Office of the Provost
Faculty Handbook
June 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or used without the written
permission of Northcentral University.
(For navigation tips, click on the "Welcome" link in the navigation panel to the left)
Table of Contents
Office of the Provost ...................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Faculty Handbook .......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Welcome to the Northcentral University Faculty Handbook: ...................................................................... 7
Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9
1.1 About This Handbook.......................................................................................................................... 9
1.2 Terms Used in this Handbook ............................................................................................................. 9
Section 2: About Northcentral University ................................................................................................... 11
2.1 History of Northcentral University .................................................................................................... 11
2.2 University Philosophy ....................................................................................................................... 11
2.3 Mission, Vision, and Values............................................................................................................... 11
A. Mission ................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.4 Goals and Strategies ......................................................................................................................... 14
2.5 Accreditation:.................................................................................................................................... 15
2.6 Structure of Northcentral University ................................................................................................ 16
2.6.1 The School of Business and Technology Management (SBTM) ..................................................... 17
2.6.2 The School of Education (SOE) ....................................................................................................... 17
2.6.3 The School of Marriage and Family Sciences (SMFS)..................................................................... 18
For additional information about these programs, please see the course catalog. For information
about the accreditation of SMFS programs, please see section 2.5 of this handbook. ......................... 18
2.6.4 The School of Psychology (SOP) ..................................................................................................... 18
For additional information about these programs, or for information regarding the mission, vision,
and goals of the SOP, please see the course catalog. ............................................................................. 18
2.6.5 The Graduate School ...................................................................................................................... 18
2.7 Northcentral Faculty ......................................................................................................................... 20
2.7.1 Overview and Definition of our Faculty ......................................................................................... 20
2.7.2 Essential Characteristics of Faculty at Northcentral University ..................................................... 21
2.8 Northcentral Students ...................................................................................................................... 21
2.8.1 The Student Experience at Northcentral University ...................................................................... 22
2.9 Northcentral’s Virtual Campus.......................................................................................................... 23
2.10 Academic Freedom at Northcentral University .............................................................................. 23
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities ............................................................................................. 25
ii
Table of Contents
3.1 Work Schedules and Essential Duties ............................................................................................... 25
3.1.1 Core Faculty ................................................................................................................................... 25
3.1.2 Adjunct Faculty .............................................................................................................................. 26
3.1.3 Dissertation Committee and Chair Limits and Adjustments for Adjunct Faculty .......................... 28
3.2 Faculty/Student Contact ................................................................................................................... 28
3.2.1 Faculty Response to Student Messages ......................................................................................... 28
3.3 Electronic Communications .............................................................................................................. 28
3.4 Course Syllabi .................................................................................................................................... 29
3.5 Faculty Contribution of Supplementary Materials in Courses .......................................................... 29
3.6 Course Start Dates ............................................................................................................................ 30
3.7 Requesting a Free Desk Copy of a Textbook ..................................................................................... 31
3.8 Sending a Welcome Letter ................................................................................................................ 31
3.8 Sending a Welcome Letter ................................................................................................................ 31
3.9 Communication with Students ......................................................................................................... 31
Required Synchronous Contact........................................................................................................... 31
Required Available Hours and Accessibility ........................................................................................ 32
Required Response Time to Student Questions ................................................................................. 32
Additional Student Communication Guidelines.................................................................................. 32
3.10 Assignment Submission and Return ............................................................................................... 32
3.10.1 Assignment Cover Sheets............................................................................................................. 33
3.10.2 Assignment Response Time ......................................................................................................... 33
3.11 Bulk Loading Policy.......................................................................................................................... 33
3.12 Grading Late Work .......................................................................................................................... 34
3.13 Assignment Resubmission Policy .................................................................................................... 34
3.14 Academic Integrity and the Use of Turnitin .................................................................................... 35
3.14.1 Interpreting the Turnitin Report .................................................................................................. 35
3.14.2 Explaining the Turnitin Report to Students ................................................................................. 36
3.15 Student Attendance and Course Participation ............................................................................... 36
3.16 Grading Guidelines .......................................................................................................................... 37
3.16.1 Course Grade Submission Guidelines .......................................................................................... 40
3.16.2 Incomplete Grade Guideline ........................................................................................................ 40
3.17 Grade Appeals ................................................................................................................................. 41
iii
Faculty Handbook
Procedure................................................................................................................................................ 41
3.18 Submitting a Grade Change ............................................................................................................ 41
3.19 Student Re-Assigned to a Different Instructor Mid-Course ............................................................ 42
3.20 Additional Academic Policies and Procedures ................................................................................ 42
Section 4: Faculty Non-Teaching Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................... 43
4.1 Faculty Scholarship and Service ........................................................................................................ 43
4.2 Faculty Role in University and School Governance........................................................................... 43
4.2.1 Academic Affairs Committee ......................................................................................................... 43
4.2.2 School and University Councils (Adjunct Faculty) .......................................................................... 44
4.2.3 Institutional Review Board (IRB) .................................................................................................... 46
4.2.4 Strategic Planning .......................................................................................................................... 46
4.2.5 Initiating New and Revised Policy/Procedures .............................................................................. 46
4.2.6 Additional Faculty Roles in Governance ........................................................................................ 46
4.3 Faculty Role in Assessment ............................................................................................................... 47
4.3.1 Taskstream ..................................................................................................................................... 47
4.4 Faculty Role in Curriculum Development ......................................................................................... 47
4.5 Faculty Role in Academic Program Review ....................................................................................... 49
4.6 Additional Faculty Contributions ...................................................................................................... 50
Participation in Webinars ....................................................................................................................... 50
Writing Articles for Excellent News ........................................................................................................ 50
Section 5 – Faculty Development ............................................................................................................... 51
5.1 Training ............................................................................................................................................. 51
Graduate School Faculty Training ........................................................................................................... 52
5.2 Coaching............................................................................................................................................ 52
5.3 External Professional Development.................................................................................................. 52
School of Business and Technology Management (SBTM) Requirements ............................................. 53
School of Education (SOE) Requirements ............................................................................................... 54
School of Marriage and Family Sciences (SMFS) Requirements ............................................................. 54
School of Psychology (SOP) Requirements ............................................................................................. 55
Graduate School Requirements .............................................................................................................. 56
5.4 The Annual Review Process .............................................................................................................. 56
Adjunct Faculty in SBTM, SOE, SMFS, SOP .............................................................................................. 57
iv
Table of Contents
5.5 Faculty Research Support ................................................................................................................. 57
Academic Honoraria ............................................................................................................................... 57
Section 6: Faculty Employment .................................................................................................................. 59
6.1 Selection and Hiring .......................................................................................................................... 59
6.1.1 Responsibilities and Required Approvals ....................................................................................... 59
6.1.2 Qualifications to Teach Undergraduate and Graduate Courses .................................................... 60
6.1.3 Qualifications to Serve on Dissertation Committees ..................................................................... 60
6.2 Onboarding, and the Role of the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) ............................................. 60
Faculty Hired to Teach in SBTM, SOE, SMFS, or SOP .............................................................................. 60
Faculty Hired to Teach in the Graduate School ...................................................................................... 61
6.3 Updating Personal Data and Documentation ................................................................................... 62
6.4 Workload for Faculty......................................................................................................................... 62
6.5 Faculty Compensation....................................................................................................................... 62
Core Faculty ............................................................................................................................................ 62
Adjunct Faculty ....................................................................................................................................... 62
Section 7: Academic Organization .............................................................................................................. 63
7.1 Administrative Structure ................................................................................................................... 63
7.1.1 Board of Trustees ........................................................................................................................... 63
7.1.2 Executive Leadership Team (ELT)................................................................................................... 63
7.1.3 Senior Leadership Team (SLT) ........................................................................................................ 63
7.1.4 Academic Leadership Team (ALT) .................................................................................................. 64
7.1.5 Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) ............................................................................................... 64
7.2 School and University Faculty Councils............................................................................................. 64
7.3 Student Advisory Boards (SABs)........................................................................................................ 65
7.4 Program Advisory Committees (PACs) .............................................................................................. 65
Section 8: Faculty and Student Services and Support ................................................................................ 67
8.1 Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) .................................................................................................. 67
8.2 Technical Support ............................................................................................................................. 67
8.3 Taskstream Support .......................................................................................................................... 67
8.4 Northcentral University Library ........................................................................................................ 68
General Services Provided by the Northcentral University Library ........................................................ 68
8.5 Northcentral University Academic Success Center........................................................................... 69
v
Faculty Handbook
ASC Goals ................................................................................................................................................ 69
8.6 Smarthinking ..................................................................................................................................... 69
8.7 Dissertation Center ........................................................................................................................... 70
8.8 Academic Advising ............................................................................................................................ 70
8.9 Financial Aid ...................................................................................................................................... 70
8.10 Office of Disability Services ............................................................................................................. 70
Contact Information.................................................................................................................................... 72
Contact Information................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
vi
Welcome to the Northcentral University Faculty Handbook:
•
•
•
•
•
•
You may use this online Help System to locate information and print individual manual
sections.
To navigate using the sidebar to the left:
• Click one of the 9 main divisions or an Appendix to see general topics in that
portion of the manual.
•
Click a general topic to see a complete listing of individual sections on that topic.
•
Click a section title to display the policy.
You may also use the Search function to locate the topic you are looking for.
If you wish to print the entire Guide, click on "Print Version of Faculty Handbook".
To return to the Faculty portal Home Page, click on "Back to Faculty Home Page".
Direct any questions about the Guide to the Center for Faculty Excellence.
7
Congratulations on your distinguished status as a member of the faculty team at Northcentral
University! You are part of a most exciting and innovative educational enterprise.
Whether you are non-salaried faculty, or salaried teaching faculty you are making a vital
contribution to the lives of our students. Our students depend on the quality of your work in
assisting them to achieve their career goals, the attainment of their degree or certificate, and the
accomplishment of their educational aspirations.
Northcentral University is a very gratifying place to teach, not least because of the distinctive
one-on-one teaching system that we offer our students in an environment that is fully accredited
and 100% online.
It is also exciting to be a part of a learning community that is growing, expanding not only its
enrollments at graduate and undergraduate levels, but also developing new programs, new
specializations, and new visions of ways in which we can serve our students.
This new edition of the Faculty Handbook should serve as your comprehensive guide to
Northcentral University’s policies and practices. I personally wish you every success as part of
the Northcentral University team. If there is any way that my Office or that of the Deans can be
of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Dr. Scott W.M. Burrus, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
8
Section 1: Introduction
1.1 About This Handbook
The Northcentral University Faculty Handbook is located in the University Documents page in
Virtual Campus and Compass. This handbook provides a comprehensive guide to teaching and
working at Northcentral University, placing Northcentral’s commitment to student learning and
success at the heart of all that faculty, and indeed all team members and leaders, do.
While the Northcentral University Faculty Handbook is not a contract that guarantees future
employment, it is designed to offer quick access to policies and information so that faculty
members can understand the terms and conditions of their employment at Northcentral and
provide high-quality learning experiences for their students. The official policies and procedures
of the University contained in the Northcentral Policy and Procedures Manual govern the topics
addressed.
As the University evaluates its policies and procedures and grows and develops new resources,
updates will be made to this handbook. Please note that it is not possible for this handbook to
explain every organizational policy, rule, practice, procedure, and benefit and how each applies
to individual faculty members. Faculty members should consult the handbook to gain general
knowledge prior to contacting a dean, associate dean, or human resource representative.
Northcentral University reserves the right to review, revise, delete, and interpret the policies and
procedures set forth in this handbook, and to update them as appropriate to comply with its
legal and regulatory obligations. Federal, state, or local laws prevail in the event of a conflict
with the content of this guide. Faculty should also refer to the Northcentral University Team
Member Handbook, which contains additional information about employment at Northcentral. It
can be found in University Documents.
Faculty members are responsible for knowing, understanding, and complying with these
policies, practices, and procedures. Faculty may propose changes and additions to this
handbook through their representative on the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC). The Board of
Trustees will approve any substantive policy or governance changes to this handbook.
1.2 Terms Used in this Handbook
•
NCU or Northcentral – Northcentral University
•
President or CEO – Northcentral University’s President/Chief Executive Officer
•
Provost or CAO – Northcentral University’s Provost/Chief Academic Officer
•
Dean, Assistant Dean, Director, Associate Director, and Program Director – persons in a
position of supervising the faculty
9
Faculty Handbook
•
•
CFE – the Center for Faculty Excellence
•
HR – Department of Human Resources and its representatives
•
IT – Department of Information Technology and its representatives
•
ID – Department of Instructional Design and its representatives
•
OA – Office of Assessment
•
Taskstream – the data management system used by Northcentral University (e.g.,
assessment, faculty data, etc.)
•
Compass – a learning management system in which some Northcentral University
courses are taught
•
University Documents – a repository for important documents (including the Faculty
Handbook) that can be accessed through Compass or the Virtual Campus
•
Virtual Campus – MyNCU.edu - NCU utilizes its own proprietary Learning Management
System (LMS) to provide an enriched online experience for NCU students. This LMS is
tailored to NCU’s unique one-to-one teaching model and graduate program focus. In
addition to delivering easier access to student information, including students’ University
profiles and financial information, MyNCU also serves as a communications hub, with
internal discussion boards, student email accounts and faculty directory.
•
Courseroom - All academic exchanges take place within the NCU Courseroom. It
contains course syllabi, assignments, faculty information and the course gradebook. In
addition, the new and improved Courseroom includes added content delivery features,
such as video chats, live lecture capabilities, quizzes, surveys, and embedded video.
•
The Commons - This private academic network provides students and faculty the
opportunity to build and participate in online communities. Within The Commons, users
can share information through live “Facebook-like” activity streams, and curate their
academic identity and connections – while keeping these activities separate from their
personal social networks.
Northcentral University consists of five Schools:
o SBTM - School of Business and Technology Management
o SOE - School of Education
o SMFS - School of Marriage and Family Sciences
o SOP - School of Psychology
o
10
GS - The Graduate School
Section 2: About Northcentral University
2.1 History of Northcentral University
Northcentral University was established in 1996 in Prescott, Arizona, and moved to Prescott
Valley, Arizona in 2007. The University established the Scottsdale Academic and
Administrative Center in 2012.
Northcentral University is a thriving and vibrant community with almost 1,000 faculty and team
members, 9,600 students and 5,000 alumni. We take pride in the fact that as of November
2013, 79% of our 2011 graduating student cohort graduated on time; the unemployment rate of
our alumni, as measured in the 2013 Annual Alumni Survey, was just 2.9%; and of the 22,700+
student courses that were completed (May 1, 2013 to October 31, 3013), post course survey
respondents rated instructors, course materials, and academic advising an overall average
score of 3.6 (on a 4-point scale).
