2012 CIC Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Hiring and Deactivating Processes for Adjunct Faculty Positions
Schreiner University
Confidentiality
The confidentiality of all candidates will be maintained at all times by all parties involved in
the search process.
Advertising
HR has a continuing call for adjunct faculty on the Schreiner website. Any special
advertising for adjuncts will be coordinated with HR.
Collecting Applications and Notification of Receipt
Applications are available on the website for Schreiner University’s HR page. Applications
for adjunct faculty will be accepted on an ongoing basis year round. HR will receive and
log all applications and associated candidate documentation. When an application or
other candidate materials are received, HR will send an initial notification to the candidate
via email or letter that the application has been received. If CVs only are received, HR will
contact candidates and request the submission of an application.
If anyone besides HR receives an application, the documents must be forwarded
immediately to HR for processing. If the candidate is on campus before the application
has been completed, the candidate should not leave campus without completing the
application and submitting it to HR.
The logged applications will be placed in a School folder on the Intranet. As appropriate,
the Deans of the Schools will move these documents to department folders or keep the
application in a general folder for candidates who may be apply to teach across several
departments.
Initial Screening / Interviews
Typically, first interviews will be conducted via telephone.
The Department Chair is responsible for hosting candidates during an on-campus
interview. A typical on-campus interview for an adjunct candidate includes:
 Department Chair interview/meeting
 Dean meeting
 Provost/VPAA meeting (if schedule permits)
 President meeting (if schedule permits)
The on-campus may also include these optional elements:
 Campus tour (may be with a student ambassador)
 Class presentation by candidate
Either before or immediately after the interview, the Department Chair should contact the
references identified on the application form or otherwise provided by the candidate.
Page 1 of 4
2012 CIC Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Hiring and Deactivating Processes for Adjunct Faculty Positions
Schreiner University
During the interview process, the Department Chair will let candidates know that they may
be notified via email or phone call regarding final selection decisions.
Travel Arrangements and Expenses
There is no travel budget for Adjunct positions. Incidental expenses are charged to the
School and must receive prior approval from the Dean.
Final Approvals for Hire
The Dean, in consultation with the Department Chair, will make the final decision on
whether the candidate will be offered the position.
If the decision is made to hire the candidate, HR will be notified. HR will make sure all
appropriate paperwork have been completed prior to extending the candidate an offer.
Making the Job Offer
The Dean or Provost will make the job offer. When making a job offer, the following will be
relayed to the candidate:
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The offer is contingent upon completion of all required pre-employment processes
Verify that this is a part-time position with no benefits
Verify the semester salary being offered
Verify position details
Discuss work schedule
Coordinate a start date and time
Ask that the candidate promptly initiate a request to have every college and
university the candidate attended to send official transcripts to
Office of the Provost
Schreiner University
2100 Memorial Boulevard
Kerrville, TX 78028
It should be stressed to the candidate that this process must not be considered
completed until a confirmation e-mail is sent from the Provost’s office.
Let the candidate know that they will receive a contract once all pre-employment
processes are complete and after the majority of new student registration has been
completed.
The candidate should be informed that contracts are not generally issued until after
registration is finalized and shortly before the start of the semester or, in the case of
music adjuncts, until the twelfth class day.
Notification of Candidates Interviewed
Any applicants interviewed will be called by the Dean once the candidate has accepted the
position.
Page 2 of 4
2012 CIC Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Hiring and Deactivating Processes for Adjunct Faculty Positions
Schreiner University
Applicants that did not receive an interview are notified by HR through email that the
current position has been filled but that the application will be kept on file.
Pre-employment Processes
Once an offer is made and accepted, the Dean will complete and sign a Network Access
Form and forward this to HR. HR enters the employee information into Jenzabar and
forwards the faculty information to the Registrar’s office and the Provost’s office, and HR
submits a SysAid to deliver the information to Technology.
HR will conduct a background check of the candidate. As appropriate to the position, the
background check may consist of social security number verification, driving record, credit
check, and criminal history check. Once the background check is cleared by HR, HR will
notify the Dean. NOTE: If the background check yields information that renders a
candidate ineligible for employment, HR will notify the Dean. HR may not be able to
disclose specific details to the Dean for reasons of confidentiality. If the background check
yields information of a questionable nature but which may not necessarily render the
candidate ineligible, HR will discuss the situation with the Dean to determine an
appropriate outcome.
The following steps do not occur in batches but are acted on as soon as the new
employee’s information is forwarded from HR:
 The Provost’s office will monitor the submission of all transcripts and send a
confirmation e-mail to the candidate and the Dean when these have been received.
When original transcripts are received, copies will be forwarded to HR.
 The Registrar’s office will add the new adjunct to the Master List and assign the
adjunct to a course.
 Technology will assign network access and communicate its completion to HR. HR
will recommend to the new employee a technology orientation with Instructional
Technology.
HR will conduct an orientation with each new adjunct faculty member to complete
necessary payroll/employment paperwork and employment policies. This is typically done
during the New Adjunct Faculty Orientation coordinated by the Deans and the Department
Chairs. If the new adjunct faculty member cannot attend the Orientation, s/he should
schedule a time to meet with HR to complete this orientation.
Department specific orientation will be the responsibility of the Department Chair to
coordinate and should include introduction to faculty, staff, and administration; instruction
regarding telephones and technology; information regarding facilities; etc. An orientation
checklist is available on the Schreiner Intranet.
