FACULTY HANDBOOK
January 20, 2009
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FACULTY HANDBOOK |
| [Foreword] [Contents] [Part I] [Part II] [Part III] [Part IV] [Part V] [Part VI] [Appendices] |
PART I: ORGANIZATION
The Vice
President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
The
Associate Dean of the College
The Vice President of Enrollment
The Vice President of Development
The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
ADMINISTRATION
OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Mission
North Carolina Wesleyan College, a private institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church, prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning, and responsible participation in their communities.
Campus and Community
The liberal arts and sciences are the foundation of Wesleyan's curriculum for all undergraduate degree programs. Students choose from a variety of majors, all of which help prepare students for rewarding personal lives, good citizenship, and productive careers. Instruction emphasizes critical thinking, analytical reasoning, reading, writing, speaking, informed decision-making, and information skills. The College understands the increasing importance of a global perspective and of helping students learn to function in a complex society. It provides a learning environment that encourages ethical and spiritual development.
The College provides degree programs and other educational opportunities for residential, commuting, and adult students. The traditional program in Rocky Mount for residential and commuting students emphasizes small classes and individual attention. It also encourages student development through co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. The non-traditional Adult Degree program is designed for students who wish to strengthen their academic background, enhance their professional knowledge and skills, and advance their careers. It is tailored to the learning styles and schedules of working adults. Both programs provide student support services to ensure academic success.
The College has a special commitment to the Rocky Mount area and to eastern North Carolina. Through individual faculty, staff, and alumni activity, and through its educational and cultural programs, the College promotes the development of the region. The Wesleyan community includes students from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds. The College works to create an environment in which students, faculty, and staff come together in a dynamic learning community.
North Carolina Wesleyan College affirms the
principle of non-discrimination in hiring and in other matters as a moral
and legal obligation. The College does not discriminate in the hiring and
promoting of Faculty on the basis of (including, but not limited to) race,
religion, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, national
or ethnic origin.
North
Carolina Wesleyan College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts,
undergraduate college affiliated with the North Carolina Annual Conference of
the United Methodist Church, Southeastern Jurisdiction, subject to the
appropriate provisions of the Discipline of the United Methodist Church. The
revised Charter and Bylaws of the College, adopted October 22, 1992, and as
amended thereafter; the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws; the Faculty
Handbook; and the Personnel Policy Manual are the basic
documents wherein the overall governance and organization of the College are
described.
North Carolina Wesleyan College is a corporation
as set forth in its charter granted by the State on October 25, 1956.
The College is organized with a President who reports to the Board of Trustees and who is assisted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, the Vice President of Finance, the Vice President of Development, the Vice President of Enrollment, and the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.
The Board of Trustees has the
legal authority to operate North Carolina Wesleyan College. It consists of not
fewer than sixteen nor more than forty-three persons. Sixty percent of each
class of new members of the Board is elected by a majority of the Trustees in
office. The remaining forty percent of the persons to serve in each class are
nominated and elected by the North Carolina Annual Conference Board of
Institutions, Inc. The Board of Trustees has final authority and responsibility
for all College activities, identifying the College's fundamental goals, and
establishing the general policies necessary to accomplish these goals. In
practice, the responsibility for implementing these policies is delegated to
the President, and through him or her to other members of the Administration
and Faculty. The Board of Trustees has the authority to appoint and remove the
President of the College and, on the recommendation of the President, to make
the final decision concerning appointment, promotion, tenure, salary, and
dismissal of Faculty and other officers of the College. It is the
responsibility of the Trustees to preserve and increase the resources necessary
to further the objectives of the College and to relate these resources to the
long-range goals of the College.
Appointed by the Board of
Trustees, the President is the Chief Administrator and Executive Officer of the
College. The President is charged by the Trustees with the supervision and
direction of the College. The President informs and explains to the
administrative officers and the Faculty the policies enacted by the Board of
Trustees, the State Board of Education, and the United Methodist Church. The
President administers the policies adopted by the Faculty, devises and
implements strategies for recruiting students, and oversees the routine
operation of the office. All personnel are ultimately responsible to the
President.