2.2 University Philosophy
Northcentral University believes that higher education is of fundamental importance to a free
society and to the continued development of democratic values, individual liberty, and an
appreciation for cultural diversity in society.
The University endeavors to expose students to these global purposes through its learning
processes. For education to succeed there must be an ongoing partnership among students
and educators, with the needs of the global community in mind.
A student-centered approach to its operations is utilized where individuals and individual needs
are valued.
2.3 Mission, Vision, and Values
A. Mission
Northcentral University educates professionals throughout the world and provides an accessible
opportunity to earn a U.S. regionally accredited degree. Northcentral teaches students one-toone with highly credentialed faculty via advanced delivery modalities. Northcentral University is
committed to helping students achieve academically and become valuable contributors to their
communities and within their professions.
Mission Permeates Academic Programs and Curriculum
11
Faculty Handbook
Our Mission of educating professionals throughout the world is expressed in the design of our
academic programs and curriculum. The following program goals, taken from our bachelor’s,
master’s, and doctoral programs, and found in our Catalog, demonstrate Mission alignment in
our academic programs:
Bachelor’s Programs
•
Prepare students to act ethically while promoting fairness, candor and
respect for diversity throughout the global community (BBA)
•
Accurately integrate multiple perspectives related to diversity (BEd)
•
Promote the values of ethical action, use of empirical evidence in making
decisions, tolerance of ambiguity, recognition and respect for diversity,
and understanding of the role of psychology in fostering positive social,
civic and global outcomes (BAPsy)
Master’s Programs
•
Prepare students to recognize the ethical roles of business within a global
society (MBA)
•
Accurately integrate multiple perspectives related to diversity (MEd)
•
Train students to understand and apply ethical principles in research,
integrate academic integrity into a personal code of honor, employ a
tolerance of ambiguity, analyze and critique psychological explanations of
behavior with respect for diversity, and create a personal plan for
engagement with contemporary civic, social, and global issues (MA PSY)
•
Provide students with knowledge of family systems oriented models of
therapy so that they can apply family systems oriented clinical skills
within the AAMFT Code of Ethics across a variety of contexts and
within diverse client populations. (MA MFT)
Doctoral Programs
12
•
Prepare students to complete a significant and substantial research
dissertation that contributes solutions to issues, problems, and challenges
using increasingly complex and innovative practices within the global
society (DBA and PhD Business and Technology Management)
•
Enhance students' communication skills and competencies (oral, written,
computer literacy, interpersonal) to support their professional practice and
development within a global environment (EdD and PhD Education)
Section 2: About Northcentral University
•
Train students to implement ethical principles in research, integrate
academic integrity into a personal code of honor, formulate and evaluate
research and programs that reflect understanding and respect for
diversity, and develop a personal plan for engagement with contemporary
civic, social, and global issues as related to the field of psychology in
general and to the student's specialization (PhD PSY)
•
Students will learn how to interact professionally with diverse populations
in academic, clinical, supervision and research settings. They will
demonstrate an advanced knowledge of and application of clinical skills in
systemic therapy and supervision, and also knowledge of and skill in
conducting research within the field of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Students will demonstrate professional expertise in an area of
specialization related to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (PhD
MFT).
B. Vision
Northcentral University is a premier online graduate university and a global leader in providing
unprecedented access to U.S. regionally accredited higher education.
As Will Durant wrote, paraphrasing Aristotle, “Excellence is not an act, but a habit.” To become
a great University, we must each commit to excellence in everything we do. That includes
consciously making a habit of the behaviors that form our core values by innovating solutions
that improve the quality of our educational programs and student services; valuing the diversity
of thought and actions of fellow team members; committing to ensuring that all Northcentral
students receive a rich, engaging, professionally-relevant, and academically-rigorous education;
and holding each other accountable for the quality of our work and efforts.
C. Values: I.D.E.A.s Founded on Integrity
All members of our community are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards of
professional and academic conduct and the rules and regulations of U.S. higher education:
•
Innovation: We envision new and innovative education delivery systems,
and support proven concepts of teaching and learning. We encourage our
community to seek solutions to educational challenges that will improve
the quality of our programs and services.
•
Diversity: We value diversity of thought and action as a strength that
allows our community to transcend organizational and geographical
boundaries. We expect members of our community to treat people with
respect and dignity.
•
Excellence: Our community is committed to excellence in academics and
service. We value leadership and strive for continuous improvement in
everything we do. We define and measure outcomes and take action to
13
Faculty Handbook
ensure that our community’s passion for excellence is never
compromised.
•
Accountability: We are deeply committed to holding each member of the
University responsible for scholarly and professional work. We expect
financial responsibility in the actions of our students and University team.
Northcentral University is committed to accomplishing our mission on a global scale with a
proven teaching model enabled by technology, while keeping meaningful learning outcomes for
each student at the center of our institutional focus. Key to accomplishing our mission and
realizing our vision is a strategy that is aligned with the allocation of resources, school missions,
expected program learning outcomes, and the daily activities of our team members. To that end,
we regularly communicate with students, faculty, and team members to actively engage them in
discourse around our Mission, Vision, Values, Goals, and Strategies. Equally important, we
have processes in place to assess the effectiveness of our teaching and our success in meeting
the expectations of our constituents.
2.4 Goals and Strategies
Underscoring faculty, academic and service excellence is our 100% commitment to
assessment; measuring and improving everything we do. Assessment is critical to every aspect
of the University, and each of us must do her part to uphold this standard by paying close
attention to quality, student success, growth, and community:
A. Quality:
Continuously elevate our academic quality and outcomes:
•
•
•
Continuously measure and improve outcomes of our programs
Ensure accountability for results
Earn new and maintain current accreditations
B. Student Success:
Achieve the highest standard of student success through our values:
•
•
•
Continuously improve our students' experiences
Provide unprecedented access via advanced delivery modalities
Teach students one-to-one with highly credentialed faculty who are
accountable for quality student interaction and outcomes
C. Growth:
Achieve efficient growth by meeting demand from professionals throughout the world who will
benefit from a Northcentral University degree:
14
Section 2: About Northcentral University
•
•
•
•
•
Build our brand
Develop quality academic programs with high demand and strong
outcomes
Establish new market channels and build existing market channels
Build a scalable technology platforms
Achieve industry leading financial performance
D. Community:
Build and maintain excellent relationships with our students, team members, partners,
governance bodies, and other stakeholders:
•
•
•
•
Build and maintain a highly engaged University team that is passionate
about its mission
Cultivate excellent relationships with students
Meet and exceed partners’ and stakeholders’ expectations
Continuously improve reputation with all constituencies
2.5 Accreditation:
Accreditation is a process of institutional peer review performed by objective, not-for-profit
external agencies. These agencies evaluate colleges, universities, and educational programs
for continuous quality. In other words, accreditation is a higher education seal of approval for
schools, employers, and most importantly, students.
Students who earn a degree at a regionally accredited institution can be confident that the
quality of education, and commitment of an institution to maintain and improve quality, meets
the standards of the accrediting body.
Northcentral University’s Accrediting Agencies
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Northcentral University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500,
Chicago, IL 60604, 1.800.621.7440, www.ncahlc.org. Northcentral University became fully
accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and
Schools in 2003 and has been continuously accredited since then.
The HLC oversees the accreditation of Northcentral University and other degree-granting
traditional and online distance learning colleges and universities in its region. The HLC's
mission is to serve "the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning"
through its core values: quality, integrity, innovation, diversity, inclusiveness, service,
collaboration and learning. HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and
the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
15
Faculty Handbook
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Northcentral University’s business programs in the School of Business and Technology
Management are accredited by ACBSP, 11520 W. 119th St., Overland Park, KS 66213, (913)
339-9356. As a leading accreditation association for business education, ACBSP "develops,
promotes, and recognizes best practices that contribute to continuous improvement of business
education." The Association emphasizes the importance of "learning how to learn," by balancing
teaching and research activities to enhance the quality of classroom instruction and contribute
to student learning.
Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) is
the accrediting body for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Northcentral University’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program is accredited
by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria,
Virginia 22314, Tel. No. (703) 838-9808. For more information on COAMFTE accreditation,
visit their website.
Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC)
Northcentral University’s Master of Education Program, which is designed to prepare
professional educators to become effective leaders, reflective practitioners and successful
communicators within the diverse field of education, centering on improving teaching, learning,
research and leadership contributions throughout PK-12 Education, is accredited by the
Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC)
This accreditation certifies that NCU’s Master of Education program has provided evidence that
the program adheres to TEAC’s quality principles.
2.6 Structure of Northcentral University
Northcentral University is comprised of five schools:
1. The School of Business and Technology Management (SBTM)
2. The School of Education (SOE)
3. The School of Marriage and Family Sciences (SMFS)
4. The School of Psychology (SOP)
5. The Graduate School (GS)
16
Section 2: About Northcentral University
Students are enrolled in a degree program in one of the first four schools. Students pursuing a
doctorate degree do their dissertation work in the Graduate School and earn their degree from
the School in which they are enrolled.
2.6.1 The School of Business and Technology Management (SBTM)
Northcentral’s School of Business and Technology Management offers programs that are
designed to help students enhance leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, analytic and
communication skills, while developing specialized knowledge in business, homeland security,
emergency management, criminal justice, computer science, marketing, and other areas.
Students are challenged in new ways as they work towards becoming experts in their field.
The SBTM offers the following programs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration
Doctor of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
Post-Master's Certificate Programs
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs
For additional information about these programs, or for information regarding the mission,
vision, pillars, and objectives of the SBTM, please see the course catalog. For information about
the accreditation of SBTM programs, please see section 2.5 of this handbook.
2.6.2 The School of Education (SOE)
The abilities to apply new knowledge, meet performance expectations and successfully manage
others, whether inside or outside a classroom, are among the demands placed on today’s
educators and administrators. Northcentral University’s School of Education is committed to
preparing students to become valuable contributors to their communities and within their
professions throughout all levels of human development and education.
The SOE offers the following programs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Doctor of Philosophy in Education
Doctor of Education
Education Specialist Degree
Master of Education
Bachelor of Education
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs
Post-Master's Certificate Programs
17
Faculty Handbook
For additional information about these programs, or for information regarding the mission,
vision, and goals of the SOE, please see the course catalog. For information about the
accreditation of SOE programs, please see section 2.5 of this handbook.
2.6.3 The School of Marriage and Family Sciences (SMFS)
Northcentral University offers the world’s first distance-based COAMFTE accredited Master’s
degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT).
Northcentral’s Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs emphasize a systems theory
orientation to treat individuals, couples, families and groups that struggle with mental and
emotional disorders, as well as a wide range of behavioral and relationship problems. Students
in the Master’s degree program complete a 52-week practicum and internship sequence that
includes direct client contact and supervision in their local area. Students in the doctoral
program complete both a 12-week practicum course and a 9-month full-time doctoral internship.
The SMFS offers the following programs:
•
•
•
•
Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs
Post-Master's Certificate Programs
For additional information about these programs, please see the course catalog. For
information about the accreditation of SMFS programs, please see section 2.5 of this
handbook.
2.6.4 The School of Psychology (SOP)
Northcentral University delivers educational opportunities that help students acquire the
knowledge, skills, practical application, and values integral to this field. The SOP offers the
following programs:
•
•
•
•
•
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Master of Arts in Psychology
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs
Post-Master's Certificate Programs
For additional information about these programs, or for information regarding the
mission, vision, and goals of the SOP, please see the course catalog.
2.6.5 The Graduate School
18
Section 2: About Northcentral University
For most doctoral students at Northcentral, a major change occurs once they have taken and
passed their Doctoral Comprehensive Examination. At that point, they enter doctoral candidacy
at the Graduate School. This is a welcome change for many students who are eager to begin
their journey into academic research; however, it also marks the beginning of the most
challenging stage of the doctoral process.
The Graduate School helps guide doctoral candidates by providing the necessary research
support they need to successfully complete their dissertation and fulfill their doctoral aspirations.
Once students complete their comprehensive exams, they are paired with a chair from the
Graduate School and a committee member who is a subject matter expert in the student’s
chosen topic. Dissertation Chairs are research experts dedicated to helping students become
independent scholars. Doctoral candidates work intensely with their Dissertation Chair as they
complete milestones (Concept Paper, Dissertation Proposal, Institutional Review Board
Application and Dissertation Manuscript) during the dissertation courses.
About the Graduate School
The Team:
The Graduate School team includes the Dean, Assistant Deans, Directors of Research
Curriculum and Practice, Director of Dissertation Management, Academic Reviewers, Graduate
School Dissertation Chairs, and administrative team members.
Dissertation Chairs are faculty who have demonstrated expertise in research and scholarly
writing skills and guiding the doctoral candidates through the dissertation
process.
Responsibilities:
The primary responsibilities of The Graduate School are:
•
Conducting the official academic reviews of the dissertation milestone documents
and providing methodology, design, and analytics guidance to students and
faculty
•
Developing research curriculum, providing delivery oversight, and developing
related training
•
Teaching core research courses
•
Providing oversight of the dissertation management process, including chair and
committee assignments, and quality assurance
•
Providing operational oversight of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)—the
committee that has been formally designated to review, approve, and monitor
19
Faculty Handbook
biomedical and behavioral research involving humans with the aim to protect the
rights and welfare of the research subjects
Services:
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, The Graduate School also maintains the
Dissertation Center, a repository for research and statistics information, statistics tutorials,
dissertation guidebooks and templates for applied and research degrees, and a variety of
scholarly sources related to dissertation quality and student development.
2.7 Northcentral Faculty
Student learning is the heart of Northcentral’s mission: Northcentral commits to helping students
achieve academically and become valuable contributors to their communities and within their
professions. Our faculty help to uphold this mission by teaching one-to-one, faculty-to-student.
This is Northcentral’s approach to transforming students into professionals and scholars who
possess the skills, knowledge, and dispositions identified in their Program Learning Outcomes.
This transformation helps students to graduate, and, as the Northcentral mission states,
“become valuable contributors to their communities and within their professions.”
Northcentral offers a teaching opportunity in which our faculty can share their passion for and
knowledge in their areas of expertise, get to know their students as individuals, and be able to
provide individualized teaching that aims to transform students’ skills, knowledge, and attitudes.
Northcentral faculty come from all corners of academia and professional practice, and are
united by a sincere passion for student success and lifelong learning. Approximately 97% of our
faculty reside is the U.S. The remaining 3% represent more than 15 different countries
throughout the world. Although they teach, practice, and conduct research from locations
around the world, Northcentral University’s faculty members collectively sit at NCU’s intellectual
core. Faculty members are united in their commitment to their students and to Northcentral’s
mission of helping students achieve academically and become valuable contributors to their
communities and within their professions.
Northcentral believes in the value of excellence, and when it comes to our faculty, this means
hiring faculty who have completed their doctorate and have the professional experience of
applying what they have learned to their careers. We are proud to have such accomplished
academic minds as part of our community.
