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INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES RESOURCE GUIDE

I am pleased to present the Durham Technical Community College's Instructional Services Resource Guide. The guide includes descriptions of the institutional policies and procedures that most directly affect members of the Student Learning and Instructional Services Division. Please review the information found here carefully and refer to it often when carrying out your responsibilities for the college.

Durham Tech’s focus is student success. We intend to provide our students with educational opportunities, and with those, the larger opportunity to improve their lives. I am confident that the information found here will help you carry out this extraordinarily important purpose. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or suggestions about this resource guide. Meanwhile, thank you for your contributions to Durham Technical Community College.

Susan G. Paris Vice President for Student Learning and Instructional Services pariss@durhamtech.edu 919-536-7200 x2011

VISION FOR A LEARNING COLLEGE

Consistent with the college’s mission, the Student Learning and Instructional Services Division facilitates and encourages lifelong learning throughout the college community. We define learning as the intentional process of acquiring knowledge or skills. The process requires the engagement of the learner and leads to a demonstrable change in the way the learner relates to his or her environment.

The college ensures that its graduates have acquired the knowledge and/or skills necessary for future academic, technical, or professional success. Graduates will also demonstrate the following general education learning outcomes:

• The ability to communicate clearly, effectively and respectfully both orally and in writing;• The ability to recognize cultural differences among peoples, to develop tolerance for

differences, and to act appropriately with individuals of varying cultures;• The ability to contribute positively to the academic and workplace environment by

demonstrating expected behaviors (e.g. integrity, demeanor, attendance, punctuality)and by working with others to solve problems;

• The ability to learn how to learn and to possess critical thinking and problem-solving skillsnecessary in an ever-changing environment;

• The ability to recognize ethical dilemmas and to identify possible solutions.

The Student Learning and Instructional Services Division believes that as learning occurs, changes begin within the person which transcends to interpersonal relationships, groups, community, and to the greater global environment.

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ACADEMIC FREEDOM STATEMENT

Durham Tech preserves an environment for excellence in teaching, learning, and inquiry by sustaining freedom of expression, scholarly pursuit of knowledge, spirited and open debate, and intellectual exchange. Academic freedom is vital to the college community’s shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge, is fundamental to the exploration of new ideas, and is essential as we learn from one another.

Responsibility must accompany the rights and privileges of academic freedom; throughout the educational process, faculty are encouraged to create an environment of academic excellence and to explore various points of view. Faculty are expected to be accurate, objective, and purposeful. Material presented or discussed should be related to the course's subject matter. Faculty are expected to present and discuss assignments and material relevant to the student learning outcomes presented in the course outline. Faculty are responsible to set reasonable rules for appropriate classroom discourse, including limits to speech that is unrelated to class material or substantially impairs the rights of others.

The Academic Freedom Policy can be read in its entirety in the Policies and Procedures section of the website.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

The Durham Tech Academic Calendar is subject to periodic review and revision. The most up-to-date version can be found under the Academics section of the website. Other important dates can also be found there as well.

Faculty contracts are for 39 weeks, with 32 weeks of instruction. The first day of instruction cannot occur before August 15. The seven non-instructional weeks include the following:

• Two weeks for pre-semester activities

• Two weeks of faculty work days

• Two weeks at the end of the spring semester

• One week of holidays (three in fall and three in spring)

The 39 week contract stretches over 41 weeks to accommodate the winter break. There are no “unpaid” days for 9-month faculty. They are paid for a full 39 weeks, including holidays.

Non-faculty staff on 11.5 month contracts are allowed three personal (unpaid) days. They are also paid for two additional holidays (Memorial Day and July 4).

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THE INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING AND RELATED ISSUES

Orientation for New Employees

During the first week of employment, new employees will participate in various orientation activities. The Human Resources staff will provide employees with assistance in completing necessary employment forms and arrange meetings with key college personnel as feasible. Also during the initial probationary period of employment, the employee’s immediate supervisor schedules meetings for orientation and evaluation. The college also provides group orientation for new employees semiannually.

The Teaching and Learning Center provides an orientation for all new faculty members (both full-time and adjunct) prior to the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. This orientation introduces instructors to College and Division policies and procedures and clarifies support mechanisms in place for new faculty.

The First Class Meeting

The first class meeting creates some nervousness for students and instructor. This a critical time for establishing the tone and setting the groundwork for a successful course. Whatever you plan to do for the semester should be introduced on the first day. Is your course heavy on discussion? Then use the first day to engage your students in dialogue and discussion. If your course is writing intensive, have them complete a reflective writing assignment. The first day is also a good opportunity to inspire interest in the subject matter and reflect on prior knowledge. Take the time to express your expectations for classroom behavior. Review the syllabus with them and discuss it. What are your expectations for student behavior? Do you allow cell phones to be on in class? Do you want students to call out their answers or raise their hands and wait to be called on? Give them pointers on how to be successful in your class (attendance; staying current on homework assignments, etc.). Allow students opportunities to get to know each other, as fostering a collaborative classroom environment benefits learning. And share something about yourself, and your professional experiences too. In any case, the instructor should plan for a first class meeting that will fully utilize the full class time in a productive manner. This will definitely set the tone for the remainder of the course.

Course Syllabus

The instructor should ensure that every student receives a copy of the course syllabus by the first class (either in person or through Sakai), and it should be reviewed with students in detail. The syllabus is considered to be a contract between you and your students, setting guidelines for what is expected for the duration of the course. A current syllabus template containing the required information is available in the Instructional Services Resource Center, under The First Class Meeting. Instructors may add pertinent information at their discretion, but the required components should not be removed.

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Course Outline and Learning Outcomes

The official course outline should be obtained from the appropriate program director or discipline chair and reviewed during the first class meeting. The course outline provides the course description, the course learning outcomes, a detailed outline of the instructional topics, the required textbook(s), and other materials. The course outline, together with the syllabus template provide all the information a student would need to understand the requirements and outcomes of the course. Instructors should adhere to the course outline and no changes to the official course outline can be made except by the program director with the approval of the Manager, Curriculum Development and Support.

Unauthorized Persons in Classes/Labs/Clinicals

Only authorized persons and students registered for the course may attend classes, labs, or clinical settings. Children are not allowed in these instructional areas. It is further prohibited for children to be left unattended in the library or lounges or on the campus grounds. Any use of college facilities, equipment, etc., by persons or groups who are not employees or students must be officially authorized by the President or his designee. Visitors (including vendors or recruiters) should not interrupt classes or labs unless prior arrangements have been made. All vendors should receive clearance through the appropriate administrative office prior to visiting an instructor in a classroom, lab, or clinical. Visitors seeking a student on campus should be directed to Campus Police and Public Safety.