The President delegates
authority to various administrative officers of the College: the Vice President
of Academic Affairs and Dean of the
College, the Vice President of Finance, the Vice President of Enrollment, the Vice President of Development, and the Vice President
for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. These officers, along with the President,
Faculty Chair, and Chair of Staff Council, constitute
the President's Council.
The President's Council has the
following responsibilities:
Oversees
the accomplishment of the objectives of the College and makes recommendations
to the President regarding plans, policies, and procedures in assigned areas of
responsibility;
Integrates and coordinates the work of the administrative subdivisions
within each area of jurisdiction, and explains its work to others on campus;
and
Provides
leadership in recruiting and developing staff in the area of delegated
responsibility, subject to the concurrence of the President and approval by the
Board of Trustees.
The Vice President
of Academic
Affairs and Dean of the College
The Vice President
of Academic
Affairs and Dean of the College (henceforth referred to as the Dean of the
College) is the chief academic officer of the College and, as such, bears the
primary responsibility for maintaining the standards and integrity of the
academic programs and related services.
The Dean reports to the President and serves as a member of the
President's Council. The Dean is the second officer of the
College, following the President, and serves as the primary officer in the President's absence.
The Dean presides at Faculty meetings. He
or she chairs the Dean's Council and is an ex officio member of the
Curriculum Committee, Academic Policy Committee, and General Education Program
Committee of the Faculty, and of the Education
and Enrollment Management Committee of the Board of Trustees.
The Dean has leadership
responsibility for planning and implementing academic programs, for matters
affecting the Faculty and the academic divisions, for the oversight of academic
policies and procedures, and other duties as assigned by the President. The
Dean is responsible for the supervision of the Adult Degree Program, Library,
Office of the Registrar, Instructional Technology,
Online Learning, and the Writing Lab.
The Dean should be
tenured and qualified to
hold the rank of Professor in an academic discipline offered at the College.
The Associate Dean of the College
The Associate Dean assists the Vice President of Academic Affairs in a variety of areas, particularly in supporting all academic divisions of the College and the Adult Degree Program. The Associate Dean also helps with special projects, orientation activities for new students and faculty, and management of the College Catalog.
The Vice President of Finance, the college's chief financial officer, reports to the President and serves on President's Council. In the absence of the President and Dean of the College, this officer becomes the chief officer of the College. The following areas report to the VP of Finance: Finance, Human Resources, The Dunn Center for Performing Arts, the College Store and Post Office, the College switchboard/receptionist, Housekeeping, and all contractual services.
The Vice President of Enrollment
The Vice President of Enrollment reports to the President and serves as a member of the President's Council. This position is responsible for enrollment, financial aid, admissions, and athletics.
The Vice President for
Enrollment is responsible for all phases of the enrollment cycle and makes the
final decision on applications for admission in accordance with the
recommendations of the At-Risk Committee, where necessary.
The Vice
President of Development
The Vice President
of
Development is responsible for the institutional
advancement of the College. He or she plans and administers all annual support
programs, special capital campaigns, planned giving, corporate and foundation
support, the Day for Wesleyan campaign, athletic-related fundraising, and
oversees public relations activities and the maintenance of all donor and
prospect records. Areas of supervision
include the Annual Fund, Alumni Association, Public Relations, the Wesleyan
Society, the Battling Bishops Club, and the Heritage Society.
The Vice President
of
Development reports to the President and serves as a member of the President's
Council.
The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students reports to the President and serves as a member of the President's Council. The position is responsible for residence life, student activities, student support services, health and counseling services, the student judicial system, intramurals, Greek Life, student leadership development, security, food services, and religious life.
STUDENT LIFE
This area is responsible for student judicial
affairs, including the notification of students and the administration of
disciplinary hearings; for the residence life program, including the selection,
training, and supervision of resident assistants; for programming in the halls
that focus on educational, social, religious and career areas; and for the
development of community in the residence halls. This department also plans and
implements new student orientation.