2.7.1 Overview and Definition of our Faculty
Northcentral University faculty are defined in two categories:
Core Faculty – are exempt-salaried faculty members with a full-time appointment. Full-time
faculty are considered Core faculty. Core faculty are primarily responsible for teaching courses
and serving as dissertation chairs. In addition, they are also assigned other academic
20
Section 2: About Northcentral University
responsibilities including curriculum development, assessment of student work, participation in
shared governance and institutional service. On occasion, some Core faculty are provided parttime appointments based on institutional needs.
Adjunct Faculty – part-time faculty members who are paid on a task-based model. Tasks may
include teaching courses or chairing dissertations. Other tasks may include serving as Subject
Matter Experts (SME), developing curricula, developing and implementing assessment
protocols, participating in University and School committees and directing academic projects.
2.7.2 Essential Characteristics of Faculty at Northcentral University
All Northcentral faculty are expected to have and demonstrate the following characteristics:
1. Solid current discipline knowledge (e.g., in social psychology) and
expertise in one or more content areas (e.g., identity formation)
2. Excellent communication skills: ability to write and speak clearly and
concisely, to listen accurately and verify understandings, and to read
closely and follow scholarly arguments
3. Values online learning: Believes in Northcentral’s approach to online
instruction
4. The ability to engage students (wherever they are) in the learning journey
5. The ability to provide effective feedback that results in program learning
outcome mastery and socialization into values and beliefs of a profession
6. Respect for others, flexibility, affability, passion for teaching, enthusiasm,
approachability, and responsiveness
7. Commitment to continuous improvement in curricular, instructional, and
professional development, and to the development of Northcentral’s
learning community
2.8 Northcentral Students
Our students are a diverse group. The following demographic data is current as of January
2014.
Typically, our students are mid-career professionals. Their average age is 43. Approximately
58% identify as female and 36% identify as male (6% undisclosed). Approximately 97% of our
students reside in the U.S. The remaining 3% represent more than 55 different countries
throughout the world.
21
Faculty Handbook
Race/ethnicity as identified by our students is: 37% White, 24% Black or African American, 4%
Hispanic/Latino, 3% Multiracial, 2% Asian, .7% American Indian or Alaska Native, and .5%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (29% undisclosed).
Approximately 2% of our students are pursuing a Bachelor’s degree, 27%, a Master’s degree,
70.5%, a Doctoral degree, and .5%, a certificate. Approximately 41% are completing their
program in the SBTM, 39.5% in the SOE, 7.5% in the SMFS, and 12% in the SOP.
2.8.1 The Student Experience at Northcentral University
•
Student Success Tour
When students enroll at Northcentral, one of the first things they do is take the
Student Success Tour, which introduces them to the Virtual Campus, their support
team, and other elements of life as a Northcentral student.
•
Foundations Courses
In order to help Masters and Doctoral students make a successful transition into
their program of study, their first course is a Foundations course that introduces
them to online learning at Northcentral and the essential skills needed to complete
their program successfully, including time management, academic integrity, using
the Northcentral Library, understanding research articles, and professional
communication skills.
The student experience in the Foundations courses includes phone calls with
faculty, skills assessment, goal writing, and an introduction to the various resources
that students will use throughout their programs. Following Foundations courses,
graduate students continue in their course work according to the curriculum of their
programs.
•
Working with the Graduate School
Once doctoral students complete their comprehensive exams in their School
(SBTM, SOE, SMFS, or SOP), they conduct their dissertation work under the
auspices of the Graduate School. Doctoral candidates work intensely with their
dissertation Chair as they complete milestone documents (Concept Paper,
Proposal, IRB Application and Dissertation Manuscript). For more information about
the dissertation process, please consult the Doctoral Candidacy Resource Guide,
which can be found in the Dissertation Center.
•
Graduation
Northcentral holds a graduation ceremony every year for graduates, their families
and friends in Phoenix, Arizona. This event is truly the highlight of our year at
22
Section 2: About Northcentral University
Northcentral University, as hundreds of students are honored for their hard-earned
academic achievements.
2.9 Northcentral’s Virtual Campus
Northcentral has two Learning Management Systems (LMS) - Compass and the Virtual
Campus. Compass, our LMS for many years, is scheduled to be phased out in late 2014.
Because Northcentral is in the midst of this transition, some courses and programs are still
being taught in Compass, while others have migrated to the new course room within the Virtual
Campus. The updated LMS, Virtual Campus, includes a redesigned student course room,
provides access to the anticipated Virtual Academic Center (VAC), and will support other
interactive methods and activities to further improve Northcentral’s online learning experience.
Virtual Campus is a personal degree program headquarters that links to the wealth of resources
and support available to students. In Virtual Campus, students may:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Request information
Pay tuition
Access syllabi and learning materials for current courses
Communicate with faculty, Academic Advisors and other University staff
Visit the bookstore and library, and access writing programs
Post completed assignments in online course rooms
View grade postings and faculty reviews of student work
Access academic program updates and support services
For additional information about Virtual Campus, please see the Virtual Campus Faculty User
Guide, which can be found in University Documents.
2.10 Academic Freedom at Northcentral University
Intellectual pluralism and academic freedom are central principles of American higher
education. The Board of Trustees of Northcentral University endorses the concept of
academic freedom contained in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
“1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with 1970 Interpretive
Comments.”
The Board of Trustees of Northcentral University also supports the American Council on
Education’s “Statement on Academic Rights and Responsibilities” which includes the
following over-arching principles:
American higher education is characterized by a great diversity of institutions, each
with its own mission and purpose. This diversity is a central feature and strength of
our colleges and universities and must be valued and protected. The particular
purpose of each school, as defined by the institution itself, should set the tone for the
academic activities undertaken on campus.
23
Faculty Handbook
Colleges and universities should welcome intellectual pluralism and the free exchange
of ideas. This kind of commitment will inevitably encourage debate over complex and
difficult issues about which individuals will disagree. As such, discussions should be
held in an environment characterized by openness, tolerance, and civility.
Academic decisions including grades should be based solely on considerations that
are intellectually relevant to the subject matter under consideration. Neither students
nor faculty should be disadvantaged or evaluated on the basis of political
opinions. Any member of the campus community who believes that she or he has
been treated unfairly on academic matters must have access to a clear institutional
process by which her or his grievance can be addressed.
The validity of academic ideas, theories, arguments and views should be
measured against the intellectual standards of relevant academic and
professional disciplines. Application of these intellectual standards does not mean
that all ideas have equal merit. The responsibility to judge the merits of competing
academic ideas rests with colleges and universities and is determined by
reference to the standards of the academic profession as established by the
community of scholars at each institution.
Government’s recognition and respect for the independence of colleges and
universities is essential for academic and intellectual excellence. Because colleges
and universities have great discretion and autonomy over academic affairs, they
have a particular obligation to ensure that decisions are based on intellectual
standards consistent with the mission of each institution.
The School Deans protect faculty academic freedom by providing:
Flexibility and individual expression in creating and developing course objectives, opportunities
to provide input on curricular improvements and academic services, and input on academic
policies and administration. The Provost monitors all instances of perceived infringements of
academic freedom and takes appropriate action to ensure academic freedom is supported.
Additionally, a grievance policy and processes are articulated in the Northcentral University
Team Handbook within the Open Door Communication Policy.
24
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
3.1 Work Schedules and Essential Duties
3.1.1 Core Faculty
Core faculty have their active student loads set as follows:
Dissertation: 30 – 40
Research: 45 – 55
Foundations: 50 – 60
Active students are students who have started and not yet ended a course.
The essential duties and job responsibilities for Core faculty in the SBTM, SOE, SMFS, and
SOP are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Demonstrate a commitment to Northcentral's Vision, Mission and Values
Teach core courses in the master's and doctoral programs within their schools
Be available to students and assist students to achieve learning outcomes
Successfully complete initial and ongoing faculty development activities
Follow Northcentral’s one-to-one teaching approach
Follow Northcentral policy and procedures
Assess student learning outcomes
Contribute to developing curricula and provide input on improving training, courses, and
processes
Participate in the applicant evaluation processes including interviews
Serve on faculty search committees and evaluate potential faculty candidates
Participate in faculty staff meetings
Maintain professional involvement through state, regional, and national associations.
Assist the School and Northcentral administration with other projects as needed
Work collaboratively with student Academic Advisors to ensure student engagement and
success
Exercise academic freedom in covering course content, in accordance with University
policy and procedures.
Perform all educational services in accordance with Northcentral's policy and
procedures, the Family Education Rights to Privacy Act, Northcentral University's code
of conduct, and all other state and federal laws
25
Faculty Handbook
The essential duties and job responsibilities for Core faculty Dissertation Chairs in the Graduate
School are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communicate frequently and in a timely manner with doctoral candidates
Provide clear guidance to candidates to support doctoral program progress and
successful completion
Provide critical feedback on dissertation milestone drafts to include topic tenability, and
quality of problem, purpose, questions, methods, design, analytics, interpretation, and
scholarly writing
Assist doctoral candidates in understanding how to modify their dissertation milestone
documents based on formal academic review feedback
Participate in the oral defense of their doctoral candidates
Assist doctoral candidates with navigating the overarching dissertation process
Exercise academic freedom in covering course content, in accordance with University
policy and procedures.
Perform all educational services in accordance with Northcentral's policy and
procedures, the Family Education Rights to Privacy Act, Northcentral University's code
of conduct, and all other state and federal laws
The essential duties and job responsibilities for Research Course Core faculty in the Graduate
School are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teach research design or statistics courses for graduate students
Be available to students and assist students to achieve learning outcomes
Develop and implement educational training materials related to qualitative and/or
quantitative design, statistics, and scientific writing
Integrate new technologies as appropriate into their teaching
Facilitate the development of graduate level research competencies among students
Participate in staff meetings
Perform research related course development and revision
Exercise academic freedom in covering course content, in accordance with University
policy and procedures.
Perform all educational services in accordance with Northcentral policies and
procedures, the Family Education Rights to Privacy Act, Northcentral University's Code
of Conduct and all other state and federal laws
Participate in project and committee work as needed or as assigned by the Dean or
University administrator
3.1.2 Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty members’ student loads depend on their positions and assignments. There is no
lower limit, but adjunct faculty are initially assigned 10 students. The number of students may be
increased to a number agreed upon between the faculty member and the School. Adjunct
faculty may also work as a dissertation committee member (Committee SME) or engage in
26
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
curriculum work (e.g., serving as a Curriculum SME). This is calculated into the Adjunct faculty
member’s total workload.
Adjunct faculty have their maximum student loads set as follows:
Dissertation: 25
Research: 35
Foundations: 40
The essential duties and job responsibilities for Adjunct faculty in the SBTM, SOE, SMFS, or
SOP are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Successfully complete initial and ongoing faculty development activities
Maintain a load of assigned students
Follow Northcentral’s one-to-one teaching approach
Follow Northcentral policy and procedures
Assess student learning outcomes
Be available to students and assist students to achieve learning outcomes
Engage in professional development activities annually, as required by the School (see
section5.3)
Exercise academic freedom in covering course content, in accordance with University
policy and procedures.
Perform all educational services in accordance with Northcentral's policy and
procedures, the Family Education Rights to Privacy Act, Northcentral University's code
of conduct, and all other state and federal laws
The essential duties and job responsibilities for Adjunct Dissertation Chairs in the Graduate
School are as follows
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communicate frequently and in a timely manner with doctoral candidates
Set and manage time-bound goals with doctoral candidates
Provide clear guidance to candidates to support doctoral program progress and
successful completion
Provide critical feedback on dissertation milestone drafts to include topic tenability, and
quality of problem, purpose, questions, methods, design, analytics, interpretation, and
scholarly writing
Assist doctoral candidates in understanding how to modify their dissertation milestone
documents based on formal academic review feedback
Participate in the oral defense of doctoral candidates
Assist doctoral candidates with navigating the overarching dissertation process
Perform all educational services in accordance with Northcentral's policy and
procedures, the Family Education Rights to Privacy Act, Northcentral University's code
of conduct, and all other state and federal laws
The essential duties and job responsibilities for Adjunct faculty serving as a Subject Matter
Expert (Committee SME) in the Graduate School are as follows:
27
Faculty Handbook
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Provide content area expertise on dissertation committees
Provide clear guidance to candidates to support doctoral program progress and
successful completion
Provide critical feedback on dissertation milestone drafts especially concerning topic
tenability, the quality and appropriateness of the literature review, the quality of the
research problem, the (potential) contribution to the scholarly body of knowledge
Assist doctoral candidates in understanding how to modify their dissertation milestone
documents based on formal academic review feedback
Participate in the oral defense of their doctoral candidates
Support the dissertation chair as they assist doctoral candidates with navigating the
overarching dissertation process
Perform all educational services in accordance with Northcentral's policy and
procedures, the Family Education Rights to Privacy Act, Northcentral University's code
of conduct, and all other state and federal laws
3.1.3 Dissertation Committee and Chair Limits and Adjustments for Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty may simultaneously serve as a committee member on no more than 20
dissertation committees. For purposes of determining student load, serving as a committee
member equals .25 student; serving as chair on a dissertation equals one student. School
deans set their limits to the number of committees a faculty member may chair.
3.2 Faculty/Student Contact
Faculty teaching in Compass should use the Compass messaging system when
communicating with students. Faculty teaching in Virtual Campus should use the
“Communication” tab in the course room, which sends a message to the student’s Northcentral
e-mail address from the faculty member’s Northcentral e-mail address through Microsoft
Outlook. When communication occurs outside of the course room (e.g., telephone, Skype, etc.)
faculty may want to send a follow-up message to the student summarizing the communication.
This will help students remember the content of the discussion and will facilitate follow-up
communication, if it is needed.
3.2.1 Faculty Response to Student Messages
Faculty are expected to respond to all student messages within 48 hours. This helps ensure
students stay current in their course work. Faculty are also expected to accommodate students’
reasonable requests for synchronous communication.
3.3 Electronic Communications
Students and faculty must have Internet and email access with the capability to send and
receive attached files.
28
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
Northcentral University diligently attempts to prevent the spread of computer viruses by
employing the latest virus detection software on all University-owned computer systems;
however, the University makes no guarantee related to the unintentional propagation of
computer viruses that may go undetected by its virus detection software.
Northcentral University will not be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special,
consequential or punitive damages of any kind, including but not limited to; loss of data, file
corruption, or hardware failure, resulting from the effect of any malicious code or computer virus
unintentionally transmitted by University staff members, faculty, students or others.
The University strongly urges all faculty to install adequate virus detection software, and to
routinely install the most recent updates to their anti-virus software no less than once each
month.
