Draft Handbook
Change of Address Form If you have had a change of address, phone or other information, please
complete the enclosed change of address form. We need up-to-date information on your current address,
telephone number(s) and email account(s) in order to maintain a viable communication link with you.
Please note that BCC staff will use your Peralta email to contact you regarding all business while
employed at BCC. Your contact information will be kept strictly confidential and will be used only for
official college business.
Syllabus
Instructors are asked to submit an electronic version of the class syllabus for each course taught in
each semester no later than the end of the first week of the semester. [directions for submission here]
Remember that your syllabus is treated as an agreement between yourself as instructor and the
students in your class. It is also a record of the instructional plan you are delivering on behalf of
Berkeley City College (BCC). The syllabus should be handed out at the first class meeting, and we
recommend that within the first week of class you review key aspects of the syllabus with students.
Ideally, the syllabus and other important class documents should be available for your students on a
Moodle site for later reference. Contact Fabian Banga, our Distance Education Coordinator, at
fbanga@peralta.edu for information about getting an electronic course location website set up in
Moodle.
In addition, the syllabus is becoming more important in the audit/review function of instruction by the
Department of Education (related to student financial aid) and by the Accrediting Commission for
Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), our accrediting organization, (related to compliance with
standards). For these purposes, please ensure that your course syllabus includes:
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Required text materials
Contact information for instructor
Grading policy: what will be the graded work in the class and how the grade will be
calculated
o Remember that no portion of a student’s community college grades should be earned
by attendance alone
o If you want to give credit for student participation, then clearly describe how
participation points can be earned
o Shows coursework and graded activities that reflect course purpose, content and
objectives as shown in the official course outline (curriculum as it has been approved
by the state and is on record for the course).
Policies about late submission for assignments
Important dates (adds, drops, etc.)
Attendance policy
Cites the student learning outcomes (SLOs) for the course as they are on file in Task Stream
(the online repository of SLOs for courses, programs, and the college)
Makes students aware of the program(s) in which this course is a part, so that students can
demonstrate awareness of the goals and purposes of the course and the program(s) in which it
is a part
It is also helpful to remind students who may need test accommodations, alternative media or
class notes handouts that they will need to visit the Disabled Students Programs and Services
(DSPS) Office to request these accommodations
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If you would like to see samples of syllabi, the official course outline, student learning objectives
(SLOs), and programs in which your class is a part of please contact your department chair.
Office Hours
Full-time faculty are required to schedule, post, and maintain at least five (5) office hours per week,
spread over at least four days (four hours specifically scheduled, and one hour by arrangement). Parttime faculty are encouraged to hold office hours as follows: one office hour per week, if .40 load/6
equated hours or more are assigned to them in the semester. Office hours and location should be
posted on the course syllabus.
In planning your hours by arrangement, please remember the general obligation to be available to
students outside of class, to answer questions about assignments and grades and to deal with other
class-related matters. It is important for students to know how to reach you, and to be able to have a
prompt response.
[Directions for submittal of office hours here]
Book Orders – Due as soon as you receive your assignment
Please note the importance of placing text information with the Bookstore, whether you believe your
students will purchase there or at some other online location. There are regulations requiring that
textbook information about a class be made available to students in advance of the class start. Please
submit your textbook order using the course adoption information form (available in the Berkeley
City College Bookstore on the 5th floor), or let the BCC Bookstore know if you are not going to be
using textbooks in your class.
Students who receive textbook vouchers need to have access to the books on campus at our
bookstore. In addition, textbook rentals are now available to some degree. Students who wish to sell
books back after the semester ends will want to have the BCC Bookstore as an option, and please note
that early ordering by you will mean greater buy-back funds for students; your late textbook order can
cost students $30 or more per book at buy-back.
ABSENCES AND SUBSTITUTES
A. Planned Absences
It is important for the college to know of all absences for emergency purposes and student contact
hour tracking. This includes planned absences as well as times when you are sick. If you are going
to miss a single class, it is recommended that you cancel the class session. However, if you feel there
is a need for the substitute, given the students, activities planned, or nature of the course, then a
substitute rather than cancellation may be approved. See below for more information about
substitutes.
If you are going to miss multiple sessions of class during the semester, or a single 3-hour class (for
example, a once-per-week evening class), then plan on working with your department chair person to
arrange for a substitute. We recommend that you contact your department chair early in your
planning to ensure that a qualified substitute is identified and hired in time to do the work. When
appropriate and possible, an arrangement should be made that allows faculty to reciprocate by
substituting at a later time for the person who substituted for them. The department chair should
provide the name of the selected substitute and any other necessary information to the dean. Note
that if the proposed substitute has load limitations, or is without the required Faculty Service Area
(FAS) qualification to teach the class, then an alternative substitute will need to be located. Guest
speakers may not be used in place of substitutes. The instructor of record is expected to be present
whenever there is a guest speaker for the class.