The Office of the Registrar,
located in the Office of Registration and Business Services, is responsible for
course registrations, transcripts, transcript evaluation, classroom assignments,
academic evaluations, and other information and documents
concerning the academic performance of students. It is responsible for
processing applications for graduation, advanced-standing certificates,
requests for
academic waivers, unscheduled
and independent study contracts, examination schedules, veterans' benefits, and
selected academic statistical reports.
The registrar maintains each student's permanent record which includes application materials, transcripts, placement test results for Mathematics, English and CIS, and records of cheating and plagiarism violations.
Located in Pearsall 192, the Center provides the
following services:
Pre-Major Advising: First-year and other non-declared majors are guided in developing
strong academic plans. Staff assist in the selection of courses, the
fulfillment of requirements, and the setting of realistic educational and
career goals.
Supplemental Instruction: Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program
designed to improve student performance and retention. The SI program provides
regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer-facilitated sessions for select courses
each semester.
Disability Support Services: Students with documented disabilities are mentored so that they may
succeed academically. Tutoring is provided without cost to the student and
individualized accommodation plans are developed. When in the student's
academic interest, alternate testing sites and times are arranged. The Student Support Center, upon request,
provides a handbook outlining a faculty member's responsibilities for teaching
learning-disabled students.
Referral Program: Faculty may refer students requiring consultation to the Student
Support Center by accessing the referral link
http://www.ncwc.edu/Offices/Student_Support/referrals.htm and completing the
form. Both advisor and
student are notified shortly after the initial referral, and the student is
advised. Early referral is essential to successful intervention.
Freshman Advantage: A selective program designed to promote success during the first year of college. Requirements of the program include developing a Student Learning Plan, meeting regularly with an academic advisor, attending monthly group meetings, and utilizing academic support resources - all in an effort to improve performance.
Probation/Suspension: Students returning from having been on
suspension or who are on probation receive support in developing individualized
education plans. Center staff work with faculty advisors and personnel in the
Office of Student Life to monitor student progress.
Withdrawal
from the College:
Students withdrawing from the College receive guidance through an exit interview
and assistance in completing an official withdrawal form.
The
Tutoring Center: The
College provides a variety of support services to assist students with
improving their academic performance. Students receive help with basic academic
skills, as well as tutoring in specific courses. Both professional and peer
tutors are on staff. The Center is open for tutoring Monday through
Friday. Hours are posted each semester by the Tutoring Center.
Internship and Career Services
Career
Planning: Career planning is
an individualized service to assist students in exploring, formulating, and
implementing realistic career goals. Students identify potential career choices
through career interest inventories, self-assessment tools, and counseling.
Internships: Internships with area businesses assist students in their professional development by emphasizing hands-on learning and experience as important components for assessing career choices and entering the job market.
Placement:
Placement services are available for seniors
needing to implement their career plans. Individual counseling, workshops, and a
job-listing service identify entry-level positions. The Internship and Career
Services
maintains a resource library of numerous publications and videos on careers by
major, resume and cover-letter writing, interviewing, job-search techniques,
company profiles, job trends, and salary surveys.
The North Carolina Wesleyan
College Writing Lab takes as its primary mission one-to-one instruction in
writing for all NCWC students. The conferences between students and Lab staff,
either face-to-face or online, work to enable students to learn productive
habits in pre-writing activities, drafting, revising, and editing. Using
directive and non-directive instructional techniques, the Lab staff encourages
students to do their own work but to value consultation as a vital part of
composing. The ultimate goal of the Lab is to develop more able student
writers. When a student leaves the Writing Lab after an appointment, he or she
will be further along in the process of producing a polished piece of
writing. The Lab also strives to
promote and support writing across the curriculum, serving students from all
courses at all levels. The Staff also makes presentations to classes about
writing and the Writing Lab, while the Director of the Writing Lab is available
to faculty for consultations about designing assignments and integrating
writing in non-English courses.
Finally, the Lab serves the Adult Degree Program by providing online
resources for students who, for various reasons, may not be able to visit the
Lab in person. These resources, which include a databank of instructional
materials, email tutoring, and synchronous, online tutoring, can be found at
the NCWC Online Writing Lab (OWL) <http://annex.ncwc.edu/writing_lab>.