3.4 Course Syllabi
The course syllabi include the course metadata (course number and title, course learning
outcomes, course concepts, number of weeks, grading format, etc.) as well as the course
resources (required, additional, and supplementary), faculty information, performance
requirements, and calculation of course grade (grading criteria, scale and assignment weights),
course content, assignments, and schedule for course completion. The syllabi include all of the
information of the course and are considered proprietary and are not to be distributed except to
faculty or to students enrolled in the course.
Faculty should understand the course learning outcomes for the course(s) they teach (found in
the syllabus), as well as the program learning outcomes for which their course is embedded
(found in the course catalog). Having an understanding of course and program learning
outcomes will allow faculty to provide more effective feedback and guidance to students.
The School Deans, working with their Curriculum Directors and faculty, are responsible for
developing the course learning outcomes and ensuring that these map to the
specialization/program learning outcomes. In order to maintain the continuity among courses
and to facilitate learning, all faculty are required to follow the syllabus Northcentral University
provides for the course. Northcentral University Course Syllabi provide students with sufficient
information to meet performance expectations. Faculty can emphasize specific course
elements as long as the result meets the stated Learning Outcomes of the course.
For more information on how courses are developed at Northcentral, see the Course
Development Guidelines, which can be found in University Documents.
3.5 Faculty Contribution of Supplementary Materials in Courses
Northcentral recognizes that faculty are experts in their fields and may have ideas about a
subject or know of resources that differ from those included in a course. Northcentral’s policy on
29
Faculty Handbook
supplementary course material is intended to promote academic freedom while maintaining the
integrity and consistency of courses across faculty.
Faculty are free to share any resource (though open access and/or library electronic resources
are strongly preferred) they believe, in their professional judgment, supports learning, expands
knowledge and skills, or socializes students into a profession. Supplementary materials may
include articles, web links, tip sheets, and helpful hints. Faculty may enthusiastically recommend
these materials and reference them in feedback.
•
When supplementary materials are uploaded to the Faculty Resources area, they are
sent via Instructional Design to the Curriculum Director responsible for the course. If the
Curriculum Director agrees that the material is appropriate for the course and not
obviously in violation of copyright, it will be made visible to students. It is the faculty
member’s responsibility to ensure that copyrighted material is protected and
appropriately used under fair use doctrine.
•
For supplementary materials faculty send directly to students, it is faculty’s responsibility
to ensure that copyrighted material is protected and appropriately used under fair use
doctrine.
•
For guidance on fair use, please see the Northcentral Library information on Copyright
and Plagiarism and the Northcentral Catalogue on Fair Use of Copyrighted Material.
Faculty are encouraged to consider sharing acceptable resources with colleagues and school
curriculum directors, so that a wider audience can profit from them.
3.6 Course Start Dates
Northcentral University is categorized as a non-term University. Courses are available to
students to begin on Monday of each week.
Deans approve faculty to teach particular courses soon after hire. CFE then sends faculty the
course syllabi and textbook information. Faculty members are copied when students receive
their Course Registration Information (CRI), and thus know how many students will be
beginning their course in the upcoming weeks. The CRI provides the student the identity of the
faculty member selected for the course, and students may contact their faculty in advance of
the course’s start- date. However, coursework may not be submitted prior to the course’s startdate.
After a school determines the courses faculty are assigned, the Center for Faculty Excellence
(CFE) is notified. CFE then emails faculty the course name, number, textbooks, syllabus, and a
list of publishers, most with links to online desk copy ordering sites. If faculty do not wish to
teach the course, they should respond to the e-mail declining the assignment. If they wish to
accept the assignment, faculty should respond to the email indicating they accept the
assignment.
30
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
3.7 Requesting a Free Desk Copy of a Textbook
If faculty accept a course assignment, they should determine if they already own the book(s)
needed. If faculty do not own the books, they should contact the publisher (using the list
provided by CFE as described in 3.6 above) and order just one desk copy of each book needed.
Faculty can expect delivery of the desk copies within a couple of weeks of approval. Upon
receipt of all books needed, faculty should inform CFE they are ready to start teaching. If a
publisher does not offer desk copies, please contact cfe@ncu.edu for guidance.
3.8 Sending a Welcome Letter
Within 7 calendar days of receiving Course Registration Information (CRI), faculty should send
the following to a student:
•
A message briefly welcoming the student to the course and inviting the student to have a synchronous
conversation (e.g., over phone or Skype) during the first week of the course. The message should
contain the word “welcome” in the subject line and include two attachments:
•
Your Welcome Letter on University letterhead (found under University Documents
in the course room)
•
The document “How To Benefit From Feedback and Critiques of Your Work”
(found under University Documents)
3.8 Sending a Welcome Letter
Within 7 calendar days of receiving Course Registration Information (CRI), faculty should send
the following to a student:
•
A message briefly welcoming the student to the course and inviting the student to
have a synchronous conversation (e.g., over phone or Skype) during the first week
of the course. The message should contain the word “welcome” in the subject line
and include two attachments:
o Your Welcome Letter on University letterhead (found under University Documents in
the course room)
o The document “How To Benefit From Feedback and Critiques of Your Work” (found
under University Documents)
3.9 Communication with Students
Required Synchronous Contact
31
Faculty Handbook
Faculty should attempt to interact synchronously with every new student during the first week of
a course. The purpose of the initial contact is to show a personal interest in the student’s
success and to address key points in the welcome letter.
Faculty may use phone, Skype, chat, or other synchronous means to have a conversation.
Faculty are not reimbursed for the cost of calls. To avoid charges, ask students to initiate the
call or use a free online tool.
Required Available Hours and Accessibility
Faculty are expected to have at least one fixed hour of time in which they are available each
week to talk to students. The time may be during the day, evening, or weekend. The time may
be the same for all courses. Students may schedule appointments at these times or simply
initiate a contact according to instructions given in the welcome letter.
Faculty should accommodate requests for meetings outside of the one fixed available hour.
Faculty should accommodate international students within reason (e.g., by offering to talk at
8pm, but not at 2am). Using You Can Book Me or another free online tool may make
scheduling easier.
Required Response Time to Student Questions
Faculty are expected to respond to messages from students within 48 hours. In most courses
students are submitting work weekly, and a prompt reply to student questions helps students
stay current in their course work.
Additional Student Communication Guidelines
Teaching is a relationship between a teacher and a student. For feedback to be effective, a
student has to read, understand, and care about using it. For a student to want to use
feedback, faculty must create and nurture a relationship with the student. Commitment to
student learning is expressed in the way faculty maintain a relationship with their students, that
is, how they communicate with students. Faculty are encouraged to do the following as a way
to build effective teaching relationships with students:
•
•
•
•
•
Send an email prior to each assignment with general tips or specific guidance on
avoiding problems
Invite and seek out conversations with students
Send emails with thoughts on a student’s work or topic area of dissertation research
Make it easy to schedule appointments
Establish credibility by giving clear, useful, and accurate feedback
3.10 Assignment Submission and Return
32
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
Course work may not be submitted before a course start date. Faculty who receive work before
a course start date should return the work with an explanation of submission policy.
3.10.1 Assignment Cover Sheets
Depending on the course, Assignment Cover Sheets may be required for assignments that
students upload into the assignment area within the files that contain their work. The
Northcentral University Assignment Cover Sheet can be found under University Documents in
the Virtual Campus and Compass.
3.10.2 Assignment Response Time
When a student has submitted work in Compass, faculty receive a message noting that the
student has done so. Faculty teaching in Virtual Campus can view all submitted coursework in
the student listing.
Faculty must provide feedback on student work within four days following the due date of the
assignment. If the assignment is submitted late, the instructor has four days from the date of
submission to provide feedback. Faculty should advise students to start work on the next
assignment before receiving feedback on submitted assignments. When faculty review and
grade student work, they upload the assignment with feedback, and the student receives a
message that reviewed course work has been submitted. The student may then view their
assignment feedback in the course room and can see when the faculty member submits a
grade for a particular assignment.
Faculty have 14 days to grade and provide feedback on Comprehensive Exams submitted by
day 70 of the course.
For faculty response time on milestone documents in the Doctoral sequence (Concept Papers,
Dissertation Proposals, and Dissertation Drafts), please consult the Doctoral Candidacy
Resource Guide, which is located in the Dissertation Center..
3.11 Bulk Loading Policy
In addition to being timely in response to students, it is also faculty’s responsibility to enforce
the policy of not allowing students to submit ensuing or multiple assignments before the current
assignment is returned with feedback (referred to as “bulk submissions” or “bulk loading” at
NCU). When students “bulk load”, they are missing out on the substantial contribution of faculty
to their learning. If a student submits an ensuing assignment prior to the current assignment
being graded, faculty should indicate that the student needs to re-submit the later assignment
after reviewing and considering the feedback provided on the earlier assignment.
Faculty should be flexible and reasonable in accommodating deployed military students. If these
students’ circumstances make it impossible to wait for faculty feedback before moving on to a
next assignment, faculty should take the students’ circumstances into consideration.
33
Faculty Handbook
Please note: Bulk submissions are allowed when faculty are late in grading and returning an
assignment to the student, and a student must bulk load to submit an assignment on time.
3.12 Grading Late Work
Faculty may set their own policy but the following is recommended: A deduction of 10% of the
assignment grade per day late, with an accommodation for advance notification of late
submission. However, assignments submitted 7 or more days beyond the original due date will
not be accepted, by University policy.
3.13 Assignment Resubmission Policy
Faculty have the discretion to allow and request resubmission of any assignment, with these
provisos:
•
Comprehensive Exam courses are excluded;
•
graded assignments with objectively correct answers (e.g., statistics assignments) may
not be resubmitted;
•
the bulk loading policy may not be violated;
•
the policy that assignments may not be submitted after a course end date may not be
violated.
Students may decline to resubmit assignments at their discretion. Faculty cannot request
resubmissions in cases of suspected Academic Integrity violations (AIV). If there is a suspected
AIV see section 3.14).
Rationale for the Resubmission Policy and Guidance in Implementing It:
•
•
This policy gives faculty the freedom to make their own judgments about when to
request or allow a resubmission of an assignment, within the parameters of other
policies and time available to complete a course.
The primary purpose of the Northcentral resubmission policy is to provide students with
additional opportunities for learning and guidance in acquiring the skills and knowledge
needed for successful program completion. The secondary purpose is to give students
an opportunity to improve a grade. In both cases, faculty’s request for a resubmission or
offer to resubmit should be accompanied by the following:
1. Due date for resubmission with a clear statement that the new due date is nonnegotiable.
2. The reason for requesting or offering a resubmission.
3. Clear instructions on how to improve the assignment.
34
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
4. An account of what will occur if the student does not resubmit the assignment by
the resubmission due date. For example: “If you do not resubmit the paper by the
resubmission due date, I will grade and give feedback on your original submission.”
Faculty may, at their discretion, give feedback and grade the original and offer a resubmission
opportunity. In offering an opportunity for resubmission, faculty do not have to grade an original
assignment (but they should be prepared to be asked, “What grade will I get if I don’t
resubmit?”). If faculty do not grade and give feedback on an original assignment when they
request a resubmission and the student does not resubmit, faculty must grade and provide
feedback on the original submission.
3.14 Academic Integrity and the Use of Turnitin
All faculty are expected to know Northcentral’s Academic Integrity Policy. The full policy can be
found in the course catalog, syllabi, and University Documents.
The Northcentral Academic Integrity Policy states that faculty must submit to Turnitin:
•
•
one assignment of their choosing from every course
every comprehensive exam
•
every dissertation proposal and final dissertation
Please note, instructors may use Turnitin (in addition to the required submissions listed above), as they
deem necessary, reserving the right to submit any assignment at any time to the service.
Faculty are required to register with Turnitin.com using the following information to set up their
account:
University Login: 33708
Password: ncufaculty99
For a refresher on using Turnitin, review the presentation “Using Turnitin” found in University
Documents.
3.14.1 Interpreting the Turnitin Report
Turnitin is a tool for identifying plagiarism, not a measure of plagiarism or an authority on
plagiarism. Faculty should not complete an Academic Integrity Violation form solely because a
Turnitin score is high, but when they suspect plagiarism as defined in the Northcentral
University Academic Integrity Policy.
Turnitin automates the process of finding matches between student work and other sources,
but it does not replace faculty’s judgment in determining if a student’s work meets the “Basic
Definition of a Violation” contained in Northcentral’s policy. A high score may not indicate
35
Faculty Handbook
plagiarism, because it may be based on matches with properly cited material and the cover
sheet. On the other hand, a low score may indicate plagiarism. A 1% match on a 60-page
proposal may mean that several sentences or a whole paragraph was taken improperly from a
source. It is imperative that faculty read through and evaluate the report and not rely solely on
the percentage match.
Furthermore, according to Northcentral’s policy, “asserting ideas without acknowledging their
sources” is an academic integrity violation, not only an APA style error. Turnitin does not
typically identify this sort of violation. Faculty’s knowledge of their field and course resources is
essential to identifying failures to properly attribute ideas to sources.
3.14.2 Explaining the Turnitin Report to Students
If, after submitting student work to Turnitin, you find evidence of plagiarism, please send the
Turnitin report, along with a notice of an Academic Integrity Violation, to the student and your
Dean’s office. Please see University Documents for the Academic Integrity Violation Letter. If
there is no evidence of plagiarism, faculty are expected to return the Turnitin report to the
student along with a note explaining the report.
Questions regarding the Academic Integrity Policy and the use of Turnitin should be directed to
the Northcentral Academic Success Center.
3.15 Student Attendance and Course Participation
Northcentral University requires students to be in attendance at least once every 28-calendar
days from the last date of recorded attendance. Attendance is officially recorded each Sunday
at 11:59 P.M. Arizona time. The student is determined to be in attendance if he or she has:
● Participated in an academic-related activity on any day during the current week
(Monday through Sunday).
● Posted an assignment (e.g., paper, project, etc.) in the course room
● Participated in the Discussion Forum section of the online course room (e.g.,
commenting on a discussion question posted by the faculty member, providing
feedback to another student, etc.), provided that the discussion is related to the course
content.
● Initiated contact with the instructor to discuss course content.
All students are required to maintain continuous enrollment, defined as:
● Initial Course Participation: For each course for which a student is registered, the
student must enter the course room and agree, when prompted, to participate in the
course and accept financial responsibility for the course. Failure to agree to the prompt
within the first 7 days will render the course unavailable to the student. The course will
then automatically be dropped, and a “DR” grade will be issued.
36
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
● Program Attendance: To comply with continuous enrollment, students must be officially
recorded in attendance at least once every 28 consecutive calendar days or they may
be dismissed from the University.
Notification by the Academic Advisor does not need to occur for dismissal to take place.
Student Attendance and Responsibility of Faculty
While most NCU courses provide academically related avenues of participation and assignment
submission to capture student attendance, at times, faculty are also responsible for attesting to
student participation. Capturing attendance is a critical process for the University and as such
any attendance entry requires the utmost care and accuracy.
