Adjunct Faculty Handbook

Revised August 2024

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

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WELCOME

Welcome to North Central Michigan College! I am very pleased that you have joined our instructional team. North Central is committed to delivering exceptional higher education to our students, and we need you to help us fulfill that promise. We value your expertise as an adjunct faculty member, as well as your skills in the classroom. Our students expect a great deal from faculty, and it is my hope that you will provide a challenging and stimulating experience for those you teach (and mentor). For some students, you may be the only contact these learners have with a representative of the college. I trust that you will value your unique position at North Central. 

I invite you to become an active member of this learning community. Please do participate in our varied campus activities, as you are able. Best wishes for a successful and productive experience!

David Roland Finley, Ph.D.
President

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FOREWORD

Please allow me to thank you in advance for sharing your time and talent with North Central Michigan College. We could not deliver the great product we do without you! I hope you find your experience with us rewarding as you help students achieve their dreams of a college education. This handbook covers a variety of topics we thought would best assist you as you begin to prepare for your time with us. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions as they arise, at 231-348-6812 or mandrews@ncmich.edu.

VISION

MISSION

 

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

The College does not employ any permanent adjunct instructors. In the scheduling of both full-time and part-time/adjunct faculty for NCMC courses, the College considers various factors, but not limited to full-time faculty load requirements, matching skills with course openings, and the location of courses. The administration reserves the right to select and schedule both full-time and part-time faculty as course needs dictate. Adjunct faculty are hired on a semester-by-semester basis according to the College’s needs. Hiring an adjunct faculty member for one semester does not obligate the College or the adjunct faculty member to future teaching assignments. 

ADJUNCT FACULTY JOB DESCRIPTION

See Appendix A for the full job description.

ADJUNCT FACULTY CREDENTIALS

See Appendix C for a complete description of the required credentials.

EMPLOYMENT RECORDS

As a condition of employment, all adjunct faculty are required to have on file with EduStaff an application form, a criminal background check, a resume, official transcripts of all post-secondary education, and copies of licenses and/or certificates. Adjunct faculty must also complete a W-4 form, and an I-9 form and submit them to EduStaff.

PAYMENT OF WAGES

Pay for adjunct faculty is based on contact hours taught. Adjunct faculty will be paid one check every two weeks according to the regular employee pay period of the College. Typically, there will be six or seven paychecks beginning early in the semester. You will be notified by email when the first check is issued.

Pay rates for adjunct faculty are based on a scaled increment for the highest earned degree. Official transcripts must be on file with the College to verify degree status; otherwise, faculty will be paid at the rate established for a baccalaureate degree.

HOURS PER SEMESTER CAPS

Adjunct faculty are approved to teach up to a maximum of 12 credit hours per semester (Fall, Winter, and Summer). To comply with the Affordable Care Act, the IRS has determined that for every 1 credit hour, the instructor will spend 2.25 hours in preparation. The College is limited to no more than 28 hours per adjunct faculty member per semester. The Vice President of Academic Affairs may grant exceptions for special circumstances.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES

ADJUNCT FACULTY OFFICE SPACE

In Petoskey, we have several offices dedicated to adjunct use. Please see the Dean of Business, Education, and Adjunct Faculty for the most current list of available offices.

Your office hours will be posted outside the door, as the office will be shared with other adjuncts. All adjunct offices on the Petoskey campus use the same key. Keys are available from the main administration office.

In Cheboygan and Gaylord, each site has one open office available for use by adjunct instructors.

COPY MACHINES

Printers/copy machines are located in the main administration office, room 109, room 148, and the Health Education & Science Center building.

Petoskey Campus printers/copy machines require a five-digit ID code.

KEYS

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES

CLASS RECORDS

You must distribute the course syllabus to your students and post it through Simple Syllabus on our Learning Management System, Brightspace. To ensure the continuity of course material and transferability of credit to other institutions, please use Simple Syllabus.

Make sure to adhere to the guidelines in your course syllabus. This allows your Dean to support you in the event of a student complaint.

A copy of your class roster is available online in the portal by clicking on “My North Central”. Click on the “Faculty Tools” tab and your courses should be listed. Click on the down arrow next to the class and select the class roster.

The last day students may open enroll in classes is the end of the first week of each semester. After this date, you should review your class roster to note any discrepancies (e.g., a student attending class who is not on the roster or a student on the roster who is not attending class). Report any discrepancies to the Registrar. Submit final grades per instructions from the Registrar.

FINAL GRADES

Final grade instructions will be sent out by the Registrar. All final grades are to be submitted into the North Central “Portal” per the instructions by noon on the first Tuesday following the end of the semester.

GRADING AND STATUS SYSTEMS

The course work of each student is rated as follows:

 

Status Marks (No Honor Points):

*Certain designated programs have courses taken on a pass-fail basis up to a total of 16-semester credits in each program.