ADMINISTRATION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Every member of the teaching Faculty has an appointment in one of these four academic divisions: Business, Education and Social Science, Humanities, or Mathematics and Science.
Division chairs, typically teaching faculty on 9 month contracts, serve 3 year terms, and receive a stipend and release time. They report to the Dean of the College and serve on the Dean's Council. Division chairs play an active role in providing leadership, professional advice and counsel to the divisions, and perform other duties as assigned by the Dean of the College, including course scheduling, allocation of resources, and the coordination of services necessary for carrying out instruction for the traditional undergraduate program. They are responsible for recommending faculty search committee members and for the hiring of adjunct faculty members. Division chairs are responsible for the evaluation of faculty members in their division for reappointment, promotion, and tenure. They review the credentials of adjunct faculty and recommend to the Dean of the College those who are qualified to teach. They participate in the evaluation and overall supervision of the adjuncts who teach courses within the disciplines in their divisions. They are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the integrity and consistency of courses offered by their division in any format. Chairs must hold a full-time faculty appointment in the division in which they serve. In the absence of a chair, the Dean of the College will assume the responsibility of the chair until one can be appointed.
A Faculty Program Coordinator is assigned for each academic program at North Carolina Wesleyan College. Division Chairs work closely with the Faculty Program Coordinators for each major in their Division. Program Coordinators help to develop learning outcomes for their programs, coordinate ongoing program assessment, and advise the Division Chair on matters related to these disciplines. New courses or proposals for curricular changes normally originate from the faculty in the appropriate major. The Division Chair reviews these proposals with the Coordinator before they are forwarded to the Dean of the College and Curriculum Committee. The Coordinators prepare (or oversee the preparation of) the annual program assessments in their disciplines. Working with the Division Chair, the Coordinators develop the schedule of courses offered in their discipline each semester.
The Dean's Council is chaired by the Dean of the College and is comprised of the four division chairs, the Associate Dean, the College Librarian, the Director of Institutional Research, and the Registrar. At the discretion of the Dean, other members of the college community are invited to participate.
Primary responsibilities of the Council include the review of proposals for new academic programs, the initiation of such proposals, the conduct of academic program reviews, the monitoring and assessment of the academic program and services, the review of current and on-going needs in regard to faculty positions, the planning of adjunct and new faculty orientation, review of needs of academic services and resources, and other responsibilities as assigned by the Dean of the College. In general, the Council advises, and is advised by, the Dean of the College.
The Honors Program Director is the leader and contact person for the Roger G. and Gaile Davenport Taylor Honors Program. The main responsibilities of the Honors Program Director are to promote and disseminate information about the Honors Program, recruit students to the Program, process and judge applications, serve as the academic advisor for honors students, allocate resources for the Program, recruit faculty to teach honors courses, schedule honors courses, and review academic progress of students in the Program to ensure they are meeting the minimum standards. The Honors Program Director is responsible for ensuring completed senior honors theses are bound and distributing copies accordingly.
In addition the Honors Program Director serves as the Chair of the Honors Program Advisory Group and the Faculty Advisor for Phi Eta Sigma. The Honors Program Director also participates in the interviewing process for the Trustees Scholarship and sits on various college awards committees.
The Honors Program Director will normally serve a term of three years, which may be renewed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. There is no limit on the number of terms that an individual faculty member may serve as the Honors Program Director.
The Honors Program Director must be a member of the full-time faculty and have teaching as his or her primary responsibility. The Director gets one course release each semester of the academic year.
The mission of the Elizabeth Braswell Pearsall Library is to serve the North Carolina Wesleyan College community at all campus locations, stimulating academic research and learning by providing access to appropriate resources, effective instruction, and inviting learning environments.
The library maintains book, periodical, and audiovisual collections and provides access to electronic resources to support the college’s curriculum. Library staff offer reference assistance, computer assistance, interlibrary loans, and instruction in information literacy for both individuals and groups. The library serves all Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff, whether in the traditional day program, in the Adult Degree Program, or at the off-campus sites.