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B. Unplanned Absences
There are times when unplanned absences or late arrivals occur. In those instances, you need to
physically speak to an individual – not just leave a voice mail message or send an or e-mail. If you
cannot reach the contact persons listed because because your emergency takes place outside of
business hours (such as a last-minute absence for an evening or weekend class), you should contact
BCC Security. Afterward, follow up with an email to your dean and your department chair.
Please speak personally with one of the following staff members if you will have an unplanned
absence:
 Marilyn Montague, BCC Operator at 981-2800
 Office of instruction staff: Donna Dorsey at 981-2871, Sylvia Espinosa at 981-2928, or
Nancy Cayton at 981-2872
If you do not reach someone directly when you call to report your absence, please call:
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BCC Security at 981-2975
After your absence, follow up with your department chair to let her or him know of your absence,
and within a week of your return to BCC after the absence, complete the PCCD Leave of Absence
Report (LAR) for submittal to the vice president of instruction.
ADMISSION AND RECORDS RELATED ITEMS
A. ROSTERS
Be sure to go into your Passport faculty center to check your class roster in advance of the start of the
semester. Please print your own class roster to bring to class the first day for taking roll. Check your
roster online again for updates during the add period (first two weeks of class for full term classes),
and communicate with students who are present in class but are not showing on the roster. Be sure to
let students know that they cannot continue in your class after the add period ends unless they
are enrolled and appear on your roster. This is a risk management issue as well as a regulatory
issue. Also, your faculty center is where you will be required to input grades at the end of the
semester. If you need assistance accessing your faculty center, contact your department chair or the
district Help Desk at helpdesk@peralta.edu or (510) 587-7800.
If students have not attended by the second session of your class (and have not notified you of some
difficulty causing the absence), please mark the students as no shows on your roster. Be certain to
give students who are adding a deadline by which they must complete their enrollment.
Late adds: note that the office of instruction will approve late adds after the deadline only if:
 The student has been in faithful attendance in the class since week one of the semester; and
 There is a reason outside the student’s control why it was not possible for the student add the
class in a timely fashion; and
 All late add paperwork is complete, and contains the explanatory information (above two
items); and
 The late add is completed through the admissions and records office immediately after
approval.
Please be certain to check your online roster after the add and drop periods are completed to catch any
anomalies early. We ask that you ensure students who are not enrolled on your roster by the deadline
date do not attend your class or submit work in the class.
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By the census date, ensure you have dropped all no-show students. We recommend that you print a
copy of your census roster for your records. Be sure to note and comply with census, attendance
verification, and grade submittal deadlines and formats. Timely and accurate submissions are a part
of our obligations to the state for funding. IMPORTANT NOTE: the attendance verification roster
(completed at the ¾ point of any class) is the final point at which drops can take place. Please be
aware that students will have to receive a grade in your class if you do not drop them on your
attendance verification roster.
If at any time during a term (even before final exams) you discover having inadvertently dropped a
student who should actually continue to be enrolled in the class, please submit a completed add card
right away, clearly marking it as a “request to reinstate.” NOTE: if the student dropped
himself/herself, then the relevant add deadlines will apply and they cannot be added to the class.
B. Final Grades
As a Peralta instructor, you are responsible for entering your final grades into your faculty center on
Passport by the due date, and for submitting your attendance sheets and record of class assignments
and tests to either Rollbooks@peralta.edu or your campus admissions and records office. Please be
mindful of the need to maintain accurate records for all graded work, including participation. In order
to avoid later issues with students around their grades, consider providing opportunities for students
to verify accumulated grade points in your class prior to the final. Remember that if students remain
on your roster after the attendance verification roster (¾ point of the class), you will have to assign a
grade.
Incomplete grades should only be assigned if you and the student have worked out the details for
course completion (due date— generally best to give 4-6 weeks or another deadline shorter than the
1-year maximum; specific assignments; method of submission; default grade if work not done).
Incompletes are to be used only for exceptional circumstances, appropriate in very limited situations
when: a student has an unexpected situation, out of their control that prevents the completion of
graded class work; the student has completed most of the required class work (80-85%); the student’s
work that has been completed is at a satisfactory grade level or better; the work remaining to be done
can be completed outside the classroom; and the instructor is able and willing to continue overseeing
the student’s work until the end of the incomplete period when a grade is assigned via request for
record correction form. Be sure to complete the form to assign an incomplete and retain a copy for
your records.