Page 3 of 4
2012 CIC Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Hiring and Deactivating Processes for Adjunct Faculty Positions
Schreiner University
Issuance of Contract
Contracts will be issued after registration is finalized and shortly before the start of the
semester or, in the case of music adjuncts, after the twelfth class day.
Candidate Paperwork
Any documentation that has been distributed to or generated during the search process or
that is part of the search/hire process must be returned to HR or shredded by the Dean
and the department, including copies of all applications, resumes, interview notes, etc.
Deactivating Adjuncts
At the end of the contract period for which the adjunct has been hired, the Schools’
administrative assistance will submit a SysAid to Technology and e-mail to HR requesting
 that the adjunct’s network access be disabled and status be changed to inactive
pending the next contract (NOTE: This is not necessary when the adjunct works
consecutive semesters.), or
 that the adjunct’s network access be retired and status be changed to inactive.
Reactiving Adjuncts
Adjuncts that work occasional but not consecutive semesters will be disabled/inactivated at
the conclusion of the contract, and a SysAid request to Technology and e-mail notification
to HR from the School’s administrative assistant indicating that the adjunct has been
issued another contract will restore network access and change the status.
***
Page 4 of 4
2012 CIC Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Our Lady of the Lake University: Department Chair Responsibilities for Hiring New
Faculty
Pre-interview:
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An academic application – this should have been completed on the Human Resource
website
Permission for criminal background check – provided by signing application
We will need official transcripts, but you will most likely need to look over unofficial
transcripts to see if your candidate has the educational qualifications required for the
job.
Post-interview, Pre-hire:
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Transcripts for all degrees awarded or in process. These must be official transcripts.
Transcripts marked “issued to the student” are not considered “official” transcripts.
Transcripts must be mailed directly to the Vice President of Academic Affairs Office
from the issuing college/university.
Clean criminal background check – THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE AN
OFFER IS MADE. As soon as you know that this is the candidate that you want,
contact Ericka Blancarte Sanchez who will work with HR
I-9 – this must be completed in person with the dean’s office staff.
A signed drug-free schools document (attached). Please provide the signed copy to
the dean’s office.
A signed sexual harassment document (attached). Please provide the signed copy to
the dean’s office.
A completed W-4 (attached). Please provide to the dean’s office.
A completed direct deposit form (attached). Please provide to the dean’s office.
Explain that ALL new adjuncts are required to participate in an orientation. The
VPAA’s Office will provide information on the orientation.
Complete reference check form (attached), submit to AA with other forms. Best
practice is not to make an offer of employment until the references have been
checked.
Post-hire:
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Explain that a contract will not be issued until all materials are in the candidates
file.
Provide the candidate with a current copy of the syllabus, request a completed
copy of the syllabus to be sent to you and the Dean’s Office. Explain the
department’s expectations for learning. Provide a copy of our course syllabus
template – attached.
o Department chairs have the responsibility for assuring the consistency of
syllabi across courses.
Assure that the individual understands the requirement for out of class availability
to answer questions.
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Explain the evaluation process and expectations for evaluation.
Check in with the new adjunct at least twice during the initial semester to see if
she/he has any questions, concerns.
Contact Human Resources, via email, with a copy to your dean, with the list of
individuals you wish to have removed from the applicants in ImageNow.
Send a letter to all candidates who are not qualified (attached).
ADJUNCT FACULTY SELECTION PROCESS
Our Lady of the Lake University – San Antonio Texas
Previously Selected and Approved Adjunct Faculty Process: Adjunct (i.e. part-time)
faculty are selected and recommended for hire by academic departments. Once a
qualified adjunct is identified, their name is advanced to the dean for approval. Since the
adjunct has taught before for OLLU, the only required documentation is a Faculty
Initiation Form which should be completed and sent to the Office of Academic Affairs
(OAA) for processing.
Hiring and Selection of New Adjunct Faculty: The following process will be followed for
the hiring of all new adjunct faculty.
Step 1 – Academic Deans will submit to the Human Resources (HR) Office no later than
December 20 each calendar year, a list of their departments needing new adjuncts for
the next academic year.
Step 2 – HR will post the list of adjunct needs on the OLLU website for 30 calendar
days. At a minimum, each applicant will be required to submit a completed OLLU
application, cover letter and resume.
Step 3 – HR will send a card or email acknowledging receipt of the new applicant’s
materials and that the applicant’s will be contacted if they are selected to teach.
Step 4 – HR will make available the application files to the respective departments at
the end of the 30 day announcement.
Step 5 – Departments will review the application files and select those applicants that
have the academic and/or professional qualifications to teach in the posted discipline(s).
The department confirms with the applicant that they are willing to teach the course(s),
for which they have been approved. If the applicant agrees to teach the specified
course(s), the applicant’s file is then advanced to the dean’s office. Upon review and
approval by the dean of the applicant’s file, a Faculty Initiation Form along with the
applicant’s paperwork for employment is sent to the OAA.
Step 6 – Upon approval of the VPAA, the applicant’s file is sent to HR for processing.
Out of Cycle Requirement: Should an unforeseen, emerging requirement surface after
the January position announcement, departments will, with their dean’s approval,
request HR post a position announcement on the OLLU website for three working days.
HR will make available all applications that are received in response to the emerging
April 20, 2011
requirement posting to the respective department(s). Processing will follow steps 5 and
6 above.
