Apr 25, 2024  
2018-2019 Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Handbook 
    
2018-2019 Faculty and Adjunct Faculty Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

8. Faculty Load and Responsibilities



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8.1 Faculty Workload Policy

Introduction

Each faculty member shall plan with his or her Department Chair a year-long workload which affirms the University’s vision. Such a workload will nurture professional development, promote excellence in the classroom through reflection and innovation, support time for family and spiritual relationships, and manifest stewardship for the University’s resources.

Prior to the beginning of the academic year, each faculty member and his or her Department Chair shall discuss and agree upon the faculty member’s educational, scholarly, and professional responsibilities for the ensuing three trimesters. It is understood that prior to the second and third trimesters, a reconsideration of these responsibilities and an agreement on any revision may be necessitated by unforeseen variations in the enrollment, or by professional, personnel, and/or curricular anomalies.

Workload Computation

Each faculty member and his or her Department Chair shall use the following guidelines in calculating the Workload Unit (WLU) value of each of the areas of the faculty’s assignment. Assignments may be in any one or more of the following areas: A) On-campus teaching - Undergraduate, B) On-campus teaching - Graduate, C) On-campus blended teaching, D) Online teaching, and E) Host plus remote site teaching. WLUs for these shall be totaled to determine a faculty member’s workload.

Workloads averaging more than 100 WLUs per trimester shall be appropriately compensated, and no workload over 130 units per trimester shall be permitted except with specific approval from the Provost.

  1.   On-Campus Workload-Undergraduate
    1. The annual faculty assignment shall consist of an average of 100 WLUs per trimester, provided that between 10-20 of these shall be allocated to each full-time faculty member for purposes of student advising, faculty mentoring, committee, and other professional or service activities. It is further provided that, upon agreement by the Department Chair and the faculty member and with approval from the Provost, up to, but no more than, 20 WLUs may be allocated to increase the faculty member’s scholarly activities when circumstances indicate.
    2. Each credit hour of teaching shall equal 2.5 WLUs for presentations and 5.0 WLUs for course preparation, evaluation and management.
      • Example:
        • 2 credit hour course = 15 WLUs
        • 3 credit hour course = 22.5 WLUs
        • 4 credit hour course = 30 WLUs
    3. During the trimester immediately preceding either the offering of a course new to the modality, curriculum, or Department, or a course new to an instructor, 7.5 WLUs per credit hour shall be allocated to the instructor for the development of that course.
    4. Present policy provides that clinical load factors vary from Program to Program. The policy on clinical loads is available in the offices of the respective department and the Provost.
    5. The maximum number of students permitted to enroll in one section of any course shall be determined by the Department/Program with approval from the Provost.
    6. The duties, activities, student/faculty ratios necessary in the laboratory assignments of faculty members so differ from one program/department to another as to make recommending a University-wide policy impossible. Each Department/Program shall, in consultation with the Provost, determine the number of WLUs appropriate under this policy for the laboratory assignments of its faculty and shall make such information available in the offices of the Provost and the department program.

B. On-Campus Workload-Graduate

  1. The annual faculty assignment shall consist of an average of 100 WLUs per trimester, provided that between 10-20 of these shall be allocated to each full-time faculty member for purposes of student advising, faculty mentoring, committee, and other professional service activities. A minimum of 25 WLUs shall be allocated to scholarly work with the provision that, upon agreement by the Department Chair and the faculty member and with approval from the Provost, up to 40 WLUs may be allocated to increase the faculty member’s activities in scholarship when circumstances indicate.
  2. Each credit hour of teaching shall equal 3.0 WLUs for presentations and 7.0 WLUs for course preparation, evaluation and management.
    • Example:
      • 2 credit hour course = 20WLUs
      • 3 credit hour course = 30WLUs
      • 4 credit hour course = 40 WLUs
  3. During the trimester immediately preceding either the offering of a course new to the modality, curriculum, or Department, or a course new to an instructor, 15 WLUs per credit hour shall be allocated to the instructor for the development of that course.
  4. Present policy provides that clinical load factors vary from Program to Program. The policy on clinical loads is available in the offices of the respective department and the Provost.
  5. The maximum number of students permitted to enroll in one section of any course shall be determined by the Department/Program with approval from the Provost.
  6. The duties, activities, student/faculty ratios necessary in the laboratory assignments of faculty members so differ from one program/department to another as to make recommending a University-wide policy impossible. Each Department/Program shall, in consultation with the Provost, determine the number of WLUs appropriate under this policy for the laboratory assignments of its faculty and shall make such information available in the offices of the Provost and the department program

C.  On-Campus Blended Workload                                                                                                      

WLUs for On-Campus Blended assignments shall be calculated as provided in Section A On-Campus above, Parts 1 through 6 with the following additions and exceptions:

  • In those instances where more than one faculty member is assigned to an On-campus blended course, the Department Chair, in counsel with the Provost, shall determine the number of sections appropriate to the enrollment in that course, WLUs shall be calculated accordingly, and the total thereof shall be equally divided between/among the faculty members assigned thereto.

D. Online Teaching Workload

     WLUs for Online Teaching assignments shall be calculated as provided in Section A On-Campus above, Parts 1 through 6 with the following additions and exceptions:

  1. The course lead instructor shall be allocated one additional WLU per credit hour (to a total of 8.5 per credit hour) for the supervision of section instructors. Further, these course lead instructors shall be allocated an additional WLU per credit hour (to a total of 9.5) in those courses that have more than 10 sections.
  2. WLUs for full-time faculty who, as part of their regular assignment, serve as section instructors shall be determined by the Department Chair/Program Director.
  3. In the event of changes in responsibilities of course and/or section instructors, a redistribution of WLUs shall be negotiated by the course instructor and the Department Chair.

