SRTC Procedure: Student Access to Part-time Faculty

Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) adjunct faculty members play an important role in instructional activities. Their special qualifications broaden and enrich the curriculum and increase learning opportunities for students. Adjunct faculty teaching courses for credit must meet the same requirements for credentialing as defined in the SRTC Faculty Qualifications Procedure. Adjunct faculty are assigned direct student contact hours on an as-needed basis, with the number of hours not to exceed 29 hours per week (in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010). The proportion of courses taught by adjuncts are determined by the Deans for Academic Affairs, Director of Distance Education, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs with input from the Program Chairs, taking into consideration student enrollment, nature of the instructional delivery, program accreditation requirements, availability of credentialed adjuncts, length of program completion, and non-instructional duties.

Although adjunct faculty members are not required to maintain office hours, the College ensures student access to adjunct faculty through the following methods:

1. All adjunct faculty members provide contact information on their course syllabi.
2. Adjunct faculty members are available to students immediately before or after a class session.

The academic assistance process is a decision making process by which students realize their maximum educational potential through interaction with an instructor; it is ongoing, multifaceted, and the responsibility of both student and instructor. The guidance provided by the instructor facilitates communications and coordinates learning experiences.

Examples of academic activities include the following:

1. Academic progress;
2. Improving study skills;
3. Matching learning style to courses;
4. Obtaining remedial assistance;
5. Clarifying life/career goals;
6. Identifying careers that fit personal abilities;
7. Coping with academic difficulties; and
8. Referral to tutoring services.

If the student’s adjunct faculty member is not available, the student may contact the appropriate full-time faculty member, Dean for Academic Affairs, or Director of Distance Education.

Program Chairs are responsible for the consistency of course content. If adjunct faculty members prepare tests, lesson plans, or other course materials on their own, they must provide a copy to the Program Chair for approval prior to implementing or administering these materials.

At the end of the semester, the adjunct faculty members should return all materials to the Program Chair or the office from which they were contracted, unless they are under contract to teach the same class the next semester.

Responsibility:
The Vice President for Academic Affairs has the overall responsibility for ensuring this procedure is implemented.

Status:
Adopted: 10-20-2014
Implemented: 07-01-2015