Record keeping and Document Submission

Instructors should provide a copy of their course syllabi to their supervisor by the end of the first week of class. Full-time faculty should submit a copy of their weekly schedule to their supervisor by the end of the second week of class.

Preliminary Class Roster and Enrollment Verification

There are specific guidelines for taking and submitting student attendance in WebAdvisor. Also view information related to Important Dates.

During the first week of class, the instructor should print out their attendance roster from WebAdvisor (or if an adjunct instructor, receive from the program director/chair) a roster that shows students enrolled in the course. At the first class meeting the instructor should verify that all students are properly registered, and listed on the roster, or with an add/drop form signed by Advising and Registration. If a student's name does not appear on the roster and the student does not have verification of enrollment, the instructor should allow the student to remain in class and check the student’s registration in WebAdvisor after class. The instructor should expect to receive students during the late registration and schedule adjustment period. In such instances, the same verification procedure should be followed.

Web Attendance

View the instructions for updating web attendance.

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At the start of the semester, instructors should log in to WebAdvisor and click on the Web Attendance Tracking link to access the web roster.

Web rosters should be updated weekly. Click the first bottom box on the web roster to submit attendance.

The web roster is finalized by clicking BOTH bottom boxes on the web roster. When both boxes are checked, the web roster is locked and can no longer be updated or accessed without contacting the Web Attendance administrator. The web roster should not be finalized until the end of the semester.

While the college encourages students to take responsibility for withdrawing from a class, federal reporting requirements for class attendance of students receiving financial aid and VA benefits requires faculty to withdraw students under certain circumstances.

Academic Integrity and Violations of the Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy

Durham Tech upholds and enforces high standards of academic honesty and integrity both in and out of the classroom. The college establishes and follows a process for defining and addressing academic dishonesty when it occurs.

Academic integrity is defined as the pursuit and presentation of learning and scholarship in an honest, transparent, and respectful way that values personal responsibility, original expression, and proper attribution. Academic dishonesty is a violation of academic integrity – the participation or collaboration in specific prohibited forms of conduct. Participation or collaboration may be active (such as submitting a term paper that includes plagiarized work) or passive (such as receiving a copy of a test before class). Plagiarism, a specific subset of academic dishonesty, is the representation of another person’s work, words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, copying material and using ideas from an article, book, unpublished paper, or the Internet without proper documentation of references or without properly enclosing quoted material in quotation marks. Plagiarism also includes sentences that follow an original source too closely, often created by simply substituting synonyms for another person’s words. View the guidelines and processes for dealing with academic integrity and plagiarism in the classroom.

Student Conduct

Durham Tech has an obligation to maintain a safe and orderly educational environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The intent of the Code of Conduct is to protect the rights and safety of all individuals on campus. Whenever possible, the goal of any disciplinary action at Durham Tech is to teach a student what is appropriate in the educational setting and to provide students with an opportunity to learn behaviors that will contribute to their success in their future work and life. Since Durham Tech’s core values promote “an engaging, collegial atmosphere with professional, ethical, and respectful interactions that enhance learning,” members of our campus community will not tolerate behaviors that are not aligned with these values. Thus, the Student Code of Conduct policy strives to balance the college’s values and the

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student’s goal of becoming a more educated citizen in such a way that honors both. View the Student Code of Conduct.

Disruptive Behaviors Definition

Disruptive behaviors are defined as those actions which are not conducive or productive to (creates chaos and/or distracts) others in the learning environment. These behaviors may include, but are not limited to, violations of the student code of conduct, disrespectful language in electronic and/or in-person communication, profanity, use of unapproved electronic devices during instruction, failure to treat employees or other students with respect, yelling, use of humor in a derogatory or demeaning manner, or failure to comply with any specific guidelines in a class or during an educational or college-sponsored activity.

Response to Disruptive Behavior

Durham Tech is a Learning College, which means that we recognize that opportunities to learn can occur both inside and outside of the classroom. When disruptive behavior occurs, faculty and/or staff should provide students with information about the consequences of the behavior. Disruptive behaviors should be addressed with the first incident rather than after a series of incidents using the Disruptive Behavior Procedure. Students are responsible for reading the Student Code of Conduct and reviewing the consequences of violating the Code of Conduct.

Student Grievance Procedure

The faculty and staff at Durham Tech attempt, in good faith, to resolve complaints and problems as they arise. However, if a matter remains unresolved, the purpose of the student grievance procedure is to provide a system to resolve student complaints against faculty and staff. The procedure applies to all student complaints, including, but not limited to, academic issues, student services or administrative concerns, or matters involving any form of discrimination or harassment. Grievances involving academic issues are limited to final course grades and satisfactory completion of instructional program requirements. If at any time in the procedure the complaint, grievance, or appeal involves claims of discrimination or harassment (including sexual harassment), the matter must be forwarded immediately to the Title IX coordinator.

Cancellation of Classes

Only the President or his designee may cancel classes for institutional reasons such as inclement weather or other emergencies. Instructors should generally not cancel a class unless absolutely necessary. Instructors should meet classes on time and remain for the full meeting time.

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of hazardous weather, Durham Tech will communicate a decision to delay opening or to close the college in these ways:

• An announcement on the Durham Tech website

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• Announcements on the following local media outlets:

Television: FOX 50, WTVD, WRAL, WNCN, News Channel 14, and WUVC-TV Univision

• An announcement on the college’s main telephone number: 919-536-7200

Please also note that the College will not announce a decision to remain open. We will only announce decisions to open on a delayed basis or to close the college. If classes on the Main Campus are cancelled, classes will also be cancelled at all other college locations. From time to time, however, the college may cancel operations at a remote location and still operate on the Main Campus. To the extent possible, we will make a decision to remain open or close by 6 p.m. the night before the anticipated weather event. We will also make a decision regarding evening operations by 3 p.m. the day of the weather event. Any additional changes about the college's schedule will be posted on Durham Tech's website as decisions are made. The message system on the college's 919-536-7200 number will also be updated with any closure or delay information. Please realize, however, that inclement weather can occur at any time; thus timetables regarding decisions to remain open or to close are flexible. Division heads should develop plans for notifying employees under their supervision about decisions to close or delay opening the college in cases of inclement weather. Employees who do not report for work when the college is open should report the time missed as annual leave.

Rescheduling Canceled Classes

If Durham Tech is closed or has a delayed opening due to inclement weather, the college is still responsible for making sure that the full measure of teaching occurs in spite of any weather-related disruptions. When a class is canceled for whatever reason, the instructor must modify the course syllabus to allow for the makeup of missed instructional hours. In certain instances, additional days at the end of each semester may be designated as makeup days or Faculty Work Days during the semester may be designated as makeup days.

