6. Selected Academic Affairs Policies

6.1     SEARCH PROCEDURES FOR FULL-TIME FACULTY

Faculty Search Committees are established to help develop a faculty search strategy, assist in establishing candidate selection criteria, review applicants’ qualifications, and to make recommendations to the Division Dean, Provost and President. See People Center Recruitment Toolkit: https://www.champlain.edu/faculty-and-staff/people-center/managers/recruitment-toolkit

6.2     ORIENTATION OF FIRST-YEAR FACULTY

The Provost has primary responsibility for orienting first-year faculty to the policies, regulations, and procedures of the College. The orientation will include familiarizing new faculty with personnel policies; faculty rights, obligations, and responsibilities; the role of faculty in governance; relevant student policies; expectations; and support services for faculty and students.

An informative resource is maintained on the Academic Affairs website covering policies, procedures and contact information.

6.3     FACULTY EVALUATIONS - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

At the end of a faculty member’s appointment term, each faculty member is evaluated on how successfully he or she has met the outlined expectations in the areas of teaching, service, and professional development and achievement.  For those with one year appointments, such as newly hired Assistant Professors, this would mean the evaluation process is completed annually.  For more senior faculty, including those who carry the rank of Associate or Full Professor, this process would apply only in years in which appointments would need to be renewed. For example, a faculty member with a four year appointment term would engage in the review process outlined here in his or her fourth year.

6.3.1     EVALUATION CRITERIA

The typical faculty member is evaluated according to a weighting schema of 75% for teaching, 15% for service, and 10% for professional development and achievement. However, the faculty member and his/her Dean may adjust these typical weightings by joint agreement at the beginning of the academic year. Faculty collaboration is also highly valued at Champlain College, and it is recognized that “collaboration” can exist in many forms that cut across all three primary focus areas (teaching, service and professional development.) In unusual circumstances, such as reassignment of faculty responsibilities, by mutual agreement between the Dean and the faculty member, the weights may be approved for change during the academic year to reflect the change in assignment.

6.3.2     EVIDENCE

Faculty members submit evidence to the Dean to document goal attainment and performance in teaching effectiveness, service, and professional development and achievement. Evidence shall include a self-evaluation and statement of the goals and commitments that were agreed to in the prior year(s).

When completing the summative evaluation, the Dean must consider the following data sources: goals from the prior year, the self-evaluation, instructional load and types of course, student reactions to instruction and courses (such as IDEA results), the faculty’s participation in DEI activities, the Peer Exchange Process, and other sources from the list on the summative evaluation form, as appropriate. The evaluation of a faculty’s teaching should be considered holistically, across all data sources, with an eye to the faculty’s dedication to and improvement of their teaching.

6.3.3     DEAN’S EVALUATION

After weighing multiple factors and several perspectives (including the faculty prepared self-evaluation and discussion with the faculty member), the Dean assigns one of the following overall qualitative summative evaluations to each faculty member: Needs Improvement, Successful, or Exemplary.  The Dean’s narrative should discuss the rationale for the rating.  See Appendix for a link to the Dean’s Summative Evaluation Form.

This evaluative ranking applies throughout a faculty member’s appointment term.  Faculty members with multi-year appointments may choose to engage in the full evaluation process outlined here any time after the midpoint of the appointment term.  In the event that the performance of a faculty member with a multi-year appointment is determined to be below acceptable standards for more than one term, a performance improvement program and annual evaluations will be initiated.

6.3.4     ANNUAL PROGRESS

During years in which the faculty member need not engage in the full evaluation process as outlined above, the faculty member will continue to meet with his or her dean at least annually to review and update progress on goals outlined in the last full evaluation.  The Workload Plan form, which can be found through a link in the Appendix to this Handbook, will provide a basis for reflection on the past year’s work, as well as workload discussion and negotiation between faculty members and their academic unit administrators for the upcoming year.

6.4     STUDENT SAFETY IN ACADEMIC SETTING

Faculty should provide instruction in safety procedures to students who are engaged in academic activities (e.g., in classrooms, laboratories and/or off-campus activities that are officially and directly related to instruction) where a known potential danger is present. Unsafe conditions of equipment or facilities should be reported by faculty to the Provost’s Office (or an appropriate designee.)

6.5     COURSE OVERLOADS

Faculty members are not assigned course overloads, except for unusual circumstances, as approved by the academic dean and Provost. Faculty who teach overloads are compensated an amount equal to the highest standard rate paid to adjuncts.

