4. Faculty Rights, Responsibilities and Expectations

4.1     FACULTY COMMITMENT

As academic professionals, the actions of all Champlain College faculty must be characterized by honesty, integrity, and collegiality.  We actively participate in the advancement of higher education through teaching, service, and professional development. Subject to legal regulations and the internal policies of Champlain College, our behavior must be governed by reasonable expectations from students and colleagues in every section of the Champlain College community. We welcome and promote engagement with the city, state, and nation in which we live as they themselves seek to respond positively to the realities of the larger world community.

What We Believe:

• As faculty we put teaching first. Our primary role is to educate students, preparing them to become reflective thinkers, effective professionals, informed global citizens, and engaged members of the broader community.
• As proud members of a teaching college, the faculty is at the heart of the educational environment, the conduit between the students and the curriculum. Consequently, the faculty possesses the primary responsibility for shaping the curriculum, and all curricular change should be initiated through and approved by the faculty.
• The faculty should play a foundational role in the creation, planning and application of all academic decisions.
• The faculty embraces the notion of shared governance with respect to all College decisions.
• The faculty values and promotes independent thought, critical and creative inquiry, ethical behavior, and an education that serves the public good.
• The faculty believes that academic freedom, open debate and civil discourse lie at the heart of higher education, and that critical, creative and ethical inquiry is best served when teachers and students are free to express and examine a wide range of viewpoints.
• The faculty plays a vital role in making Champlain College a welcoming, inclusive, and just place for all members of our community. We acknowledge and accept our responsibility for doing our part in the ongoing work it takes to make progress toward this goal.

The single most important responsibility we have as a member of the faculty is to teach our students the subject matter at hand. There is no more important goal for us and each student is entitled to our best effort to help them learn and succeed in their college career. We do this openly and honestly, aware of the shortcomings of both teacher and student as human beings, with the sense of urgency that students deserve the very best education we can deliver.

To fulfill these teaching commitments, we as a faculty must, to the best of our ability:

• Maintain currency in our courses to reflect the latest professional standards and the changing realities of our 21st century world;
• Provide students with a classroom environment free from bias and cultural prejudice;
• Interact with students professionally;
• Provide students with prompt feedback that celebrates their achievements and provides thoughtful and positive suggestions for constant improvement;
• Prepare fully for each class and thus create genuine learning experiences;
• Promote a challenging, integrated and interdisciplinary educational experience;
• Treat our students with respect, while also maintaining high expectations for excellence;
• Actively participate in contemporary academic conversations in our field so that our courses reflect the realities of our changing world and the latest professional standards;
• Spend time with students outside of the confines of the traditional classroom, while always maintaining the highest standards of professional decorum;
• Assess our students’ performance in a timely and objective manner, while providing thorough feedback and thoughtful suggestions for ongoing improvement;
• Serve as models of academic achievement and professional conduct;
• Develop personally and professionally by actively pursuing scholarly endeavors, either inside our disciplines, in associated disciplines, or in the field of teaching and learning.
• Incorporate DE&I education, reflection, and practice into our professional lives as academicians.

Our colleagues campus-wide are essential to our College’s success. The faculty therefore commits itself to:

• Treat colleagues in every department of the College with respect;
• Value and protect intellectual work;
• Encourage colleagues to engage in positive and respectful behavior toward one another;
• Support a professional work environment for all our colleagues;
• Initiate  and  promote  efforts  to  build  collaborative  alliances  between  the  different divisions of the campus.

To support administrators committed to the well-being of our College, its students and employees, the faculty commits itself to:

• Provide prompt and honest feedback about College initiatives;
• Work together to accomplish Champlain College’s mission;
• Engage administrators with a respectful and collegial manner.

To support the community-at-large, the Champlain faculty commits itself to:

• Promote world citizenship by being active and responsible members of our community;
• Seek out opportunities for our students to bring their developing professional expertise to bear on real-world problems and gain experience to undergird successful career launches;
• Enhance  the  reputation  and  influence  of  Champlain  College  through  off-campus engagement in professional groups, development and publication of innovative approaches in higher education in order to share them with students and colleagues throughout the world.

Faculty will be guided in their actions by the standards set in the Faculty Handbook.