Options for making up missed canceled classes include:

• Adjusting your syllabus by adding independent study assignments to ensure that certain crucial material is addressed;

• Organizing field trips for times other than your class’ regularly scheduled meeting time; • Video conference with students; • Using the Sakai site to cover content that must be addressed; and/or • Adding ten minutes to the beginning or ending of several class sessions until you have

accounted for the missed class time.

As necessary, additional instructions, including any additional required documentation, will be provided by the Vice President, Student Learning and Instructional Services.

Employee/Instructor Absence

When an employee cannot report to work due to illness, accident, or other extenuating circumstances, s/he should notify the immediate supervisor. If the absent employee is an

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instructor, the immediate supervisor should make a reasonable effort to have another instructor cover the class, if feasible. If class coverage is not possible, the supervisor should meet the absent instructor's class to inform students and to notify them of when the class is expected to resume. Also, the supervisor should take class attendance and make an assignment, if practical. A “Class Cancellation” notice should be placed on the classroom door. For evening classes, the Evening Coordinator (hollowayh@durhamtech.edu or 919-536-7200, ext. 8191) must also be notified of any class cancellations. When annual leave is requested during days of instruction, instructors are to submit a detailed plan of how the day's course material is to be covered in their absence or at a makeup session to their supervisor.

Class Schedules

Program Directors and Discipline Chairs are responsible for developing, modifying, and maintaining the schedule of classes under their area of responsibility. The collected schedules of all programs and disciplines constitute the Master Class Schedule. The Master Class schedule is the college's official publication of each term's course offerings. In consultation with the academic deans, the Vice President, Student Learning and Instructional Services and the Scheduling Coordinator/Database Manager coordinate the development of the curriculum class schedule. A draft of the schedule is reviewed by the Vice President, who, after consulting with the appropriate Deans, determines if any adjustments will be made. In preparing the Master Class Schedule, the Program Director or Discipline Chair should refer to his or her plan of study to ensure that offerings are consistent with that plan.

Basic Assumptions in Scheduling

The following basic assumptions for scheduling should be considered in revising the Master Class Schedule:

• For each full-time student beginning a program of study in the first term of the plan ofstudy, the College will ensure that at least one section of each required course is offeredduring the term specified in the program of study. Adequate elective courses will also beavailable.

• The full-time student beginning study in the first term specified on the plan of study withno transfer credit and no developmental education course requirement will be able todevelop a full class schedule each semester if he or she follows the plan of study.

• The College generally will not cancel required courses that are scheduled in the termsspecified on the program plan of study if full-time, on-track students are enrolled.

• For purposes of course sequences, the college will consider the summer term as the thirdand sixth semesters of the program plans of study (unless the program's sequence ofcourses begins in spring semester or summer term).

• The college will address the needs of students in programs of study who have not followedthe course sequence listed on the plan of study by offering courses or additional sectionsof courses based on an analysis of enrollment from preceding semesters, analysis of thecollege budget, and availability of instructors.

• Course substitutions for on-track students should be kept to a minimum.

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• Program Directors and Discipline Chairs should work closely with one another to ensuremaximum efficiency in scheduling courses required in multiple programs.

Department Heads will ensure close coordination between departments to achieve maximum efficiency in the use of the same courses and sections, particularly in the scheduling of required common general education courses.

Course Scheduling Change Forms

The course scheduling change forms, available under College Forms, are used by the Program Director (or Discipline Chair) for all changes to the Master Class Schedule. Changes, additions, and deletions must be approved by the appropriate Department Head and the Vice President of the appropriate Division.

FACULTY CONTRACTS AND SCHEDULES

Faculty Teaching Load

The best source of up-to-date and detailed information is the Durham Tech Employee Handbook. Teaching load is based on contact or credit hours. Contact hours are the actual hours of scheduled class, lab, or clinical experience during which the instructor is in direct contact with students. Credit hours are the number of hours assigned the class for academic credit toward graduation. The contact hour teaching load for full-time instructors (those without program director or other administrative responsibilities) is a range of 18 to 21 contact hours per week and/or 15 to 18 credit hours per week. The minimum teaching load is either 18 contact hours or 15 credit hours, depending on the number of contact and credit hours awarded for each course taught. For example, an instructor teaching four 4-credit, 5-contact hour courses would have 16 credit hours and 20 contact hours. Teaching three of these courses would result in a load of 12 credit and 15 contact hours, both of which are below the minimum. The contact hour teaching load for a program director or discipline chair is a range of 9 to 15 contact hours per week, and the credit hour range is 9 to 12 credit hours per week. The contact hour teaching load for department heads, deans, associate deans, and assistant deans is a range of 5 to 8 contact hours per week or a range of 3 to 6 credit hours per week.

Faculty Schedules

The college recognizes that its faculty is comprised of dedicated professionals whose work is best carried out in an environment that affords flexibility and adaptability. The college employs full-time faculty members under forty-hour per week contracts to plan and carry out teaching assignments and committee work; evaluate student work; provide academic advising and registration approval; maintain currency in their disciplines, professions, or technical areas of expertise and in the art of teaching; work independently and collaboratively in curriculum development and improvement; and assist in college governance and decision-making. Faculty members also serve as role models to students and to the community at large by carrying out their various responsibilities with personal integrity and with an understanding of the need for accountability. Establishing overall work assignments is the responsibility of the program

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director or discipline chair. In cases where a faculty member is assigned to more than one program or discipline, responsibility for establishing the work assignment rests with the director or chair of the area of primary responsibility (as designated on the college’s staffing chart). In such cases, the primary supervisor should coordinate assignments with the secondary supervisor.

Full-time faculty members should expect to spend a minimum of 32 hours per week on the college campus or at their assigned off-campus teaching locations or clinical sites. This expectation includes meeting all classes for their full duration and at least 8 hours of posted office hours per week must be listed. In addition to their teaching schedules and office hours, faculty members are expected to be available for consultation with colleagues, for meetings, and for other work activities as requested by their supervisors or by the college during times the college is in operation. To facilitate the offering of distance education, full-time faculty members who are teaching hybrid or online classes may elect to post a portion of their 32 hours per week schedule as virtual contact hours to reflect the often unusual times required for electronic communication with distance education students.

The hours that may be listed as virtual (not necessarily on campus) contact hours would follow the following formula:

The instructor may post one-half of their online contact hours as virtual contact hours, with a maximum of 9 virtual contact hours of the 32 posted hours for an instructor with 18-21 online contact hours.