6.6     INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES

Faculty members may choose to work on a volunteer basis with students on an independent study course. See College Catalog for current guidelines.

6.7     MINIMUM ENROLLMENT CLASS CANCELLATION

Champlain College’s minimum class enrollment is six (6) students. If class enrollment falls below this minimum, the class may be canceled.  The Division Dean will work with faculty to determine if an under-enrolled class should be held or canceled. The College may also offer faculty the option of pro-rated payment for an under-enrolled class, especially if the class is needed by students in order to graduate or complete studies in their major.

6.8     FACULTY-AUTHORED BOOKS

Champlain College faculty members may adopt books or textbooks they have authored or edited only upon demonstrating to the Dean of the division in which the course is offered that the selected material:

• Is relevant to the objectives of the course;
• Supersedes other available work in the field;
• Generally does not constitute the majority of books/texts for the class.

6.9     RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FACULTY AND STUDENTS - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

In general, Champlain College prohibits sexual or romantic relationships between faculty and students, and considers such relationships to be inappropriate and contrary to a professional code of conduct that is expected of faculty in an academic community.  The only exception to this prohibition would be in situations where a faculty member and a student were in a relationship before the student began his or her studies at the College. Such situations would be handled in accordance to the “Related Persons as Students” policy stated immediately below.

6.10     RELATED PERSONS AS STUDENTS - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

Faculty members should avoid being placed in a position of authority over relatives or significant others concerning their teaching or advising. In the event that avoidance of conflict is not possible, or unfair to the student, the faculty member must disclose the relationship to the academic Dean who must approve exceptions to this policy and who will oversee the evaluation process of the student.

For the purpose of this policy, a “related student” is a spouse, civil union partner, child, child of a civil union partner, stepchild, ward, foster child, parent, parent of a spouse or a civil union partner, sibling, or sibling of a spouse or civil union partner.

6.11     GRADUATE FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEE APPROVAL

It is expected that graduate faculty, whether regular full-time or part-time will have a terminal degree or appropriate credentials in the field they will be teaching. The graduate Program Director or other appropriate administrator determines whether a faculty member with documented, professional experience but without a terminal degree is qualified to teach in the program. If possible, faculty with terminal degrees shall constitute a vast majority (70% or more) of the faculty in a particular program. All graduate faculty members are expected to remain current and involved in their disciplines, engaging in such activities as presentations, research and publication, conference attendance, membership in professional societies, professional work in  their field  of  expertise, performances, and/or other scholarly activities. This policy applies in a general way to all programs; individual programs may develop specific policies as appropriate for their field and for their respective professional accreditation standards.

6.12     OUTSIDE AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

While the primary responsibility of a full-time faculty member is to Champlain College, limited consulting and other outside activities of a professional nature are encouraged. These activities may help the faculty member’s professional development and/or contributions to student learning. However, these activities should not interfere with fulfilling responsibilities to the College.

6.13     FACULTY EMERITA/EMERITUS - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEE APPROVAL

Faculty who retire from the College and who meet the criteria described below may be accorded the designation of Faculty Emerita or Faculty Emeritus. The designation identifies the designee as a continuing member of the College community.

6.13.1     CRITERIA FOR EMERITA/EMERITUS STATUS

The College grants emerita /emeritus status to retired faculty in recognition of their sustained contributions to Champlain College. The designation of emerita/emeritus status is awarded to those who throughout their distinguished careers have excelled in the multiple roles of the professoriate: teaching and student engagement, institutional service, professional development, scholarship, and collegiality and who have served a significant portion of their careers at Champlain. In awarding this designation, the College extends a culminating honor to the recipients for their past contributions and encourages a future relationship through sustained participation in the social and ceremonial functions of the faculty.

6.13.2     PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING EMERITA/EMERITUS STATUS

The Chief Academic Officer will evaluate faculty who, upon retirement, may meet or exceed the criteria for emerita/emeritus status and make a recommendation to the President. The President will evaluate the candidate and make a recommendation to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees. Upon recommendation of the Committee, the Board of Trustees will confer emerita/emeritus status to the individual.

6.13.3     EMERITA/EMERITUS PRIVILEGES

• Listing with faculty in the Champlain College publications and websites;
• Library privileges;
• Campus mailbox, if desired;
• Campus email address, if desired;
• Invitation to participate in public ceremonies, convocations, commencements, academic processions and other College functions open to faculty;
• Use of campus recreation and fitness facilities;
• Employee discount at Bookstore;
• Opportunity to audit courses, subject to instructor consent and space availability.