Best Practices for Faculty in Entering Attendance
Faculty should be mindful of which student’s attendance is being posted and review the date
and time of the interaction that supports an attestation for that week’s attendance entry. If
faculty cannot substantiate the interaction date and time, they should not mark “yes” until the
faculty member is certain that participation or academically related activity occurred.
Faculty should keep a record of when and how the student was engaged if the engagement
occurred outside the course room.
Faculty who believe a student has not or is not meeting the attendance requirements should
contact the student’s Academic Advisor.
On occasion, military students may have special circumstances that inhibit their ability to
academically participate on a weekly basis. Such students should contact their instructor to
establish a schedule for submitting their course work. The student should also notify the
Academic Advisor.
3.16 Grading Guidelines
Compass. Faculty teaching in Compass grade according to the Northcentral University Rubric
(see University Documents). Once all courses have moved to the Virtual Campus, the Rubric
will be retired.
Virtual Campus. Faculty teaching in the Virtual Campus grade according to the Grading
Guidelines below. Please see University Documents for a host of materials on the Grading
Guidelines, including training presentations for faculty and students.
37
Faculty Handbook
The Grading Guidelines for Graduate Courses are as follows:
Numerical
Points
Letter
Grade
100-94
A
93-90
A-
89-87
B+
86-83
B
82-80
B-
79-77
C+
76-73
C
72-0
38
F
Descriptor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Explanation
Completes all required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates deep
understanding of materials, uses very clear
and effective expression appropriate to
scholarly writing, and has very few or no
errors in grammar, mechanics, and APA
formatting.
Completes all or most required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates good
understanding of readings, uses mostly
clear and effective expression appropriate to
scholarly writing, and has few errors in
grammar, mechanics, and APA formatting.
Completes most required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates some
understanding of readings, and writing is
somewhat clear, effective, and scholarly,
and has some errors in grammar,
mechanics, and APA formatting.
Completes some required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates some
understanding of readings, and writing is
difficult to understand and unscholarly and
has several errors in grammar, mechanics,
and APA formatting.
Completes few required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates little
understanding of readings, and writing is
Unacceptable
difficult to understand and unscholarly and
has many errors in grammar, mechanics,
and APA formatting.
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
The Grading Guidelines for Undergraduate Courses are as follows:
Numerical Letter
Descriptor
Points Grade
100-94
A
93-90
A-
89-87
B+
86-83
B
Completes all required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates deep
understanding of materials, uses very
Excellent clear and effective expression
appropriate to scholarly writing, and has
very few or no errors in grammar,
mechanics, and APA formatting.
Good
82-80
B-
79-77
C+
76-73
72-70
69-67
66-63
62-0
Explanation
Completes all or most required parts of
the assignment, demonstrates good
understanding of readings, uses mostly
clear and effective expression
appropriate to scholarly writing, and
has few errors in grammar, mechanics,
and APA formatting.
Completes most required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates some
C
understanding of readings, and writing is
Fair
somewhat clear, effective, and scholarly,
Cand has some errors in grammar,
mechanics, and APA formatting.
D+
Completes some required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates some
understanding of readings, and writing is
Poor
D
difficult to understand and unscholarly
and has several errors in grammar,
mechanics, and APA formatting.
Completes few required parts of the
assignment, demonstrates little
understanding of readings, and writing is
F Unacceptable
difficult to understand and unscholarly
and has many errors in grammar,
mechanics, and APA formatting.
39
Faculty Handbook
Students are graded according to their individual performance in the course and not on a curve.
Students are not compared with each other to determine a grade or performance ranking.
For grading guidelines on milestone documents in the Doctoral sequence (Concept Papers,
Dissertation Proposals, and Dissertation Drafts), please consult the Doctoral Candidacy
Resource Guide, which is located in the Dissertation Center.
3.16.1 Course Grade Submission Guidelines
Faculty should submit final grades for all courses, including comprehensive exam courses, only
after the end date of a course (or the end of an approved extension) and within 4 (four) days of
the end of a course (or an approved extension).
If faculty allow a student to submit assignments ahead of due dates and the student completes
the course early, they must wait until the course end date to submit a grade and should remind
the student of continuing attendance requirements.
It is important for consistency and financial aid considerations that students receive grades only
after a course has ended. There are three exceptions:
1. CMP course retake: once the student uploads the exam, the faculty may grade and close the
course early.
2. Accommodation: If Disability Services has approved a course extension and a student
completes the course after the original end date but before the extended end date, faculty
may submit a final grade and close the course before the extended end date.
3. Last Dissertation course: after oral examinations are completed by the student, the faculty
may grade and close the course early.
Please Note: For information about grading system, academic performance grades,
unsatisfactory grades for doctoral students, and administrative course codes, please see the
course catalog.
3.16.2 Incomplete Grade Guideline
Faculty may grant an I (Incomplete) grade and course extension at their discretion if:
•
•
•
40
an unforeseen circumstance threatens a student’s ability to complete a course by the
scheduled course end date (unforeseen circumstances include but are not necessarily
limited to family emergencies, natural disasters, University errors, and health problems;
they do not include poor time management);
at least 75% of the course has been completed at the time of the request;
the student has an average grade of at least 70 in an undergraduate course or 73 in a
graduate course; and
Section 3 – Faculty Teaching Responsibilities
•
the course is not a CMP or DIS course.
The Incomplete grade policy gives faculty full authority to grant course extensions of up to 14
days. Students should not be referred to their Academic Advisors to request an incomplete or
extension. Advisors do not have the authority to extend courses.
Students take the initiative in requesting an “I” grade by completing and submitting to their
instructor an “I” Grade Request form.
•
If faculty approve the request, the form should be completed and sent
to gradechange@ncu.edu, so the Office of the Registrar may enter the “I” grade and
extension. Once the course ends, faculty must complete a grade change form to
change the grade from “I” to the appropriate grade (see section 3.18). Grade change
forms should also be sent to gradechange@ncu.edu.
If an Incomplete grade request is denied, the student should be notified and a copy of
the denied request should be maintained for future reference.
•
3.17 Grade Appeals
A student may appeal a final course grade issued by an instructor. The appeal must be made
through the appeals web form to the faculty from whom the grade was received. Appeals must
be submitted no more than 10 calendar days after the student received notification of the final
course grade. All appeals are reviewed by the applicable School Dean. The appeal decision
made under the authority of the Dean is final.
Procedure
1. The student must contact their Academic Advisor to obtain the web link and instructions
for filing a grade appeal.
2. No more than 10 business days after receiving the final course grade, the student must
complete and submit the online appeal form, including the reason for the appeal and the
remedy or resolution being requested.
3. On receipt of an appeal, the faculty member must review the appeal and respond within
5 business days.
4. On receipt of the faculty member’s response, the Dean (or designee) must review the
appeal and the faculty member’s response and provide their decision within 5 business
days.
3.18 Submitting a Grade Change
Faculty may request a grade change or be asked to complete a grade change:
•
•
If a grade was entered incorrectly
In Compass – if the course has an extension (EXT) or an Incomplete (I) grade
extension. (In Virtual Campus, faculty may enter a final grade even if there is an EXT
or “I” grade previously posted).
41
Faculty Handbook
Faculty have the access to enter the final grade for the student at the end of each course. If an
extension was given prior to the course end date, faculty is then required to submit a grade
change form to the Registrar’s Office. The grade change form supports the change from the
extension grade to the final grade. The Grade Change form is located in University Documents.
Completed forms should be sent to gradechange@ncu.edu for processing. The form must be
sent via the faculty member’s ncu.edu e-mail account.
Upon receipt of the grade change form, the Registrar’s office will review for completeness and
verify the grade against the system. If a discrepancy is found, the Registrar’s office will reach
out to the faculty member to discuss the discrepancy.
3.19 Student Re-Assigned to a Different Instructor Mid-Course
Due to various circumstances, there may be a need to reassign a course to another instructor
mid-course. When this occurs, notification is sent to both faculty members, the student, the
student’s Academic Advisor, and the School’s Assistant Dean. Compensation information is
communicated at the time of the change, in a separate message. Changes are approved by the
Dean’s office. Questions regarding a mid-course change may be sent to cfe@ncu.edu.
3.20 Additional Academic Policies and Procedures
For information on additional academic policies and procedures, such as satisfactory academic
progress (SAP), dropping/repeating courses, withdrawal from the University, academic and
military leaves of absence, students’ rights and grievance process, please see the course
catalog.
42
Section 4: Faculty Non-Teaching Roles and Responsibilities
4.1 Faculty Scholarship and Service
Northcentral recognizes the importance of service and scholarship (both to the institution and
the academic community) as complements to effective teaching and the development of
students as scholar-practitioners. Faculty are expected to participate in service and scholarship
activities that are aligned with the Northcentral mission and demonstrate service to the
institution, profession, or community. These activities are coordinated with their academic
leaders, and specific requirements for each are determined by the School. See section 5.3 for
specific information about professional development requirements.
4.2 Faculty Role in University and School Governance
At Northcentral University, faculty are provided various opportunities to participate in formal
governance of the institution. University governance involves both Core and Adjunct faculty
working collaboratively with administration and engaging meaningfully and substantively in the
life of the University beyond teaching and research. Fulfilling the mission of Northcentral
requires collaboration among the Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. Adequate
opportunities for communication are essential if faculty members are to fulfill their roles in
governance: to oversee the university curriculum (including its outcomes and content), to
approve the academic policies that impact how the curriculum is offered to students, and to help
ensure that students have fulfilled the outcomes of the curriculum. Faculty governance
structures at both the University and School levels help ensure that faculty fulfill their
governance role.
Faculty are involved in University governance by engaging formally and informally with Deans
and administrators on all university matters. Faculty also participate on formal governance
committees such as School Councils, the University Council, the Academic Affairs Committee,
the Institutional Review Board, Program Advisory Committees and strategic planning
committees. Through participation in these governance structures, faculty provide oversight and
leadership in academic matters, including oversight of the curriculum and expectations for
student performance and assessment of student learning. Additionally, faculty have routine
involvement in setting academic requirements, policy.
4.2.1 Academic Affairs Committee
Faculty from each school participate on the Academic Affairs Committee. The purpose of the
Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) is to provide advice, counsel, direction and decisionrecommendations for all academic matters at Northcentral University. All AAC policies are
forwarded to the Senior Leadership Team for final consideration. The Committee is chaired by
the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs or his/her designee and is required to meet at
least six times per year. Minutes of all AAC meetings are maintained by the Office of the
Provost.
43
Faculty Handbook
Membership
Voting Members include the following or their designees:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Two Core faculty from each School. At least one faculty should hold a primarily
teaching assignment. The other faculty member may also be primarily teaching or be
a curriculum or assessment director,
One Adjunct faculty member from each School,
Program Chairs,
Senior Director of Assessment,
Director of Instructional Design,
Director of Library Services,
Registrar,
Vice President of Financial Services,
Senior Director of Student Services,
One Assistant Dean from each School.
The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs votes only in circumstances in which voting on
an issue is tied.
Non-voting Attendees: Other faculty or team members may be invited to participate in
Committee discussions, as needed and appropriate.
4.2.2 School and University Councils (Adjunct Faculty)
The purpose of School and University Councils is to ensure open communication and provide a
channel for input between and among faculty and academic leadership. The SBTM, SOE,
SMFS, and SOP each elect three adjunct faculty members for their School Council. School
Councils work with Deans to provide advisement on academic-related matters and strategic
planning proposals and submit recommendations to Deans for consideration by the Academic
Affairs Committee or other bodies, as appropriate. They also communicate with and solicit input
from fellow faculty members on a regular basis (at least quarterly); attend student advisory or
other school-specific boards; and examine the role of faculty in governance and propose
warranted changes.
School Council members serve for one year and receive an honorarium.
The Graduate School does not have a faculty or school council. In late 2014, the Graduate
School will be creating an advisory council.
Election process, council structure, and responsibilities of councils, Deans, and Provost
There are two levels of faculty council governance: a School Council for each school and a
University Council comprised of the Heads of School Councils.
44
Section 4: Faculty Non-Teaching Roles and Responsibilities
•
•
•
•
Adjunct faculty from the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education,
Marriage and Family Sciences, and Psychology are nominated to serve on their School
Council.
Three of the nominees are elected to serve on the School Council.
After the elections are complete, School Councils select a Council Head to represent
their School on the University Council.
After the University Council is formed, it selects a Chair to represent faculty to the
Provost’s Office.
CFE offers assistance to Councils in technical and other matters.
School council member and head responsibilities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
School Councils work with School Deans to advise on academic-related matters (e.g.,
doctoral standards, curriculum, online platform, and rubrics) and strategic planning
proposals.
School Councils bring proposals to Deans for consideration by the Academic Affairs
Committee or other body, as appropriate.
The five School Council Heads serve on the Academic Affairs Committee.
School Council Heads are responsible for ensuring Councils meet at least quarterly.
School Council Heads are responsible for ensuring that meeting minutes are recorded
and saved in SharePoint.
School Councils communicate with and solicit input from their School Adjuncts on a
regular basis (at least quarterly).
School Council members attend student advisory or other school-specific boards at the
request of the School Dean.
University council member and chair responsibilities
The Heads of the School Councils constitute the University Council, which elects a chair to
represent the faculty to the Provost’s Office, the Academic Affairs Committee and other
University entities.
•
•
•
University Council meets at least quarterly with the Provost.
The University Council Head is responsible for ensuring that all University Council
meeting minutes are recorded and saved in SharePoint.
University Council is specifically charged with formally examining the Faculty/University
Council governance structure.
Deans’ and Provost’s responsibilities in regard to School and University Councils
Schools should be especially attentive to ensuring faculty input in the following areas:
•
•
•
•
•
IRB membership
faculty development
assessment
efforts to improve dissertation quality
strategic planning
45
Faculty Handbook
4.2.3 Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The primary purpose of Northcentral University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to protect
participants from undue risk and ensure the safety, welfare, rights, and dignity of all research
participants. The IRB is responsible for ensuring that all research involving human research
participants follows federal regulations outlined by Title 45, Part 46, Code of Federal
Regulations. Therefore, all research conducted by Northcentral faculty, staff, and students must
be reviewed and approved by Northcentral’s IRB. IRB approval must be obtained before any
data collection commences. For information on the IRB approval process, please consult the
Dissertation Center.
Full IRB Review Committee
•
•
A total of five Northcentral faculty members, one external faculty member, the Dean of
the Graduate School and the Associate Director of the IRB comprise the Full IRB review
committee.
The five Northcentral faculty represent different disciplines and are appointed by the
Chair of the IRB based on their knowledge and experiences with IRB and research. An
external faculty member with experience in federal guidelines is also appointed by the
Chair of the IRB and serves on the committee.
