Community College of Aurora Faculty and Instructor Resource Guide 2018-2019

Last revised: 8/10/2018

Community College of Aurora Faculty and Instructor Resource Guide 2018-2019

Section I Welcome

Section II Culture & Philosophy

Section III Faculty and Adjunct Instructor Expectations

Section IV Semester Planning

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Section I Welcome

A Message from the Faculty Senate President Dr. Tanya Cook On behalf of the faculty senate, I would like to welcome you to the Community College of Aurora family! I have been part of the CCA team since I started as an adjunct instructor in 2013 and have been supported in my professional journey throughout my time here. As you will quickly realize once you start your own journey with us, CCA is an institution that values all of its members and seeks to foster collaboration across the college to meet its goals of student retention, completion, and attainment. We are truly a student-centered institution, focused on keeping students on the path to their goals, whether those goals see them finishing their academic careers with us or moving on to a four-year school. However, we also realize that, in order to achieve this end, we need to have faculty and instructors who feel valued and are given the tools they need to be successful educators. Consider this handbook the first of those tools.

This book is structured into four sections. The first is a general welcome along with a message from our Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Tricia Johnson, and a message from our Deans. Section two explores the culture and philosophy here at CCA, including important emphases on our institutional outcomes, professional development and support, and our statewide transfer degrees. Section three outlines instructor expectations such as assessment, office hours, and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) requirements. Lastly, section four is your “road map to the semester,” which provides before, during, and after semester guidelines and tips for you as you plan, execute, and finish your course(s).

We are proud of the work we do here at CCA and look forward to your contributions. We know that a lot can happen during a semester and that sometimes you may feel the need for some additional support or advice. Please get to know your fellow instructors and helpful staff and remember that we are all here for each other. Good luck and have a great semester!

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A Message from the Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Tricia Johnson Welcome to the Community College of Aurora! I am thrilled for you to join our team of committed educators focused on helping every student succeed. Our core values of respect, collaboration, quality, access, diversity, and inclusion guide how we engage with our students and each other. Our college respects and is committed to serving our diverse community. I am proud to note that we serve students from five continents and more than 60 countries with an annual enrollment of over 10,000 students. In 2016 CCA achieved Hispanic Serving Institution status. Further, our students are balancing many priorities, and the vast majority of students attend CCA part-time. As a college, we believe that the diversity of lived experiences makes our classroom interactions richer and our college community more vibrant.

As you begin a new year as a member of the CCA team, I wanted to share some of my focus and direction for the coming school year. As a college we will continue to expand our efforts around Inclusive Excellence. We will commit to embedding Inclusive Excellence in all that we do to help every student succeed – making the shift to how we approach our work. Additionally, as a college, we are dedicating attention to supporting our people. Specifically within Academic Affairs, we will be focusing on our commitment to teaching and learning – to what happens within our classrooms – which will guide our assessment work and our approach to professional development. Consistent with institutional support, we will dedicate time and effort toward supporting faculty and instructors to enhance student learning. I am energized by what the coming year has in store for us and our students, and I look forward to working with you to help our students realize their potential!

A Message from the Deans Dr. Bobby Pace, Chris Tombari, and Victor Vialpando-Nuñez Welcome to the academic community of the Community College of Aurora! As your deans and fellow educators, we believe it is our job to help you create a learning environment where you can teach effectively and students can complete their courses and finish their degrees in a timely manner.

Of course, there are always challenges. But as your deans, we strive to provide resources and reduce the barriers to your accomplishments and those of your students. Never forget we recognize that your work changes lives; students grow—personally, professionally, and civically—because they’ve been in your classrooms. They grow because you care and because you know how to help them get to where they want to go. As your deans, we believe it is our job to support and promote this noble work.

Thank you for being a member of our community and for sharing your experience, expertise and yourselves with our students and with one another. We’re proud of you and proud of what you do!

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Community College of Aurora Leadership Betsy Oudenhoven, Ph.D. President

Tricia Johnson, Ed.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs Assistant: Emily Silvola – (303) 361-7380

Bobby Pace, Ph.D. Dean of Academic Affairs – Concurrent Enrollment Academic Program Support Specialist: Tamara Conley – (303) 360-4731

Chris Tombari Dean of Academic Affairs – School of Liberal Arts Academic Program Support Specialist: Tamara Conley – (303) 360-4731

{Search in Progress} Associate Dean of Academic Affairs – School of Liberal Arts Academic Program Support Specialist: Tamara Conley – (303) 360-4731

Victor Vialpando-Nuñez Dean of Academic Affairs – School of Professional Studies & Sciences Academic Program Support Specialist: Courtney Butler – (303) 340-7201

Chris Juarez Associate Dean of Academic Affairs – School of Professional Studies & Sciences Academic Program Support Specialist: Courtney Butler – (303) 340-7201

Chris Ward, Ph.D. Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness

Paulette Dalpes, Ed.D. Vice President for Student Affairs

Tamara White Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Reyna Anaya Dean of Students

George Noe Vice President for Administration

Cindy Hesse Director of Human Resources

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Section II Culture & Philosophy

Mission The Community College of Aurora serves our diverse community by providing high quality instruction and support services to prepare students for transfer and employment.

Our Outcomes The Community College of Aurora is committed to the assessment of student learning to measure how well students are learning and to engage faculty, adjunct instructors, and staff members in the continuous improvement of learning at CCA. Every program and department contributes to this effort.