While such a schedule offers some flexibility for online instructors, each faculty member teaching online must, of course, meet the obligations of each of their courses and of all advising/registration duties. To provide all students with access to full-time faculty members, instructors and program directors who teach in disciplines or programs that have evening course offerings should expect to teach at least one evening section per academic year. This expectation may also be satisfied by teaching at least two sections per year scheduled off-campus (at a location other than the faculty member’s primary work location). It is the responsibility of Deans and Department heads to evaluate adequate coverage of evening classes. In addition, all full-time faculty members must accommodate requests from evening students for advising appointments. At the start of each semester a faculty member should provide to his (or her) supervisor a weekly schedule that includes all contractual hours (teaching assignments and scheduled office advising hours along with other times the faculty member plans to be on campus during a typical week). Once this schedule is posted, the faculty member may make occasional and minor variations to the schedule. Examples include revising the weekly schedule to attend a meeting or a professional development activity or to attend to personal business. Faculty members should notify their supervisors of such modifications and should make arrangements to making up instructional activities (if needed). Otherwise the instructor should obtain the supervisor’s approval before modifying the weekly schedule and post the altered schedule for those hours on his/her office door. In addition, supervisors (including department heads, division heads, or other college administrators) can require faculty members to make occasional modifications to the schedule that may result in the faculty members’ presence on campus in excess of the 32-hour minimum noted above.

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Under normal circumstances, faculty members are required to be on the college campus or at the location of their teaching assignments for a minimum of four days per week or on specific days of the week to carry out necessary work responsibilities. Faculty supervisors may, in consultation with the department dean, modify this requirement as needed to meet the needs of the department and the college.

For accounting purposes, absence from campus for a day should result in submission of an employee absence report for eight hours (regardless of the number of hours the faculty member posts for the day in question). Instructors who teach on overload contracts should submit a weekly schedule that reflects at least forty hours of college-related activity in addition to the overload course or courses. This expectation applies to curriculum courses, continuing education courses, or basic skills courses taught on overload. A faculty member on a probationary contract must develop the work schedule with his/her immediate supervisor.

Excess Teaching Load/Overload Contracts

Qualified faculty and staff members may be employed under overload contracts to teach one or more classes over their load if the class or classes they teach do not interfere with their ability to fully carry out their regular contractual responsibilities. Overload contracts are approved by the President based upon the endorsement of the employee's supervisor, department head, and the Vice President of Student Learning and Instructional Services, or the appropriate Vice President.

An instructor may receive an overload contract when he/she is teaching 20 or more contact hours per week as part of the regular teaching load and when his/her annual average teaching load meets or exceeds 18 credit hours or 20 contact hours per week. A program director may receive an overload contract to teach a full course when he/she is teaching 15 or more contact hours per week as part of the regular teaching load and when the annual average teaching load meets or exceeds 12 credit hours or 15 contact hours per week. A dean may receive an overload contract to teach a full class when he/she is teaching eight or more contact hours per week and when the annual average teaching load meets or exceeds six credit hours or eight contact hours per week. Program directors who wish to employ a full-time or continuing part-time employee under an overload contract first submit an Overload Request Form identifying the employee, the term of overload employment, and the course or courses to be taught under the overload contract. The program director also indicates the reason or reasons for requesting the overload contract. If the employee is a faculty member with a contractual teaching responsibility, a list of the classes taught as part of the employee's regular responsibilities is also included, as well as a copy of the employee's faculty schedule showing at least 40 hours of weekly scheduled activity carried out in addition to the overload teaching assignment.

When requesting or endorsing an overload contract for any employee, the employee's supervisor should carefully consider whether the overload assignment will impair the employee's ability to carry out his/her regular responsibilities. For faculty members, this means not only the regularly contracted teaching assignment but also any other tasks or duties assigned to that individual.

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Faculty members who have approved reductions in teaching responsibilities to carry out special assignments may not be employed under overload contracts. Overload contracts will not be issued for portions of a class. (For example, if an instructor's contractual teaching load is 15 credit hours and he/she is assigned four classes of four contact hours each to meet that load, the faculty member is not eligible for a one-hour overload contract.) Employees assigned to complete a class begun by another instructor may be eligible for an overload contract.

If an employee is offered an overload contract outside the primary work assignment area, the requesting program director must obtain the prior endorsement of the employee's supervisor before requesting an overload contract. If an employee has more than one work assignment as indicated on the college's Staffing Chart, the primary assignment is the position on the Staffing Chart where the employee's name does not appear in parentheses.

Requests for overload contracts must be submitted for approval sufficiently prior to the beginning of class to provide an opportunity to make another assignment should the request be denied. Once submitted and endorsed, overload requests will remain in the office of the Vice President of Student Learning and Instructional Services. Overload contracts should not be prepared until the program director receives a copy of the overload request with all required signatures. A copy of the employee’s schedule should accompany the Overload Request Form. The Overload Request Form will be submitted to the Human Resources office along with the signed overload contract.

Criteria for Creating an Overload Contract

• When there is an emergency situation (e.g., another instructor is leaving the college or hasbecome too ill to teach), full-time employees can take on last-minute or mid-semesteradditions more easily than part-time instructors.

Overloads should be considered if the faculty member is already teaching the maximumnumber of credit hours (18) or contact hours (20).

• When the Corporate and Continuing Education Division has a need to hire full- and part-time college employees to teach Customized Training programs, based on the capacity-building directive from the NCCCS Office for Continuing Education, Corporate andContinuing Education program directors are encouraged to hire current collegeemployees. Because of this, the division is able to receive bonus money for hiring collegeemployees.

• In a situation when a class requires specialized training to be taught or when hiringmanagers cannot recruit specialized adjunct faculty, this may warrant hiring full-timeemployees with the necessary specialized credentials.

• On the occasion when a class is particularly difficult to staff due to scheduling needs, hiringfull-time faculty or staff may be the best way to fill the need. For example, a part-timeinstructor is unlikely to be willing to come to campus (or to one of our off-campus sites) inorder to incorporate a one-hour class into his/her regular off-campus job work schedule(i.e. Career and College Promise).

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• When classes are added to accommodate high enrollment at the last minute, this maymake it difficult to find an adjunct instructor to teach them so an overload contract maybe necessary.

• When specialized courses require knowledge of the college’s policies and procedures inaddition to course content, an overload contract may be necessary. For example,instruction at an off-campus sites like Blue Cross/Blue Shield and for certain courses likeACA 122 may require such knowledge.

Note: Exception for ACA 122 overloads — Faculty/staff who meet their minimumcredit/contact hours will be eligible for consideration to teach ACA 122. For teaching loadpurposes, ACA loads are one credit and two contact hours.

Process/Procedure for Administering Overload Contracts

• Course/instructor evaluations will be considered in selecting instructors for overloadcontracts (e.g., consistently ranked “met expectations or higher”).

• Supervisors will require instructors on overload contracts to take annual leave when theymiss departmental meetings, advising commitments, and other regular duties as assigned(possibly for other reasons than teaching).