4.2     ACADEMIC FREEDOM - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEE APPROVAL

Academic freedom is essential to the integrity of intellectual inquiry and scholarship, to the dissemination of knowledge, and to the search for truth and wisdom.  It is the foundation upon which all of the intellectual activity of the College rests. Champlain College affirms the vital role of   diverse  perspectives  in   helping  students  to   grow  and   succeed  in   the  educational environment.  The administration, faculty, staff and students share responsibility for fostering a climate that is favorable to the free exchange of ideas and to the examination of conflicting ideas and interpretations using generally accepted disciplinary standards of inquiry.  Freedom of speech and expression extends to all members of the academic community, subject to commonly  accepted  limits  as  described  below  and  in  other  College  policies,  such as, for example, the College’s Nondiscrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy.

Faculty members are free to pursue scholarly interests without fear of censure, discipline or reprisal.  This freedom extends to the display, publication and performance of creative work. Faculty may speak freely on all matters of College governance, and may speak, work, or act as an individual in the public arena without fear of institutional discipline or restraint.

A fundamental goal of higher education is the development of students’ skills of analytical and critical inquiry.  To this end, faculty are free to teach and discuss any aspect of a given topic pertinent to the course as a means of teaching students to explore and evaluate competing perspectives and interpretations as they learn to make their own informed judgments.  Faculty have a concomitant responsibility to teach students to evaluate knowledge claims using generally accepted standards of evidence, and to promote respect for competing views offered by others.  Students have the right to a safe classroom environment in which they explore controversial ideas in an atmosphere characterized by openness, tolerance and civility, and where they will be graded on the intellectual merits of their work.

The College endorses the principles of academic freedom. Specifically, the College affirms the following AAUP statement:

1. Teachers are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
2. Teachers are entitled to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.
3. College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.

http://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure

The protection of academic freedom and the requirements of academic responsibility apply to all full-time and part-time faculty members teaching at the College.

4.3     INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

The purpose of the Intellectual Property policy is to ensure that works embodying intellectual property rights created at Champlain College are identified and that their ownership is determined fairly so that the works can be used and disclosed consistent with the College’s educational mission and activities.   Although the typical application of intellectual property laws will result in Champlain College owning the intellectual property rights in works created by faculty members, Champlain College recognizes a customary exception to College ownership of traditional faculty-produced academic materials.

See Appendix in this Handbook for a link to the complete policy.

4.4     DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT AND HAZING PREVENTION - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

Champlain College is committed to providing its staff, faculty and students the opportunity to pursue excellence in their academic and professional endeavors. This opportunity can only exist when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of mutual respect, free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. This policy outlines expectations regarding how individuals who are members of the Champlain College community are to treat others in order to ensure such an atmosphere of mutual respect and a safe environment for our students, faculty and staff.

The Discrimination, Harassment, and Hazing Prevention policy applies to all administrators, employees, admissions or employment applicants, students, members of the Board of Trustees, agents of the College, donors and volunteers involved in College-related activities. The policy also applies for and to those who do business with the College in their interactions with members of the College community, and to other visitors.

See Appendix in this Handbook for the complete policy.

4.5     STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEE APPROVAL

The College affirms the AAUP “Statement on Professional Ethics,” originally adopted in 1966 with revisions in 1987 and 2009. The Statement is presented here in its entirety and applies to all faculty members:

The Statement:

1. Professors, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end professors devote their energies to developing and  improving  their  scholarly  competence.  They  accept  the  obligation  to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty. Although professors may follow subsidiary interests, these interests must never seriously hamper or compromise their freedom of inquiry.
2. As teachers, professors encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students. They  hold  before  them  the  best  scholarly  and  ethical standards  of  their discipline. Professors demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. Professors make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of students reflect each student’s true merit. They respect the confidential nature of  the relationship between professor and student. They avoid  any exploitation, harassment, or  discriminatory treatment of  students. They acknowledge significant academic or scholarly assistance from them. They protect their academic freedom.
3. As colleagues, professors have obligations that derive from common membership in the community of scholars.  Professors do not discriminate against or harass colleagues. They respect and defend the free inquiry of associates, even when it leads to findings and conclusions that differ from their own. Professors acknowledge academic debt and strive to be objective in their professional judgment of colleagues. Professors accept their share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of their institution.
4. As members of an academic institution, professors seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars. Although professors observe the stated regulations of the institution, provided the regulations do not contravene academic freedom, they maintain their right to criticize and seek revision. Professors give due regard to their paramount responsibilities within their institution in determining the amount and  character of work done outside it. When considering the interruption or termination of their service, professors recognize the effect of their decision upon the program of the institution and give due notice of their intentions.
5. As members of their community, professors have the rights and obligations of other citizens. Professors measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of their responsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to their institution. When they speak or act as private persons, they avoid creating the impression of speaking or acting for their college or university. As citizens engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, professors have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.

http://www.aaup.org/report/statement-professional-ethics

4.6     FACULTY WORKLOAD

Champlain College recognizes and values the myriad ways academic work is distinguished from other professions. In this section, we attempt to establish a baseline set of workload expectations that will act as a guide to shape faculty’s professional lives and contributions to the College. This is done with the realization that quantifying much of what faculty members do on a day-to-day basis is a truly daunting task.