All students at CCA are expected to develop competence in our four institutional outcomes in addition to competence in occupational and discipline knowledge. These skills are the foundation of students’ education at Community College of Aurora. Students develop competence in one or more of these skills in all of their learning environments at CCA, both curricular and co-curricular:

Career & Transfer Readiness Career and transfer readiness is the ability to adapt, commit to lifelong learning, and demonstrate knowledge and skills applicable in a global economy for successful transition into the workplace or continued coursework. Communication Communication is the ability to effectively express, impart, or exchange feelings, thoughts, opinions, and information both orally and in writing.

Critical Thinking Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information, evidence, arguments, and theories from multiple perspectives for use in the development of an opinion or conclusion.

Cultural Competence Cultural competence is the ability to demonstrate awareness and integration of an intentional valuing of cultural differences and experiences in our decisions and interactions with all.

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Inclusive Excellence You matter. You are valued. You belong. CCA is a community that is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion through Inclusive Excellence. We can only achieve this together. CCA embraces Inclusive Excellence because we want our students, staff, faculty, and instructors to learn and contribute within an inclusive environment. This means members of our college community will be active, respectful, and mindful of equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels of engagement. Inclusive Excellence will provide a foundation for student and institutional success. Recognizing our diversity is only the first step toward Inclusive Excellence. We must also be intentional in valuing cultural differences and experiences, while incorporating them into practices, curricula, and policies. The CCA community will be transformed through the following actions:

• Create an Inclusive Excellence plan • Incorporate evidence-based and inclusive teaching strategies and curricula in the classroom • Provide high quality, inclusive, and responsive programming and services outside the classroom • Assess and evaluate the practices, policies, and outcomes of the College for inclusiveness • Provide intentional faculty and staff professional development that focuses on the implementation of

Inclusive Excellence • Communicate support and direction for Inclusive Excellence through institutional leaders • Identify, prioritize, and allocate resources that support Inclusive Excellence • Foster a climate for open dialogue • Facilitate opportunities for cross-cultural interaction

Inclusive Excellence Council During Council meetings we provide opportunities for professional development in creating more inclusive and equitable campus environments during the first hour which is open to anyone on campus to participate. The second hour of the meeting will then be dedicated to Council members to conduct business. If you are interested in joining the IE Council, please complete the Intent to Participate Form at www.ccaurora.edu/ie-council-intent-participate-form.

Retention, Completion, and Graduation CCA has a long tradition of focusing on student success and keeping students first. The college is also committed to the goals established within the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) Master Plan, Colorado Rises. CCA is striving to:

• Increase credential completion • Erase equity gaps • Improve student success • Invest in affordability and innovation

These goals give CCA excellent opportunities because of the number of students who come to us to begin their college careers and because of the diversity of our students. To promote student achievement, we have:

• Redesigned courses and programs for students who are not yet performing at the college level • Identified specific courses as focus areas for improving student success • Developed certificate programs leading to associate degrees • Adopted Statewide Transfer Degrees for transfer to any public 4-year institution in Colorado

To learn more about CCA’s commitment to student success, speak to your faculty colleagues, department chairs, and deans of academic affairs.

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Professional Development and Support CCA is a teaching and learning institution dedicated to student success. Because we are an open- enrollment institution, our student body is diverse in every way. As CCA faculty and adjunct instructors, you are more than a subject matter expert; you are continuously becoming a teacher who fosters successful student learning. To help you, we provide an orientation for new faculty and adjunct instructors and professional development opportunities.

Professional Development Requirements All new faculty and adjunct instructors complete two required orientations, one is institutionally coordinated by both Human Resources and Academic Affairs, and the other is a departmental meeting/orientation. Depending on the instructional experience of the adjunct instructor, department chairs can request that new adjunct instructors take EDU 222, Effective Teaching Strategies, their first year teaching at CCA. Further, faculty and adjunct instructors at CCA are invited to take EDU 260, Adult Learning Theory. The orientations are offered each semester, including summer, and the courses are offered every year.

For faculty or adjunct instructors teaching within Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, you must complete the following courses, based on the level of your CTE credential in order to renew an initial credential:

• Part-Time CTE Credential – EDU 222, Effective Teaching Strategies, OR EDU 250, CTE in Colorado • Full-Time CTE Credential – EDU 250, CTE in Colorado, AND EDU 260, Adult Learning Theory

You must also complete both Desire2Learn (D2L) and Web Accessibility training within your first semester teaching at CCA. D2L is the online course management system for the syllabus, online grade book, attendance registers, course e-mail/messaging, course content and assignments, and a wide selection of customizable features. To learn more about CTE credentialing, speak to Chris Juarez, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, or Courtney Butler, Academic Program Support Specialist.

Finding Professional Development Opportunities CCA is in the process of revamping professional development options for faculty, instructors, and staff. As they are established, professional development opportunities and a calendar of events can be found online in the Faculty or Instructor channel in MyCCA. Further, professional development opportunities will be communicated via CCA email. Note: Pay level advances require completion of professional development credits. For information about professional development workshops, connect with the academic program support specialist and chair of your department.

Pay Levels for Adjunct Instructors Adjunct instructors advance through three levels of pay depending upon semesters of service and professional development hours completed. Increases in pay require completion of additional professional development hours. For specific pay scale questions, contact the Human Resources Department at (303) 360-4750.

Professional development credit is awarded accordingly:

• 1 hour credit awarded for 1 hour of attendance at CCA professional development programs • 1 hour credit awarded for 1 hour of attendance at CCA in-service meetings and departmental

meetings • 1 hour credit awarded for 1 hour of attendance at discipline area meetings or discipline related

conferences (documentation must be provided)

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Adjunct instructors must meet the following requirements to move between pay levels:

• Level I – Completion of institutional orientation, D2L training, and Web Accessibility training and begin one (1) semester teaching.