• The number of classes an instructor is teaching as a part of his/her regular load as well asthe number of students in each course will be taken into consideration when approving aninstructor for an overload.

• Instructors must receive permission for one overload assignment before processing asecond overload assignment. Likewise, instructors must list on the Overload Request Formcourses in the regular load as well as the courses on the overload.

• The Overload Request Form must be accompanied by the employee’s weekly schedule that shows his/her current work week along with how the overload fits into his/her schedulebefore it can be approved by the supervisor, division head, or the president.

Faculty Academic Release Time

Faculty members may request and obtain temporary release from some portion of their contractual teaching obligation to carry out other necessary projects or tasks. The term “release time” refers to the release from instructional duties or from actual contact hours of instruction which are normally required of a full-time or continuing part-time faculty member (including program directors and department heads) in carrying out their full load of contracted responsibilities. Release time is not considered as “leave” and should not be confused with professional or educational leave which are described in the college’s Employee Handbook or with professional development/return to industry requests.

Release time may be granted for one or more of the following purposes:

• Development and implementation of new projects or instructional offerings, including new curriculum programs, new or restructured offerings within existing programs, non-creditcourses, or non-traditional offerings

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• Revision of existing curricula or courses as a result of formal recommendations fromprogram review, advisory committees, competency-based education (CBE) review,program accrediting agencies/state licensure boards, or regional accreditation bodies

• Other initiatives of strategic emphasis to the college

Procedures

A written proposal for release time must be submitted to the Vice President of Student Learning and Instructional Services for approval on the Faculty Release Time Request form. This form will be initiated and prepared by the instructor following consultation with the program director or discipline chair and department head. Requests for release time for curriculum revisions should be developed with input from the Manager, Curriculum Support and Development.

This proposal should include the following information:

1. Hours per week release time requested2. Description of and objectives for the activity3. Rationale or justification of the proposed activity and a statement of relevance to the

goals and objectives of the college, division, department or program4. Estimated cost to replace the faculty member if additional part-time help is required, or

the impact on the program if the replacement is by existing full-time faculty5. Anticipated result of the activity

A Supervisor’s Evaluation of Faculty Release Time Request form should be filled out by the program director or discipline chair and signed by the department head and (when appropriate) the Manager of Curriculum Support and Development. The program director will be responsible for evaluating the proposed activity. The program director will state on the form how he or she will evaluate the activity. These forms should be submitted to the Vice President of Student Learning and Instructional Services at least one month prior to the start of the relevant semester.

Periodic meetings between the faculty member, supervisor, and (when appropriate) Manager of Curriculum Support and Development should be held to review progress and to evaluate the activity. Upon completion of the release time and associated project, the faculty member will submit the results of the accomplished objectives and supporting documentation to the Vice President, Student Learning and Instructional Services. Supporting documentation (including course outlines, instructional packets, or plans of study) may also be submitted to the Manager of Curriculum Support and Development.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Acquiring Desk Copies - Desk Copies of textbooks are normally requested via the publisher website.

Book Adoption for Faculty

Textbooks and other materials can be ordered online through the Durham Tech Bookstore.

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Copy Center Services

The Copy Center provides quick-copy and printing services for materials directly related to the college's instructional and support functions. If confidentiality of materials is an issue, the instructor may ask that the materials be kept in an area accessible only to the Copy Center staff until the materials are picked up. A variety of customized printing needs can also be accommodated through off-campus printing available through a contract with Xerox.

Routine quick-copy jobs may include memoranda, tests, and short handouts (25 pages or less) that do not contain copyrighted materials. Copying multiple documents for administrative or instructional purposes should be submitted to the Copy Center. Copying requests are made using a Request for Printing form (available in the Copy Center) and submitting it with the documents to be copied. Copyrighted materials are handled in compliance with current copyright laws.

Limited-use copy machines are located in all campus buildings. These copiers are also serviced by Xerox. Faculty and staff should consult with staff in the administrative office of a campus building for instructions on using these copy machines.

All copying and printing services are charged back to departmental budgets. Contact the Business Office about Copy Center or copier concerns.

The Copy Center is located in White (Building 1),, room 1-132. You can contact the Copy Center at extension 1033 or via email at printshop@durhamtech.edu.

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Friday 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The copy center may be accessed for picking up completed copy jobs outside of these hours using the Faculty Lounge Key.

Printing Requests Procedures

1. Print and complete the Copy Request Form.

2. Attach it to the originals and deliver them to White (Building 1), room 1-132.

3. Allow a minimum of 48 hours (two full working days) for the printing request to becompleted after it arrives in room. Materials submitted on Friday after 12 noon will beready by noon on Monday.

4. Pick up materials in White (Building 1), room 1-132. They will be placed in thealphabetically labeled boxes by the requester’s name.

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Printing Guidelines

1. Copy-ready materials should not require any changes. Therefore, please submit originalson 8 1/2" x 11" or 8 1/2" by 14" sheets of white paper and do NOT staple pages together.

2. The following requests (except for routine quick-copy jobs) must be submitted tothe Marketing and Communications Office, 807 Bacon Street, room 20-110E), x5205.Allow at least two weeks lead time for requests.

o Requests for new publications or projectso Requests for changes to existing publications or projectso Requests for signs and other promotional itemso Quick-copy jobs involving copyrighted materialso Specific marketing/advertising requestso Requests for printed programs for college-sponsored events

3. Any copyrighted materials submitted to the Copy Center must include permission bythe publisher for the materials to be reproduced.

4. Special needs requiring extra time include the following:o Handbooks, booklets, instructional packages, or any document of more than 25

pages or requiring more than 150 copies (turnaround time may be four to sixweeks).

o Binding and finishing (additional finishing such as padding, covers,saddle stitching, etc. may require at least one extra day)

o Items that must be run on the printing press, such as NCR forms, certificates,letterhead, envelopes, brochures, jobs which are larger than 8 1/2 x 14.

o Any new or revised job with a print run of more than 1,000 copies (schedule threeto four weeks in advance).

o Jobs for which paper must be ordered. Time may vary.o The Business Office in White coordinates modules, which are printed in the

Copy Center and sold in the college's bookstore. Requests are madethrough the bookstore.

5. Changes to forms previously created in the Copy Center require three extra days.

6. Any statement of policy or other material for external distribution must be proofed andedited by the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, Room 20-110,Bacon St. Building. Three days to two weeks must be allowed, depending on number ofpages. Originals should be submitted on white paper and all external letters and memoswill then be printed on letterhead.

Guidelines for Editing, Typesetting, and Graphics Services

1. Fill out the Request for Printing form (see Appendix) for editing, typesetting, or graphics.

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2. Attach the form to any originals, samples, copy, and/or illustrations, and type any copysubmitted.