At its core, Champlain is centered on undergraduate teaching, but the College also recognizes the importance of institutional service, professional development, and administration as vital components of faculty work. Hence, this policy establishes a framework for each of the three workload categories, across which any individual faculty member’s proportion of effort may vary.

The individual faculty member’s relative workload in each of the five categories should balance the strengths and interests of the faculty member with the goal of meeting the needs of the academic units’ and the College’s programs. All full-time faculty members are not expected to perform at maximum or equal capacity in all areas of faculty work.

While normal distributions are mentioned in this policy as a guideline, faculty members and their academic administrator are encouraged to consult both a faculty member’s personal strengths and interests and the College’s needs and priorities in allocating a faculty member’s time. The Provost, in collaboration with academic administrators, will provide oversight to promote equity of workload assignments across academic units.

It is important to note that while all full-time faculty members may not teach the same number of courses or perform the same levels of service or professional development, the College does expect the total effort for each faculty to be roughly equivalent in time, quality and effort.

Specifically, all faculty members, unless they are on sabbatical or other leave, are expected to contribute 18 FLC’s worth of teaching, advising, service, professional development, and administrative work to the College community per semester, and in the form agreed upon between the faculty member and their academic administrator before the beginning of the academic year, unless that agreement is altered by mutual consent during the academic year.

Definitions - The following definitions apply in this policy:

Course:  Unless otherwise specified, the term “course” is understood to be an undergraduate course which meets three contact hours a week and which is semester-long in duration.

Academic Credit Hour (ACH):  The number of credit hours assigned to a course as listed in the catalog.

Faculty Load Credit (FLC):  A unit of faculty measurement that can be applied to all areas of a faculty member’s workload. For ease of reference, unless otherwise specified, the starting point for determining the Faculty Load Credits associated with a course is the Academic Credit Hours of the course.

However, equating teaching workload with the hours per week of class meetings, or by the common metric of academic credits awarded to students, is an ineffective measure of teaching workload that does not account for a multitude of factors that affect the effort required on the part of faculty. These include team-taught courses, courses substantially outside of a faculty member’s field, courses that require field supervision, and courses in which contact hours exceed academic credit hours. After accounting for these factors, the final determination of the FLCs assigned to a course may be different from hours in the classroom or academic credit hours (ACH) awarded to students.

Indeed the difference between ACH and the actual work required to teach a course is what inspired the use of “Faculty Workload Credits,” or “FLCs” as the unit of measurement for workload, because it enables the “invisible labor” that is part of faculty workload to be made more easily and fully apparent. The goal of surfacing this otherwise invisible labor is to promote equity among faculty members and academic units by measuring all the work that is being done; and to support faculty well-being by keeping workload within reasonable limits.

Full Workload: The sum of teaching, service, professional development, and administrative activities.  

4.6.1     TEACHING

Traditional teaching workload formulations do not take into consideration significant Champlain College initiatives emphasizing experiential learning, interdisciplinary approaches, writing intensive courses, using multimedia for instruction, linking residential life with the classroom, off-campus educational experiences, service-learning, linking general and professional education and cohort learning. The College takes these initiatives seriously and therefore the College and academic units need policies on teaching workload that offer a sophisticated recognition and weighing of these educational activities.

Efforts to improve an individual faculty member’s courses and/or teaching methodology, maintaining currency in one’s field, course maintenance and enhancement, observation of office hours, submission of course syllabi, and course grading are considered a normal part of a faculty member’s normal teaching assignment.

Generally teaching load is spread evenly between the fall and spring semesters.  Upon approval by the Dean, a faculty member’s teaching load will be adjusted based on objective and subjective factors that affect the faculty member’s total workload. Additionally, certain kinds of teaching require different degrees of faculty work and should be reflected in their overall workload. The following section outlines how course loads are determined, which kinds of teaching will be weighted differently from standard practice and the recommended number of course preparations faculty will have during the course of an academic year.

Normal Teaching Load

The normal teaching load is typically four (4) undergraduate courses per semester. In terms of Faculty Load Credits, the normal teaching load is 12 FLCs per semester. In those instances where the 4/4 teaching load is not achieved, e.g., in the event of courses that must be canceled due to insufficient enrollment, faculty will be assigned other duties in the academic unit or College (such as special projects involving additional student advising/counseling, accreditation, etc.). These assignments will be made by the Dean, after consultation with the individual faculty member.

