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GPC Faculty Handbook |
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GPC STRATEGIC PLAN (Strategic Goals and Core Values) Policy 105: Archiving of Grades and Final Exams Policy 446: Statement of Non-Discrimination Policy 425: Anti-Harassment and Anti-Retaliation Policy 455: Violent Behavior in the Workplace Policy 458: Weapons on College Property Policy 439: Hazardous Communication Plan and Right-to-Know Policy 430: Outside Activities Professional Ethics Statement of Academic Freedom
University System of Georgia Board of Regents University System of Georgia Chancellor University System of Georgia Vision, Mission, Goals University System of Georgia Policy Manual USG Faculty and Staff Information
HELP AND COLLEGE DIRECTORIES EMERGENCY (Public Safety)
FACULTY SERVICE DESK (Information Technology Help Desk) ACADEMIC DIVISIONS DIRECTORY (as of July 2011) ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS – Website Listings/Links ACADEMIC CALENDAR FACULTY JOB DESCRIPTION, EVALUATION, WORKLOAD FACULTY EXPECTATIONS/JOB DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY Source: Faculty Evaluation, Promotion and Tenure Handbook
FACULTY EVALUATION, PROMOTION AND TENURE HANDBOOK CONTRACTS
WORKLOAD
OFFICE HOURS
ATTENDANCE (Classroom, Department/Division Meetings, Official College Functions)
REASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER
ADP (Human Resources and Payroll System) COMPENSATION (Faculty & Lecturer Compensation Policy)
OVERLOADS (Faculty Overloads Policy)
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS AND COMPENSATION (Faculty Summer Assignments and Compensation Policy)
REASSIGNED INSTRUCTIONAL TIME (Reassigned Instructional Time for Faculty)
PROFESSIONAL LEAVE (Sabbaticals) (Professional Leave for Academic Year Faculty Policy)
PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT LEAVE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS SIS CLASS ROLLS “NO SHOW” GRADE REPORTING STUDENT REINSTATEMENT (Course Reinstatement Policy) ATTENDANCE (Student Attendance Policy) GRADING SYSTEM WITHDRAWALS / INCOMPLETE GRADE APPEALS PROCEDURE CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORD (FERPA) INSTRUCTOR ATTENDANCE
CLASS TIMES AND ROOM ASSIGNMENTS
COMMON COURSE OUTLINE COURSE SYLLABUS FACULTY SYLLABUS (Checklist)
APPROVED TEXTBOOKS ACADEMIC HONESTY (Cheating and Plagiarism)
FINAL EXAMS MANAGING DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR (Disruptive Student Behavior in an Academic Setting) CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING and EDGE (QEP)
CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES
ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (training – computer classes)
CAMPUS INTEROFFICE MAIL
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES JAGALERT PARKING PERMITS ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ETHICS TRAINING TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP) |
Interim President, Robert E. Watts Executive Vice President for Financial & Administrative Affairs, Ronald B. Stark Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Philip A. Smith Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Vincent G. June Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Jeffrey H. Tarnowski
Vision As a team, Georgia Perimeter College will be recognized as a dynamic and creative learning environment focused on student success, guided by the values of trust, excellence, integrity, civility, passion, diversity and efficiency.
Mission Statement Georgia Perimeter College transforms the lives of our students to thrive in a global society.
As a diverse, multi-campus two-year college, we provide relevant, responsive, learner-centered higher education that facilitates the achievement of academic, professional and personal goals.
We embrace excellence, teamwork, and quality service that link the college’s human capital with our communities to enhance economic, social and cultural vitality.
As a key point of entry for students into higher education in Georgia and in order to support the Strategic Plan of the University System of Georgia, Georgia Perimeter College is committed to maintaining our role as the major provider of associate degrees and student transfer opportunities in the state and to broadening our contribution to the educational aspirations of our communities by offering select baccalaureate programs in areas of need for the citizens of Georgia.
Founded by the citizens of DeKalb County and the DeKalb Board of Education under the Junior College Act of 1958, Georgia Perimeter College opened as DeKalb College with its Clarkston Campus in 1964. It was the only public two-year college in the state supported and controlled by a local board of education. It was established in order that any resident of the DeKalb School District who held a high school diploma or its equivalent and who desired to seek two years of postsecondary education might have the opportunity to do so. The college's Decatur (formerly known as South) Campus opened in 1972. Also beginning in 1972, students enrolled in DeKalb Area Technical School were able to enroll dually in vocational and collegiate programs, and the college was designated DeKalb Community College. As growth continued both for DeKalb County and the college, the Dunwoody (formerly North) Campus was added and began operation in 1979. DeKalb College pioneered in Georgia in open-door admissions, personalized approaches to instruction and community-related curricula and activities. In 1985, DeKalb Vocational-Technical School was placed under the governance of a new statewide board for vocational-technical schools with daily operations remaining under the control of the DeKalb County School System. Students enrolled in specific Associate of Applied Science degree programs continued to enroll dually in the college and technical school, which is now known as Georgia Piedmont Technical College. In 1986, when DeKalb County relinquished its support, the college was accepted by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia as the thirty-fourth member institution. During spring 1993, Georgia Perimeter College in cooperation with Clayton State College, DeKalb Technical College and Rockdale County Public Schools formed the Rockdale Center for Higher Education, which offered credit and non-credit courses. In November 1997, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved changing the name of the college from DeKalb College to Georgia Perimeter College to reflect its expanding mission and its service throughout the metro Atlanta area. As part of changing the college's name, the names of the campuses were changed to identify the cities in which they are located. In December 2001, Georgia Perimeter College's Lawrenceville Campus, along with its partners at the Gwinnett University Center, relocated from the MacCleod Industrial Park on Sugarloaf Parkway to a 177-acre campus at 1000 University Center Lane. In 2007, Georgia Perimeter College discontinued offering courses at the Lawrenceville Campus in order for the site to become Georgia Gwinnett College, a new four-year USG institution. In summer 2007, the Rockdale Campus was relocated to a larger new campus in Newton County and renamed the Newton Campus. GPC began offering classes in Alpharetta in a building owned by Georgia State University. Through the years, the college has expanded its class and service offerings to citizens in north Fulton County. Georgia Perimeter College gained full ownership of the original building in fall 2010. The change not only increases classroom space for GPC students, it also increases services and possibilities for extended educational partnerships with other institutions and organizations in the area. The college's academic offerings correspond with curricular content and requirements of the University System of Georgia. Georgia Perimeter College also serves as a community cultural center for the performing arts in music and drama. Curricula feature transfer, learning support, career, continuing and distance education programs, as well as joint educational offerings with other system institutions and state-supported technical institutes. Associate degrees are awarded to graduates who complete the two-year transfer and career programs. GPC STRATEGIC PLAN (Strategic Goals and Core Values) Strategic Goals
We will strengthen student success. Student success is at the heart of all we do at Georgia Perimeter College. For students to grow and develop academically, they need a faculty devoted to teaching excellence. To prepare students to compete in the global workplace, we will offer relevant and responsive learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.