April 20, 2011
CIC Workshop for Department and Division Chairs
Sample Reference Checklist – Our Lady of the Lake University
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS REFERENCE CHECK
Applicant Name
Position Applying For
Date Reference
Contacted
Reference checks must be completed for the selected candidate – whether the selected candidate is an internal OLLU
employee applicant or an external applicant. The following information must be obtained from at least two
individuals for whom the applicant worked, at OLLU or other organizations, over the past five years; one must be a
current supervisor. Use additional paper as necessary. THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED TO
ADACEMIC AFFAIRS PRIOR TO AN EMPLOYMENT OFFER BEING MADE.
Organization Name
Name of Person Contacted
Title of Person Contacted
Before contacting the reference, complete the blanks below concerning position title and employment dates (#2)
“(Applicant name) has applied for the position of (position title) at Our Lady of the Lake University and has listed you as a
reference.”
1.
What is/was your working relationship to (applicant name)?
2.
(Applicant name) states that (s)he worked as (position title)
organization from (start date)
to (end date)
How long?
with your
Is this correct?
3.
Can you describe what were the major responsibilities
of the candidate?
4.
Are you aware of any other positions the applicant held while employed with (org name)? If yes, ask for position titles,
responsibilities and dates.
5.
What are the strengths of (applicant name)?
6.
In what areas does (applicant name) need additional development?
7.
Did (applicant name) ever receive a poor performance evaluations while working with you?
If yes: Please explain.
8.
If not currently working for this supervisor, ask: Why is (s)he no longer working for you?
If applicant "resigned" this position, why?
9.
Do you believe this person would be successful in this position?
10. If you had a vacancy in your institution, would you rehire (applicant name)?
11.
Why?
If no: Why not?
Is there anyone else I should talk to regarding this candidate?
12. How would you describe his/her attitude at work?
13. Is there anything we have not asked you about (applicant name) that you believe we should be aware of?
“Thank you for your time.”
Printed Name of Person Calling Reference
Signature of Person Calling Reference
CIC 2012 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Sample Hiring Letter
Our Lady of the Lake University
Dear Colleague:
We are most happy that you have agreed to join the strong teaching faculty at Our Lady
of the Lake University. It is our belief that adjunct faculty make a significant contribution to our
students’ learning by offering a strong commitment to classroom and frequently by providing a
“practice” context to the classroom.
As part of initiating your contract, several items must be provided to the University prior
to the first day of class. Please note, without each of these things being available, you cannot
begin your teaching assignment. The items required are as follows:
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Transcripts for all degrees awarded or in process. These must be official
transcripts. Transcripts marked “issued to the student” are not considered
“official” transcripts. Transcripts must be mailed directly to the Vice President of
Academic Affairs Office from the issuing college/university.
An academic application – this can be downloaded from the HR website. Please
see that it is signed and forward to the Dean’s Office.
I-9 – this must be completed in person with the dean’s office staff.
A signed drug-free schools document (attached). Please provide the signed copy
to the dean’s office.
A signed sexual harassment document (attached). Please provide the signed copy
to the dean’s office.
A completed W-4 (attached). Please provide to the dean’s office.
A completed direct deposit form (attached). Please provide to the dean’s office.
Once all of these items are in the possession of the appropriate office, a contract will be
issued. Please be aware that transcripts often take time to process so they should be requested by
your alma maters as soon as you have accepted the position.
If you have questions about any of these documents, please contact the administrative
person in the dean’s office (see below). Thank you for your willingness to serve the university.
We know you will make a substantial contribution to our students.
College of Arts and Sciences: Suzanne Flores 434-6711 Ext. 2599 or
slflores1@ollusa.edu
School of Professional Studies: Tania Martinez 434-6711 Ext. 4115 or
tmartinez@ollusa.edu
School of Business and Leadership: Elissa McClain 434-6711Ext. 2578 or
emmcclain@ollusa.edu
CIC 2012 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Sample Course Syllabus Template
GUIDELINES FOR DOING A BASIC COURSE OUTLINE
Please note that items that follow in the guidelines that are typed in bold must be placed in your
course outline in the order that they appear in this handout.
Optional: you may use a maximum of two inches of space at the top of the page for OLLU logo or
other graphic image.
Discipline Designation, Course Number, Section Number
Name of Course
Term and Year
COURSE OUTLINE
Professor/Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Telephone:
Email:
Class Times:
Classroom:
BULLETIN DESCRIPTION
Mandatory: You must enter the course description exactly as it is listed in the undergraduate or
graduate catalogue.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Optional: You may provide in your own words an overview of your course.
STUDENT ACADEMIC OUTCOMES
Mandatory: You must use the department approved list of outcomes that state what students who
successfully and satisfactorily complete courses should know or be able to do. These outcomes are
available from the department chair and may only be changed with approval of the chair and all fulltime faculty in the department.
MEANS OF ASSESSMENT
The above course outcomes will be assessed through:
Assessment Activity
Outcome to Be Assessed
Percentage and/or Points
of Final Grade
Mandatory: You must list the assessment activities (e.g., exams, tests, quizzes, papers, or projects)
that you will use, relate them, by number, to the specific academic outcomes that you have listed
above, and indicate their percentage and/or point values. You must also provide a descriptive
narrative statement that explains each of the assessment activities that you will require students to
complete.