• Level II – In addition to the requirements for Level I, complete four (4) total semesters teaching at CCA, a minimum of 12 credit hours or 180 contact hours and EDU 222. In addition, you must be approved by your Department Chair.

• Level III – In addition to the requirements for Level I and Level II, complete six (6) total semesters of teaching at CCA, a minimum of 24 credit hours or 360 contact hours. In addition, complete 15 professional development hours in your content area or in instructional pedagogy approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The CCA Professional Development database, commonly referred to as Pro Dev, is a tool to help track professional development and to automate adjunct instructor pay level increases. A benefit to the Pro Dev database is that the chair, the instructor, the dean, and the academic program support specialist can see the instructor’s current level, what is needed to advance to the next level, and what professional development has been entered to ensure accuracy. The icon to log into Pro Dev can be found in the portal on the Faculty or Instructor channel. Because this application is new for 2018-19, not all instructors have been setup with an account. If you would like access, please contact Tracy Mendoza in Academic Support Services at (303) 360-4767 to get an account created.

The requirements for receiving a pay level increase are tracked in the Pro Dev database. Once an instructor meets all of the requirements to advance to the next level, their department chair receives a notification. After the department chair grants approval for the increase, the request must be processed by Human Resources. For the 2018-19 academic year, pay level increase requests must have all required approvals according to the following deadlines in order for the increase to go into effect for that semester:

• Fall 2018 – July 11, 2018 • Spring 2019 – December 7, 2018 • Summer 2019 – April 19, 2019

Free Classes for CCA Adjunct Instructors Adjunct instructors are eligible to enroll in six (6) credits per fiscal year. Credits must be taken during a semester in which the instructor is teaching at CCA. The course must be job related, applicable to a degree, or career enhancing. Each enrollment is approved by the dean of the school and processed through the Financial Aid Office. There is no charge for tuition, but you must pay course fees; for online classes, you must pay the difference between online and face-to-face course tuition charges. The CCA Instructional Grant form can be found in MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Forms/Tuition Assistance Grant.

Human Resources If you have employment related concerns, contact Human Resources. The Human Resources Office is located at the CentreTech Campus in room A201 in the Administration Building. If you have human resources related questions, please call (303) 360-4750. You can also find information at MyCCA/Employee.

Office of Institutional Research The Office of Institutional Research is the central source for official statistical information about the college. The Office generates reports and analyses to the College and the community at large. The office also surveys CCA students, faculty, instructors, and staff. If you would like to review enrollment trends and student success data, visit MyCCA/Resources/ Institutional Research/Statistical Information for Faculty and Staff. Enrollment trend data is also available at www.ccaurora.edu/ir.

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Institutional Review Board (IRB) Most research conducted by instructors for the purposes of improving their teaching is exempted from formal review. Please contact the Institutional Research staff to determine whether your research efforts fit this requirement.

Faculty and Adjunct Instructor Feedback & Support Feedback is available from student evaluations for each class you teach and through teaching observations (online or face-to-face). This information is provided to you on an ongoing basis throughout your time teaching at CCA.

Course Evaluations by Students All students have the opportunity to evaluate their courses and instructors through online course evaluations. Students’ submissions are confidential. Students access the online evaluation via a link in D2L. Please encourage students to complete the evaluations and show them how to access the link in D2L. Many CCA faculty, instructors, deans, and department chairs regard student evaluations to be a rich source of information for sharpening your teaching technique.

Observations To promote your continued growth as an educator, Community College of Aurora deans and department chairs observe you in the classroom. They write a summary of their observations and recommendations and discuss them with you at a time convenient to your schedule. Every faculty member and instructor is observed annually, but we welcome your requests for more frequent observation and feedback.

Academic Freedom As faculty and instructors at CCA, the academic freedoms common to all teachers in higher education apply to you. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has published information about academic freedom (and many other subjects related to the profession) on its web site: www.aaup.org. To find the AAUP’s statement on academic freedom and the organizations amendments to its original statement, visit www.aaup.org/aaup/pubsres/policydocs/contents/1940statement.htm.

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Section III Faculty and Adjunct Instructor Expectations As a faculty and instructors, you already know that you are expected to teach courses and participate in various forms of service to the college and the Aurora community. But if you’re new to CCA, there are a few expectations which will be new to you. Below is a summary of the basic expectations the college has for its faculty and instructors including those which are unique to Community College of Aurora.

Assessment The assessment of student learning is a multi-faceted process that measures how well students are learning and developing in the classroom. Assessment allows us to engage in continuous improvement of learning and to communicate with students, employers, and other stakeholders about how well learning is taking place at CCA. There are three parts to the CCA assessment process: institution-level assessment, program-level assessment, and course-level assessment.

Institutional Assessment Institution-level assessment uses the institution as the level of analysis and focuses on Institutional Outcomes. This assessment can be quantitative or qualitative, formative or summative, standards-based or value added, and used for improvement or for accountability.

CCA has identified four Institutional Outcomes in which students are expected to develop competence through both curricular and co-curricular experiences at CCA: career and transfer readiness, communication, critical thinking, cultural competence.

Program-Level Assessment Program-level assessment is the systematic and intentional collection and analysis of aggregated evidence (direct and indirect) of student learning to inform conversations about program effectiveness. The results of program-level assessment can be used in self-studies prepared as part of regular Program Review. Program-level assessment is inquiry-driven. For CCA assessment purposes, programs may be defined as departments, services, degrees, or certificates. While institution-level assessments measure students’ progress toward critical skills which must be present in all disciplines, program-level assessments investigate the quality and quantity of learning for students within individual programs. Program-level assessments are unique to career fields and academic disciplines and are designed to help students acquire essential capabilities related to specific degrees and certificates.