The number of different course preparations during the academic semester will normally be no more than three.  The maximum number of new course preparations will normally be two per year and one per semester; the preferred number is one new course preparation per year.   In cases where a faculty member teaches more than the maximum number of different courses and/or the maximum number of new class preparations, expectations in other areas of workload will be adjusted.

Justification for the assignment of standard teaching loads must be reviewed and determined at the academic unit level.

Special Case: Overloads and Reduction in Teaching Load

Whenever teaching FLCs exceed the semester norm (either in terms of number and/or type of course,) appropriate adjustments should be made to either compensate the faculty member monetarily at a rate equivalent to the compensation that would be paid to a senior adjunct faculty member for teaching the same course and/or to reduce the current or future workload, or other arrangement as is most appropriate for the faculty member’s needs and the College’s financial and administrative ability.

Since teaching FLCs must be agreed upon in writing between the faculty member and their academic unit administrator, if no compensatory workload reduction takes place as agreed, the faculty member shall be paid monetary compensation for the teaching overload during the semester in which the workload reduction was originally intended to take place, or may be provided commensurate reduction in teaching responsibilities within a reasonable timeframe (generally within two semesters,) or other arrangement.

As stated in 4.6.6, faculty members shall have the ability to accept or reject paid or unpaid overloads. Rejecting an overload shall not have negative consequences.

Faculty who are new to the role of teaching will be considered for workload reduction (teaching and/or non-teaching,) with the approval of the Chief Academic Officer, during the first semester of service to the College in order to support their transition to the profession. This workload reduction will not impact salary paid to those faculty members.

Special Case: Teaching FLCs and ACHs not equal

Equating teaching workload with hours per week of class meetings, or by the common metric of academic credits awarded to students, is a defective measure of teaching workload that does not account for a multitude of factors that affect the effort required on the part of faculty.  The teaching load component of faculty workload is not the same as hours in the classroom or as its rough equivalent, academic credit hours (ACH) awarded to students. Champlain’s workload policy recognizes these multiple factors by awarding Faculty Load Credits (FLCs) for some types of course which differ from the academic credit earned by students. These include team-taught courses, courses that require field supervision, and courses in which contact hours exceed academic credit hours.

Special Case: Team Teaching

The following is offered as an institutional guideline for assigning FLCs to team-taught courses and may be modified upon approval by the Dean.

For the special case of team-taught, five-credit capstone courses, each member of the two person teaching team will receive 3 FLCs.

Special Case: Courses that Require Field Supervision

The following FLC equivalencies are institutional guidelines and may be modified by the appropriate academic administrator, subject to approval by the Provost.

Supervision of student teaching and pre-student teaching

• Faculty receive 3 FLCs for supervising three to five (3 to 5) students;

• Faculty receive 6 FLCs for supervising six to ten (6 to 10) students;

• Cap observations to 10 students per faculty member. Supervision includes one observation per week for the duration of the student teaching period, travel time, meeting time outside of the observation with the student and supervising teacher, portfolio work tied to student teaching experience, availability to the student for consultation, setting up the placement, and activities related to maintaining the placement.

Supervision of Internships

• The academic units will have specific policies on teaching workload supervision of internships. These policies must be developed collaboratively with consultation between the academic administrator and the faculty in the academic unit.

Special Case: One-Credit Courses or Courses in which Contact Hours Exceed Credit Hours

• Faculty who teach studio courses will be awarded 4 FLCs for studio classes that meet 5 hours per week (3 contact hours plus 2 hours of direct student supervision).  Supervision of a two-hour studio course without the regular course will be awarded 1.0 FLCs.

• For those science classes with labs which require set-up, clean-up and grading:

The class is a 4-semester credit hour class and is split between lecture and lab hours.  The lecture portion of the class meets for 3 classroom hours with 2 additional laboratory hours.  The students are awarded 4 ACHs, and the faculty are awarded 3 teaching credits toward their FLCs. Lab credits count for 2 FLCs, correlating with actual laboratory contact hours. Laboratory sessions require ordering supplies, assuring their functionality, prepping solutions, slides, etc., setting up the required materials for each student, teaching the lab, monitoring students and equipment throughout the lab and upon completion, cleaning up all that has been utilized. Laboratory exercises are often created and modified by each individual faculty member and generate assignments for weekly grading. Laboratories have their own additional assessments that lead to extensive preparation and additional grading. 