Each grade assigned for an hour of credit (exclusive of physical education and pass/fail courses) creates an honor point value. Total values are arrived at by multiplying the number of honor points for a grade by the number of credits in the course.

Incompletes

A student who fails to complete all the requirements of a course because of extenuating circumstances may receive an incomplete (“I”). An incomplete is given at the discretion of the instructor and is intended to be granted only in situations where most of the coursework has been completed and the student is doing passing work. The remainder of the course requirements, as determined by the instructor, must be fully satisfied by the end of the next semester, or the “I” grade will automatically be recorded as an “E.”

Course Withdrawal

A student will receive a "W" (Withdraw) if they withdraw through the 14^th week of the regular semester or through the sixth week of the summer semester. A “W” grade will appear on the official transcript without penalty. All course withdrawals and additions must be processed through the Student Services Office.

“No Grade” and Auditing Status

The "NG" (No Grade) is a temporary status used only until the faculty member officially submits a grade to the Registrar.

A student who wishes to attend the class sessions of a course but who does not wish to receive credit for it may register as an audit (“AU”). The deadline for declaring the audit for Fall or Winter semester is the fifth week; for the summer semester, the deadline is the third week of the semester. Courses audited cannot be counted toward graduation requirements.

Note: Your grading policy must be included in your course syllabus.

GRADE CHANGE FORM

Instructors may change a student’s final grade by submitting a grade change form to the Registrar. The form can be found on the “Portal” under Faculty Tools.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

The College does not have a standardized attendance policy. If you choose to establish one for your course, you must clearly state the consequences for students who fail to comply in your course syllabus.

STUDENT MISCONDUCT

Membership in the College community carries with it obligations related to conduct both within and outside the classroom. Students are responsible for obeying municipal, state, and federal laws, as well as the rules and regulations of the College. The Student Code of Conduct (see the Student Handbook) also applies to off-campus activities, such as field trips, off-campus classes, and college-sponsored events.  

If a student participates, individually or in a group, in any violation of the Student Code of Conduct, they may be subject to disciplinary action.

Misconduct should be reported using the form found on the Portal under the tab titled “Forms.” Complete this form as soon as possible after any incident involving serious student misconduct or to report any student behavior that you believe may cause harm to the student, yourself, or others. Additionally, if you observe behavior that you think poses a threat to you or others, call 911.

COLLEGE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

SPRING BREAK POLICY

Spring Break for NCMC classes will align with the Spring Break schedule of the institution hosting the off-campus classes. For example, NCMC classes offered in Gaylord will recognize the Spring Break week of Gaylord Community Schools.

Students enrolled in classes at multiple NCMC locations may experience different Spring Break periods. In such cases, students are responsible for making individual arrangements with their instructors. While faculty are encouraged to make reasonable accommodations for students missing class due to conflicting Spring Break periods, they are not expected to provide special instruction. The responsibility for catching up on missed material rests with the students.

SMOKING POLICY

NCMC is a tobacco-free workplace. To maintain a healthy environment for all students, employees, and visitors, the College prohibits the use of tobacco products, electronic smoking devices, and any items that involve or mimic smoking.

For the purposes of this policy, tobacco is defined as any product that is smoked, chewed, or consumed in any other manner.

Products that are part of a smoking cessation program, including patches or gum, are not prohibited by this policy.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

In the event of an emergency call 911. Please refer to the red flipcharts in every classroom on and off campus titled “Emergency Guide.” Note: If you use a college telephone on campus, simply dial 911 (no additional numbers). In the event of a medical emergency, make the individual(s) as comfortable as possible until assistance arrives.

INCIDENT REPORT

Anytime an incident occurs in the classroom or at the facility where you are teaching, that involves a medical, security, or safety concern, an Incident Report should be completed. Once submitted, the College administration is automatically notified and will address the issue directly.

To submit an Incident Report, log into the NCMC portal, click on “My North Central”, then click on “Forms,” and select “Incident Report.”

FIRE EVACUATION POLICY

In the event a fire alarm sounds while classes are in session, students and staff are to evacuate the building following the evacuation plan in your classroom. Proceed in an orderly manner to the nearest exit and move at least 100 feet away from the building. If you encounter a fire, pull the nearest fire alarm, and evacuate as instructed above. The alarm automatically alerts the Petoskey Department of Public Safety.

Fire extinguishers are located throughout all buildings. Please familiarize yourself with their locations.

MAINTENANCE

THE SYLLABUS

MASTER COURSE SYLLABUS (MCS)

All faculty at NCMC are required to adhere to the Master Course Syllabus (MCS) for each course they teach. The MCS provides a standardized framework for course content and instruction delivery, ensuring consistency across sections.

Faculty can access the MCS on SharePoint by navigating to Resources/Projects and selecting Master Syllabi.