Participation in assessment is a requirement for employment. You will be asked by your department chair to help collect and analyze data. For example, you may be asked to conduct a pre/post-test over course content, add specific questions to exams, or submit samples of student papers from the classes you teach. Faculty and instructors serve on departmental and college assessment committees, assist in developing and improving assessment plans, and implement changes to classes and teaching as requested by the department chair.

College Email Utilization of the CCA email is critical for all employees of the college. Official communication from CCA to employees will be conducted through CCA email. Further, communication within students should only be conducted through CCA email or through D2L email/messaging.

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Office Hours Full-time faculty members must have established office hours posted on, or near, their office doors, and in their assigned division offices. Office hours and contact information should be included on every course syllabus. All faculty members and instructors are encouraged to be available to meet with students before and after regularly scheduled class meetings.

All faculty and adjunct instructors must also provide students with a way to contact them outside of class. This may be via a college office phone number, a college voice mailbox, an official college email, or D2L email. For correspondence with students, please use the D2L email system whenever possible. Please contact your department’s academic program support specialist for information about obtaining a voice mailbox and a CCA email address.

Teaching Load Adjunct instructors may teach a maximum of 25 semester credits per academic year (fall and spring semesters), and up to 10 credits in the summer. In an emergency, adjunct instructors may teach additional credits if they are approved by the dean of the school. Occasionally, adjunct instructors may also be offered temporary hourly work for special projects or activities, but these hours are limited.

Teaching assignments for full-time faculty are calculated on direct instructional activities and average 28 hours per week for the academic year. Full-time faculty may teach additional courses during the summer at the discretion of the department chair and division dean. Overload assignments are rare and only given under unique circumstances. Teaching overloads for full-time faculty members are approved by the dean of the school.

In order to preserve the quality of education, system-wide credit assignments should not exceed 21 credit hours per semester for Faculty and Instructors (FT and adjunct), this is in accordance with Board Policy Board 3-80.

Performance Planning and Review As a full-time faculty member, you will prepare an annual performance plan in collaboration with your department chair. The plan will specify the courses you will teach, service activities you will complete, and professional development opportunities you will pursue. You will complete your plan early in fall semester and monitor progress on your plan with your department chair at a mid-year review early in spring semester. Late in spring semester, you and your chair will complete a year-end review of your performance.

As an adjunct instructor, you will not prepare a formal annual performance plan, but before each semester begins your department chair will notify you which courses you will teach and what college service and professional development opportunities are available to you.

Student course evaluations and teaching observations are critical tools for reviewing your performance. Student course evaluations will be conducted for each course you teach each semester, and classroom (or online) teaching observations will be conducted annually by your department chair or dean.

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FERPA The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the rights of students and ensures the privacy and accuracy of education records. The disclosure of information that would be found in a student directory may be released (name, date of birth, major, dates of attendance, enrollment status, receipt or non-receipt of a degree, honors received, and officially recognized activities and sports), but any other information related to a student’s academic work may not be released without the student’s written permission before being shared with third parties. Please do not discuss student records with parents unless students give permission and have filed a FERPA Release Form with the college. Contact your Academic Program Support Specialist for assistance verifying a filed FERPA Release Form. Also, do not post rosters or grades with Social Security numbers or student identification numbers, and do not leave graded student work in mailboxes.

Contact the Admissions & Registration office at (303) 360-4701 if you have questions. More information may be found at: http://www.ccaurora.edu/students/student-right-know/ferpa.

Responsibility to Students with Disabilities Federal law requires faculty and adjunct instructors to make reasonable accommodations in instructional activities and assignments, but only when approved by the college’s Office of Disability and Equity. If a student in your class has a disability for which an accommodation has been approved, the student will give you a letter from the Office of Disability and Equity team documenting this approval. It is the student’s responsibility to provide this letter to you. The letter will specify the accommodations that have been approved for the student in your specific class. If a student requests accommodations but does not provide a letter, refer the student to the Office of Disability and Equity.

Additionally, your syllabus must include a paragraph describing the responsibilities of students and faculty and adjunct instructors regarding accommodations for disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please use the ADA paragraph provided in the model syllabus provided by your department.

Depending upon which accommodations are approved, students may need to use interpreters or adaptive software or equipment in your classroom. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule interpreters or equipment delivery. If accommodations have been scheduled but do not arrive in your classroom on time, please contact your division’s academic program support specialist who will follow-up with the Office of Disability and Equity.

Ideas for teaching students with disabilities are available at MyCCA/Resources under ODE Faculty Resources. If you believe a student with accommodations will not successfully complete your class, refer the student to William Flowers, Director of Disability and Equity, at (303) 340-7395 or ODE@ccaurora.edu. You may also visit CCA’s website at www.ccaurora.edu/accessibility.

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Title IX: Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination and Harassment The Community College of Aurora prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment that violates federal or state law, Board Policy 3-120 or Board Policy 4-120. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex/gender, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion or sexual orientation. The College complies with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974; Executive Order 11246, and sections 24-34-301, C.R.S. et seq.