• For other classes in which contact hours exceed credit hours, the following FLC equivalency is offered as a guideline and may be modified by the academic administrator. Each contact hour in excess of 3 contact hours per week is assigned 0.5 FLCs.  (For example, classes that meet 4 contact hours per week are assigned 3.5 FLCs; classes that meet 5 contact hours per week are assigned 4.0 FLCs.)

Special Case:  Courses that Require Extensive Modification to Maintain Currency

The Dean may choose to offset additional workload for courses that require more than normal modification, especially if circumstances require that the course revision be completed on a short timeline, with additional workload credits or with workload reduction in other areas.  Alternatively, the academic unit may have a specific policy to limit the number of courses requiring extensive modification to a maximum, for example four per year, two per semester. 

Special Case:  Core Courses

Core Division faculty members’ work takes place within a curricular context marked by several distinguishing elements with a unique bearing on faculty workload:

As the faculty members responsible for providing general education at an institution predicated on career education, Core professors must inspire students’ appreciation of subjects outside their majors and cultivate in students the habits of mind that characterize the successful, well-rounded citizen and professional in today’s global community. The interdisciplinary design of the Core curriculum requires every faculty member in the division to master subject matter from at least one academic discipline, and often from several academic disciplines, outside of her, his or their “home” discipline and to integrate this disciplinary knowledge into a coherent praxis. Core faculty members are responsible for ensuring that a majority of the College competencies are addressed in their courses. Some of the competencies represent the vital “soft skills,” such as written communication, so much in demand in today’s knowledge-based economy.

For the above reasons, Core faculty workloads are bound by the following conditions:

• First year Core courses are capped at a maximum of 20 students per section. 
• Core faculty are not expected to advise students.

Special Case:  Special Out of Class, Teaching-Related Activities (Division of Communication and Creative Media)

Full-time faculty in the Division of Communication and Creative Media are expected to review the portfolios of all majors in the division and to conduct an extensive review with all sophomores.  Review of 35 to 40 portfolios is deemed roughly equivalent to one FLC.

Special Case: Review of Portfolios

Full-time faculty in programs with portfolios may be called upon to review portfolios as part of their teaching duties. Based on the requirements for sophomore portfolios in the Division of Communication & Creative Media as of the time of this Handbook provision (Fall 2020), review of 35-40 portfolios is deemed roughly equivalent to one FLC.

Special Case:  Participation in Innovation Initiatives and Other Collaborative Course and Program Development Activities

Because collaboration and the development of new programs is workload intensive, they should be given consideration when determining faculty total workload. In the case of Librarian, this work could count toward service to the College.

These activities are typically pedagogical in nature so, unless the faculty member strongly desires something different, they should be regarded as teaching FLCs. Faculty may receive a course release, alternative form of workload reduction, compensation, or other arrangement.

Some activities relating to curriculum and program development might include:

• Program Review
• Participation in or Leadership of an Innovation Initiative
• Developing external partnerships to support project-based learning

Special Case:  Professional Development in Experiential and Project-based Learning

Faculty with limited knowledge of experiential and project-based learning are strongly encouraged to undertake professional development in this area. To support this important professional development work, academic administrators will work with faculty to reduce workload in whichever of the five workload areas the faculty prefers or design other arrangements.

Academic Advising

An important and integral part of the Champlain College student experience is the life/career and academic advising provided by the faculty. Whenever possible, students are advised by faculty in their major.

The number of advisees assigned will generally not exceed 40 students. The number of advisees per advising FLC shall generally not exceed 15, and may be less for advisees requiring special care and attention (see the special case below.)

In the event that professional accreditation requires a lower limit on academic advising, the accreditation standards will take precedence.

Special Case:  Unofficial Advising and Mentoring by Faculty with Marginalized Identities

As part of our institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Champlain College acknowledges with deep appreciation the often-invisible mentoring and support work done by black faculty and other faculty of color, non-binary faculty, and other faculty who belong to marginalized groups. In an effort to promote workload equity between all faculty, we encourage faculty who are doing informal mentoring work to report it as part of their advising workload so that an equitable workload can be achieved.

Special Case:  Time Intensive Advising

The following are recommended as guidelines:

Office Hours

Faculty members are expected to be responsive to students seeking advice and counsel from their professors, and to use a combination of email, phone, learning management systems or other accessible technologies to further engage with their students outside of class. Faculty should use their own discretion in setting reasonable office hour expectations consistent with course credit-hours. This requirement can be fulfilled by holding in-person office hours and/or by scheduling meetings with students at a mutually convenient time and place (including video conferencing) within a reasonable time frame. Office hours and/or procedures for students to arrange meetings with faculty members will be posted in a prominent place and available to students as well as to administrative offices upon request.