When preparing your individual syllabus, you must use the Simple Syllabus template to maintain compliance with institutional guidelines. Your syllabus must be uploaded and published in Simple Syllabus no later than the end of the second week of the semester.

SIMPLE SYLLABUS

North Central has partnered with the software platform Simple Syllabus to make creating and maintaining your course syllabi easier and more accessible to your students.

Instead of creating a Word or PDF syllabus document for each of your classes for upload in Brightspace, you will build your syllabi in Simple Syllabus for automatic display in Brightspace course shells. Using Simple Syllabus is as easy as filling out a web form.

Please send questions to syllabus@ncmich.edu.

1. Adjunct Faculty will utilize active learning strategies to assist the learner in meeting course objectives.
2. Adjunct Faculty will teach college coursework as defined by North Central Michigan College and assigned by the Dean of Business, Education and Adjunct Faculty.
3. Adjunct Faculty will be evaluated by students and college administration.
4. Adjunct Faculty will participate in the College’s outcomes assessment efforts.
5. Adjunct Faculty will conduct themselves professionally, promoting statesmanship with students, other faculty, and administrative staff.
6. The College does not employ any permanent adjunct instructors. In the scheduling both full-time and part-time/adjunct faculty for NCMC courses, the College reviews a variety of factors, including full-time faculty load requirements, matching skills with course openings, location of courses, etc. The administration reserves the right to select and schedule both full-time and part-time faculty as course needs dictate. Adjunct faculty are hired to teach on a semester-by-semester basis as the College’s needs dictate. Being hired to teach in a single semester does not obligate the College or the Adjunct faculty member to future teaching assignments.

DUTIES

1. Attend annual planning seminars usually held before both fall and winter semesters.
2. Use the Learning Management System (LMS), Brightspace, for posting the course syllabus and student grades.
3. Create a syllabus using Simple Syllabus for each course taught. Syllabi must be made available to all students through Simple Syllabus during the first week of classes.
4. Follow the textbook ordering procedure and respond promptly to requests for textbook information.
5. Participate in assessment activities.
6. Submit final course grades into the “NCMC Portal” by noon on the Tuesday following the end of the semester. Watch your email for specific grade entry instructions from the Registrar.
7. Use the ncmich.edu email account to communicate with students, faculty, and staff. Check it frequently and respond promptly to all emails.
8. Arrange to be available to students outside the classroom.
9. Maintain course records as appropriate to normal College procedures and for course assessment.
10. Communicate with students both verbally and in writing according to FERPA guidelines.
11. Participate in professional development opportunities on campus when available.
12. Follow all College procedures and policies.
13. Perform other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. See Adjunct Faculty Qualification (Appendix C) for more detail.
2. Minimum two years teaching in a post-secondary environment preferred.
3. Knowledge of adult learning theory and techniques
4. Demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, the mission of a comprehensive community college.
5. Employ skills necessary to identify and use relevant technology.
6. Excellent written and verbal skills.

APPENDIX B

COPYRIGHT FAIR USE POLICY

North Central Michigan College acknowledges and encourages the appropriate use (i.e., reproduction, distribution, performance and display) of copyrighted works and materials for teaching, scholarship and research purposes consistent with federal copyright law and the standards for fair use. Given both the importance of complying with federal copyright law and the difficulty of determining fair use, this policy provides guidance for the use of others' work as well as links to copyright and fair use resources.
 
For purposes of this policy, copyrighted works and materials include all audio visual, electronic, and printed works and materials under copyright protection. Some materials are not subject to copyright protection, including:

• works that lack originality (e.g., the phone book);
• freeware;
• US Government works;
• facts;
• ideas, procedures, concepts, principles or discoveries as distinguished from a description, explanation, or illustration thereof; and works in the public domain, including works with copyrights that have expired (generally older than 95 years). Since a copyright notice is no longer required, the absence of the ©, especially for works published after 1978, does not necessarily mean the work is in the public domain.

The concept of fair use is embodied in section 107 of the copyright law. This law provides that certain limited use of copyrighted materials for such purposes as teaching, criticism, commentary, reporting, scholarship and research is not infringement of copyright. The law sets forth four factors to be considered when making a determination of fair use:

• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
• The nature of the copyrighted work;
• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;
• The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the  copyrighted work.

APPENDIX C

ADJUNCT FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS

Adjunct faculty instructors teaching general education courses or other non-occupational courses are required to hold, at minimum, a master’s degree in the discipline or subfield in order to qualify to teach at North Central. If a faculty member has earned a master’s degree or higher in a discipline or subfield other than the one in which they are teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate hours in the discipline or subfield in which they are teaching.

Adjunct faculty teaching in career and technical education, college-level certificate, and associate-degree programs should hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the field, and/or a combination of education, training, and tested experience.

North Central Michigan College works with Edustaff, a third-party administrator, when hiring any and all adjunct faculty positions.