requirements for faculty qualifications differ depending on the type of North Central course the faculty member will teach.

Broadly speaking, whenever a prospective faculty member wishes to offer a North Central course, s/he should convey that interest first to their high school administration.

The high school administration will in turn contact the Director of Student Outreach and Engagement at North Central with the request and the prospective faculty member’s credentials; North Central administration will review the request and the credentials and communicate back to the high school administration either the approval or denial of the request or the need for further documentation. 

If North Central asks for further documentation regarding a candidate’s request, it may be more expeditious if the faculty member works directly with the North Central Dean who is examining the documentation; once the Dean has decided on the faculty’s qualifications, s/he will convey that information back to North Central’s Director of Student Outreach and Engagement, who will, in turn, communicate back to the high school administration and the prospective faculty member.

For general education and transfer courses (English, Communications, Humanities, Languages other than English, Math, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences):

Route 1: the faculty member is expected to hold a master’s degree in the discipline or relevant sub-field as applicable; or

Route 2: if the master’s is held in another discipline, the faculty member should hold at least 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which he or she teaches; or

Route 3: if the master’s is held in another discipline, the faculty member should present a combination of graduate credits in the relevant discipline according to this schedule (candidate must present a minimum of nine (9) credits in the discipline or subfield):