3. Submit the form and materials to the Marketing and Communications Office,room 20-110, 807 Bacon Street (Building 20), x5205. Allow at least two weeks lead timefor requests.

4. The department head must approve all requests.

Photocopying

Photocopy machines are available for limited use (of up to 50 copies each of no more than five originals) by faculty and staff in the following locations. Access is available using the Lounge Key.

• White (Building 1), room 1-146• Collins (Building 2), room 2-123• Library (Building 5), room 5-212• Newton (Building 4), room 4-114• Phillips (Building 3), room 3-129• Tech (Building 9), room 9-239A• Wynn (Building 10), room 10-116

College Communication and Style Guide

Durham Tech’s Marketing and Communications Department has developed a Communication and Style Guide to assist you in producing letters, memos, fliers, reports, email, Internet content, and other written communication for the college. This guide covers some of the most frequently asked questions about grammar, punctuation, capitalization, official names, and formats. Should you have a question about this material or other information not covered, please feel free to call extension 5205. Please note that this guide is not formatted for printing and will be updated online.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Curriculum Development and Renewal

Curriculum Development office (Phillips 3-103B) faculty may contact the Manager, Curriculum Support and Development for special assistance in the use of various types of educational development materials. The Curriculum Development office works closely with the Teaching/Learning Center to provide assistance to faculty in ongoing curriculum improvement.

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Principles Guiding Curriculum Development at Durham Tech

1. Competency-Based Education at Durham Tech

At Durham Tech, questions of curriculum, instruction, and evaluation are approachedusing the principles of the Competency-Based Education model (CBE). Competency-Based Education refers to any format of instruction in which the skills or competenciesto be learned are carefully identified using an organized method, with these skillsreflecting those required at job entry level and job mastery requirements clearly statedat the onset of the learning process.

The procedures for applying principles of Competency-Based Education to curriculum,instruction, evaluation, and update are collectively referred to as “The CBE Process” andmay be divided into four main activities:

o Curriculum Development - what should be taught (content)o Instructional Development - how should it be taught (teaching methodologies and

strategies)o Curriculum Evaluation - how should program effectiveness be gauged (A part of

the Program Review process)o Program Update - periodic review and update of competencies to ensure that

instruction is pertinent and up to date.

2. Vision Statement and General Learning Objectives

In 2003, Durham Tech’s Instructional Services Division developed a Vision Statement fora Learning College. The Vision Statement recognizes the importance of continuing toestablish and assess competency development. Moreover, the Vision Statement namesfive attributes (general learning objectives) that all Durham Tech graduates shouldachieve in the areas of communication, diversity, work skills, critical thinking, and ethicalawareness.

The Vision Statement serves as the guiding principle for the formulation and assessmentof intended learning outcomes in programs, disciplines, and courses. Intended learningoutcomes show the demonstration of the effective integration, application, and transferof a set of competencies. For example, assessing the ability to perform a specificpsychomotor skill could be combined with assessing the student’s ability to showthrough written communication an understanding of how that skill fits into the overallscheme of a particular profession or industry The student might also show anunderstanding of the ethical considerations, diversity issues, and workplace needsassociated with performing that task.

3. Assessment

a) Course-level:

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Intended learning outcomes are identified at the course level through a list of learning outcomes (competencies.) An actual learning outcome is determined by the measurement (as a result of assessment activities) of individual learning as demonstrated by student performance on faculty-designed instruments.

b) Program level assessment of learning outcomes takes different forms:

All programs assess general learning outcomes (Vision Statement) for a college-widedatabase. In addition, some programs require capstone courses to assess studentmastery of program competencies and general learning outcomes. Other programsinclude work-based experiences to acquaint students with fieldwork and todocument students’ skills in a workplace environment. Clinicals in the HealthTechnologies programs provide opportunities to work with professionals, and to testskills and knowledge learned in the classroom in a clinical setting. Portfolios ofstudent work are often used to document and assess skills in technical programs.

c) Program Assessment is also done by outside accrediting agencies:

Nine of our health technology programs (Associate Degree Nursing, DentalLaboratory Technology, Health Information, Medical Assisting, Occupational TherapyAssistant, Opticianry, Practical Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy Technology,Surgical Technology) are accredited by national organizations and must documentthe competency of their graduates for the national agencies. The EmergencyMedical Services program is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation ofAllied Health Education Programs. The ADN and PN programs are also accredited bythe North Carolina State Board of Nursing. Our Basic Law Enforcement Training(BLET) program must conform to the standard established by the North CarolinaDepartment of Justice. The Automotive Systems Technology program is accreditedby the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).

d) Program and course competencies are reviewed for relevancy on a regular basis byAdvisory Committees and Program Review task forces.

e) Program Review:

Each program at Durham Tech participates in a program review process every three-four years. During this process factors such as area viability, effectiveness, andstrategic goals are considered. Feedback received during this process from students,advisory committees, external stakeholders, and other college constituencies is usedto make improvements. Program review allows administration, faculty, andcommunity professionals to carefully examine resources, curriculum, studentlearning outcomes, and evaluation instruments. The program review committeeoutlines the strengths and weaknesses of the entire program and recommendsactions for improvement.

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f) Further demonstration of the learning is accomplished through the state-mandatedPerformance Factors

g) Departmental Assessment:

At the department level, administration and faculty participate in institutionaleffectiveness planning. Currently, these plans revolve around ways to improvestudent learning and are implemented over two-year cycles. The departmental plansseek to develop techniques and strategies that will lead to greater student masteryof program content and skills.

h) College–Level Assessment and Accreditation

Durham Technical Community College is accredited by the Commission on Collegesof the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Thecollege’s most recent reaffirmation was 2016. The college is also a member of theAmerican Association of Community Colleges.

Curriculum Changes

Curriculum changes are initiated at the instructional program level following the identification of need by program advisory committees, the program review process, statewide curriculum improvement projects, program accreditation agencies, through student input, and through careful discussions with faculty members. Program directors should work closely with department heads in developing the details of all proposals. The Manager, Curriculum Support and Development coordinates the process and provides further clarification and assistance as needed.

A. Making local curriculum changes and due dates for such changes: These changes may bemade via email communication.

1. Changes to the order of courses in a Plan of Study

All students are admitted to a program on a plan of study; therefore, the college tries tomake changes to plans of study only once a year with the change beginning in the nextfall semester.

To change a plan of study, send an email to the Manager, Curriculum Support andDevelopment with a copy to the Dean/Department Head. Attach a current plan of studywith the changes clearly marked (colored font is helpful).

To change a Plan of Study for the fall semester, please submit the changes by November1 of the preceding year—allows time for the new plan to be distributed in March andfor the proper courses to be on schedule for registration.

