VHCC TEACHING FACULTY
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION
&
BUSINESS, HUMANITIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION

[Reference: Section 3.5  Faculty Responsibilities - VCCS Policy Manual]

VHCC teaching faculty members report directly to the dean of their assigned division. The primary responsibility of teaching faculty is to provide quality instruction within their area(s) of expertise. The major emphasis is on teaching, by working with students in and out of the classroom, laboratories, individual conferences, and related activities to help the students develop their interests and abilities to the fullest capacity to become better persons, better workers, and better citizens. To accomplish this goal, specific responsibilities of teaching faculty include the following:

  1. Classes: Faculty teaching loads during the academic year include such combinations of day, evening, and weekend classes as the needs of the College require. Twelve-fifteen (12-15) credit hours and fifteen-twenty (15-20) contact hours per semester are required for all full-time faculty. For the purpose of workload calculations, every lecture hour equates to one (1) credit hour and one (1) contact hour; and every laboratory hour equates to one-half (1/2) credit hour and one (1) contact hour. When the number of credit hours falls below twelve (12) because of the number of laboratory hours involved, the number of contact hours is increased to bring the teaching load to the minimum of twelve (12) credit hours (utilizing the standard of two (2) laboratory hours equal one (1) credit hour) or to a maximum of twenty-four (24) contact hours.

    Faculty teaching loads are calculated for the academic year, with a teaching load less than or in excess of normal for the Fall Semester being compensated for with adjustments in teaching load in the Spring Semester.

    A faculty teaching load may also be adjusted by the College to take into consideration such factors as the use of instructional assistance, team teaching, the use of non-traditional instructional delivery systems, special assignments, and curriculum development. Curriculum development should be primarily for the development of a new program or new course in a program and/or the complete revision of an existing course or program.

    Teaching-load adjustments are expressed in terms of an equivalent teaching load for the purpose of computing a faculty member's total teaching load.

    See Section 3  for further details on faculty workload.
     
  2. Class Preparation Time and Office Hours: The typical faculty member will probably spend 15-30 hours per week in preparation for instruction, evaluation of student work, and professional study in relation to his/her classes. To promote the availability of faculty to work with individual students, each full-time faculty member is required to post on or near the office door a minimum of 10 hours per week as office hours to be available to work with students on their individual academic and occupational problems. Part-time faculty are required to provide for student advising and related activities a minimum of one hour per week for each course credit taught; these hours are to be posted in an appropriate location.

    Due to distance learning, off-campus assignments, or use of technology to service students, faculty may post a minimum of 7 hours per week as office hours with 3 additional flexible hours to cover alternative communication with students. The appropriate division dean must grant approval of the alternative hours.
     
  3. Service to the College: In addition to teaching responsibilities, faculty members are expected to contribute to the development of the entire College program. While the extent of such participation will vary according to instructional requirements and individual preference, it is estimated that approximately two-ten (2-10) hours per week will be devoted to actions such as committee work, program planning, student advising, and other designated College activities.


  4. Curriculum Development and Instructional Improvement: One of the major goals of VHCC is serving the educational needs of the community. To ensure that the programs and courses offered by the College are effectively meeting this goal, each faculty member will be fully engaged in implementing institutional effectiveness activities related to assigned areas including, but not limited to, the following: strategic planning, program review, student outcomes assessment, and core competency assessment, using a variety of measures and institutional data to improve programs and instruction as determined necessary and appropriate.

    5.  
  5. Professional Activities and Community Service: In addition to teaching effectiveness, faculty members are expected to engage in and contribute toward the good of the College and its community. This requires that faculty members maintain current competence in their disciplines or specializations and that they share their expertise, time, and talents with the larger college community. Performance in this category will be measured not only by membership or affiliation but also by the quality of the contributions made by faculty members toward these endeavors. See Section 3 for list of suggested activities.

VATNP TEACHING FACULTY MEMBERS

VATNP teaching faculty members are under the general supervision of the VHCC Dean of Nursing & Allied Health and, in teams, are responsible for:

  1. Planning curriculum (course outlines, focus sheets, student evaluation tools, and multi-sensory teaching tools).
     
  2. Reviewing and revising teaching methods and content.
     
  3. Counseling nursing students to whom assigned.
     
  4. Assisting in the selection and registration of students.
     
  5. Planning clinical assignment in cooperation with nursing service personnel to provide maximum educational learning experience for the students.
     
  6. Planning conferences with representatives of clinical agencies as needed.
     
  7. Guiding, directing, and supervising the students in their clinical assignments.
     
  8. Leading the pre- and post-assignment conferences.
     
  9. Evaluating the student's achievement of clinical and classroom objectives.
     
  10. Assisting students to identify and implement interventions to promote success.
     
  11. Assembling necessary equipment for instruction in the on-campus laboratory.
     
  12. Evaluating own performance.
     
  13. Assisting in program publicity.
     
  14. Maintaining accurate records.
     
  15. Maintaining familiarity with the policies and procedures of the multiple clinical agencies utilized.
     
  16. Attending workshops, meetings, and seminars.
     
  17. Participating in College activities at the College to which assigned.
     
  18. Performing such other functions as may be designated by the VHCC Dean of Nursing & Allied Health.