GRADING SCALE
Mandatory: You must specify the grading scale that you will use. You are encouraged to use the
following grading scale: A = 100 - 90, B = 89 - 80, C = 79 - 70, D = 69 - 60, F = 59 or below. If you
use an alternative grading scale, you must clearly specify that scale. Please also note that for
undergraduate classes you must state the minimum percentage and/or points that students must
earn to pass a course that is offered pass/fail.
Note: All undergraduate faculty are required to submit mid-term grades in all courses.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Mandatory: You must state your attendance policy and how violations of it will affect the grades of
students.
Mandatory in undergraduate syllabi:
Attendance by Athletes:
Athletes may not miss a class for practice in any sport. Doing so would count as an unexcused
absence. Missing class for a scheduled game or match, including travel to and from the
games/matches, is an excused absence. However, it is understood athletes are responsible for all
work covered in any classes for which they are absent (to include lecture notes, readings and any
additional information distributed in class).
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Mandatory: You must include the following statement in regard to American with Disabilities Act.
Students who have qualified disabilities covered through the Americans with Disabilities Act
and who desire special assistance should contact OLLU Disability Coordinator for
assistance. While the coordinator will contact the professor/instructor concerning requests
for assistance, the professor/instructor would appreciate if you would notify him/her that you
have made a request for assistance so that your needs may be accommodated at the earliest
possible time.
STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM
Mandatory: You must include the following statement in regard to academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, will not be tolerated. Students are
responsible for knowing what constitutes these offenses and must not engage in them in
their work. Any student caught committing such offenses will at the professor’s discretion be
referred to the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs for disposition. Penalties for
such activities may include a reduction of grade for the assignment and course and
suspension or expulsion from the University. For further information concerning this policy,
see the University’s Student Handbook. This policy will be strictly enforced.
OTHER COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION
Optional: You may provide information to students on matters such as expectations concerning class
participation, retention of exams and papers, and, if you use it, information on WebCT.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
Optional: You may furnish a brief statement about what you will expect from the students and what
they may expect of you in terms of matters such as promptness, preparedness, openness to new
ideas, and turning off cell phones and pagers.
READING AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Mandatory: You must list all required and recommended readings and other instructional material
that will be used in the course.
COURSE CALENDAR
Mandatory: You must detail your schedule noting reading and other assignments and assessment
activities. You must make certain that the assignments and assessment activities reflect the
academic outcomes that you have specified for your course. You must list the date and time of your
final exam as it appears in the university course schedule for the term in which you are teaching.
Date
Topic
Assignment
CIC 2012 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Buena Vista University Adjunct Faculty Conference Information
General site (will be updated for fall 2012 in due course):
http://www.bvu.edu/bv/adjunct-conference/index.dot
Each fall, Buena Vista University hosts an adjunct faculty development conference on its home campus
in Storm Lake, Iowa. This is a highly successful event that supports new and ongoing adjunct faculty
members, primarily but not solely in BVU’s Graduate & Professional Studies programs, which are
delivered at 15 sites around Iowa and online. Attendance tends to be around 100-150 adjunct faculty,
and the program is supported by GPS staff as well as full-time faculty, staff, and administration on the
home campus.
For your information, here is the program from the fall of 2011.
Fall 2011 Adjunct Faculty Conference
October 29th, 2011
Agenda
Time
Event
Location
8-8:45 AM
Breakfast Buffet
Dows Conference Center
8:45-9 AM
Announcements
Dows Conference Center
9-10 AM
Breakout Session 1
Forum Rooms 1-4
Notes
See the tracks below
10:15 AM-11:15 AM
Breakout Session 2
Forum Rooms 1-4
See the tracks below
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
Breakout Session 3
Forum Rooms 1-4
See the tracks below
12:30-1:15 PM
Lunch
Dows Conference Center
1:30-2:30 PM
Breakout Session 4
Forum Rooms 1-4
See the tracks below
2:30-3:15 PM
Faculty Lounge
Centennial Room
Stay for the raffle! Exchange ideas with
your new colleagues over
refreshments or pack some snack to
go if you need to get on the road.
Register at http://bvutltc.wildapricot.org/afc. Please register for only one event during each breakout session (seats are
limited).
Breakout Sessions
Education Track
Forum 1
Resources Track
Forum 2
Session 1: 9-10
AM
LiveText
ePortfolio
Roberta Hersom,
Elizabeth Erickson,
Angela Hunter
Session 2:
10:15-11:15 AM
LiveText
ePortfolio
Roberta Hersom,
Elizabeth Erickson,
Angela Hunter
Current State of
Teacher
Education
Stan Bochtler, Julie
Finnern
Technology Tools
for Educators
Karen Appleton, Jill
Sundblad, Barb
Kruthoff
Session 3:
11:30 AM-12:30
PM
Session 4: 1:302:30 PM
Teaching Track
Forum 3
Technology
Track
Forum 4
Faculty
Resources
Kayleen Grage
Universal Design
Donna Musel
Instant ANGEL
Chris Anderson
Digging Deeper
in Databases
Jackie AlSaffar
Hybrid and
Online Best
Practices
Jay Benedict
Faculty
Resources
Kayleen Grage
Help Struggling
Student Writers
James McFadden
Easily
Incorporate
Media Into Your
Courses
Kayleen Grage
Using Polling in
the Classroom
Dr. Tim Ehler & Jay
Benedict
Digging Deeper
in Databases
Jackie AlSaffar
Google Docs:
Increasing
Student
Engagement and
Collaboration
Julie Finnern &
Kayleen Grage
Elluminate: Your
Virtual Presence
in the Classroom
Jay Benedict
Breakout Sessions Descriptions
Session 1
1. LiveText ePortfolio – Roberta Hersom, Elizabeth Erickson, Angela Hunter
ePortfolios are the evidence collections and resumes of the 21st century. This session will explore
the different purposes of ePortfolios, how to go about organizing an ePortfolio, what kinds of
artifacts to collect for an ePortfolio and how to create an ePortfolio using LiveText. If you have a
laptop, please bring it so you can follow along or start to create your own portfolio during this
session. If not, there will still be plenty of ways to benefit from the session.