2. Changes to a local prerequisite or corequisite

Courses prerequisites and corequisites should only be changed once a year, with thechange becoming effective in the fall semester when most students begin their plan of

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study. To change a local prerequisite or corequisite, send an email by November 1 of the preceding year to the Manager, Curriculum Support and Development, with a copy to the Dean/Department Head outlining the rationale for such a change. Changes to local prerequisites or corequisites must exceed those required by the state. Remember that a change to a local prerequisite or corequisite should also appear on the course outline.

3. Changes to course outlines

Changes may be made once a semester depending on when the course is offered.Course outlines should be available to students when they register for the course.Double-check the course outlines on the Durham Tech web page. Make sure eachcourse in your program has an outline and that the course outlines are accurate and upto date. If your outline lists a particular textbook, rather than “text to be chosen byinstructor,” it is important the book be correct each semester. Please send theAdministrative Assistant for Student Learning and Instructional Services an email by thefollowing dates to let her know if your outlines are being revised or are new:

For spring semester courses — due by November 15For summer term courses — due by April 15For fall semester courses — due by July 1

To revise an old course outline, submit the old outline either electronically with changesnoted in red. (Please do not use track changes when formatting the course outline. Alloutlines are put in a standard format by the Administrative Assistant for StudentLearning and Instructional Services. The Administrative Assistant will make anynecessary formatting/editing changes and will forward the outline to the WebDesigner/Developer (filipowskil@durhamtech.edu) for the web page, to the Manager,Curriculum Support and Development, and will also return an electronic copy to theprogram director.

B. Making curriculum changes requiring North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)approval and due dates:

These changes require submission of an Academic Change Request form.

1. Deleting a course or adding a new course from the Combined Course Library to yourprogram of study.

a. Requires NCCCS approval via Electronic Program of Study change completed by theManager, Curriculum Support and Development.

b. Double check the Curriculum Standards to ensure course is eligible to be added.Curriculum standards for every program are available at the NCCCS website.

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c. Discuss change with faculty, Dean/Department head, and Manager, Curriculum Support and Development.

d. Programs typically discuss such changes with Advisory Committees to determine industry backing for changing or adding new competencies and skills to a program.

e. Complete an Academic Change Request form f. Submit form to the Dean/Department head for electronic signature and routing. g. Attach a current Plan of Study. Any changes should be marked in red.

h. To add or delete a course to your plan of study for the next fall, please submit request by November 1 of the preceding year—allows time for electronic submission and approval by NCCCS, and for new plan to be included on web site.

i. The Manager, Curriculum Support and Development will then enter new program of study into System Office database.

2. Making system-wide changes to a curriculum standard or to the combined course library: In addition to approving new programs, the NCCCS office has developed a process for the continual review and update of the Combined Course Library. If a program director or department head wishes to seek changes to a program standard or to a course(s) in the Combined Course Library, the following steps must be taken:

a. The program director, department head, and the Manager, Curriculum Support and Development must review and discuss the feasibility of changing the standard or course(s) in the Combined Course Library.

b. The Manager, Curriculum Support and Development, program director, and department head will discuss the request with the Vice-President for Student Learning and Instructional Services.

c. Upon approval of the request, the Manager, Curriculum Support and Development will work with the program director to complete the required forms for the NCCCS Office. The Vice President for Student Learning and Instructional Services must approve the requested change and sign the completed forms. The NCCCS Office will assess suggested changes and submit them to all colleges that will be affected by the change for their approval. If a two-thirds majority vote of colleges approve the change, it is then submitted to the statewide Curriculum Review Committee. This committee, composed of representative presidents and chief instructional officers from various colleges in the system, meets twice a year, usually coinciding with the September and March meetings of the N.C. Community Colleges’ Instructional Administrators Association.

Submission Deadlines to the NCCCS Curriculum Review Committee:

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The Curriculum Review Committee will meet twice each calendar year, once during the spring semester and once during the fall semester.

1. General Guidelines for Program Directors who have students on both a current plan of study and an old plan of study:

a) The minimum credit hours in each category (major and related courses, general education course and electives) of the original plan must be met, unless otherwise stipulated.

b) When a new course replaces an old course, the student; (1) may receive credit for the old course if already taken; (2) may take either the old or new course if the overall program objectives are being fulfilled, or; (3) will be required to take the new course if the old course is no longer offered.

c) For major or related electives, the student (1) may receive credit for electives already completed, (2) may take electives designated by any subsequently revised plan of study, or (3) may take newly required courses as electives if the new courses are not unduly similar to courses already completed. If a course is used as an elective but is not on the plan of study under which the student enrolled or any subsequent plan of study, a course substitution form is required.

d) When a course is designated as a major requirement by one plan of study and as an elective by the other plan, the student completing the course may receive credit for the core requirement or for the elective, but not for both.

2. A student who enrolls under a plan of study and is not in residence and receives no academic credit for two consecutive semesters must reapply for admission and, upon acceptance, will be admitted under the plan of study in effect at the time of the readmission. In such circumstances the following provisions will apply:

a) The student will be granted transfer credit for all equivalent courses completed under the original plan of study.

b) Elective credit may be granted for courses already completed but which have been deleted from the plan under which the student is readmitted.

c) The student must meet the required minimum credit hours in each category prescribed by the plan of study to which readmitted. When a plan of study is significantly revised, the program director, his or her department head, and the Manager, Curriculum Support and Development should develop a transition plan. This transition plan should be made available to students involved in the transition.

3. Transitional Plans a) When courses are deleted or added, creating a new Plan of Study, the program

director needs to develop a transition plan for students admitted and expected to graduate on the old plan of study.

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b) Usually such a plan outlines the courses that will be substituted from the new plan of study for courses on the old plan of study that are unavailable.

c) The Manager, Curriculum Support and Development and the program director will

develop a transition plan and will submit it by February 1 via a memo routed to the department head, the Director of Student Information and Records, and the Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Benefits.

d) Once the transition plan has been established, the Manager of Curriculum Support

and Development and the Assistant Dean for Curriculum Development will add the proper courses to the Automatic Course Substitution List and send the updated list to the Director of Information and Records.

e) This transition information will be distributed to students on the old plan of study, to Student Records staff for work with graduation audits, and to program advisors.

Process for Transfer Credit, for Standard Course Substitutions, and for Individual Course Substitutions and Waivers.

1. Transfer Credit

How do students receive credit for courses from other institutions?

In order to receive credit for courses taken at other institutions, students must be officially admitted into an academic program at Durham Tech first. Students must submit an official transcript to Admissions. Admissions counselors evaluate courses completed at other colleges for transfer credit applied to the courses listed on the students’ plan of study. Transfer credit appears at the beginning of students’ transcript.

