Faculty Handbook Contents 1.00 Introduction 1.10 Mission, Value, Vision 1.20 History 1.30 Accreditation 1.40 Strategic Plan 1.50 Academic Master Plan 1.60 Shared Governance 1.70 Faculty’s Role in Shared Governance 2.00 Academic Policies and Procedures 2.10 Academic Freedom and Responsibility 2.11 Student Evaluation of Faculty 2.12 Student Grievance 2.15 Human Research 2.20 Faculty Workload 2.21 Teaching Overloads 2.22 Summer Semester 2.25 Attendance of Faculty at Commencement and Convocation 2.30 Curriculum Changes 2.31 Outside Employment 2.50 Faculty Campus Presence 2.51 Faculty Office Hours 3.00 Policies Governing Faculty Service 3.11 Faculty Appointments 3.12 Annual Review of Faculty 3.13 Annual Review Faulty Plan 3.22 Selection of Faculty 3.33 Credentials 3.34 Adjunct Faculty 3.40 Faculty Rank and Promotion 3.51 Copyright Policy 3.52 Intellectual Property Policy 3.52 Computing Ethics 2 UA-PTC Faculty Handbook The Faculty Handbook for the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College provides a brief review of important policies and procedures for faculty and administrators. Information for the handbook has been gathered from various sources including Board of Trustees policy statements, University of Arkansas System wide Policies, UA - Pulaski Technical College Policies and Procedures, and others. The Faculty Handbook is ancillary to the Employee Manual. Policies and procedures found in the Employee Manual and online apply to both faculty and staff. More detailed information may be sourced from the UA-PTC website at https://uaptc.edu/policies or https:// uaptc.edu/human-resources/employee-manual. Questions or comments about the Faculty Handbook may be sent to the Office of Provost at: University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College Office of the Provost 3000 West Scenic Drive North Little Rock, AR 72118 Office: (501) 812-2838 Fax: (501) 771-2844 E-mail: provost@uaptc.edu 3 Mission, Vision, Values University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, a comprehensive two-year college, offers associate degree and certificate programs for students who plan to transfer to four-year colleges and universities and/or for career preparation and advancement. UA-PTC’s Mission, Vision, and Value Statements serve as a foundation for driving the College’s defined strategies and culture towards positive outcomes in the future. UA-PTC is a student- centric institution that works to connect the talent, knowledge, and resources needed to promote student success and economic growth in central Arkansas and beyond. In order to further these efforts, UA-PTC’s Mission, Vision, and Values Statements are as follows: Mission University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College provides access to high-quality education that promotes student learning and enables individuals to develop to their fullest potential. Vision University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College aspires to be the flagship two-year institution in the region to develop life-long learners, prepare excellent employees for careers, foster innovation in advanced technologies, and contribute to the economic and civic development of communities. Values Empower: UA-PTC keeps students at the center of all we do. Learn: UA-PTC commits to life-long learning that enhances individual, community and economic development. Success: UA-PTC provides exceptional academic curriculum and co-curricular activities. Integrity: UA-PTC acts with honesty and principle. Belong: UA-PTC fosters an accessible and inclusive culture that creates a sense of belonging. Community: UA-PTC fosters campus, workforce, and community collaborations through open communication and relationship-building. From Strategic Plan 2023-2026 4 1.20 History UA-PTC ‘s history dates back to October 1945 when it was established as the Little Rock Vocational School under the supervision of the Little Rock Public Schools. In October 1969, administration of the school was transferred to the Arkansas Board of Vocational Education and the school was named Pulaski Vocational Technical School. Early in the 1970s, 137 acres declared surplus by the Veterans Administration were transferred to the North Little Rock School District and Pulaski Vocational Technical School was given 40 acres for a new school site. Pulaski Vo-Tech moved from 14th and Scott streets in Little Rock to its present location in January 1976. When the Arkansas General Assembly created the Arkansas Technical and Community College System in 1991, Pulaski Technical College was created along with 12 other technical colleges under the coordination of the Arkansas Board of Higher Education. In 2017, the College formally joined the University of Arkansas System. The College is governed by the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees and a seven-member Board of Visitors, appointed by the governor, and derives its support largely from student tuition and fees and legislative appropriations. 1.30 Accreditation UA-PTC is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of College and Schools. Many programs offered by the College are also accredited or certified by third party entities. A full listing can be found in the Academic College Catalog. Details about Accreditation, Accreditation Pathways, and HLC Resources may be found at: https://uaptc.edu/accreditation 1.40 Our Strategic Priorities In 2017, the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College implemented Engaged in Excellence, UA-PTC’s 2017-2021 Strategic Plan. Building upon the History and tradition of the UA-PTC campus, the plan maps a collective vision and path to ensure the institution realizes its full potential in the coming years. Strategic Planning defines direction and extends processes for allocating resources and guiding implementation. In addition to culture, organizational strategy is driven by mission, vision, and values. The complete Strategic Plan may be found at: https://uaptc.edu/strategic-plan 1.50 Academic Master Plan 2018-2022 Building upon the strategic plan, the Academic Master Plan 2018-2022, further blueprints the student first focus of UA-PTC through intentional instructional and academic initiatives. 