Grading

(See the College Catalog)

In conjunction with frequent evaluations, mid-semester grades help students know their level of progress. Faculty members submit mid-semester grades for each student to the Registrar on or before the date specified in the academic calendar. Grades are to be submitted using the on-line grade entry process.

4.6.2     PROFESSIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SERVICE

Although not all Champlain College faculty have formal administrative duties, all faculty share in non-teaching responsibilities related to the continued vitality of the College. Specifically, the college recognizes the importance of faculty participation in endeavors like college governance, student recruitment and community outreach. The list of possibilities for what counts for service at Champlain College varies widely and faculty are expected to participate in areas that capitalize on their individual strengths and interests.  While the service possibilities are numerous, faculty should not be expected to do all things all of the time. Plans for service should combine the needs of the institution with the interests of the individual faculty member.     

Although faculty exercise a high degree of control over their service contributions, there are some service-oriented duties that are inherent to the role of faculty and that all faculty are expected to perform. In addition, to these duties, which are not awarded FLCs, faculty may choose from a menu of service activities. Normally, faculty will contribute three (3) service Faculty Load Credits (FLCs) per academic semester. Three service FLCs should be roughly equivalent to the time and effort involved in teaching a standard three-credit undergraduate course. 

Some service responsibilities are compensated with teaching load reductions. For situations in which the service FLCs exceed the semester norm, a faculty member will be compensated with a future workload reduction, typically within a year’s time. It may not always be possible to make adjustments to a faculty member’s future service workload.  In those cases, the Dean and the faculty member will negotiate lowered expectations in other workload areas. Those lowered expectations will be explicitly clarified in the faculty member’s evaluation goals.

Service Expected of All Faculty

All faculty will be expected to attend meetings of their academic unit and the Faculty Senate. Faculty members are also expected to attend College ceremonies (e.g. Commencement). Faculty members are required to be available for scheduled events during the week before the beginning of each fall semester, which constitutes New Faculty Orientation and Course Preparation Week. (The College maintains an Academic Calendar with key dates pertinent to faculty and students on the main College website (http://www.champlain.edu/faculty-and-staff/academic-affairs/academic-calendars.) Faculty should refer to the calendar for specific dates within the academic year.

Mid-Semester and Between-Semester Breaks

Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks are standardized breaks from holding class sessions. During these breaks, teaching faculty shall not be required to attend any college meetings, activities or events. However, faculty must be available by email and/or phone for three business days after the final grade deadline at the end of each semester, to provide input if needed, on reviews of student academic standing.

Service Faculty Load Credits

Consultation between the academic unit academic administrator and a faculty member in advance of the academic year will determine the service contribution that the faculty member will be expected to make during that year. The determination of which non-classroom activities will constitute institutional service as part of a faculty member’s workload should be:

•  Flexible enough to deal with individual circumstances;

• Specific enough to allow for accountability, evaluation, recognition, and reward;

• Focused on achieving institutional, program and academic unit goals;

• Consistently and equitably applied to all full-time members of the academic unit; and

• Reflective of expectations for fulfilling the responsibilities of the service. 

The requirement for three (3) service FLCs per semester may be met by a combination of services that meet the requirement.  FLC equivalencies in parentheses below are suggestions.

• Serving as a regularly-attending member of an active committee (academic unit, Faculty Senate, ad hoc, or College level) (membership on each committee typically counts for one FLC per semester);

• Serving as Faculty Senate President (6 FLCs per semester, 3 of which are normally given as a course release)

• Serving as a Faculty Senate officer and/or on the Senate Executive Committee (Vice President - 2 FLCs per semester; Secretary - 2 FLCs per semester);

• Chairing any Faculty Senate or College committee (Curriculum - 3 FLCs per semester; Welfare - 2 FLCs per semester; all others - 1.5 FLCs per semester);

• Reviewing Admissions portfolios (120 to 150, 1 FLC per semester);

• Chairing program accreditation self-study (2 to 3 FLCs per semester depending on workload);

• Participating actively in Admissions, marketing, parent/alumni and donor events;

• Chairing/serving on search committees, curriculum revision committees, etc.;

• Serving as a course “point person”;

• Mentoring peers or junior faculty;

• Conducting peer evaluations of teaching;

• Sponsoring/advising a student club or organization;

• Providing in-house development opportunities for faculty;

• Doing community outreach such as pro-bono consulting with community agencies, participation on relevant cultural educational or governmental organizations, etc.

