{"id":1884,"date":"2021-08-06T18:01:25","date_gmt":"2021-08-06T18:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/facultysenate\/?p=1884"},"modified":"2021-08-06T18:01:34","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T18:01:34","slug":"faculty-senate-standard-2-44","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/facultysenate\/faculty-senate-standard-2-44\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty Senate Standard 2.44"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"senate<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

THE SENATE STANDARD – ISSUE 2.44<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACC Full-Time Faculty Senate Website<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ACC Coronavirus page<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dear Faculty Colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we prepare to re-open campuses across the district, a number of questions have arisen about policies ranging from course delivery modes to expectations for virtual teaching and on campus presence for full-time faculty members.  Since the last Standard<\/em>, Chancellor Richard Rhodes hosted a Campus Conversation with the Chancellor<\/a> about back to campus issues and Vice President for Instruction Mike Midgley has circulated an email to all full-time faculty clarifying issues<\/a>. After several faculty members reached out to the Senate with questions about and issues with the policies, I requested further clarifications via our Chancellor Cabinet liaison Provost Charles Cook, who forwarded the request to VP Midgley. Midgley and I had a phone conversation and he shared with me via email further clarifications.  Find below the issues, including VP Midgely\u2019s additional commentary as warranted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

25\/25\/25\/25 Mode Blend:<\/strong>  The blend of LEC, HYC, DIL, and DLS modes is aspirational, not a hard quota. Deans and chairs have discretion regarding the blend based on their program and students’ needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

60\/40 Online\/Classroom Teaching Load Rule:<\/strong>  Per Administrative Rule 4.03.004 (Guideline),<\/a> full-time faculty online class assignments are limited to 60% of the full-time faculty load, including overloads. This guideline also states, \u201cInstructional faculty are expected to share responsibilities related to the total concern of the college, including curriculum development, department meetings, student advising, professional development and service on shared governance councils and committees.\u201dHowever, the 60\/40 rule has been waived until the end of Fall \u201921 to accommodate the need for online classes.<\/strong> The rule will go back<\/strong> into effect Spring \u201922<\/strong>. Starting Spring \u201922, faculty wishing to teach more than 60% online will need to seek approval via the Telework AR process<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telework Agreements<\/a>: <\/strong>VP Midgely informed me that, \u201ca telework agreement or other approval is not necessary for \u2026 normal and routine, non-COVID related schedules<\/strong>.\u201d  A telework agreement is also not necessary for adjunct faculty teaching an online course. However, \u201ca full-time faculty member who wants all their work responsibilities to be virtual, teaching and working only online, with no on-campus responsibilities<\/strong> would require an approved telework agreement\u2026. This statement is intended to provide guidance for faculty who do not want to return to campus in any capacity.  While I expect that very few full-time faculty would request this exception, I wanted to be clear that there would be an approval process for these requests (to be 100% virtual), as this would not comply with current administrative rule.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campus-Based Virtual Teaching:<\/strong> No ACC rule exists requiring professors to teach virtual sections from campus offices or facilities. As VP Midgley explained, \u201cFaculty members regularly work from home or elsewhere during times when they do not have specific on-campus responsibilities.\u201d However, activities and events requiring face to face interaction, particularly with students, may require full-time faculty to attend campus events as deemed necessary. As Midgely wrote in his email to me, \u201cFaculty are not expected to be on campus 40 hours per week.  This was not the case before COVID, and is not the case now.  They may choose to do so, but it is not required by ACC policy.  This was included in last Friday\u2019s memo, which went to all Department Chairs, Deans and Associate Vice Presidents.  However, we will follow up and provide additional clarification to instructional administration.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My thanks to the Chancellor\u2019s Cabinet members as we all try to work our way through the corona virus gauntlet with its fluid variables and for their communiques, their sensitivity to faculty feedback, and their patient, multiple attempts to clarify emerging policies and procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten week and 5B section grades are due on the 11th<\/sup>, so we\u2019re almost done.  Then, we\u2019re back \u201con contract\u201d Monday, August 16th<\/sup>, and Fall \u201921 classes commence Monday, August 23rd<\/sup>.  So, this summer is just about in the books, and while we\u2019ve gotten a bit of a break from the oppressive Austin summer heat, the pandemic is not through with us by any stretch of the imagination.  As you prepare for Fall \u201921 classes, be aware a new Master Syllabus template with the up-to-date corona virus policies and procedures is in the works and will be released sometime late next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meanwhile, stay safe, stay well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wayne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Meetings \/ Minutes \/ Agendas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The July 9th<\/sup> Full-Time Faculty Senate meeting minutes have been approved. You can view them here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 20-21 Full-Time Faculty Senate will not meet in August, per the bylaws requiring only two summer meetings.  The new senators will gather for their training retreat August 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newsworthy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Full-Time Faculty Senate\u2019s Web Conferencing Recommendation Statement:<\/strong> This year\u2019s senate dedicated much time to leadership\u2019s recommendations about phasing out certain web conferencing systems. In the spirit of shared governance, we requested and were granted a college-wide summit on the topic wherein faculty were able to hear directly from and ask questions of the key decision makers.  Much virtual and physical dialogue ensued between members of the Faculty Senate Leadership Team and the Chancellor\u2019s Cabinet. The Faculty Senate Leadership Team solicited input from senators. Given the fluid nature of the pandemic and the college\u2019s responses to it, few key issues have been resolved, but we have made what we consider to be significant progress. On July 23rd<\/sup>, Full-Time Faculty Senate President Wayne Butler shared with the Chancellor\u2019s Cabinet via our cabinet liaison Provost Charles Cook a memorandum of recommendations<\/a>. These recommendations were discussed by the senators and were endorsed via a vote of the senators.  The memorandum was also shared with the Adjunct Faculty Association President Don Morris and Vice President Herb Coleman.  Coleman endorsed the document. We have not yet had an opportunity to discuss our recommendations with the Chancellor or the cabinet. This item will carry over to the next senate term, with the memorandum as the starting place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Faculty Orientation Updates:<\/strong> Please see this page<\/a> for a message from Michelle Costanzo (Assistant Dean, Faculty Development) on Mentor and Mentee Forms, Orientation, and Department\/Division\/AoS Meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3C\u2019s conversation – CONNECTION with Mr. Larry Davis and Dr. Sam Echevarria Cruz [August 13, 2021, @ 10 am.]<\/strong> Join us to discuss how Equity and our college values connect to the everyday work we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n