C. Record Corrections
Occasionally there is the need to correct a final grade assigned to a student. This is a fairly routine
process when it happens after the semester in which the grade was given, and when it involved some
sort of inputting or calculating error. The instructor should complete a Request for Record Correction
form and attach the needed documentation (grade sheet) promptly after the need for correction was
noted.
Record corrections to change students’ grades that are requested long after the semester in which the
grade was assigned are more problematic. Grading integrity, transcript accuracy, and record retention
issues are all subject to audit/verification. The Peralta district is extremely sensitive to audit/
verification issues because record anomalies can place accreditation, qualification to offer financial
aid to students, and other key operating factors at risk. For this reason, a belated record correction
request will require additional documentation sufficient to withstand audit review. As a general rule,
instructors should plan to provide, in addition to the detailed grade records, an explanation for
how/why discovering the need for correction was delayed. There may be requests for additional
information or explanation before a decision is rendered on the record correction for a belated grade
change. Not many such requests result in a successful grade change.
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Any record correction requests that involve changing a student’s grade from a W to a no show are
considered problematic. Attendance accounting is a primary obligation of the district and college, for
which faculty records must be depended on. When instructors complete their census rosters, they
attest to the complete accuracy of that record. If, before the attendance verification roster submission
date faculty realize there is an error, they should print their class roster, identify the necessary
changes, sign, date and submit to the admissions and records office. The instructor’s census roster is
relied upon by the district office in submitting its numbers to the state (for requesting state funding,
etc.). For this reason, a record correction about the attendance status of a student after a semester is
over places the fulfillment of the earlier obligations into question. As a general rule, instructors
should plan to provide, in addition to the detailed attendance records, an explanation of how/why
discovering the need for correction was delayed (and hopefully, how this is a one-time anomaly
corrected for in future practice). Approval of a record correction related to the attendance status of a
student is not routine and in most cases will not be approved.
D. Length Of Time To Retain Class Records
Each instructor is obligated to retain any un-returned student work and to maintain student attendance
and grade information at the conclusion of the class. Student work that is not returned to the student
should be kept by the instructor for at least one year after the end of the class. Attendance and grade
records should be kept for each class by the instructor for at least four years after the conclusion of
the class.
If an instructor will be leaving the area or no longer teaching at BCC, it is requested that student
records be boxed and returned to the office of instruction to be held in storage for the requisite
amount of time.
EMAIL, MAILROOM & DUPLICATING CENTER
A. Email for Official Business
The office of instruction will use your Peralta email address for official business, and all faculty are
requested to do the same. Student privacy concerns are raised when private emails are used to
communicate with students about their work. When sending an email to more than one student,
please use the bcc line in order to protect student privacy.
B. Mailroom
All instructors have been provided with mailboxes, located in the mailroom on the first floor in room
#155 of 2050 Center Street. Contact the business office or your department chair for the code number
to access the mailroom.
C. Mailroom: Student Submittal Of Course Work
BCC’s expectation is that instructors will arrange to have all student work presented to them in
person during the class period. Instructors should also make themselves available during their office
hours to receive student work, and electronic submittal is still another good option to consider for
student and instructor convenience. In rare situations when the normal practice for student submittal
of work cannot apply, then students should be directed to submit their work for the instructor to the
mailroom. Students will not be able to go into the mailroom; instead they should leave their work in
the drop box outside the mailroom. If you wish to verify delivery of student work by a certain day
and time, please plan to be present at the mailroom to pick up submitted work at that time. There is no
date/time stamp verification service available.
D. Copier Code And Usage
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Please use the copier code you have been assigned for the faculty copy machines. Keep that code
private. Your copy allotment is limited, but it is sufficient for last minute, short-run copies. Plan
ahead: general copying, including tests, handouts, and assignments should be handled at the
first floor duplicating center. Faculty copy machines should be used on a limited basis only.
Copy machines in the office of instruction and other staff work areas of the campus are not available
for faculty copying.
The duplicating center can do while-you-wait printing as demand permits, during their regular
business hours. It is recommended that you allow two to three business days for your order to be
processed, especially during busy periods (at start of semester and right before finals). Please note
that the office of instruction incurs a cost for every copy made on machines outside the duplicating
center (and hard usage causes deterioration and a shortening of the machine’s functional life—there
are no funds to replace existing machines). The college maintains limited funds for maintenance and
no replacement funds for that equipment. Your assistance with appropriate copier usage is
appreciated.