The following link provides a downloadable brochure: www.ccaurora.edu/sites/default/files/cca_files/TitleIX_Brochure.pdf

Campus Sexual Assault Victims Bill of Rights

• Survivors shall be notified of their options to notify law enforcement. • Accuser and accused must have the same opportunity to have others present. • Both parties shall be informed of the outcome of any disciplinary proceeding. • Survivors shall be notified of counseling services. • Survivors shall be notified of options for changing academic and living situations.

For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures or if you feel you have been subjected to discrimination and/or sexual misconduct based on federal or state civil rights laws, please report the complaint to: The Title IX Compliance and Equal Opportunity Officer, Cindy Hesse, Director of Human Resources at (303) 360-4752 or Cindy.Hesse@ccaurora.edu.

Pregnant and Parenting Students’ Rights Students have the right to stay in school to meet their education and career goals.

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex including pregnancy, parenting and all related conditions, such as abortion in all educational programs and activities that get federal funding. This means that schools must give all students who might be, are, or have been pregnant the same access to school programs and educational opportunities that other students have. A student should not be told to drop out of classes or program or change their educational plans due to pregnancy.

CCA must excuse absences due to pregnancy or any related conditions for as long as a doctor says it is necessary to be absent. This is true even if there is no leave policy for students with other conditions. When a student returns to school, they must be reinstated to the status they held prior to leaving. A student can be required to submit a doctor’s note if that is required of students with other medical conditions.

Students cannot be penalized for pregnancy or other related conditions. If a faculty member or instructor provides specific “points” or other advantages to students based on class attendance, students must be given the opportunity to earn back the credit from classes they miss due to pregnancy, so that they can be reinstated to the status they held before they took leave.

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CCA must let students make up the work they missed while they were out due to pregnancy or any related conditions, including recovery from childbirth. For example: If a student has a doctor’s note that excuse them from class for several weeks because they were on “bed rest” before giving birth, the school has to provide that student with the appropriate assignments and information to make up all of the work the student would have been required to complete while they were out. For an extended absence, it is best if the college provides the student with the work the student misses regularly, so the student does not fall far behind.

If a student discloses she is missing class due to pregnancy or parenting concerns, please refer the student to the Director of Disability and Equity, by sending an e-mail to the Director, with the students name and S#.

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Section IV Semester Planning This section is designed to be a helpful reference guide for all the routine concerns you may have throughout a semester, before the course begins, during the course, and after the course ends. If you have questions that are not addressed here, please feel free to ask your department chair or academic program support specialist.

Before the Course Begins

Institutional and Departmental Orientations All new faculty members and adjunct instructors, must attend the Institutional and Departmental Orientations prior to their first semester. See the Professional Development and Support section shown above.

Establishing Communication

Telephones CCA utilizes a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephone system. Instructions on setting up a voice mailbox and utilizing this system may be found at http://class.ccaurora.edu/ciscophones/.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the CCA IT Helpdesk at (303) 360-4900.

Accessing College Email from Home Every faculty and adjunct instructor is assigned a CCA email address. It is crucial to check your college email box regularly to stay updated with CCA communications. Go to MyCCA/Dashboard and click on box for Fac/Staff Email. You may also go to owa.cccs.edu and login in to the email system as if you were at a computer on campus. If you need help, contact the CCA IT Help Desk at (303) 340-4900. Faculty/Instructor Mailbox Your department’s academic program support specialist will set up mailboxes at each campus where you teach. At CentreTech, your mailbox will be located in Classroom Building C210 and Fine Arts Building 103J. On the Lowry campus, your mailbox will be located in North Quad Building 224, West Quad Building 110, Colorado Film School near the administrative assistant’s office, and Center for Simulation room 111. Your mailbox will be available until one week after final grades are submitted. Important papers left in your mailbox at the end of the semester will be forwarded to your department chair.

Course Cancelation Due to Lack of Student Enrollment If a course you are scheduled to teach must be canceled due to low enrollment, your department chair will make the decision before the semester begins. When a course that has been assigned to an adjunct instructor is cancelled or removed from their schedule for no fault of their own (i.e. moved to base load of a full-time faculty member), within 14 calendar days of the start of the class, the adjunct instructors will be paid a course inconvenience fee equal to 10% of the full course compensation the adjunct instructor would have been paid. (From Educational Services Council Guideline ES-3-55a)

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D2L – Desire2Learn The college uses an online class interface called Desire2Learn (D2L), and every instructor must complete the D2L training prior to courses beginning. For more information, faculty and adjunct instructors can email Jessica Gagnon at onlinelearning@ccaurora.edu.

D2L – Desire2Learn – Face-to-face Courses Every instructor at CCA is required to use D2L as a tool to supplement instruction. At a minimum, instructors must:

• Place a copy of the course syllabus online in the Content section of the course in D2L. • Maintain the online Grade Book. • Create and maintain an attendance register for each of your courses. • Utilize the email system in D2L for written correspondence with your students.

Syllabus All the components of the department model syllabus, provide by the department, and the college syllabus addendum, located on the MyCCA Faculty or Instructor page, must be included in every class syllabus. See MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Instructional Links/Faculty/Instructor. The syllabus must be available online in D2L and be sent electronically to your academic program support specialist no later than the first day of the semester. Department chairs may require earlier submission.

Text Books Before the beginning of every semester, your academic program support specialist will order books for purchase in the student bookstore and a desk copy for you. If you are interested in an exam copy you can contact the publisher directly to request a copy of the book. Exam copies can be ordered online, by phone, or by fax, using the title of the book, author, edition, or ISBN to place the order. If you have any questions regarding the books for your class you can contact your department chair, the department academic program support specialist or the CCA Bookstore (cca_bkstr@fheg.follett.com, (303) 360-4798.)