Note: Champlain College strongly values its faculty’s involvement in service to the greater community. Such work may be considered as a possible fulfillment of a faculty member’s service requirement. Faculty involvement in the community may also be part of course work in which the faculty member leads students to engage in the community (i.e. field placements, student teaching, service projects, membership in community clubs, projects, or organizations). Likewise, community involvement may be an aspect of a faculty member’s professional development (i.e. research, joint projects, consulting).

See Section 6.3 for detail on how professional and institutional service is weighted in the annual performance review.

4.6.3     PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Champlain College supports and encourages personal and professional growth of its faculty, offering professional development opportunities to enhance teaching practices, creative endeavors, and scholarship in all its forms. 

Faculty members of Champlain College are expected to engage in appropriate professional development activities that foster their growth as individuals, teachers, practitioners, artists, scholars and members of the Champlain and broader community. It is important to stay abreast of developments in one’s professional or disciplinary field as a facet of teaching preparation, and active professional development presents a model of inquiry consistent with the thrust of faculty members’ work as teachers.  For these reasons, professional development activities that reach beyond the scope of direct course preparation are considered part of faculty workload.

Considering professional development as an integral part of faculty work, and workload, increases the likelihood that this “extra” work will not be sacrificed for more direct contributions to one’s teaching. It acknowledges faculty members’ efforts to stay current in their fields, to maintain sharp learning habits, to bring to their classrooms diverse perspectives from the world outside Champlain’s campus, and to model enthusiasm for inquiry-based learning and for the cultivation of a professional identity.

The nature of professional development activities may vary by academic discipline and by a faculty member’s years of experience.  The following list of is suggestive, but not inclusive, of activities that contribute to personal and professional enhancement:

• Work on scholarly and creative projects;
• Participation in courses, workshops, seminars and meetings to improve teaching skills and practices;
• Formal or informal study to maintain currency in one’s field;
• Field-related work activities;
• Participation in conferences or events that develop skills in areas such as grant writing, publishing, creative endeavors, curriculum design, assessment, administration, etc.;
• Developing new areas of scholarship;
• Redesigning courses;
• Active membership in professional organizations (officer, conference committee, editorial board, etc;)
• Participating in interpersonal skills conferences and workshops such as improving work relationships, gender politics, diversity, etc.;
• Incorporating new instructional techniques and strategies; and
• Presenting the results of scholarship and creative activities.

To a greater extent than in teaching assignments and service to the institution, professional development initiatives originate with faculty members in accordance with their goals. The faculty member is therefore responsible for creating a professional development plan and discussing it with the dean during the development discussion of the annual evaluation meeting.

Course and Service Load Reduction

Some professional development initiatives may be compensated with a reduced teaching and/or service load. The relative weight of one’s professional development activity within one’s workload is the product of negotiation between a faculty member and her, his or their Dean.

4.6.4     ADMINISTRATIVE WORK

Some faculty at Champlain College carry out administrative duties.  They may serve as assistant deans, program directors (undergraduate and graduate), program coordinators, or department chairs, depending on the organizational structure of their academic unit. In addition, student support centers and labs may be administered by faculty.

Appropriate administrative FLCs for faculty with administrative roles will be negotiated between the faculty member and the appropriate academic administrator.

Administrative responsibilities carried out by faculty may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Managing curriculum updates and development;

• Obtaining external input and engagement on curriculum;

• Enhancing the profile and quality of program by cultivating external relationships (through serving on the boards of, giving presentations to, and/or providing professional advice and consulting to community groups, non-profits, local businesses, and governmental entities);

• Reviewing course development milestones;

• Managing program learning outcomes (PLOs), assessment plans and writing annual assessment reports;

• Writing annual program reports;

• Managing program budgets;

• Overseeing accreditation compliance;

• Assessing program technology and space needs and creating relevant proposals;

• Overseeing lab spaces;

• Writing grants;

• Attending and participating in leadership meetings and meetings with academic unit academic administrators;

• Reviewing program marketing materials;

• Meeting with Admissions recruiter teams;

• Ensuring program representation at Open Houses and Admitted Student Days;

• Coordinating sophomore portfolio reviews;

• Coordinating Capstone;

• Organizing and attending senior showcases, program events, and other experiences (job fair, speakers, hikes, senior activities);

• Reviewing transfer credits where specific expertise is requested, and helping Champlain students in other majors transfer into new programs;

• Reviewing entrance portfolios;

• Approving course substitutions;

• Addressing daily issues of program students;

• Helping students secure internships;

• Offering content expertise for student academic support, such as providing training for and nomination of well-qualified students who serve as Smart Space tutors;

• Holding meetings of program faculty;

• Searching, selecting, (informally) hiring, supporting, and observing and preparing formal evaluations for adjunct faculty;

• Chairing search committees for program faculty;

• Scheduling courses and managing enrollment during the academic year and/or in the summer;

Responsibilities shall be clearly described in individual workload agreements agreed to by the faculty member and the appropriate academic academic administrator.