6.14     INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) - AMENDMENT REQUIRES BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL

In accordance with federal regulations (see 45 CFR 46.109) Champlain College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) will have the exclusive authority to:

• Approve, require modifications in (to secure approval,) or disapprove of all research activities involving human subjects conducted at Champlain College.
• Suspend or rescind approval of research involving human subjects not conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or that has been associated with unexpected serious harm to subjects.

Officials of the institution may not approve a research proposal if Champlain College’s IRB has disapproved it (see 45 CFR 46.112).

See Institutional Review Board webpage for full details: https://www.champlain.edu/faculty-and-staff/academic-affairs/institutional-review-board

6.15     COURSE WITHDRAWALS

There are two ways in which students may be officially withdrawn from a course. The student may voluntarily withdraw or the student may be involuntarily withdrawn by the instructor.

Reasons for involuntary withdrawal include, but are not limited to, violations of the College’s Standard of Conduct, disciplinary problems, or damaging the College’s relationships with internships or project sites.See current College Catalog for full details.

6.15.1  WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COLLEGE - MEDICAL

Champlain College is committed to the safety and well-being of its community members and to the integrity of the living and learning environment. Our goal, therefore, is to maintain the health and safety of each individual in our community and to enable all enrolled students to participate fully in the life of the College. As part of this committment, policies for Voluntary Medical Leave of Absence and Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence can be found in the current College Catalog.

6.16     FINAL TESTING PERIOD

Faculty must convene a class during the final testing period. Faculty will be notified by email as to when and where the final exam schedule will be posted.

6.17     COURSES WITH AN EMBEDDED TRAVEL COMPONENT

The Office of International Education works with faculty / staff members to facilitate planning, risk management, and budgeting for all faculty/staff led study abroad programs. All short term study abroad programs need approval from the appropriate Division Dean or Department, the Office of International Education and the Finance office. For more information, see https://www.champlain.edu/academics/champlain-abroad/international-education/faculty-resources-oie/faculty-led-trip-resources

All courses with an embedded travel component must go through the same curriculum approval process as all other new courses. A section of an existing course being proposed to include an embedded travel component is considered a new course for the purposes of this policy if the originally approved course proposal did not include such a requirement.

In order to receive approval, faculty/staff need to submit a syllabus/program description, a detailed itinerary, and propose a budget. A link to the budget form is available at  http://www.champlain.edu/faculty-and-staff/academic-affairs/teaching-and-support-resources/study-abroad-program-planning.

Participating faculty/staff and students need to participate in pre-departure orientations and complete all program application and participation forms. Please review the faculty and staff led education abroad manual for guidance.

The Office of International Education has set policies that cover the risk management needs for all education abroad programs.  Each education abroad program may have unique risk management  needs,  and  it  is  important  to  work  closely  with  the Office  of  International Education to navigate the program specifics.  All students, faculty, and staff are required to purchase a comprehensive international health insurance policy.  Additionally, students must fill out essential forms which consist of a Contract for Participation, Travel Waiver, and an Emergency Contact/Medical Information form.  Faculty should contact the Study Abroad Coordinator to purchase the study abroad medical insurance and to receive samples of the essential forms.

Champlain College reserves the right to cancel a program due to health, safety and/or security concerns, low enrollment, or any other reason. In the event of a cancellation, every effort will be made to return recoverable costs to students.

Should a student decide to withdraw from a program after signing the contract for participation, they will be accountable for all program related fees.

6.18     COURSE CREDITS

Federal regulation and the policies of the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, formerly NEASC) provide a definition of the credit hour to be used in designing courses and determining credit allocations for educational experiences. In the following policy, quoted from the NEASC Policy on Credits and Degrees, the term “hour” is equivalent to 50 minutes.

Federal regulation defines a credit hour as an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalence that reasonably approximates not less than:

• One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
• At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

By federal regulation, at the time of the Comprehensive Evaluation, the Commission will review the institution’s policies and procedures for determining the credit hours that the institution awards for courses and programs and how those policies and procedures are applied to the institution’s programs and coursework. As part of its review, using sampling or other methods, the Commission must make a reasonable determination of whether the institution’s assignment of credit hours conforms to commonly accepted practice in higher education. If, following this institutional review process, the Commission finds systematic non-compliance with this policy or significant noncompliance regarding one or more programs at the institution, the Commission is obliged to promptly notify the Secretary of Education.

Note: Additional academic policies, e.g. graduation requirements, course withdrawals, retaking courses, etc. may be referenced in the online College Catalogs.