E. Host plus Remote Site Workload

WLUs for Host Site plus Remote Site assignments shall be calculated as provided Section A On-Campus above, Parts 1 through 6 with the following additions and exceptions:

  • The number of students in any Host Plus Remote Site class section shall be determined by adding the number of students enrolled at each remote site to the number enrolled at the host site. This combined number shall not exceed the limit permitted in any one section of a course as provided in A.5 above.

8.2 Student Advising

Faculty will be assigned as academic advisors. An electronic Academic Advising Manual is available for each faculty member who advises students in designing an appropriate course of study.

Students admitted to a program must have an initial meeting with their program advisor before being able to register.

8.3 Office Hours

Office hours must be posted and available to students. Office hours should be scheduled utilizing the formula of a minimum of one office hour per one classroom hour. Department Chairs and Program Directors are to assure that office hours are appropriate to meet student needs.

8.4 Grading

The Academic Catalog outlines the policies regarding deferred grades and incompletes. Deferred and Incomplete grades should be given only under special circumstances. An Incomplete is given when the student is unable to complete the work after the final withdrawal date within the trimester. (Students are responsible for completing the Request for Grade of Incomplete Form.) The Deferred grade is given when the instructor is unable to give a grade in a timely manner. A Deferred grade issued by the course instructor is to be submitted only with the department chair’s approval. The Deferred grade and Incomplete grade must be submitted when all other class grades are due to the Registrar’s Office.

Faculty are required to submit all grades within the requested deadlines.

All grade books are the property of ADU and must be submitted to the Department Chair at the end of each trimester.

8.5 Exams

All exams should be given within the regular class schedule. A schedule of final exams is published at the beginning of the trimester. Efforts will be made to schedule final exams on the day and time that the class meets.

8.6 Course Syllabi

Course syllabi should follow the Sample Syllabus (see Appendix K ) with regards to order and information required. An electronic copy of syllabi should be submitted to the Department Chair prior to the beginning of class for departmental approval.

8.7 Parking

Parking spaces on campus are limited. All employees are to obtain and display the correct decal and or parking pass.  All vehicles parked on campus without the appropriate decal or parking pass or in a parking area to which he/she is not assigned will be considered illegally parked.  Illegally parked vehicles on campus will result in $50 fine payable within 15 business days of issue.  A second offense within a trimester will result in the vehicle being towed from campus at the owner’s expense.  Access the Parking Policy.

8.8 ID Badges

Adventist University of Heath Sciences ID badges are issued to a faculty member at the beginning of their contract. The ADU ID badge is to be worn at all times on campus and in the clinical area with students. The first ID card is free; a replacement ID card costs $10.00.

8.9 Employee Meetings/Professional Development

Employees are required to attend University Faculty/Staff meetings, Professional Development, Graduation, Convocation, Misson Week and Mission Check meetings.

8.10 Graduation

Commencement ceremonies follow the end of the Spring and Fall trimesters each year. Administration and Faculty are required to participate in the Commencement Processional.  Staff are welcome to march if they choose.  Information on graduation is distributed early in the Spring and Fall trimesters each year.  All employees are required to attend the commencement ceremony.

8.11 Student Attendance

Faculty members are required to take student attendance for each didactic and laboratory class period.  The faculty member will record all student tardiness and absenteeism.  The last day of attendance will be reported to the Registrar’s Office for class(es) dropped.  Faculty will complete and submit an administrative drop form to the Registrar’s Office if a student has not been in attendance for 14 calendar days.  Access the Policy.

8.12 Class Cancellation

Inclement or severe weather: On occasion, circumstances may require an emergency closing of Adventist University due to inclement weather. The President or his/her designee will make the decision to close the University at which time Campus Safety will be contacted and the emergency notification system will be enacted to notify the campus population. (See Campus Safety Manuals - Appendix R  & Appendix S .)

Florida Campus Closing: In the event the Florida Campus is closed, all classes will be suspended including all distance education courses currently being taught on the Denver Campus. Denver campus and students will receive identical messages through the emergency notification system relative to the closing and re-opening of the University campus. 

Denver Campus Closing: In the event of the Denver Campus being closed, the campus coordinator will make the decision to close the University and will contact all Denver Students through the emergency notification system and will notify the Denver Campus Administrator in Orlando of the closing. Any coursework missed by the student during the Denver closing will be made up, per the individual course syllabi. 

8.13 Citation Style

Authors cite sources used in a publication in order to give credit to the ideas they have incorporated in their own work. This is necessary to avoid plagiarism. There are a range of styles available. The style one uses is dependent on the discipline or class for which an individual is writing. The MLA, APA, and Chicago are commonly used styles. The MLA style is from the Modern Language Association and is commonly used in the humanities. APA is from the American Psychological Association and is generally used for papers prepared for the social sciences, while history scholars use the Chicago and Turabian styles.

Adventist University of Health Sciences recommends that the APA style be followed for writing assignments in its undergraduate courses and official University documents. However, when writing for journals or other publications, authors are expected to prepare their research proposals, abstracts, or articles in the writing styles required by their editors. Such citation styles will be appropriate when submitted to the ADU Scientific Review Committee (SRC) or the Institutional Review Committee (IRB).

Citation instructions for the APA style can be obtained at http://www.apastyle.org.