Class Roster Rosters for the classes you teach are available at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Faculty Dashboard. Your rosters will not appear here until you are officially assigned to the class.

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During the Course

Teaching Tips

First Day • Get to know the students and have them get to know each other. Some ice breaker exercises would

be beneficial. Many students end up leaving because they don’t feel connected. • Encourage students to take advantage of the Academic Learning Center and the Library. Refer to

MyCCA/Academic Support for resources. • Encourage students to make appointments for services online, or they can visit campus offices to

make arrangements for help. Drop-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred. Appointment books are located in the labs. Contact the Library and/or the Academic Learning Center in C109 for additional information and help making appointments.

First Few Weeks

• Use testing early and give prompt feedback. We encourage a test the second to third week for early positive feedback. Many students end up leaving because of negative impressions of education built through years of negative reinforcement. Early and frequent feedback is crucial.

• We encourage instructors to call or email a student who misses class.

Throughout the Course • We encourage cooperative learning strategies. Suggest your students work in pairs on assignments

or projects or find a “study buddy.” • Encourage students to attend D2L training sessions and use D2L to communicate with you and

other classmates. Make sure they can see their grades in D2L as the semester progresses. Review prior feedback when grading current assignments.

• Most importantly, ask your department chair or other faculty and instructors for advice on testing methods, homework ideas, and teaching strategies. Attend professional development sessions and become acquainted with other faculty and instructors. Sharing information makes teaching and learning more fun for you and your students.

D2L - Desire to Learn • Encourage students to attend D2L training sessions. • Upload written handouts or lecture notes in PDF format since students do not all have access to the

same word processing software, while ensuring the accessibility of those documents. • Maintain the online grade book so students can confirm that they are submitting all the work

required on your syllabus and so they can tell how well they are doing in your class. • Maintain an attendance register for each of your courses and record attendance/absence each day.

Leaving blanks makes it difficult to certify attendance or absence. • Use the drop box for students to submit assignments on line. • Utilize the email system in D2L for all written correspondence with your students to maintain

consistent communication and assure private communication.

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Reporting a No Show Early each academic term, you will receive an email from the Registrar and Director of Admissions and Records asking you to report students who have not attended your class, called “no shows.” To report a no show:

1. Login to your MyCCA account. 2. Click on the Faculty or Instructor tab. 3. Click on the symbol shown to the right of the course name and semester in the Faculty Grade

Assignment section. 4. Type the number 0 in the “Attend Hours” column for each student who is has not participated in

your class. 5. Click Submit. Overnight, any student(s) you reported will be dropped from your class.

Academic Dishonesty Plagiarism and all other forms of cheating and academic dishonesty are prohibited at the Community College of Aurora. If you have evidence of academic dishonesty, notify the student and explain the potentially serious consequences. The following minimum sanctions may be applied:

• First Offense – The student may receive an F or zero as the grade for the assignment. The first incident may result in the loss of proctored testing privileges. The student’s name will be added by the associate dean to the college-wide academic dishonesty list to facilitate tracking of additional offenses and the implementation of further sanctions if applicable.

• Second Offense – If a second offense occurs at any point in the student’s academic career at CCA, the student may receive an F for the course and may be expelled from the class or suspended from the college. A second offense may also result in permanent loss of proctored testing privileges. The second offense will be noted by the associate dean on the college-wide academic dishonesty list.

• Third Offense – If a third offense occurs at any point in the student’s academic career at CCA, the student will receive an F for the course and may also be expelled from the college. The student will be referred to the Chief Student Affairs Officer (CSAO) for disciplinary actions.

After you have notified the student personally, academic dishonesty is reported via an online form on the CCA home page, click on the link titled Refer a Concern or Incident at the bottom of the page. Be sure to attach the evidence of academic dishonesty. The form will be routed to the appropriate Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, based on department. Questions can be directed to your department chair.

For more information on the policies and procedures governing Academic Dishonesty, visit the Policies & Procedures channel under the Employee tab in MyCCA.

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Emergency Situations In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 and call CCA Campus Security to guide emergency services teams to the correct location. Serious malfunctions of equipment or safety hazards should be reported immediately to Campus Security. For incidents at CentreTech Campus, call (303) 360-4727; for incidents at Lowry Campus, call (303) 419-5557.

All security staff members are CPR/First Responder/AED-qualified and knowledgeable in crisis management. There is also an emergency directory at each CCA telephone and in faculty work rooms.

In case of an evacuation, building wardens will assist you. The wardens wear bright yellow vests. Please follow their directions and cooperate with them and emergency services personnel completely.

Security Phone Numbers

• CentreTech Campus Security: (303) 360-4727 • Lowry Campus Security: (303) 419-5557

Bad Weather & Campus Closures When college classes are cancelled due to bad weather, the local news channels (2, 4, 7, and 9) are notified prior to 6:00 a.m. on the day of the closure. CCA also contacts AM Radio 850. Additionally, other area stations also post closure announcements on their websites.

During the onboarding process, CCA automatically adds your information to our college emergency notification system. Should your contact information change, be sure to update that with Human Resources so that we can keep you in the loop.

Disruptive Student Behavior Students may not disrupt classes. If students are disruptive in class, discuss the issue with them and notify them that disruptions are not allowed. If disruptions continue, work with your department chair to decide how to address the situation. Your department chair may speak with students as well. You may also notify the Student Conduct Officer, Angie Tiedeman, who will meet with disruptive students. You may contact her at Angela.Tiedeman@ccaurora.edu, or (303) 340-7524.

