AP 3-10a Employment Standards for Faculty and Instructors

Arapahoe Community College
Series 3 – College Personnel
AP 3-10a Employment Standards for Faculty and Instructors

Originated: August 1994

Revised: August 2006; February 2016; July 2016; November 2017

Effective: August 1994; August 2006; February 2016; July 2016; January 2018

References: BP 3-10; BP 3-80; SP 3-10; AP 3-10; AP 3-10b

Approved:

Diana M. Doyle, Ph.D. President, Arapahoe Community College

PURPOSE

This procedure provides guidance for the selection, retention, evaluation, workload, and maintenance of employment records for faculty members and instructors employed by Arapahoe Community College. It is our intent to select faculty and instructors who have the ability to understand and convey the essentials of a specific discipline in a college environment. Minimally qualified faculty and instructors should be able to engage professionally with colleagues regarding the learning objectives for program graduates, as well as possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions appropriate to the credential awarded. (Adopted from Official HLC Guidelines, March 2016.)

This Procedure contains pertinent information affecting faculty members and instructors, current through the date of its issuance. To the extent that any provision of this Procedure is inconsistent with State or Federal law, State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Policies (BPs) or Colorado Community College System President’s Procedures (SPs), the law, BPs and SPs shall supersede and control. BPs and SPs are subject to change throughout the year and are effective immediately upon adoption by the Board or System President, respectively. Faculty members and instructors are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the BPs, SPs as well as College directives, including but not limited to this Procedure.

Nothing in this Procedure is intended to create (nor shall be construed as creating) an express or implied contract or to guarantee employment for any term. The College reserves the right to modify, change, delete or add to this Procedure as it deems appropriate.

SCOPE

This procedure applies to faculty and instructors.

DEFINITIONS

Faculty: Faculty employees are those whose assignments are comprised of at least one-half of duties as a teacher, which may include but not be limited to, program coordination/development and related activities. Counselors and librarians holding faculty contracts prior to July 1, 1995 may also be treated as faculty. Faculty members shall be assigned status according to one of the following:

1. Regular Faculty
   
   Regular faculty may be full-time or part-time and are contracted on a provisional or non-provisional basis for at least one-half of a full-time equivalent workload. Regular faculty positions are funded entirely by funds appropriated to the Board by the General Assembly and allocated by the Board to a College, and/or funds received from a school district for purposes of providing secondary vocational education (state funds). Faculty members who were hired to fill provisional or non-provisional positions funded by state funds and who are assigned involuntarily or temporarily to a position funded in whole or in part by non-state funds shall retain their status as regular faculty members. Regular faculty members have rights as defined in BP 3-20 Due Process for Faculty.

2. Limited Faculty
    

   Limited faculty may be full-time or part-time and hold contracts that are expressly limited so as to carry no expectancy of continued employment beyond the term of the contract, as determined by the College President. Limited faculty employment in state-funded positions shall not extend beyond three years. Limited faculty employment may be extended beyond three years only if the position is funded from other than State funds. State funds are defined in BP 3-20. Limited faculty are subject to the terms of their contract.

Instructor: Instructor employees are hired to teach on a temporary as needed basis at an hourly rate within a range established by the Board. Any such appointment shall be for less than one academic year. Successive appointments may be made on an unlimited basis. Instructors are subject to the terms of their appointment and have no benefits except those provided by law. College presidents shall establish employment standards for instructors, including but not limited to, workload, hiring procedures, performance evaluation, personnel records and other related issues, consistent with system guidelines.

PROCEDURE

1. Faculty and Instructor Recruitment and Selection Guidelines
   
   Instructional Deans with oversight and approval of the Vice President for Instruction/Provost and in coordination with Human Resources maintain responsibility for the recruitment and selection of faculty.
   
   Instructional Chairs and Directors with oversight of the Deans and in coordination with Human Resources maintain responsibility for the recruitment and selection of instructors within their discipline/program.

   Refer to AP 3-10 Employment Selection Procedure for hiring process information

2. Employment Qualifications
   
   AP 3-10b Faculty and Instructor Qualifications describes the minimum qualification requirements and the verification process for teaching general education, developmental, and career and technical education courses.
3. Workload
   
   In accordance with BP 3-80 Faculty and Instructor Workload, system-wide assignments should not exceed 21 credit hours per semester unless approved by the College President. Colleges have the discretion of setting other workload maximums as needed for academic reasons. Instructor maximum teaching and other approved assignments shall not be in excess of 13 credit hours unless approved by the Vice President for Instruction/Provost. Consistent with BP 3-10 Administration of Personnel, the maximum teaching assignment for instructors shall be for less than one academic year.

4. Evaluation
   
   Faculty performance plan and evaluation are described in AP 3-31 Evaluation of Faculty Job Performance.

   
   Student course evaluations are conducted for each class taught by faculty and instructors. Evaluations are available for review by the faculty, instructor, and supervisor.
   
   Classroom Observations

   1. Faculty classroom observations are conducted annually for non-provisional faculty and twice per year for provisional faculty, and are included as part of the faculty evaluation process. Additional faculty classroom observations may be conducted as needed.
   2. Instructor classroom observations are conducted during the first term of employment for each new instructor. After that, instructors are observed in the classroom annually or more often as appropriate. The Instructional Chair, Director, or designated full-time faculty member can complete classroom observations. Instructors shall be provided with student evaluations and classroom observation information.
   3. At a minimum, classroom observation should include evaluation regarding methods, teacher-student interaction, class structure, and content. Additional comments may be made relating to online courses. Classroom observation forms are available on the Portal under Faculty Forms – Classroom Observation form.

5. Professional Development
   
   The Vice President for Instruction/Provost or designee is responsible for development and maintenance of a handbook for faculty and instructors providing information about the college, academic policies and procedures, instructional support services, and other related procedures, processes and guidelines. The college provides an instructional orientation at the beginning of each fall and spring term. Professional development opportunities are also offered through the Center for Professional Enrichment.

   Instructional Chairs or Directors provide direct assistance to instructors assigned to their discipline/program. Instructors are encouraged to attend all departmental, assessment and other related meetings and to participate in college professional development activities.

6. Employment Records and Files
   
   Human Resources maintains electronic employment records for faculty and instructors hired by Arapahoe Community College. Human Resources must receive documents related to employment, including, but not limited to, resume/CV, official transcripts, and Faculty and Instructor Professional Qualifications form. In addition to Human Resources:

   1. Supervisors maintain files for faculty and instructors that may include employment-related documents such as resume/CV, transcripts, and Faculty and Instructor Professional Qualifications form; as well as performance-related documents such as classroom observations, commendations, and student complaints.
   2. Credentialing Office maintains files for Career and Technical Education faculty and instructors, including postsecondary credentialing documents required by the State and a copy of the Faculty and Instructor Professional Qualifications form.

   Records and file retention for concurrent enrollment instructors who are not employed by the College:
   Concurrent Enrollment Office maintains files and ensures Human Resources receives copies of resume/CV, transcripts, and Faculty and Instructor Professional Qualifications form. (Official transcripts are required to be on file in Human Resources and will be requested as part of the onboarding process.) Disciplines/programs maintain concurrent enrollment instructor files that may include Faculty and Instructor Professional Qualifications form, classroom observations, commendations, and student complaints. Note: Document retention for concurrent enrollment instructors who are not employed by the College confirms that professional qualifications standards are met and processes are consistent with established requirements.