If an academic administrator deems it appropriate to hire a faculty member for summer administrative work, the scope of that work shall be clearly described in an appointment letter. The scope of work should be clearly limited to tasks that are to be carried out during the summer; work that extends into the academic year (unless it does so as the result of a faculty member’s failure to complete agreed-upon summer tasks) shall be included in a faculty member’s total FLCs for that academic year.

In some cases, the College may offer stipends for administrative work

4.6.5     REGULAR WORKLOAD EVALUATION - ACADEMIC UNIT-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

At least three months prior to the start of the academic year, each faculty member shall meet with their academic unit administrator to discuss and agree upon workload tasks and FLCs for the upcoming academic year. This agreement shall be recorded in writing to ensure clarity and full understanding. The College will expect that faculty members and academic unit administrators use standardized forms to facilitate evaluation and distribution of overall workload.

If a faculty member’s workload in the prior academic year deviated from what was initially agreed upon, appropriate adjustments should be made at this time to reduce future workload, adjust compensation, or other arrangement, as is most appropriate for the faculty member’s needs and the College’s financial ability.

Given the variation in disciplines at the College, it is desirable for academic unit administrators and faculty to have flexibility in addressing workload issues that are unique to an academic unit.  Academic unit administrators, in collaboration with faculty in the academic unit, may create and disseminate workload guidelines specific to that unit. In no case shall the academic unit guidelines conflict with policy defined in this section. All such academic unit guidelines shall be subject to the approval of the Provost.

4.6.6     OVERLOADS AND WORKLOADS

Workload Decisions

Champlain College respects the work-life balance and personal responsibilities of its faculty members. Faculty members shall have the ability to accept or reject paid or unpaid overloads. Rejecting an overload shall not have negative consequences.

4.6.7     DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IS A REQUIRED AND PRIORITIZED PART OF A FACULTY MEMBER’S WORKLOAD

In order to fulfill faculty commitments to DEI that are outlined in section 4.1, each faculty member must identify at least 2 FLCs per academic year as DEI-related.

These 2 FLCs are not over and above other FLC requirements, but rather an overlapping part of a faculty member’s workload activities. It may be helpful to think of DEI FLC’s as a form of “double-dipping”. For example, a faculty member might choose to redesign an existing course in order to incorporate readings from a diverse range of perspectives and receive both additional teaching FLCs and DEI FLCs for doing so, or to lead a faculty reading group or serve as a faculty advisor to a relevant student club and be awarded both service and DEI FLCs for doing so.

Faculty members, in consultation with their academic administrators, may choose a range of activities spread out over multiple workload areas to satisfy the DEI requirement, or may choose to focus on a more significant project in one workload area.

It is the college’s expectation that at least some of a faculty member’s DEI-related activities will be collaborative in nature. “Collaborative” activities might include facilitating or attending campus workshops, speaker events, or reading groups; being a member of an innovation initiative for a DEI-related course or program; and/or reporting out to the faculty on the results of an individually-undertaken DEI-related project.

Because DEI work is ongoing and faculty development in this area can never be regarded as “complete”, faculty are expected to take on new challenges each year. Faculty are strongly encouraged to develop their DEI learning in areas noted as particularly problematic for students at the College and in their academic unit.

In some cases, if student surveys or other evidence suggest it is warranted, a faculty member’s academic administrator may mandate specific DEI-related professional development activities for that faculty member. This professional development will count toward the faculty member’s 2 FLC annual total for DEI work and will also earn the faculty member an appropriate amount of professional development FLCs.

This requirement is designed to ensure that all faculty members devote significant time and energy to this important work, but also to take into account the different levels of knowledge and skill faculty members have in this area; to allow faculty members to take on new challenges each year as their understanding and confidence grow; and to enable the community as a whole to benefit from the various strengths and interests of its faculty members by providing opportunities for them to serve as educators and facilitators for other community members.

The way in which faculty members fulfill this requirement shall be agreed upon between faculty members and their academic administrator, and shall comprise an important part of a faculty member’s annual evaluation.