4.2.4 Strategic Planning
At Northcentral University, faculty are provided various opportunities to participate in strategic
planning for the Schools and University as a whole. Strategic planning requires collaboration
among the Board of Directors, administration, faculty and external constituencies – and each
strategic planning effort involves faculty input (individually and collectively) at each stage of the
planning process. Faculty members participate on the strategic planning committees and
participate in quarterly strategic planning updates. Additionally, faculty members engage in
strategic planning as part of their participation in the School Councils and University Council.
4.2.5 Initiating New and Revised Policy/Procedures
Any faculty or team member may propose a new policy or procedure or a change to an existing
policy or procedure. However, all policy proposals must have the approval/sponsorship of a
member of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) or the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), where
the new policy/procedure or change will be introduced. Anyone proposing a new policy should
contact the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs to have a Policy and Procedures Manual
section number assigned.
4.2.6 Additional Faculty Roles in Governance
Faculty also serve on a variety of small and large committees. For example, faculty act as
Virtual Academic Center (VAC) stewards, participate in faculty meetings, and serve on student
advisory boards (see section 7.3). Faculty also play a vital role in the University’s accreditation
46
Section 4: Faculty Non-Teaching Roles and Responsibilities
efforts by participating in HLC self-study teams. Finally, as needs of the University arise, faculty
are involved in governance through service on ad hoc School and University committees.
4.3 Faculty Role in Assessment
While the Office of Assessment (OA), in conjunction with School assessment directors, supports
assessment efforts at Northcentral Univesity, faculty play the lead role in assessment activities.
As explained in section 4.3.1, faculty assess specific learning outcomes with the use of
Taskstream. Faculty who teach Taskstream-designated courses are responsible for conducting
assessments of their students’ work and entering this data into Taskstream for institutional
collection. Additionally, Core faculty serve on the Program Review and Assessment
subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee, which helps to structure and guide the
assessment activities of the University.
4.3.1 Taskstream
Taskstream is a cloud-based (online) assessment management system designed to support the
measurement of student learning. The Curriculum and Assessment Directors and faculty in
each School have identified specific assignments that best demonstrate student performance in
relation to course and program outcomes. Students upload their work on these assignments to
Taskstream. Faculty evaluate student assignments using rubrics to assess the identified
learning outcomes. This allows Schools to determine whether students are achieving the
desired learning outcomes or if adjustments need to be made to the course and/or program.
4.4 Faculty Role in Curriculum Development
Course development occurs through collaboration between Adjunct faculty members who serve
as Curriculum Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) Core faculty members who are responsible for
oversight of curriculum in each degree program, and Instructional Designers. Beyond course
development, adjunct faculty Curriculum SMEs and Core faculty work with Instructional
Designers to keep the courses current through revisions.
The School Deans, faculty and the Curriculum Directors review the status of courses and
program design on an on-going basis.
Northcentral follows an instructional design process for course development. An overview of
this process can be found in our Northcentral University Course Development Guidelines.
The Northcentral University Course Development Guidelines support the development of quality
courses to provide our students with meaningful, applicable learning within their specialization
and the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in their field.
The Office of Academic Affairs maintains the Northcentral Curriculum Development
Guidelines. The Course Development Guidelines is updated at the direction of the Curriculum
Subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee when new guidelines are identified or
47
Faculty Handbook
improvements are uncovered through course evaluations and program reviews. Updates are
made with the participation of all the Schools of Northcentral University.
Course Revisions
Course revisions may occur when any of the following take place:
•
•
•
•
Textbook(s) out of print
Technology change
Issue arises with current course activity design that prevents students from completing
an activity
Course identified and scheduled for full revision
Full course revisions are initiated by Curriculum Directors and occur through collaboration
amongst faculty members who serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Core faculty members,
and the Instructional Designers. Full course revisions adhere to Northcentral Curriculum
Development Guidelines and follow an instructional design process documented in these
guidelines.
If a textbook goes out of print or a minor technology change occurs, the School decides if a
revision only addresses the particular issue or if the course should undergo a full revision.
If the School determines a course or specialization needs to be retired, the school initiates the
process to end date and retire the course(s).
Northcentral University follows an instructional design process for course development. The
following is a high-level overview of the process:
Planning
•
•
Identify and prioritize courses for revisions and new course development.
Assemble a course development team. This team minimally includes a Subject-Matter
Expert, Curriculum Director, and Instructional Designer.
Analysis
•
•
•
•
48
Review feedback and course evaluations from instructors, student post course surveys,
and program reviews.
Analyze current trends and industry changes that might need to be considered in the
design of the course.
Review course metadata and alignment of course to specialization and program
outcomes.
Review course resources.
Section 4: Faculty Non-Teaching Roles and Responsibilities
Design
•
•
•
•
Work collaboratively to design course organization.
Identify courses resources including textbook, additional resources and supplemental
materials, including media where applicable.
Create engaging course content including introductions, lectures, and case studies
where applicable.
Create activities that support and assess learning outcomes.
Build
•
•
•
Develop or acquire materials to support the course.
Build course in our LMS.
Submit course to School Dean for approval to implement.
Implementation
•
•
•
Offer new course for student enrollment.
Teach the courses
Provide students with post-course surveys.
Evaluation
•
•
Review student post-course surveys.
Gather and review faculty feedback.
For additional information about the course development process please see the Course
Development Guidelines, which can be found in University Documents.
4.5 Faculty Role in Academic Program Review
The Academic Program Review is a systematic and structured process in which a School’s
academic programs are evaluated using multiple performance indicators, including:
•
•
•
•
Academic Trajectory Metric Indicators (e.g. graduation rates, retention, persistence, time
to completion, etc.).
Student Academic Performance Indicators (e.g. grades, assignment scores, quizzes,
examinations, etc.).
Indictors of Opinions, Beliefs, and Satisfaction (e.g. Student End-of-Course Survey,
Graduation Satisfaction Survey, Alumni Survey, etc.)
Faculty Credential and Performance Indicators.
The Office of Assessment (OA) collects and analyzes this data every three years for each NCU
academic program. The Academic Program Reviews are then presented to School faculty and
49
Faculty Handbook
administration in order to facilitate an overall assessment of each academic program and to
support any suggested improvements. The Dean of each School, along with its administrators
and faculty, then create action plans in response to each review.
4.6 Additional Faculty Contributions
Participation in Webinars
The CFE holds monthly webinars on important issues related to teaching at Northcentral. Past
webinars have addresses assessment, teaching reading through feedback, teaching writing
through feedback, and working with underprepared students. Faculty are encouraged to not
only attend, but to also participate. Faculty participate during all webinars by contributing to the
discussion and faculty occasionally also present during webinars. Faculty interested in
presenting or providing suggestions for future webinar topics should contact cfe@ncu.edu.
Writing Articles for Excellent News
The CFE publishes a bi-weekly newsletter called Excellent News (EN) that is sent to all faculty.
The purpose of EN is to make important announcements (e.g., new policy or policy updates),
spotlight faculty accomplishments, share suggestions or strategies related to teaching, and
summarize the latest research on teaching and learning. Faculty are encouraged to write for
EN, and those interested in doing so should contact cfe@ncu.edu.
50
Section 5 – Faculty Development
5.1 Training
The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) provides support for teaching through training,
coaching, and reviewing for all Core faculty and Adjunct faculty who teach in the SBTM, SOE,
SOP, or SMFS.
Faculty hired to serve as Dissertation Chairs in the Graduate School only receive initial
onboarding training through the CFE (by taking CFE 5000 and CFE5001) and receive all
subsequent training within the Graduate School. Additionally, Dissertation Chairs are not
coached or evaluated by the CFE, but rather by the Graduate School (see description below).
Therefore, the training and coaching process described below applies only to Core and Adjunct
faculty who teach in the SBTM, SOE, SOP, or SMFS (with the exception of CFE 5000), and
faculty who teach research courses in the Graduate School.
When joining NCU, faculty complete an initial, onboarding process that consists of three
courses run by CFE. These courses focus on the technology systems and teaching policies
and approach used at Northcentral University.
The onboarding sequence is as follows:
•
•
•
CFE 5000 is a 4-5 hour course that teaches faculty how to use Northcentral’s Learning
Management Systems. Faculty are given 5 days to complete this course.
CFE 5001 is a 2-3 hour course that describes the key teaching policies at Northcentral,
including academic integrity and Turnitin usage, teaching policies (timeliness, tone,
welcome letters, and other communication), continuing faculty development and
professional development, and grading. Faculty are given 1 week to complete this
course, and can complete the course in under a day.
CFE 6000 is a two-part course designed to introduce faculty to the teaching approach at
Northcentral University, Teaching Through Feedback (TTF).
o Initially, faculty participate in a 10 hour, mostly self-paced course on Teaching
Through Feedback. In addition to self-paced coursework, faculty participate in
three live discussion sessions. Faculty are given 4 weeks to complete the initial
course, and can complete in 7-10 days.
o When faculty have completed the initial phase of the course, they begin a 3-4
hour follow-up with a focus on applying concepts learned in the CFE 6000 while
teaching NCU students. Faculty post in discussion forums weekly for 8 weeks.
Following successful completion of these initial courses, faculty complete three additional
teaching development courses (CFE 6001, 6002, 6003) offered by CFE during the Intermediate
Teaching Through Feedback Development stage, which extends through year two of
employment. These courses are designed to help faculty gain a deeper understanding of
Teaching Through Feedback. Course topics include: owning your course, relationship building,
and teaching efficiently through feedback. The three intermediate training courses are to be
completed by the end of the second year of employment.
51
Faculty Handbook
Upon successful completion of the Intermediate Teaching Through Feedback Development
stage, faculty enter the Continuing Development Stage. During this stage, faculty choose from
a variety of teaching development opportunities based on their goals, interests, and input from
coaches. Options include teaching development courses and webinars run by CFE, and
participation in Northcentral’s Virtual Academic Center (VAC).
CFE documents faculty participation in training courses and coaching sessions in Taskstream
and Compass.
Graduate School Faculty Training
Dissertation chairs complete a comprehensive Graduate School training experience including
extensive feedback on reviewing milestone documents, facilitating the doctoral research
process, and acclimating to policies and procedures. Training occurs during the first week of
employment and continues through ongoing faculty meetings, coaching, and direct supervision.
Administrative and directorial team members in the Graduate School deliver this training.
5.2 Coaching
Once employment documents have been processed, CFE assigns a coach to faculty who teach
in the SBTM, SOE, SMFS, and SOP, and to faculty teaching research courses in the Graduate
School. The coach contacts the new faculty member during their first two weeks of employment
to provide an introduction and invite faculty to a group session where they will meet other new
faculty and go over Northcentral’s expectations and policies.
Coaches contact faculty at least two more times during the year to set up an individual
coaching session. Coaching is flexible and tailored to the individual needs of faculty members.
An example of a possible session would involve the faculty member submitting a graded
assignment to the coach and the coach providing feedback on it. During a faculty member’s
second year, a minimum of two individual coaching sessions occur. Faculty may request
additional coaching sessions and are accommodated as time allows.
5.3 External Professional Development
Faculty are expected to maintain their professional competencies by participating in
professional and academic activities in their disciplinary field such as attending conferences,
seminars, workshops, and by obtaining advanced degrees and credentials.
Schools and programs have specific requirements for professional development activities that
apply to Core and Adjunct faculty. Faculty record all external professional development
activities in Taskstream for approval by their School’s Assistant Dean. Faculty should contact
CFE at cfe@ncu.edu with any questions regarding how to enter information in
Taskstream. CFE sends regular reminders to engage in and record professional development
activities.
52
Section 5 – Faculty Development
Below are the professional development requirements for each School. Any questions faculty
have regarding external professional development requirements should be directed to their
School’s Assistant Dean.
School of Business and Technology Management (SBTM) Requirements
School of Business and Technology Management Masters and Doctoral Facultyare required to
engage in one (1) professional development activity every employment year in any of the
following areas:
•
•
•
Activities involving the use of professional expertise in helping solve practical problems
in the private or public sectors (e.g., professionally related consultation, or policy
analysis)
Activities in support of professional organizations (e.g., attending and participating in
professional meetings, performing in leadership roles in a professional organization)
Professionally-related service activities directly tied to the academic discipline of the
faculty member and consistent with the stated mission of the business school or
program.
School of Business and Technology Management Doctoral faculty are required to also engage
in one (1) activity in one of any of the following four categories of scholarship every three years
of employment. In all cases, scholarship must include sharing work with others through
publication or presentations that usually involves some form of external peer review.
1. The scholarship of teaching
•
•
•
Development of new teaching materials
Development and evaluation of new methods of instruction
The development of techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction
2. The scholarship of discovery (“basic research”)
•
•
Research publications (Articles, Books, Manuscripts)
Conference presentations on research
3. The scholarship of integration
•
•
•
Interpretation of existing research
Applying research findings to new areas of inquiry
Authoring textbooks in the scholar’s field
4. The scholarship of application
•
Responsible application of existing knowledge to consequential problems
53
Faculty Handbook
•
Contract research with documentation of its effectiveness “from those receiving these
services”
School of Education (SOE) Requirements
Faculty in the School of Education must complete one (1) of the following professional
development activities for every year of employment. Faculty who are unsure if an activity will
meet the requirement should consult with their Dean or the Dean’s designee prior to engaging in
the activity to ensure it will meet the requirement.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Obtain new professional certification
Publish an article or book
Present a paper at a conference
Consult in field of expertise
Engage in a professional-related service
Present at a professional conference, meeting or workshop
Attend a conference
Obtain a new professional membership
Participate in diversity training
Serve community
Even though only one activity is required, all presentations and publications should be reported
in Taskstream so that Northcentral can track these activities University-wide.
School of Marriage and Family Sciences (SMFS) Requirements
Every year, faculty in the School of Marriage and Family Sciences must complete one (1)
activity in each of the five (5) categories listed below for a total of five (5) professional
development activities. The bulleted items under each category heading below are examples of
activities that would demonstrate completion of these requirements. Other activities may qualify
as well. Faculty should consult with the Dean or the Dean’s designee prior to engaging in an
activity to ensure it will meet the requirements of a specific category. (Please note that some of
these requirements may be met by participating in training provided at Northcentral.)
Category 1: Professional Development
Example Activities
•
•
•
Completion of CEUs for professional licensure
Participation in a local, regional, state, national, or international MFT conference
Completion of a training course or workshop related to your area of teaching
Category 2: MFT Practitioners
Example Activities
54
Section 5 – Faculty Development
•
•
•
•
•
Part-time work in a private practice, group practice or other MFT agency
Renewal of an MFT license
AAMFT Membership
AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential
Systemic Consultation work
Category 3: Diversity Training and Experience
Example Activities
•
•
•
Participation in a diversity related training course or workshop
Participation in research relating to a diverse population
Participation in a cultural event involving a culture different from your own
Category 4: Service to Community and/or Profession
Example Activities
•
•
•
•
•
Volunteer work or other service in your community
Pro bono counseling services
Service on a committee or board position within a local, regional, state, national, or
international MFT association
Editor or reviewer for a professional journal
Abstract reviewer for AAMFT Annual Conference or other related conferences
Category 5: Research Experience and/or Training (only required once every 3 years)
Example Activities
•
•
•
•
•
Participation in a research training course or workshop
Acceptance of a research article for publication
Completion of a research focused presentation
Participation on a dissertation committee or complete the dissertation training for SMEs
Editor or reviewer for a professional research activity
For Category 5, even though only one activity is required, all presentations and publications
should be reported in Taskstream so that Northcentral can track these activities University-wide.