EVENT PLANNING AND FIELD TRIPS
Events and field trips require advance approval so that the college can fulfill risk management/emergency
requirements and so that college calendars can reflect the activities taking place.
A. Field Trips
Please note that field trip approval must be obtained in advance of the activity. After getting the
approval of the department chair, the form goes to the office of instruction for approval. The form
must be received by the office of instruction no less than one week before the requested field trip.
Be sure to submit the class roster or other detailed list of students who will be participating in the
activity.
B. Events
Class-related activities planned by instructors require advance approval. Event forms are available in
the office of instruction. Please allow sufficient time for the event request to go through various
stages of approval. Requests by outside groups not hosted by a BCC department should be referred to
the BCC’s business office. Please note there are rental fees and other charges for use of the college
property by outside groups (note that charges may also apply to department hosted or instructor
events if the activity takes place outside regular college hours or involves other special
circumstances).
PARTICIPATION IN DEPARTMENT AND COLLEGE
As much as they are able, interested and willing, part-time faculty members are invited to participate in
department and college activities outside the classroom. Full-time faculty members are contractually
required to provide a “full service week” at Berkeley City College. This “full service week” for teaching
faculty includes the instructional assignment of fifteen equated hours (counted as “double hours,” whereas
nonteaching faculty have a 30-hour scheduled assignment) and the five office hours on campus spread
over at least four days. In addition, the full service week also includes participation in campus and
departmental activities, participation in governance, additional teaching preparation, evaluation, advising,
and professional development activities. Your active participation in departmental work, including
curriculum revision and development, student learning outcomes assessment, scheduling, program review
and unit planning, is important for the continued well-being and life of the department and for our
students.
EVALUATIONS
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Full and part-time instructors have the obligation, as BCC instructors, to participate in the evaluation
process. The college is required to fulfill faculty evaluations on a regular schedule. You are asked to
actively help coordinate your own evaluations to ensure timely completion and submission of paperwork.
As a part of BCC’s plan for completing evaluations that run late, if a full-time or part-time faculty
evaluation is not completed within the designated evaluation period, then it must be completed within the
next following regular term. Otherwise, the evaluation will be deemed not completed, and an evaluation
will have to start anew in the next evaluation period. You may be asked to participate as an evaluator,
and we hope that you will agree to do so.
EXTRA SERVICE AND BANKED LOAD
A. Extra Service
Instructors often are invited to take on additional teaching assignments or extra service activities. The
full-time assignment for contract faculty is 1.0 FTEF/15 equated hours; for part-time faculty the
maximum assignment in the fall or spring semester is .67 FTEF/10 equated hours. Please be aware
that overloads are limited by contract terms for full-time faculty to a maximum of .2 per semester (for
a total load of 1.2) per the contract, or over this maximum by agreement and administrator approval.
Counselors and librarians are limited to six hours per week overload. Part-time faculty may be given
an assignment over the .67 FTEF once every six semesters (the BCC limitation is stricter that the state
regulation of no more than twice every six semesters).
B. Banked Load
Requests by full-time instructors for overload assignments to be banked (credited for usage toward a
future teaching obligation) should be completed at the time the initial teaching schedule for the
semester is completed, or at the time the extra assignment is made, if that is later. Deadlines and
other requirements for accruing or “spending” banked load will be strictly followed.
OFFICE OF INSTRUCTION CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of instruction Staff:
Name
VPI Tram Vo-Kumamoto
Dean Antonio Barreiro
Departments: Arts & Cultural Studies,
ASL, Business, CIS, MMART, Modern
Languages, Science
Sylvia Espinosa
Assistant to Dean Barreiro
Dean Carlos Cortez
Departments: Education, English, ESL,
LRNRE, Math, Social Science, Library,
Learning Communities
Donna Dorsey
Assistant to Dean Cortez
Nancy Cayton
Staff Assistant
Maeve Katherine Bergman
Catalina Herrera
Francine Lewis
Johnny Dong
Location
BCC 442
BCC 455
Office
Phone
981-2933
981-2939
Email
tvokumamoto@peralta.edu
abarreiro@peralta.edu
BCC 450D
981-2928
sespinosa@peralta.edu
BCC 454
981-2881
ccortez@peralta.edu
BCC 450B
981-2871
ddorsey@peralta.edu
BCC 450C
981-2872
ncayton@peralta.edu
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Marilyn Clausen
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