2. Faculty Resources – Kayleen Grage, Academic Technology Project Coordinator
This session will provide you with a list and brief overview of tools and resources available to BVU
faculty. You will be provided with information on BVU departmental tools (e.g., Faculty Access
System for the Registrar's office, ROLES for Human Resources, Films on Demand from the Library)
as well as technological resources you can use (e.g., email, ANGEL Learning Management System,
Turnitin, Atomic Learning, and many other software tools).
3. Universal Design – Donna Musel, Director of the Center for Academic Excellence
This session will provide a brief overview of universal design in higher education followed by an
interactive discussion as we share ideas that will make an impact for all learners. We will touch on
some accessibility issues and how they intertwine with universal design.
4. Instant ANGEL – Chris Anderson, Sr. Instructional Designer
ANGEL is our Learning Management System, which you and your students can use. This session will
give you an overview of the interface, a demonstration of the basic functionality, and hands-on
practice making your course web-supplemented. Special attention will be paid to adding content,
using the discussion forums, and managing the gradebook. Other topics will be covered as time
allows.
Session 2
1. LiveText ePortfolio – Roberta Hersom, Elizabeth Erickson, Mike Schmitz, Tony
Haning, Angela Hunter
ePortfolios are the evidence collections and resumes of the 21st century. This session will explore
the different purposes of ePortfolios, how to go about organizing an ePortfolio, what kinds of
artifacts to collect for an ePortfolio and how to create an ePortfolio using LiveText. If you have a
laptop, please bring it so you can follow along or start to create your own portfolio during this
session. If not, there will still be plenty of ways to benefit from the session.
2. Digging Deeper in Databases – Jackie AlSaffar, Reference Librarian
Database searching is a staple for researchers. Yet many of us are not comfortable in today’s eresearch environment. This practical session will consider the unique features and functionality of
several prominent databases, including the EBSCO Ebooks collection, EBSCOHost’s journal
databases, and the Films on Demand Streaming Video Collection. Mystified and seasoned users alike
will come away with tips and techniques for more effective searching.
3. Hybrid and Online Best Practices – Jay Benedict, Manager of the Teaching and
Learning with Technology Center
When you think of hybrid and online courses, what comes to mind? Please join us for a conversation
about some best practices for creating and facilitating a hybrid/online course. We will discuss
everything from creating materials/content items to facilitating discussions. Come with ideas and
questions.
4. Easily Incorporate Media Into Your Courses – Kayleen Grage, Academic Technology
Project Coordinator
I will provide tips and strategies to easily incorporate a variety of multimedia into your courses.
We'll briefly show you a variety of tools (e.g., video using your built-in webcam, Video Dashboard,
Films on Demand) and distribution methods (e.g., ANGEL, YouTube, and eventually iTunes U).
Session 3
1. Current State of Teacher Education – Stan Bochtler, Julie Finnern
The news is full of headlines related to teacher preparation and licensure. This session will share
current ideas and actions both by state-level political leaders and the Teacher Preparation
Institutions in Iowa. We will have time for discussion. Then we will focus closer to home and take a
look at the BVU proposal for our revised Elementary Education Program.
2. Faculty Resources – Kayleen Grage, Academic Technology Project Coordinator
This session will provide you with a list and brief overview of tools and resources available to BVU
faculty. You will be provided with information on BVU departmental tools (e.g., Faculty Access
System for the Registrar's office, ROLES for Human Resources, Films on Demand from the Library)
as well as technological resources you can use (e.g., email, ANGEL Learning Management System,
Turnitin, Atomic Learning, and many other software tools).
3. According to the Research, How Can College Professors Help Struggling Student
Writers? – Dr. James McFadden, associate professor of English composition
According to the College Board's National Commission on Writing (2004), "more than 90% of midcareer professionals recently cited the need to write effectively as a skill of great importance in their
day-to-day work." While acknowledging that writing is essential for success in college and beyond,
the College Board also reported that more than half of the students entering college have "serious
writing problems." According to the commission and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (2003), "college students can write, but cannot produce writing at high levels of skill,
maturity, and sophistication." So how can college professors help their struggling student writers?
This presentation will tie current research in the teaching of writing to suggestions for beneficial
classroom practice.
4. Using Polling in the Classroom – Dr. Tim Ehler, Assoc. Prof. of Chemistry, and Jay
Benedict, Manager of the Teaching and Learning with Technology Center
Turn your regular PowerPoint presentations into interactive presentations and engage your students!
TurningPoint can be used to poll and/or quiz your students during your presentation providing both
the instructor and student with immediate feedback in the classroom to help with identifying
concepts that need further study. Make use of either a web-based or an iPad app response system.