School of Psychology (SOP) Requirements
School of Psychology faculty must complete two (2) of the following professional development
activities for every year of employment. If you are unsure if an activity will meet the requirement,
please consult with your Assistant Dean prior to engaging in it to ensure it will meet the
requirement.
55
Faculty Handbook
•
Obtain new professional certification
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Publish a peer-reviewed article or book
Present a paper at a conference
Consult (check with your Assistant Dean in advance)
Engage in a professional-related service
Present at a professional conference, meeting or workshop
Obtain a new professional membership
Participate in diversity training
Serve community
Completion of CEUs
Editor or reviewer for a professional journal
Even though only two are required, all presentations and publications should be reported in
Taskstream so that Northcentral can track these activities University-wide.
Graduate School Requirements
Graduate School faculty must complete one (1) of the following professional development activities for
every year of employment. Faculty who are unsure if an activity will meet the requirement should
consult with the Dean or the Dean’s designee prior to engaging in an activity.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Obtain new professional certification
Publish an article or book
Present a paper at a conference
Conduct research-related consultation
Engage in a professional-related service
Present at a professional conference, meeting, or workshop
Assume leadership role in a professional organization
Completion of continuing education directly relevant to your job duties
Serve professional community
Even though only one is required, all presentations and publications should be reported in
Taskstream so that Northcentral can track these activities University-wide.
5.4 The Annual Review Process
Core Faculty in SBTM, SOE, SMFS, SOP
Core faculty are reviewed annually during the anniversary of the month in which they were
hired.
Protocol:
56
Section 5 – Faculty Development
CFE sends core faculty: a) Self-evaluation form, b) grading timeliness report to check for errors,
c) a request for a work sample that demonstrates Teaching Through Feedback and a reflection
on using Teaching Through Feedback, d) Post-Course Survey results.
•
•
•
•
•
A CFE coach completes the Policy and Procedures, Quality of Teaching, and Faculty
and Professional Development sections of the review.
Dean or Dean designee completes the Essential Functions and other sections of the
review.
HR reviews, approves and returns to Dean or Dean designee.
Dean or Dean designee coordinates discussion of review with faculty member.
Dean has final authority for the review.
Adjunct Faculty in SBTM, SOE, SMFS, SOP
Adjunct faculty are reviewed in the anniversary of the month in which they began CFE 6000.
Protocol:
•
•
•
•
•
•
CFE sends adjunct faculty Post-Course Survey results and a grading timeliness report to
check for errors.
A CFE coach completes the Policy and Procedures, Quality of Teaching, and Faculty
and Professional Development sections of the review.
Dean or Dean designee completes the section on non-teaching responsibilities.
HR reviews form for awareness.
CFE coordinates discussion of review with faculty member.
Dean has final authority for the review
5.5 Faculty Research Support
Academic Honoraria
Northcentral University is committed to supporting scholarly contributions from its alumni,
Adjunct faculty, and students. At the discretion of the Provost, an honorarium may be awarded
to those individuals who make scholarly contributions to the academic community while
representing Northcentral University. Northcentral University reserves the right to announce
and publicize such awards in whatever manner it deems appropriate.
Eligibility
A scholarly contribution normally entails:
•
•
primary authorship of an academic publication in a peer-reviewed journal or professional
presentation at a national or international conference for which presentations are peerreviewed
publication of a book with a university or professionally recognized scholarly press
57
Faculty Handbook
•
authorship of a chapter in, or serving as editor of, an anthology published with a
university or recognized scholarly press
Northcentral University must be clearly indicated as the author’s or presenter’s primary
academic affiliation. Normally, the University makes no more than one award per year per
individual. Salaried team members and Core faculty are not eligible for this award. In all
matters related to the award of Academic Honoraria, the decision of the Provost is final.
Procedure: Applying for an Honorarium
1. Complete the Northcentral University Release form and a personal summary including:
faculty member’s status with Northcentral University, a personal biographical sketch of
no more than 300 words, and a current headshot photograph (optional but appreciated)
2. Submit the Release and personal summary electronically to the appropriate School
Dean, along with a copy of all material pertaining to the Honorarium. This may include a
journal article, book, conference program, or conference proceedings.
3. The School Dean will evaluate the Honorarium application materials and forward the
Honorarium application to the Provost with a recommendation for approval when
warranted. The Provost will then make a final ruling. The Dean will then notify the
applicant of the decision.
4. The Office of the Provost will maintain a list of references for which honoraria have been
awarded.
58
Section 6: Faculty Employment
Northcentral University’s Team Member Handbook
Northcentral University’s Team Member Handbook, which can be found in University
Documents, is a reference designed to help team members become more familiar with the
University’s employee policies and procedures. The Team Member Handbook will prove useful
in answering many of the common questions that may arise during employment at Northcentral,
such as questions about benefits or employment policies. If the information provided below does
not answer your questions regarding faculty employment, please consult the Team Member
Handbook or contact an HR representative.
Please consult the Northcentral University Team Member Handbook for information on the following:
Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities,
Northcentral’s Commitment to Diversity, Immigration Law Compliance, and the Referral Bonus.
6.1 Selection and Hiring
Northcentral University follows Higher Learning Commission (HLC) “Guidance on Determining
Qualified Faculty” in recruiting, hiring, and developing faculty. Deans must ensure that faculty
also meet criteria established by accrediting bodies for programs particular to their schools.
All Northcentral faculty must have completed their program of study at a regionally accredited
institution of higher education in the discipline in which they will teach or develop curricula.
Deans may, with the approval of the Provost, waive the regional accreditation requirement for
international faculty. Dissertation Chair faculty may chair doctoral dissertation committees
across disciplinary areas after being deemed qualified by the Dean of the Graduate School.
6.1.1 Responsibilities and Required Approvals
The Provost is responsible for ensuring that the University follows the HLC “Guidance on
Determining Qualified Faculty” and may delegate authority in this regard to the Deans or other
designees. The Provost's (or designee) approval is required for:
•
•
final hiring of all faculty members, and
any exception to the requirements of this policy, which must also be documented in the
Faculty file.
School Deans are responsible for:
•
•
hiring faculty with the appropriate qualifications, as described below, and
ensuring that faculty are sufficient in number and carry a reasonable teaching load in
compliance with current workload limits.
59
Faculty Handbook
Faculty are responsible for:
•
•
Reviewing all FT faculty position postings (faculty from corresponding school should be
included in the review process).
Participating in search committees established for faculty hires (faculty from the
corresponding school should be assigned to such committees).
6.1.2 Qualifications to Teach Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
All teaching faculty are required to hold a doctorate in their field. Faculty teaching specialization
courses must also possess credentials that align with programmatic accreditation, as
appropriate and warranted. To teach courses not clearly aligned with a doctoral degree, faculty
must provide documentation that they have earned 18 graduate credit hours in the area of
specialization or licensure in the area they are teaching. Deans may also allow faculty to teach
specific courses based on professional or other teaching experience.
6.1.3 Qualifications to Serve on Dissertation Committees
To serve on a doctoral dissertation committee as either a member or as the Chair, faculty must
have:
•
•
•
successfully completed a dissertation at a regionally accredited institution, as evidenced
by official transcripts;
been published in peer-reviewed or scholarly journals or books, edited or otherwise; and
demonstrated record of research or doctoral level teaching.
Dissertation Chair faculty may chair doctoral dissertation committees across disciplinary areas
after being deemed qualified by the Dean of the Graduate School
The publication requirement may not be waived for committee Chairs. A Dean may waive the
publication requirement for committee members, if they demonstrate the necessary skills on the
basis of past experience.
6.2 Onboarding, and the Role of the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)
Faculty Hired to Teach in SBTM, SOE, SMFS, or SOP
Once CFE receives notification from Human Resources that a faculty member has completed
the hiring process and has a hire date, the following occurs:
1. Faculty Portal is created, email account is confirmed
2. Taskstream account is created
3. Faculty member is enrolled in onboarding training:
a. CFE 5000
60
Section 6: Faculty Employment
b. CFE 5001
c. CFE 6000
d. CFE 6000-F
4. Appropriate School is notified, School then provides list of courses to offer faculty
member
5. After faculty completes CFE 5000, CFE offers courses to faculty and provides list of
required textbooks for faculty to obtain from publishers as a desk copy (no cost to
faculty). If the textbook is not available, faculty should contact cfe@ncu.edu for
guidance.
6. Once the faculty member has completed CFE 6000, courses are loaded and students
are assigned, dependent on weekly enrollment for the particular course. Up to 10
students may be assigned during this period.
7. Faculty member continues with CFE 6000-F while teaching students until the first
student completes their course.
8. Once training is completed, a faculty’s maximum student load is determined by the
School and faculty member within the load guidelines discussed above.
Faculty Hired to Teach in the Graduate School
Once CFE receives notification from Human Resources that a Graduate School faculty member
has completed the hiring process and has a hire date, the following occurs:
1. Faculty Portal is created, email account is confirmed
2. Taskstream account is created (only for Dissertation Chairs)
4. Faculty is enrolled in onboarding training:
a. CFE 5000
b. CFE 5001 (only faculty hired to teach research courses
c. CFE 6000 (only faculty hired to teach research courses)
d. CFE 6000-F (only faculty hired to teach research courses
5. Faculty hired to be a Dissertation Chair – the Graduate School is notified, the Graduate
School then provides list of courses to load to the course assignments for the faculty
member.
6. Faculty member is assigned students by the Graduate School
For faculty hired to teach in the Graduate School, support from the Center for Faculty
Excellence (CFE) constitutes provision of the enrollment in initial training courses (e.g. Mentor
Essentials).
61
Faculty Handbook
6.3 Updating Personal Data and Documentation
It is the responsibility of each faculty member to ensure that Northcentral University has
regularly updated copies of the following documents:
•
•
•
•
•
Official copies of all graduate transcripts.
Official – or notarized – hard copies of all credentials attained subsequent to your
graduate work. If you are teaching in courses that are not clearly aligned with your
doctoral degree, you must provide documentation that you have 18 graduate credit hour
or licensure in the area you are teaching. For example: If you have a DBA in computer
systems but wish to teach in accounting, you must document that you have the
equivalent of 18 graduate credit hours in accounting. Another example: If your doctorate
is in general psychology, but you wish to teach clinical topics, you must document that
you have a clinical licensure, ABPP diploma, or equivalent.
Your Faculty Profile on the Northcentral University website properly updated with all
relevant information.
A scholarly “biosketch” of no more than 300 words must be included under the Profile
tab on your faculty page. We request that this be accompanied by a JPEG headshot
photo of you looking scholarly!). This material is made available to students and helps
them in locating faculty who are experts in their areas of interest.
Electronic copies of major publications or presentations in the past four years should
also be sent to our CFE Manager.
6.4 Workload for Faculty
Please section 3.1 for information on faculty workload/schedules.
6.5 Faculty Compensation
The payroll period is bi-weekly. Bi-weekly paydays are every other Friday with pay periods
ending on the previous Friday. A workweek begins each Sunday at 12:00 am and ends at 11:59
pm on Saturday. If a payday falls on a holiday, payroll will be disbursed on the prior business
day. Northcentral does not permit pay advances.
Core Faculty
Core faculty positions are classified as exempt, which means they are exempt from overtime
pay for hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per week. Core faculty are paid on a biweekly basis.
Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct Faculty are paid on a bi-weekly basis pursuant to a schedule determined annually by
the Chief Financial Officer..
62
Section 7: Academic Organization
7.1 Administrative Structure
Northcentral University’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership
and support collaborative processes that enable Northcentral to define and fulfill its mission.
7.1.1 Board of Trustees
Northcentral University is governed by a Board of Trustees responsible for the establishment of
broad institutional policies for the operation of the University, with oversight responsibility for
academics and academic policies; ensuring financial resources are adequate to support the
University's goals; selecting, supporting, and evaluating the President of the University;
promoting shared governance; and providing continuity to the University. The Board of Trustees'
Bylaws set forth the authorities, responsibilities and functions of the Board of Trustees in the
governance of the University. The Board has 13 members, 8 independent and 5 representing
shareholders, and operates with a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary/Treasurer and the
following committees: Audit and Finance; Academic Affairs; Governance; CEO Performance
and Compensation; Legal Affairs; and IT.e.
7.1.2 Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
The purpose of the Executive Leadership Team is to support and evaluate the performance of
the University’s academic and administrative teams in light of the University’s Mission and
strategic plan.
The Executive Leadership Team is headed by the President (CEO) who is hired by, is evaluated
by, and reports directly to the Board of Trustees. The membership includes: Provost (CAO),
General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Senior Vice
President of Academic Affairs, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Vice President
of Marketing, Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Human Resources, Senior Vice
President of NCU Experience, and Vice President of Business Solutions.
Under the direction of the President, the Executive Leadership Team is responsible for
maintaining integrity throughout the institution, achieving Board-approved goals and maintaining
budgets, evaluating strategies and action plans for continuous improvement, and fulfilling all
other commitments to the Board as part of the University’s approach to shared governance.
7.1.3 Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
The purpose of the Senior Leadership Team is to promote communication and shared
governance. The SLT ensures all policies and initiatives are evaluated for administrative impact
and receive necessary support for implementation. The SLT is chaired by the Provost
(CAO). Membership includes: President (CEO), Dean of the School of Psychology, Dean of the
63
Faculty Handbook
School of Business and Technology Management, Dean of the School of Education, Dean of
the School of Marriage and Family Sciences, Dean of the Graduate School, Vice President of
Marketing, Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Student Financial Services, Vice
President of Human Resources, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Senior Vice
President of Academic Affairs, Senior. Vice President of Business Development, Senior Vice
President of NCU Experience, Vice President of Business Solutions, and Chief Financial Officer.
7.1.4 Academic Leadership Team (ALT)
Scheduled weekly, this team meets to discuss the status of current academic initiatives, barriers
to progress, and ways the Provost may support success. In addition to these meetings, the
Provost meets one-on-one weekly with each Dean and each academic Director to ensure
academic leaders receive supportive direction. The Academic Leadership Team is comprised of
the Provost (CAO), Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of the School of
Psychology, Dean of the School of Business and Technology Management, Dean of the School
of Education, Dean of the School of Marriage and Family Sciences, Dean of the Graduate
School, Director of the Office of Assessment, Registrar, and the Director of Student Services
and Student Experience.