The library’s web site provides information about library hours, resources, and services, and links to the online catalog and valuable electronic resources. The library’s homepage may be accessed directly at http://library.ncwc.edu or from the College’s homepage. The library homepage also provides an online form for reference questions.
The primary purpose of the collections is to support the curriculum. Books, periodicals, state and federal government documents, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources are selected on this basis. Guides to using electronic resources are available online, in the library, and at all campuses, and library staff members are always available to help students, faculty, and staff find the information they need.
Subscription databases are accessible from any computer on the College network; you will need a user name and password to access these resources from your home computer. Passwords change periodically; check with the Library at reference@ncwc.edu for current access instructions. There are further instructions and links to all electronic resources at the library’s website.
The library maintains core reference collections at each of the off-campus sites. The library’s online catalog lists the holdings of the main library as well as the collections at the Triangle and Goldsboro campuses. You may access the catalog from the library’s homepage, http://library.ncwc.edu. The Library supplements these resources through reciprocal agreements with Mount Olive College near Goldsboro, East Carolina University in Greenville, and Shaw University in Raleigh. These agreements allow Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff to obtain borrowers cards and use the facilities and resources of the libraries at these institutions. Members of the Wesleyan community who take advantage of this service are expected to abide by all rules of the lending library and to pay any fines or charges for overdue or lost materials.
Library hours are posted at the library entrance and on the library’s web site. Hours vary throughout the year, so check the library’s web page for up-to-date information: http://library.ncwc.edu.
Most library materials circulate to faculty for one semester and may be renewed twice for a total loan period up to one year. Videotapes, video cameras, and other resources circulate for shorter periods. You may renew library resources through the online catalog, by telephone, or by e-mail. If a member of the faculty or staff has a library book needed by another member of the Wesleyan community, the book may be recalled by the library after three weeks. Please be considerate of other members of the community and return items promptly if requested.
If library materials that have been renewed twice are still needed, please consult the Director of the Library. Faculty and staff members will be charged replacement costs for lost library materials.
The library maintains course reserves to make sure heavily used resources are available for students when they need them. Library materials or faculty-owned materials, including books, periodicals, and audiovisual media, may be placed on reserve. We can also create links to electronic resources. Copyright law does not permit protected materials to be photocopied and placed on reserve.
To place items on reserve, send materials (or a message listing authors and titles of books held by the library) to the library. Indicate instructor's name, course number and title, reserve classification (strict library use only, 3-hour, 1-day, 3-day, or 1-week), and when to take items off reserve. Please allow library staff at least 24 hours to place items on reserve; a week or more is preferable.
Materials for research or other purposes may be requested through interlibrary loan. There is no charge for interlibrary loans for faculty, staff, and students. Interlibrary loan request forms are available in the library and at the library’s web site. Loan periods are determined by the lending library, and faculty are asked to honor these to preserve the good will of the lending library.
The library seeks to provide resources that support the academic programs of the College and meet the basic needs of teaching faculty and students. To a limited extent, materials related to the cultural and recreational needs of students are also selected. Faculty needs for research materials unavailable in Pearsall Library will be satisfied primarily through interlibrary loan. Periodically faculty members are asked to evaluate library holdings in their fields, to help weed outdated materials and identify gaps in our holdings.
Library staff rely on faculty to help identify resources that will support their classes, the curriculum as a whole, and general information needs of the community. Most of the library’s book budget is allocated to the faculty to recommend purchases of books and audiovisual media in their disciplines. Faculty members may request materials for the library in Rocky Mount or for the collections at the other campuses. Additional funds are allocated for the library staff to use for reference materials and general resources for the collection. Faculty who identify important resources outside their disciplines may request that those titles be purchased from the library’s general fund. Faculty or departments considering new courses or programs are encouraged to discuss support needs with the librarian well before students appear in the library looking for materials.