5 The major objectives of the UA-Pulaski Technical College Academic Master Plan are as follows: • Provide a framework for the improvement of academic and support programs • Set academic priorities to guide resource allocation and program development decisions • Align the Academic Master Plan with UA-PTC’s Strategic Plan and Higher Learning Commission’s Standard Pathway • Identify major academic and student success initiatives that will drive unit and infrastructure planning and budgeting • Establish criteria for success to gauge our progress The complete Strategic Plan and the Academic Master Plan may be accessed at: https://uaptc.edu/docs/default-source/institutional-research-planning-and-effectiveness- section/ua-ptc-academic-master-plan.pdf?sfvrsn=d3ae4eee_2 1.60 UA-PTC SHARED GOVERNANCE The administration, faculty, and staff of UA - Pulaski Technical College have a long history of productive collaboration on various committees. Shared Governance at UA-PTC is guided by the Higher Learning Commission’s Statement on Shared Governance that asks for policies and procedures to engage internal constituencies in governance. These internal stakeholders include the governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students Through the collaborative efforts of shared governance, administration, faculty, staff and students set academic requirements, policy, and processes through effective structures. Further information on shared governance may be found on the college website: https:// www.uaptc.edu/governance 1.70 FACULTY ROLE IN SHARED GOVERNANCE UA - Pulaski Technical College relies on a committee structure to provide the necessary vehicle for shared governance. The administration, faculty, and staff of UA - Pulaski Technical College have a long history of productive collaboration on various committees. These efforts have proven the value and demonstrated the challenges of committee work. With the exception of the Chancellor’s Executive Council, faculty is represented in all committees and through Faculty Senate, has direct access to the chancellor of the college. Additionally, faculty members from each academic division comprise half the Academic Affairs Standing Committee (AASC). The AASC is responsible for reviewing all proposals affecting learning at the college and making recommendations to the president through the Quality Council. Areas of purview for the AASC include curriculum, planning, operations, strategic alliances, assessment, faculty involvement, programs, distance learning, professional development, and library. Other examples of faculty involvement include, but are not limited to: 1. Faculty from each academic division are represented on all committees, sub-committees, and working groups in the committee structure. 6 2 Faculty members from each academic division comprise more than 80% of each sub- committee of the Academic Affairs Standing Committee. 3. Faculty members from each academic division, along with the president of Faculty Senate, sit on the college Quality Council, which serves as the hub of the decision- making process passing information and recommendations to the president and the board of trustees. 4. Through the Academic Planning Sub-Committee, faculty drives the creation, implementation, and evaluation of the Academic Master Plan. Further information on Faculty Senate may be found on the college website: https://www.uaptc.edu/faculty-senate Academic Policies and Procedures 2.10 Academic Freedom and Responsibility UA - PTC recognizes academic freedom as an essential component to the development of knowledge and understanding. The college encourages and protects freedom of inquiry in research, publication, teaching, learning, and the free exchange of ideas. Academic freedom does not protect all speech and faculty members are expected to recognize that accuracy, forthrightness, integrity, dignity, and civility are required as college employees and as men and women of learning. They should not represent themselves, without authorization, as speaking for UA-PTC. The college acknowledges the principles set out in the “Statement of Professional Ethics” (1987) and the 1940 “Statement on Academic Freedom” as adopted by the American Association of College Professors. See: UA-PTC AR 404.1.1 [5.1D] and [BP 626 Sep 2014 Academic Freedom] 2.11 Student Evaluation of Faculty Student evaluation of faculty is conducted as a part of the continuing process of faculty development. Procedures for student evaluation of faculty are established by the department and/or college under college guidelines. Student evaluations are a component of the annual faculty performance review, merit salary recommendations and promotion and rank. Student evaluations will be administered by deans, department chairs, program directors, faculty other than the one teaching the course, departmental administrative staff or online as needed. ATTACH: Standardized Course Evaluation Procedure 2.12 Student Grievance In the event a student files a grievance, the faculty member has rights and responsibilities to provide written documentation and/or testimony (see “Student Grievance Procedures” in the Student Handbook). 7 UA Systemwide Policies and Procedures: Student Complaint Procedure: UASP 525.1 https://www.uasys.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2016/04/UASP-525.1-Student- Complaint-Procedure.pdf 2.20 Human Research Persons conducting research at UA - PTC are required to maintain high ethical standards in their treatment of human subjects. All researchers must abide by the basic ethical principles specified in the Belmont Report, including (a) equitable selection of subjects; (b) voluntary, informed consent from subjects; (c) minimization of acceptable risk; and (d) confidentiality in maintaining and reporting research data. Individual researchers are also required to follow the ethical standards established for human research in their respective academic disciplines. Under the terms of this policy, any systematic activity involving the collection and/or analysis of data on human subjects for the purpose of advancing general knowledge qualifies as human research, unless this activity is specifically exempted by current federal regulations. Collection of information on students for routine educational or administrative purposes does not constitute human research, nor does course work assigned to students for the sole purpose of demonstrating established methodologies. The IRB has the authority to review any research project involving human subjects that is associated with the college in any way. Based upon ethical considerations, the IRB can approve, require modification, suspend or terminate any research project under its jurisdiction. The final determination of whether any research project constitutes human research, and whether research procedures are ethical, will be made by the IRB. 2.30 Faculty Workload The work of the university faculty in teaching, research and creative activity, administration, and service is professional in character and does not, therefore, conform to an exact pattern such as the eight-hour day or the forty-hour week. However, so that there may be consistency, equity, and some basis for judgment of workloads and assignments and for comparison with other institutions and state agencies, the standards summarized here will be used. The basic element of faculty work assignments is a load hour, which is based on the contact and preparation time for one class hour (50 minutes) per week for a semester or an equivalent amount of time for other kinds of scheduled activity. Included for each of these work units is the classroom contact time, the time for class preparation, grading, office hours and other work with students outside class. Generally, fifteen (15) load hours per semester constitutes the typical work assignment of a full-time faculty member teaching lecture courses. However, individual load hours will vary considerably in nature (if not, theoretically, in number). Work assignments typically include assigned teaching and advising, and service or administration, in varying proportions. 2.31 Teaching Overloads On-campus overloads: Occasionally, because of scheduling conflicts or unexpected extended faculty vacancies, overload teaching assignments may become necessary. On those occasions when a faculty overload becomes. 8 Next >