7.1.5 Academic Affairs Committee (AAC)
The purpose of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) is to provide advice, counsel, direction
and decision-recommendations for all academic matters at Northcentral University. All AAC
policies are forwarded to the Senior Leadership Team for final consideration. The Committee is
chaired by the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs or his/her designee and is required to
meet at least six times per year. Minutes of all meetings are maintained by the Office of the
Provost.
Voting Members include the following or their designees: Program Chairs, Senior Director of
Assessment, Director of Instructional Design, Director of Library Services, Registrar, Vice
President of Financial Services, Senior Director of Student Services, one Assistant Dean from
each School, two full-time faculty from each School (at least one faculty should hold a primarily
teaching assignment. The other faculty member may also be primarily teaching or be a
Curriculum or Assessment Director), one part-time or adjunct faculty member from each School.
The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs votes only in circumstances in which voting on
an issue is tied. Non-voting Attendees: Other faculty or team members may be invited to
participate in Committee discussions, as needed and appropriate.
Faculty also convene through the monthly or quarterly faculty meetings held by their respective
School.
7.2 School and University Faculty Councils
64
Section 7: Academic Organization
See section 4.2.2.
7.3 Student Advisory Boards (SABs)
The purpose of Student Advisory Boards is to provide input and solicit feedback regarding the
University’s decisions and activities. Student Advisory Boards exist in all schools to provide
input on schools’ planning and decisions.
7.4 Program Advisory Committees (PACs)
The primary purpose of Program Advisory Committees (PACs) is to provide industry-specific
expertise to each School to ensure that students are acquiring relevant discipline knowledge
and skills. PAC members are asked to participate in various evaluation activities, and provide
recommendations for academic improvement and suggestions regarding academic program
offerings. These activities will provide each School with valuable information to help support the
continuous improvement of our academic programs.
PACs may also be engaged in more granular consultations including, but not limited to, course
development, assignment suggestions, and new and existing specializations. PACs are critical
sounding boards for schools to ensure that learning outcomes align with the needs of external
stakeholders who primarily represent the hiring communities of Northcentral University
graduates.
Each PAC is comprised of 4 to 8 members. The PACs work directly with the School Dean, who
provides a report to the Provost of Northcentral University following the conclusion of each
meeting.
Member election
The School Deans or their designee are responsible for recommending and recruiting leaders
from the community to serve on their respective PACs. Recommended PAC members should
have broad industry knowledge of the programs that they will serve, currently work in a
leadership capacity within the program industry and represent the community with ethical
distinction. Adjunct faculty can serve on PACs, but should not represent more than 10% of the
membership. Core faculty are excluded from serving on PACs, but are expected to participate in
meetings at the discretion of the Dean. Final approval of PAC members is made by the Provost
or a designee.
Term limits
Term limit for PAC members is 3 years. At the 3-year mark, the member is required to step
down from his or her advisory role on the council. The School Dean or Provost can require the
PAC member to resign his or her seat during the scheduled tenure for any reason(s) deemed
appropriate and/or necessary as defined by University leadership.
65
Faculty Handbook
Compensation
In most cases, meetings for individual schools take place twice per year, with one meeting
conducted on site during graduation week. Other meetings occur via distance communication
(e.g., GoToMeeting, teleconference). PAC members will receive an honorarium for attending
official PAC meetings whether in person or through distance channels. Expenses for travel will
be reimbursed by the University based on University policies. It is incumbent on the traveling
member to check with the University prior to travel for expense reimbursement information.
Expenses deemed excessive may not be reimbursed.
66
Section 8: Faculty and Student Services and Support
8.1 Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)
The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) supports faculty as they work one-to-one with their
students to meet their learning outcomes. Northcentral University recognizes that teaching oneto-one is a significant paradigm shift for many faculty, whether they are new to teaching or have
extensive experience in the classroom. CFE provides numerous teaching development
opportunities to support faculty in learning to excel in our one-to-one teaching approach.
CFE support begins with onboarding and initial training and continues with ongoing training,
coaching, and reviewing for the duration of employment with Northcentral University. In the
coaching and reviewing process, CFE provides:
a)
Individual coaching sessions
b)
Periodic check-ins related to teaching quality and policy adherence
c) Evaluative information to Deans and the faculty member during the anniversary
month for each year of employment
The CFE holds monthly webinars on important issues related to teaching at Northcentral. For
example, past webinars have focused on assessment, teaching reading through feedback,
teaching writing through feedback, and working with underprepared students. Faculty are
encouraged to not only attend, but to also participate. Faculty participate during all webinars by
contributing to the discussion and faculty occasionally present during webinars. Faculty
interested in presenting or providing suggestions for future webinar topics should contact
cfe@ncu.edu.
The CFE also publishes a bi-weekly newsletter called Excellent News (EN) that is sent to all
faculty. The purpose of EN is to make important announcements (e.g., new policy or policy
updates), spotlight faculty accomplishments, share suggestions or strategies related to
teaching, and summarize the latest research on teaching and learning. Faculty are encouraged
to write for EN, and those interested in doing so should contact cfe@ncu.edu.
8.2 Technical Support
Northcentral University provides faculty with 24-hour, 7-day-a-week technical support. Faculty
members should contact technical support for all technical questions and problems. To contact
technical support, faculty members should dial 1-888-628-1567 or via email at
servicedesk@ncu.edu.
8.3 Taskstream Support
67
Faculty Handbook
Taskstream is an online data management system designed to advance effective assessment in
learning at Northcentral University. It is also used to archive faculty development and external
professional development activities. Information regarding Taskstream, including training links
and a FAQ, can be found in the University Documents area. Faculty should direct any questions
they have about Taskstream to the Director of Assessment for their school. For technical
support, contact help@Taskstream.com or 1-800-311-5656, and press 1 for support.
8.4 Northcentral University Library
The Northcentral University Library is committed to supporting the academic and research
needs of students, faculty, and staff. The Library does this by providing access to key
resources and services, including databases, reference and interlibrary loan service, and
instruction. Faculty and students can access the library in the course room of Compass or
Virtual Campus. Detailed information about Library services is outlined below.
General Services Provided by the Northcentral University Library
Research Databases--The Northcentral University Library subscribes to a variety of
databases that contain scholarly, peer-reviewed journals magazines, newspapers, e- Books,
dissertations, reports, and other informational sources. Databases are accessible from the
Library portal.
Research Consultation—The Northcentral Library offers a research consultation service for
students, faculty, and staff. This is an in-depth, customized, one-on-one meeting with a
reference librarian to discuss possible information resources and search strategies for class
assignments, papers, presentations, master’s thesis, and doctoral dissertations.
Interlibrary Loan Service - Library patrons needing research materials outside the Library’s
collection can submit an interlibrary loan request. Patrons can register for this service by
clicking the “Services” then “Articles (Interlibrary Loan)” links on the Library website.
Ask a Librarian - The Ask a Librarian reference service assists patrons with research
questions. Patrons can click the Ask a Librarian link on the Library website to submit a
question. Reference questions are normally answered within two working days, excluding
University-observed holidays.
Library Workshops - The Library offers weekly workshops that introduce patrons to library
resources and services. A schedule of events is announced on the Library site using the
“Services” link on the Library website. Patrons can register for workshops from the schedule of
events area.
68
Section 8: Faculty and Student Services and Support
Library News Blog - The NorthcentralUniversity Library News Blog provides timely information,
tips, and research strategies. Blog announcements appear on the student portal and the
Library’s What’s New area.
Patrons can contact the Northcentral University Library staff by calling 1-888-628-1569 or by
visiting the Library online at library@ncu.edu.
8.5 Northcentral University Academic Success Center
Northcentral University's Academic Success Center (ASC) provides all NCU academic support
services. ASC services and resources are available to help students become successful, selfdirected learners. The ASC provides Academic Coaching in scholarly writing, reading, and
statistics, time management training through Attack Your Day. The ASC houses a library of
resources for students and faculty on scholarly writing, critical thinking, academic integrity, and
APA formatting and links to SmarThinking tutoring services.
ASC Goals
The ASC’s primary goal is to provide students and faculty with the tools and resources required
for successful growth and academic achievement, especially as related to the writing process.
In addition, the ASC establishes a standard of quality for the writing process adhered to
throughout the development and issuance of all writing support materials, including but not
limited to support materials, syllabi, internal communications on department products, and
external communications on Northcentral University activities. Information on APA
documentation style, necessary for scholarly research, is housed in the ASC. The ASC
functions collaboratively with all University constituencies that support the academic goals of
the Schools.
Faculty can refer students to the ASC or use the information to guide students through the
academic writing process. Faculty will find resources that provide information about teaching
online including issues of mentorship and pedagogy. The ASC can be viewed on the home
page of the mentor portal or in the course room under the Virtual Academic Center
link. Faculty members may contact or refer students to the ASC at 1-888-628-6911, X 8052 or
email skrause@ncu.edu for more information.
8.6 Smarthinking
Northcentral University offers an online tutoring service to all students in several areas of
relevance to the Northcentral University curriculum: Writing (all subjects); Statistics;
Accounting; Economics; Finance; Algebra; Geometry/Trigonometry; Calculus; and ESL
assistance. Both scheduled and drop-in sessions are provided, and some subjects are
available 24/7. Papers may be submitted to a tutor for review prior to course submission. The
link to Smarthinking is found on the home page of the ASC. All enrolled students are provided
a Smarthinking account.
69
Faculty Handbook
8.7 Dissertation Center
The Dissertation Center provides both faculty and students with valuable information about
the dissertation process in all Northcentral Schools. Faculty teaching doctoral courses
should become familiar with this resource. The Dissertation Center can be accessed in
Compass, on the Mentor Portal, under Writing Support Services section of the main login
page. The Dissertation Center can be accessed in Virtual Campus under the Virtual
Academic Center tab. The Dissertation Center site includes the Doctoral Candidacy
Resource Guide and a link to Doctoral Candidacy Milestone Document Resources,
including updated templates and guidebooks. If students have questions about the
dissertation process, faculty should refer them to this resource.
8.8 Academic Advising
Academic Advisors, working in program-related teams, provide students with academic support
for their individual degree programs, and help support students as they matriculate through their
program through frequent and scheduled contact. Academic Advisors assist students with
understanding policy and procedure that affect students’ academic experience. Information
about contacting Academic Advisors is found on each Course Registration Information (CRI)
issued upon registering a student in a course at Northcentral University. The contact information
for Academic Advisors is listed on the right hand side of every student portal in Compass and
under the Contacts and Communication/Contacts link in Virtual Campus.
8.9 Financial Aid
Northcentral University is authorized by the United States Department of Education to
administer Title IV federal financial aid programs. The financial aid office responds to financial
aid questions and processes applications for federal student aid as well as determining financial
aid eligibility and academic progress. Students can contact the Northcentral Financial Aid Office
or refer to the Northcentral University catalog for Title IV student eligibility requirements or other
questions related to financial aid. Contact Financial aid at 1-888-327-2877 Ext: 8080 or email
at financialaid@ncu.edu.
8.10 Office of Disability Services
Faculty members who have questions concerning the American Disabilities Act (ADA), student
accommodations, and disability services may contact Northcentral University’s Disability
Services at (888) 327-2877 ext. 8018 or email disabilitiesservices@ncu.edu. Faculty should
contact the Disability Services Office to refer a student struggling with academic progress due to
self-disclosed illness, permanent or temporary disability, or an “impairment that substantially
limits life activities”. At no time should faculty personally request medical records or doctor’s
note. Disabilities Services will maintain all records relative to accommodation requests.
70
Section 8: Faculty and Student Services and Support
Students having a permanent or episodic disability are asked to notify Disability Services directly
upon acceptance to the Universityand prior to enrollment in their first course. Students who
experience a temporary disability during a course are asked to contact Disability Services prior
tothe last two weeks of the course session to discuss possible services. Academic
accommodations are not made retroactively. The University informs students requesting
disability services that disclosure may be necessary to selected employees. Students are also
provided the reasons for which disclosure may be necessary (e.g., to assess the
reasonableness of a requested accommodation, emergency situations). Those who receive
information relative to the student’s medical information are restricted to official use and any
further disclosure or identification within the student record is prohibited. All documentation is
managed, maintained, and monitored within the Office of Disabilities Services.
The requirement to maintain the confidentiality of medical records remains in effect even after a
student is no longer enrolled in the University. If there are questions relative to disclosure or its
content contact the Office of Disabilities Services via email disabilitiesservices@ncu.edu or by
phone 1-888-628-6911 X 8018.
71
Contact Information
General Contact Information
Web Sites
http://www.ncu.edu
http://my.ncu.edu (Virtual Campus)
http://mentors.ncu.edu (Compass)
Main Switchboard
Phone: (928) 541-7777
Toll-free: (888) 327-2877
Faculty Contacts
Helpline
The Helpline allows team members and faculty to submit a confidential concern to an
independent third-party vendor, InTouch. Phone: (855) 928-8628
E-mail: NCUHelp-line@GetInTouch.com
InTouch website: www.ncuhelpline.getintouch.com
Helpdesk
The Northcentral Helpdesk provides technical support for faculty, students, and employees.
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 8888
E-mail: techsupport@ncu.edu or helpdesk@ncu.edu
Human Resources
Phone: (855) 552-2010
E-mail: humanresources@ncu.edu
Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 8011
E-mail: cfe@ncu.edu
Northcentral University Library
Phone: (888) 628-1569
E-mail: library@ncu.edu
Mailing Address
Northcentral University
10000 E. University Dr.
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
or
Northcentral University
8667 E. Hartford Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
72
Contact Information
Office of the President
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 4652
E-mail: president@ncu.edu
Office of the Provost
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 4652
E-mail: provost@ncu.edu
School of Business Technology and Management (SBTM)
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 3419
E-mail: sbtm@ncu.edu
School of Education (SOE)
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 3439
E-mail: schoolofeducation@ncu.edu
School of Marriage and Family Sciences (SMFS)
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 8154
E-mail: smfs@ncu.edu
School of Psychology (SOP)
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 8084
E-mail: schoolofpsych@ncu.edu
Instructional Design (ID)
E-mail: idteam@ncu.edu
Student Contacts
Admissions
Phone: (866) 776-0331
E-mail: information@ncu.edu
Enrollment Services
Phone: (888) 628-4979
E-mail: enrollmentservices@ncu.edu
Financial Aid
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 8080
E-mail: financialaid@ncu.edu
Academic Advising
Phone: (888) 628-6911 ext. 8300
E-mail: academicadvisors@ncu.edu
Registrar
Phone: (888) 327-2877 ext. 8081
E-mail: registrar@ncu.edu
Office of Disabilities Services
Phone: (888) 628-6911 ext. 8018
E-mail: disabilitiesservices@ncu.edu
73