Session 4
1. Technology Tools for Educators – Karen Appleton, Jill Sundblad, Barb Kruthoff
There are unlimited electronic tools available for educators. This session will provide you with
information about a variety of tools for a variety of purposes. In addition, we will guide you in
setting up a Symbaloo account that can be used as a visual book marking tool and once you have
that you will have access to all of the tools we highlight during the session.
2. Digging Deeper in Databases – Jackie AlSaffar, Reference Librarian
Database searching is a staple for researchers. Yet many of us are not comfortable in today’s e-
research environment. This practical session will consider the unique features and functionality of
several prominent databases, including the EBSCO Ebooks collection, EBSCOHost’s journal
databases, and the Films on Demand Streaming Video Collection. Mystified and seasoned users alike
will come away with tips and techniques for more effective searching.
3. Google Docs: Increasing Student Engagement and Collaboration – Julie Finnern,
Assistant Professor of Education, and Kayleen Grage, Academic Technology Project
Coordinator
With Google Docs you can easily create and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys,
and drawings that are then accessible from any Internet connection. It makes collaboration with
other people super easy. You can even use the built-in chat to communicate with other people
working online at the same time. Changes are automatically saved and backed up so you can keep
track of who made changes and when. This tool is useful for involving all of your students during
class and for tasks outside of class, too. You'll also end up using it for your own work. Did we
mention it's really easy to use?!
4. Elluminate: Your Virtual Presence in the Classroom – Jay Benedict, Manager of the
Teaching and Learning with Technology Center
This session will cover the basics of using Elluminate, our web-based classroom conferencing tool as
a method to remotely deliver instruction to any number of students and locations within GPS.
Elluminate is an electronic resource that will allows individuals to connect online through the use of a
communication tools, such as live chat, file/desktop/application sharing, voice chat, and video chat.
We will cover basic functionality as well as best practices associated with web-based, synchronous
communication.
CIC 2012 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs
Hiring and Supporting Adjunct Faculty Members
Replacing the Long-term Adjunct
Classes are to begin on August 20th. On August 1st, you discover that the long-time adjunct (10
years) in your department has been diagnosed with a serious illness and cannot teach for you this
fall. You are now faced with hiring a new person. You contact HR and discover that you are
responsible for developing the position description, establishing the required credentials and
experience and identifying where to advertise. The long-term adjunct was extremely
knowledgeable about the curriculum and was able to “fill in” for any number of undergraduate
courses in your department. However, she possessed significant expertise in a particular area of
your discipline and was able to teach advanced courses which are very popular and usually have
high enrollments requiring multiple sections of the course. Given your need to fill this important
position quickly, discuss your responses as chair to following questions:
1.
What are the critical elements in writing a position description for this opening?
2.
Should you only consider the Fall term needs at this late date? Why or why not?
3. Given the short turnaround time, what specific expertise and skills do you need to
consider to build a strong pool of candidates? What are the key credentials for the
position as you narrow the applicant pool at this late date?
Preparing Adjuncts for Evaluation
As the new chair of the Foreign Languages Division at Assessment College, you have just received a
memo from the Dean for Faculty Development reminding all chairs of the institution’s requirements for
the evaluation of adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty are required to provide chairs with student evaluations
for each course taught and the chair may attach commentary to these evaluations before passing them on
to the Dean’s office. At the end of each academic year, all chairs are required to write a brief annual
evaluation of each of the adjuncts in their area. The course evaluations and the reviews by chairs are
important in decisions about hiring that person as an adjunct subsequently.
While these administrative requirements are in place, you realize that there is no campus-wide effort to
inform adjuncts of the evaluation process, the criteria by which they will be reviewed, or to provide them
with formative feedback based on the review. This is in contrast to the large amount of attention
Assessment College pays to those same points with tenure-track faculty. Because you have a number of
adjuncts as teachers for the introductory sections of foreign languages, you would like to address these
issues in your division.
1. Is there a value in bringing adjuncts together to discuss the evaluation process? If so, when
would you schedule such a gathering?
2. How might adjuncts be appraised of the importance of the course syllabus, providing adequate
office hours, and college policies regarding grading and exams?
3. In addition to student evaluations, what other mechanisms might you use to gather information
for the annual review?
4. How can the reviews involve formative feedback so that adjuncts can improve their performance
over time?
5. Since some adjuncts will be requesting letters of recommendation from you for fulltime positions
in the future, can your reviews be helpful in providing the information you will need for that task
as well?
Bringing Adjuncts into the Community
The Music Department is one of the few departments on campus that has a large number of adjunct
faculty members. There are ten tenured or tenure track faculty in the department and twenty-five
adjuncts. The adjunct faculty members contribute significantly to the offerings for students in the
department, especially in terms of providing opportunities for performance and applied music study.
Although relatively few students major in music, one third of the total student population on campus is
involved in music lessons or ensembles. So the large group of adjuncts in music is important to the
department and the larger campus, offering courses or additional sections not possible for regular faculty
to cover in guitar, trumpet, piano, saxophone, brass, clarinet, and voice, for example.
Although the department has traditionally employed many adjuncts, some returning year after year, there
has never been any formal attempt to introduce the adjuncts to the department or to provide an orientation
for them. The new chair of the department, Dr. Singha Song, is determined to remedy what she sees as a
deficit in the department culture.