2. Course Substitutions

A. Every student is admitted to a plan of study. When a course disappears from the plan on which a student is admitted, a substitution must be made. These types of substitutions are developed by the program director and the Manager of Curriculum Support and Development as part of a transition plan from an old plan of study to a new plan of study. Substitutions are also made for courses that are either equivalent to or more rigorous than the course on the plan of study. Admission counselors prepare graduation audits in which they must account for every course on a student’s plan of study to certify that student’s status for graduation. A comprehensive list of automatic course substitutions is maintained by the Manager of Curriculum Support and Development and is frequently updated. The updated list is then emailed to the program administrator and to Student Information and Records. There are cases for standard automatic substitutions. For example, in instances when new course is used to substitute for an archived course on a plan of study (part of a transition plan).

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B. Course Substitutions for individual students

Occasionally, a program director will modify the plan of study for an individual student by substituting another Durham Tech course for one listed on the plan of study. The program director fills out the Request for Course Substitution form. This form is only used to substitute one course at Durham Tech for another course at Durham Tech. The substitution may not be for one of the core courses in the program. An e-form for course substitution should ideally be submitted before the student enrolls in the course. The Program Director sends the form to the department head and to the Manager of Curriculum Support and Development. The manager forwards the request to the Director of Student Information and Records who distributes copies back to the department dean and program director.

3. Waivers

Occasionally, a program director will waive a course on the plan of study for an individual student or for everyone. A waiver means the student does not have to take the course, transfer credit in, or have a different course substituted. Waivers are unusual and the hours waived are quite limited. The waiver may never be of a core course nor can the waiver change the minimum number of required hours toward a degree.

4. Developmental Studies Classes

a. Students must complete developmental courses prior to registering for work-based learning classes. Advisors s should not approve the registration of any student for work-based learning classes who have not completed all developmental requirements.

b. Finishing developmental requirements prepares students for curriculum work in a program of study. Very rarely, a student will complete his or her plan of study without completing required developmental courses. In such a case, the program director would need to email the Dean and Department Head of Student Engagement and Transitions to see if the developmental course(s) may be waived. The Dean would email the Assistant Dean of Admissions, Advising, and Enrollment Support with approval of the waiver of the developmental class.

Program Review at Durham Tech

A formal, ongoing process of program review is used at Durham Tech to assess a program’s contribution to institutional effectiveness, while at the same time generating useful information for program improvement. The planning for program review began in 1986 as a result of recommendations from the SACS reaffirmation process and to complement competency-based education at the College. A program review model was first implemented in 1991 and revised in 1995 as a response to a system-wide mandate for reviewing curriculum model. The program review model was again revised in 2005. We have sought to focus program review on a procedure that will allow us to examine and to measure student learning and achievement. The

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process of program review involves students, faculty, administrators, and community members. While the college constantly examines courses and teachers semester by semester, and student learning outcomes on numerous measurement standards, program review offers us the opportunity to examine and analyze the overall student learning in a particular program, the structure of the program, as well as the data we collect and the data we may need. Our goal in program review is to develop plans for improving student learning, program by program, throughout the college. See the Program Review Manual.

NCCCS Performance Measures

The Performance Measures Report is the North Carolina Community College System’s major accountability document. The annual performance report serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of all 58 community colleges, including Durham Tech.

In 1993, the State Board of Community Colleges began monitoring performance data on specific measures to ensure public accountability for programs and services. In 1998, the General Assembly directed the State Board to review past performance measures and define standards to ensure programs and services offered by community colleges in North Carolina were of sufficient quality.

INSTRUCTOR EVALUATIONS

Performance Review and Evaluation

Each full-time and continuing part-time divisional employee participates annually in a performance review and evaluation process. The current system includes an initial conference held by the supervisor with the employee to review the job description and to establish an annual plan and/or to develop professional renewal goals and objectives, a semi-annual conference to discuss progress being made toward fulfillment of such plans and/or objectives, and a year-end conference to assess the employee's overall progress and performance. The evaluation is conducted using the Performance Review and Evaluation form and the completed reviews are placed in the employee's personnel file.

Full details about Performance Review and Evaluation is available on the Human Resources web web page.

Center for Academic Excellence

The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) seeks to provide curriculum students at Durham Tech with the academic support they need to be successful. Tutoring is available in person and online. Contact the CAE at cae@durhamtech.edu or 919-536-7232, x2404. The Center for Academic Excellence also provides workshops and support services for students.

Financial Aid The Financial Aid section of the website provides information about applying for financial aid, priority deadlines, the verification process, disbursement dates, academic standards, and lists sources of financial aid.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require students receiving Title IV financial assistance to maintain satisfactory academic progress. In general, satisfactory academic progress includes maintaining a 67 percent completion rate and a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress will result in the suspension of aid. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress regardless of enrollment status (full-time, part-time) or admitted program.

Review the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress for the methods of assessment, time limitations, various statuses, consequences, grades, program requirements, and appeals procedure for satisfactory academic progress. If you have students in your classes that wish to appeal suspension of financial aid due to failure to meet satisfactory academic progress, they must complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal and submit it to the Financial Aid office.

Library

On Durham Tech’s main campus, the Library is located in the Educational Resources Center (Building 5).

919-536-7211 or 1600 (on-campus)

Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. – noon

Library services are also available at the Northern Durham Center, as well as on the Orange County Campus.

Northern Durham Center

2401 Snow Hill Road, Durham, NC 27712 919-536-7240

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Orange County Campus

525 College Park Rd., Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-536-7238

Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. – noon Librarian services are available Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. –2 p.m.

Human Resources

Access the most up-to-date and timely information in the Human Resources section of the website, as policies and procedures do change over time. For your convenience, some forms are listed here:

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• Authorization for Hourly Instructor form • Employee Handbook • Employee Benefits • Faculty/Staff Directories • Overload Request Form • Instructor Evaluation • Staffing Chart • Voluntary Shared Leave Donating or Transferring Leave

Campus Safety and Security

Faculty and students who are working late are encouraged to take advantage of a Campus Police and Public Safety escort by dialing extension 5500 from a campus phone. A member of the Campus Police and Public Safety staff will accompany the caller to any campus building or parking lot.

Detailed safety and security information for Durham Tech is available in Your Guide to Safety on Campus. Please take the time to review it. Taking precautions and being aware on campus is the best way to stay safe. Campus Police and Public Safety provides 24-hour-a-day patrol protection for college buildings, grounds, and parking lots. It responds to crime reports, fires, medical emergencies, traffic accidents, and other incidents requiring police or security assistance. The office is located on main campus in Building 8.

Students, faculty, and staff can report emergencies to Campus Police and Public Safety by dialing extension 5555 from any on-campus phone or calling the Durham City Police by dialing 9-911. To report security or safety hazards or other non-emergency situations, call Campus Police and Public Safety at 919-536-7255, x5555.