Book order requests may be made by sending book order cards, e-mail requests, or Books in Print citations to the Library Acquisitions Assistant. Library staff ask that faculty check the library’s online catalog to determine whether the library owns a title before submitting a book order. Please include full information, including the book’s author, title, publisher, and ISBN, if available. Audiovisual media can be difficult to locate, so it may expedite orders if faculty send a catalog or review along with any media order. Please indicate any special requirements when sending a request. If a resource is needed by a particular date, library staff can expedite the order and notify faculty as soon as the title is available.
To help identify appropriate titles, the library subscribes to Choice and to ChoiceReviews.online. Choice is a monthly review service published by the Association of College and Research Libraries to support undergraduate library collections. The library also subscribes to Books in Print with Reviews; many other reviewing sources are available in print or through subscription databases.
When book orders are received, library staff will verify titles, check library holdings, place orders, and keep track of expenditures. The college’s fiscal year runs June 1 - May 31, and book funds do not carry over into the next fiscal year. Acquisitions report regularly to the faculty on book expenditures and available funds for each department. Faculty are asked to place their book orders early in the academic year and to spend all funds by March 31. Funds that have not been spent by March 31 may be used by Library staff to purchase needed resources in any field.
Information Literacy Instruction
A critical aspect of the education provided at NCWC is instruction that will enable students to find, evaluate, and use information effectively, no matter what the format. With the growth of electronic resources, students must choose from a bewildering array of resources, including books, periodicals, websites, electronic databases, and online journals. Library staff members offer information literacy instruction to meet the needs of faculty and students with classes that are assignment-driven, user-centered, and pedagogically influenced by competencies outlined by the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries. Classes can provide broad introductions to the literature of a field, search techniques for online databases, instruction on using the World Wide Web, or information on evaluating and citing sources. Librarians are available to work together with teaching faculty to design appropriate classes and assignments. Contact the library to schedule library instruction sessions that support specific assignment for classes for your classes. Instructors should plan to attend classes with their students, and to provide a minimum notice of one week if possible.
Computer Lab - The library has a computer lab with 20 networked computer stations and a laser printer. With support from library staff, students use these computers for any of their computing needs – to type papers, create spreadsheets and presentations, search electronic databases, surf the World Wide Web, chat, and send email. The library’s lab is open whenever the library is open unless it has been reserved for library instruction.
Group Studies - The library has three group studies that can accommodate groups of 4-8. Each study is equipped with a white board and network ports; one also provides a television and VCR. The studies are available for group use whenever the library is open unless they have been reserved.
Hardee-Rives Room - The Hardee-Rives Room contains a collection of scholarly, artistic, and historical materials, including some rare books. These are non-circulating materials. The Hardee-Rives Room may be reserved for classes or meetings with up to ten participants. It is equipped with a white board and a television and DVD/video player. Faculty may make reservations by sending e-mail to the NCWC reservation desk: reservations@ncwc.edu.
Copiers and Facsimile Machine - There are photocopy and facsimile machines in the library. The photocopier operates on faculty/staff codes or coin. Faculty, staff, and students may use the facsimile machine to send or receive faxes; there is a charge for personal fax transmissions. The number of the facsimile machine is 252-985-5235.
Black Mountain Collection - Books and other materials purchased from Black Mountain College (1933-1956) form the nucleus of the NCWC library collection. The rare and special editions of these materials do not circulate. Please consult Dr. Leverett T. Smith, Curator of the Black Mountain Collection, for access to these materials.
Johnson Collection – A collection given to the library by Wesleyan alumnus Gregory Williams, the Johnson Collection features beautiful, historic maps of North Carolina from 1590 to the present. Williams and Dr. Allen Johnson have published a book describing these maps: Tar Heel Maps: Colony and State, 1590-1995.
Curriculum Materials Center - The CMC is a collection designed to assist education majors and practicing teachers. It contains books, curriculum guides and all forms of instructional media. There is also a collection of juvenile fiction and non-fiction.
Faculty Publications - The library maintains a file of publications by faculty and staff, including monographs, journal articles, and sections of large works. Faculty and staff are encouraged to make copies of their publications available for this collection. These materials do not circulate.