Under serious circumstances, you may dismiss a student from class for the class session in which the disruption occurred and notify Angie Tiedeman and your department chair immediately after class to formally address the problem. The Student Code of conduct explains offenses and remedies at www.ccaurora.edu/students/student-right-know/code-of-conduct. If necessary, you may also call campus security at (303) 360-4727 (CentreTech) or (303) 419-5557 (Lowry).

Professional Counseling for Students CCA provides professional, personal counseling services for students in the Administration Building A106D on CentreTech Campus. The counselors provide services on the Lowry Campus by appointment or emergency basis. The counselors provide crisis intervention, respond to referrals by the Student CARE Team (regarding behaviors of concern), offer brief therapy (up to 6 sessions), facilitate groups and discussions, and refer students to appropriate agencies outside of the college. To make an appointment or check on counselor availability, please call the Counseling Services Appointment Line at (303) 360-4949. Further information is available at www.ccaurora.edu/students/support-services/counseling-services.

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Visitors and Children in Class Children are not allowed in class on an ongoing basis. However, you may allow a child in class occasionally if the content of the class is appropriate for children and the child’s presence does not disrupt the learning process. Visitors or guests may also attend a class session occasionally with your approval.

Keys and Getting a Room Unlocked If a room is locked and you do not have a key, or if you are teaching in a room for which a key is not available, notify an academic program support specialist or call Campus Security at (303) 360-4727 (CentreTech) or (303) 419-5557 (Lowry).

A/V Equipment

Reservations To reserve A/V equipment at the CentreTech or Lowry campuses, either submit a work order at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Work Order IT or contact the IT Helpdesk at (303) 360-4900.

If Classroom Equipment is Not Working Contact your department’s academic program support specialist immediately. You may also contact the IT Helpdesk at (303) 360-4900. Depending on the nature of the issue, the academic program support specialist will help you or contact the appropriate person to assist you. If no one is available, they will submit a work order to have the problem addressed as soon as possible.

Laptop Computer Cart You may request a cart of laptop computers if you are not already teaching in a computer-equipped classroom. To do so, either submit a work order at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Work Order IT or contact the IT Helpdesk at (303) 360-4900.

Making Copies CentreTech Campus: Classroom Building C108, C210 and C310.

Lowry Campus: North Quad Building (901) room 110; West Quad Building (903) room 108; Center for Simulation Building (859) room 111.

Field Trips You may take your class on a field trip if your department chair approves. Each student must also complete a field trip Waiver and Release form before going on the field trip. The form is available at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/ Forms/Faculty and Instructor Forms/Field Trip Waiver and Release.

Guest Speakers If your department chair approves, you may invite a guest speaker for a portion of a class period if the speaker’s topic is relevant to the course. You should be present when the guest speaker attends. Guest speakers are not usually paid, but if your department chair approves payment in advance, payment can be processed. Ask your department chair for more information about guest speakers.

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Missing Class You may have to miss a class session due to an illness or a personal emergency. If this happens, notify your department chair and your department’s academic program support specialist in advance. Rather than canceling a class meeting, please use one of these options:

Find a Substitute Instructor Your department chair and academic program support specialist will help you find an instructor to teach a class session if you can’t be there. Your substitute instructor will be paid to teach your class by completing the Substitute Teaching Pay Authorization Form which can be found at MyCCA/Employee/Forms/Payroll Forms. The form must be submitted to your department chair for approval.

Schedule a Student Success Presentation Student Success Center staff members will present a workshop for your students during a regularly- scheduled class meeting period. The workshops enhance students’ college experience and provide them with skills to help them succeed. Trained facilitators are available to make presentations at the CentreTech and Lowry campuses.

To schedule a workshop, visit MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Instructional Links/Favorites and select Student Success Workshop Substitutes.

Schedule a Library Orientation Library staff members are available for a one-hour orientation on library resources and research methods. Orientation topics include using the library catalog and databases and online search strategies. Coverage of more specific research topics can be arranged. Sessions can also take place online.

To schedule a Library orientation, complete a Research Instruction Request by visiting MyCCA/Resources/Library Resources/For Instructors and select request research instruction in your class.

Use D2L Regardless of the strategy you choose to help your students keep learning in your absence, notify your students of your absence with an announcement in D2L. Also, use D2L to give students instructions and assignments to keep them on track if you can’t be present.

Instructional Resources

Library The Library on the second floor of the Student Centre at the CentreTech Campus offers a wide range of research and reference services to students and the faculty. Print and e-books, online magazines, newspapers and serials, research databases, and full text databases are available during library hours and online. To see the library catalogs and for directions on how to access library resources off-campuses or on campuses, visit www.ccaurora.edu/students/library/. For the latest information about instructional resources, or to schedule a faculty/instructor consultation, call (303) 340-7544. The library staff is eager to make connections with faculty, instructors, and students. You can schedule individual, group/class, or student curriculum, research, or reference meetings.

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Academic Learning Center The Academic Learning Center is in the Classroom Building, C109 at the CentreTech Campus, and in West Quad, (Building 903) room 106 on the Lowry Campus. Both locations offer help to students with math, reading, English, and written assignments. Tutoring schedules are sent to faculty and instructors by email. Students can schedule appointments by visiting the Academic Learning Center or signing up online. For more information, visit the Academic Learning Center page at: www.ccaurora.edu/students/support-services/academic-learning-center, or contact Patti Molai at (303) 340-7536 or Patti.Molai@ccaurora.edu.