1. Other members of the department do not see this as a priority. Since one of Dr. Song’s goals is to
introduce the adjuncts to the other members of the department and to help the adjuncts become a
part of the department community, how does she persuade her colleagues that their participation
is important?
2. Another issue is that long-term adjuncts who have been teaching at the college for years may not
see an orientation having value for them. In what ways can they be encouraged to participate?
3. What aspects of the mission and culture of the department and the college are of greatest value to
include in an orientation for adjuncts? What aspects of teaching and working with students
should be incorporated into the session?
4. How might an orientation be best structured to achieve a positive end result?
5. What resources might Dr. Song request from the administration to facilitate the orientation?
Faculty Professional Development for Adjuncts
A potential donor who serves as an adjunct faculty member in your division approaches you,
offering to make a sizable gift to create a professional development program for your
institution’s adjunct faculty if you can create a convincing plan within the financial parameters of
the gift that will enhance teaching, learning, and collegial opportunities for your adjunct cadre.
You refer his inquiry to the dean of the college, who in turn works with the vice president for
advancement to gather all of the division chairs, along with the dean of the college, to develop
the proposal.
Your campus is primarily residential and relies mainly on full-time faculty in all its programs.
However, over the academic year, you employ perhaps 30 adjunct faculty members, most of
whom teach no more than 2 courses per year. Approximately half of them are regular adjuncts
who return to teach year after year; some of them are employed because of their special
expertise, and some of them support additional sections of general education courses according
to enrollment and need. Your small-town location makes it difficult to find qualified adjunct
faculty, accounting for the fact that many of your adjuncts return annually to teach for you.
The proposed gift will provide you with an annual budget of about $5,000. The potential donor,
a local professional as well as an adjunct faculty member for your division, needs to be
convinced that the full-time faculty will take seriously the contribution of adjunct faculty, and
that his gift will be employed productively to support their work. The dean has asked the chairs
to work together and develop a plan.
How would you proceed to develop this plan?
1. How will you and your chair colleagues set out to convince the full-time faculty that this
professional development program for adjuncts offers a win-win situation? How do you get
full-time faculty members to buy in to this program?
2. What specific goals do you seek to accomplish through this development plan?
3. How will the full-time faculty be involved in developing the program?
4. Who will administer this program once it is functioning? Will the Faculty Development
committee be involved?
5. What is the role of the senior academic administration in developing and administering this
program?
The Adjunct Faculty Member Who Wants to Contribute
An adjunct faculty member has taught for your program for several years. Her teaching
evaluations are excellent and her professional credentials and accomplishments are probably at
least equal to those of the tenured faculty in the program. She is very well connected in her
discipline, and can readily bring distinguished experts to the institution for workshops and other
enrichment activities. In addition to teaching one or two courses each year, she also provides
crucial support services on a contract basis for your institution (e.g., lab coordinator, gallery
director, outdoor recreation program, etc.) that had, prior to her hiring, been performed as
overloads by program faculty. The area she supports has been conspicuously stronger since she
arrived because she has been able to devote considerable time to it and because she has used her
extensive array of contacts to enrich the program.
She meets with you to complain that program faculty members have been treating her in an
uncollegial or even abusive way. She asserts that they have excluded her from important
conversations and decisions concerning the area she is responsible for supporting. She has not
been able to plan effectively in this area due to lack of information and collaboration from the
tenured faculty. They have failed to respond to her request for office space, even though there is
an acceptable office empty in the program building that is currently being used for personal
storage by one of the tenured faculty members. She suggests that she believes the tenured
faculty members are threatened by her and are uninterested in new ideas to improve their
program. She describes conduct that, if even partly true, shows a deeply disturbing pattern of
behavior that suggests fundamental problems with their program.
Still, while you find many of her concerns plausible, the tenured faculty members in the program
have been reliable and collegial for years. They appear to be effective in the classroom, and
have caused you few or no problems in your role as division chair. They are alumni of your
institution, and have connections to highly influential and lovingly remembered emeriti faculty.
Further complicating matters, the adjunct faculty member in question is the spouse of a powerful
senior administrator on campus.
How do you proceed to address the matters raised by the adjunct faculty member’s meeting with
you?
a. How do you identify the core issues in this apparent conflict?
b. How much weight do you give to the relative institutional status of the parties?
c. How do you deal with the “powerful senior administrator” spouse?
d. How do you address the serious issues with the program that this incident has apparently
brought to light, independent of the immediate conflict?
The Adjunct Faculty Member Who is Failing “Good” Students
Your chemistry department has hired a new adjunct faculty member, Professor Element to pick
up some of their chemistry overload courses. They were fortunate to find him since chemistry is
a notoriously difficult discipline to staff with adjuncts given your location in a small town.
However, it is a critical position to fill since enrollment in the sciences has exploded over the
past few years, and the full-time faculty members need support. Since it is Element’s first
semester to teach, the department has decided to place him in a general chemistry course,
moving a full-time faculty member out of the course a few weeks before the semester begins and
switching her to an upper-division course. While Element has very little teaching experience
(spending most of his career before his retirement conducting chemical research in an industrial
setting), the chemistry faculty have had him observe their classes and have mentored him as he
constructed his syllabus and planned out his semester. They believe that he could be a long-term
solution to their difficulties in staffing all of their lectures and labs, so they have invested in him
with their own time and energy.