Make-Up Exams If a student misses a test, the Library may administer and proctor the exam for you at the CentreTech Campus in Student Centre room 202. All tests must be submitted with a completed test administration form at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Forms/Submit Your Makeup Testing Exam for Students. You must pick up the completed exams personally. If possible, the Library recommends setting up the exam to be taken online. The Library cannot accept or return exams via fax forms, email, or U.S. mail in compliance with FERPA regulations.

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After the Course

Grading

Grades are due no later than the Thursday after each course is completed, unless otherwise announced by the registrar. All faculty and instructors must post their grades in both Banner and D2L and send electronic copies of the supporting grade records and attendance records for each class to their department academic program support specialist.

Grades must be submitted according to established deadlines depending on course start and end dates. If you teach Open Entry courses, pay particular attention to timely submission of grades. Enter final grades into Banner and submit your online Grade Book and Attendance Registers to your academic program support specialist by 5 p.m. on the date grades are due. Online courses do not require attendance registers.

Grade Scale for 100 & 200 Level Courses: A-Excellent or Superior, B-Good, C-Average, D-Deficient, but passing, F-Failure, I-Incomplete. CCA does not grade on a plus or minus system.

For an I-Incomplete grade to be considered, a student must have completed 75% of the course work by the end of the current semester. Both the student and faculty/instructor must sign a contract detailing the assignments and due dates for work to be completed. The student must complete all work by the end of the following semester or the grade automatically changes to an “F.” The form to request an incomplete grade for a student may be found at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Forms/Faculty and Instructor Forms/Incomplete Grade. Submit the completed form to your division dean.

Grade Scale for Courses below 100 (e.g. CCR 092, MAT 050, etc.): S/A-Excellent or Superior, S/B-Good, S/C-Average, U/D-Deficient, U/F-Failure, I- Incomplete (as above)

Instructors should explain to students that their final grade will be preceded by an S for satisfactory or U for unsatisfactory. If a student is taking a class pass/fail, the grade will appear as an S-Satisfactory or U-Unsatisfactory.

Entering Grades Steps to enter grades:

1. Log in to your MyCCA account 2. Click on the Faculty or Instructor tab 3. Go to the Faculty Grade Assignment channel on the left hand side 4. Next to the course you wish to grade click on the “?” or “!” symbol, and this will bring up

your grade roster 5. Grade every student using the drop down menu next to their name with the earned grade

(Grade Scale referenced above). If you do not grade every student, you will see a “!” symbol which indicates grades are missing for that course.

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Assigning an F Grade When issuing an F grade, you are required to enter the Last Attend Date (aka: Last Date of Attendance).

Steps to enter an F Grade:

1. Assign an F grade using the drop down menu next to the student’s name. 2. Enter a Last Attend Date: In the column labeled Last Attend Date, enter the last date of

attendance for the student in format MM/DD/YYYY. 3. If a student has never participated in class, the student should have been reported in the No

Show process earlier in the semester. Should this be the case at the end of the term, reach out to your department’s academic program support specialist as soon as possible, as student records will need to be adjusted in a time sensitive manner. If the student participated in only the first session, enter the appropriate hours the student participated.

Changing a Grade Instructors must submit a completed and signed Grade Change Request form available at MyCCA/Faculty or Instructor/Forms/Faculty and Instructors Forms. The electronically submitted form will be routed to the appropriate dean and then to the Office of the Registrar for processing. It could take up to a week for the grade to be changed from the date of submission. You will be notified via email when a grade change request has been approved or denied.

End of Semester Check-Out Follow this checklist to make sure everything is complete at the end of the semester:

• Post grades on the Banner website by the deadline established by the registrar for your course end date. If you teach hybrid and open-entry courses, or any course varying from the regular Fall/Spring/Summer 15-week or 10-week schedule, pay particular attention to course start and end dates and corresponding grade deadlines.

• Submit an electronic copy of the D2L grade book and attendance register (except for online courses) to your academic program support specialist at the same time you submit your Banner grades.

• Turn in keys (electronic or metal) if you are not teaching the following semester. Do not throw electronic key cards away since they are reusable.

• Return instructor desk copies of textbooks to your academic program support specialist if not using the following semester.

• Make arrangements with your students to return final exams and/or papers directly to them, i.e. students are to bring in self-addressed, stamped envelopes or send it to them electronically. Do not leave the exams with your academic program support specialist or in your mailbox where others can go through them as this will be a breach of FERPA regulations.

• Make sure you update your phone number or address with your academic program support specialist and in Banner Self-Service, found at MyCCA/Dashboard/Banner Self-Service in the event a student appeals the course grade.

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A Word of Thanks Thank you for choosing Community College of Aurora as a place to share your knowledge and practice the craft and profession of teaching! Please call upon your dean, department chair, academic program support specialist and the other people and departments described in this Resource Guide for information and support. Have a great semester!

Disclosure This Faculty and Instructor Resource Guide contains pertinent information affecting faculty and adjunct instructors, current through the date of its issuance. To the extent that any provision of this Resource Guide is inconsistent with State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Policies (BPs) or Colorado Community College System President’s Procedures (SP’s), the 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 and adjunct instructors are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the BPs, SPs, as well as College directives and procedures, including but not limited to the contents of this Resource Guide.

To access BPs and SPs, see www.cccs.edu/about-cccs/state-board/policies-procedures/

Nothing in this Resource Guide is intended to create (nor shall be construed as creating) an express or implied contract or to guarantee employment for any term or to promise that any specific process, procedures, or practice will be followed or benefit provided by the College. The College reserves the right to modify, change, delete, or add to the information in this Resource Guide as it deems appropriate.

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Community College of Aurora