Some four weeks into the adjunct’s first semester, the director of the honors program (a tenured
faculty member in the English department) calls you and says that she has heard very disturbing
reports from the first-semester honors students with whom she is working about the new adjunct
teaching chemistry. These honors students are very articulate about their desire to attend
medical school after they graduate, and her concerns are two-fold: 1) they are receiving grades
that might jeopardize their admission into medical school, and 2) they are not learning the
foundational skills and knowledge in chemistry which will allow them to be successful in upperdivision chemistry courses. The director of the honors program is particularly upset that you did
not notify her about the new adjunct faculty member teaching this course in time for her to
change her honors students’ schedules so that they could be placed into a full-time faculty
member’s section of general chemistry.
You contact your colleagues in the chemistry department with these concerns, and they admit
that, while Element is “green,” he is also fair, thorough, and focusing on the content and skills
necessary for this course. They also admit that he is not extraordinarily entertaining, but that his
grasp of basic chemistry is very sound. They have sat in on his class and reviewed his grades.
Everything seems in order. They even agree to meet with the honors students in the class, and
they do so before the week is out to hear the student’s concerns.
You assume that everything is resolved until mid-term grades are posted. That morning, you see
an e-mail in your in-box from the director of the honors program with the subject line:
“Everything is still as bad in general chemistry for the honors students!!!!!!!!!!!” Just above it is
an e-mail from a full-time faculty member in chemistry with the subject line reading:
“Everything seems resolved in general chemistry.”
What do you do next in addressing this issue?
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What are the various problems that have arisen in this situation?
How do you address the concerns of the director of the honors program?
How do you support the chemistry faculty who have confirmed that this adjunct is
meeting their department’s needs?
How do you work with students who, by all accounts, are good students that feel as if
their first semester at college has put their long-term goals in jeopardy through no fault of
their own?
Is it possible to avoid this problem in the future?
The Adjunct Who Really Wants to Connect
At your annual start of the semester department meeting, you review your most recent National
Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) scores with your colleagues, both full-time and adjunct.
You note that, surprisingly, this year the NSSE benchmark for faculty/student interaction at your
institution has dropped below the comparative mean. This is disappointing since your institution
prides itself on treating students as individuals and having ample opportunities for faculty and
students to bond together. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be much interest by the
department faculty in discussing strategies for improvements in this area. They assume that it is
the faculty in professional studies who have driven this benchmark score down, and therefore,
your department does not need to do anything differently. Fortunately, a young, handsome,
charming adjunct faculty member in your department who has been teaching for several
semesters, Mr. Savvy remarks out loud that he believes the department can do better. He has
been an early pioneer of e-textbooks and lecture capture, and students love how they are able
interact with him through these two tools in ways that improves their retention of the material
covered in class and deepens their learning of the skills and knowledge that the professor is
trying to teach. His remarks are a passionate reminder about “meeting students where they are”
and “taking them to places that they haven’t imagined” in their scholarly and disciplinary
journey. In fact, he notes that this semester he is attempting to more fully utilize electronic
resources to connect in ways that matter with his students. Facultyseem uninterested, but you
see a champion in the making for this initiative.
About two weeks into the semester, you get a LinkedIn request to join Savvy’s faculty circle of
contacts. You get a reminder to accept two days later and two days after that. Your University
Relations office calls you and asks if you’ve seen the YouTube videos that he has posted. You
have not, but you follow the link they provide to review them. It is—in your opinion—a silly
video about a concept being covered in class. It seems relatively harmless, but you wonder why
he would undermine his authority by acting silly in that way. At a department meeting some half
way through the semester, you overhear some department faculty members joking about the
adjunct’s Twitter feed: “Oh look, he’s standing up. Oh look, he’s walking to the kitchen. Oh
look, he’s making a sandwich.” They roll their eyes in disdain. However, students also come to
your office who are taking the adjunct faculty member’s course, and they tell you that he has
recommended they share with you his efforts to improve faculty/student interaction. They
cannot quit bragging on how much they enjoy everything he is doing.
A few days later, a parent calls—a little embarrassed—to say that she thinks it is strange that the
Prof. Savvy is facebooking her daughter in the middle of the night. The mother notes that there
was nothing particularly inappropriate about what they were saying to each other, but the
conversation apparently had nothing to do with class either. You ask Savvy to come to see you,
and he remains as passionate as ever. His position is that he is operating under a different
paradigm than faculty have traditionally operated under. The old industrial logic of clearly
separating work from leisure and public from private does not work given the logic of the new
post-industrial world where none of these separations and delineations remain. You are not
exactly sure what he means, but you are impressed by his enthusiasm and his unwillingness to
abandon the approach.
Towards the middle of the semester, a student comes to see you and says that she feels
uncomfortable because Prof. Savvy keeps trying to add her as a friend on Facebook, and he has
requested that all students follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his YouTube account. She
does not want to do that, and she does not think it should be an expectation for the course since
most of what he talks about in these environments has nothing to do with the course. She says
she feels very uncomfortable from the constant pressure to open up to him in this way and she
would like you to do something about it. At almost the same time, the dean of the school sends
you an e-mail thanking you for encouraging Savvy to improve faculty/student interactions. The
dean has had a conversation with a group of Savvy’s students, and they are thrilled with the new
ways in which he is using technology.
How would you proceed?
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What advice would you give to the student?
What do you need to tell the adjunct faculty member?
Do you need to develop a policy for the department about interacting with students?
How do you respond to the dean?