We will create and foster a culture of teamwork, leadership, quality service and continuous improvement. A cornerstone to the success of Georgia Perimeter College is our institutional culture. Through open communication, mutual respect and trust, we will practice teamwork, leadership, quality service and continuous improvement.
We will enhance the economic, social and cultural vitality of our communities. Georgia Perimeter College is a vital partner in the success of our communities. Along with our success, size and multiple locations, comes a responsibility to share our valuable resources with others. We will bring our human capital to our communities through innovative learning opportunities for our students and improved partnerships with other educational institutions, business, industry and government agencies to strengthen the future of our communities.
We will expand access and enrollment capacity. Georgia Perimeter College embraces its role as an access institution. In order to remain accessible, we must increase our capacity to serve the educational needs of a growing and diverse population. As the state’s leading provider of distance education, we also have a responsibility to continually reach out to underserved areas and become accessible to learners worldwide.
Core Values
Trust We believe trust is the pinnacle of our core values and essential to success. Our competence and character builds trust with ourselves, between each other and throughout our organization.
Excellence We strive for excellence in all that we do in order to model success for our students. Excellence in teaching and service provides the foundation on which our students will achieve success.
Integrity We hold firm to our integrity. We take responsibility for our actions and we stand by our commitment to support our students, colleagues and community.
Civility We foster a collegial environment that cultivates mutual respect, enhanced problem-solving, open communication and teamwork. Civility builds trust among employees, students and members of our community and promotes cooperation across organizational boundaries.
Passion We are passionate about the success of our students, colleagues and community. We show our passion through our quality work, creativity, teamwork, outreach and engagement with our communities.
Diversity We welcome and embrace the diversity of our community, organization and student body. We respect all individuals for their ideas, perspectives, commonalities and differences.
Efficiency We are committed to individual and organizational efficiency. As an efficient organization, we will increase the resources and capital of our organization, remain affordable and accessible to our students and remove barriers to success.
GPC’s dynamic Shared Governance Model is linked to its Strategic Plan, with an emphasis on work that is timely, targeted, transparent and temporary. At its core, the Shared Governance Model is a composite of college-wide Standing Committees, Task Teams, and Presidential Think Tanks, each comprised of constituents from across the college. These groups along with the President’s Policy Advisory Board, Executive Team, Policy Councils, President’s Cabinet, Faculty and Staff Senates, and Open Forum participants comprise GPC’s shared governance model. EXECUTIVE TEAM: The Executive Team ensures that college-wide initiatives support GPC’s mission, vision, values and strategic plan. POLICY COUNCILS: The Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Financial and Administrative Affairs, and Institutional Advancement Policy Councils, composed of faculty, staff, administrators, and students, focus on concerns unique to their area. PRESIDENT’S POLICY ADVISORY BOARD: The President’s Policy Advisory board approves or denies recommendations received via the policy review process. STANDING COMMITTEES: Permanent college-wide Standing Committees include members from administration, faculty, and staff. Limited in number, these committees address pertinent college-wide developments. COLLEGE-WIDE TASK TEAMS: Temporary Task teams meet to resolve short-term college goals. Task Teams, which include representatives from all constituencies, generally conclude in less than thirty days. Policy Councils may also form POLICY TASK TEAMS to review policy. THINK TANKS: Think Tanks, groups of 15-20 members, usually meet once or twice to share their views with the president on a specific topic. OPEN FORUMS: The president holds open forums at each campus to gather input on major issues and to encourage college-wide participation. STAFF SENATE: The Staff Senate advises the president and other administrators on matters that have a major impact on staff. FACULTY SENATE: The Faculty Senate fosters communication between faculty, administration, and the Board of Regents, promotes discussion on trends in higher education and oversees curriculum and academic programs. PRESIDENT’S CABINET: The President’s Cabinet focuses on operations, planning and budgeting to support organizational and academic excellence, service and leadership.
The Faculty Senate serves as the representative body of the Faculty of GPC for the purposes of participating in College decision-making; fostering communication between the Faculty, the Administration, and the Board of Regents; promoting discussion and action on trends and developments in higher education; and, overseeing curriculum and academic programs. The first section of the Governance and Policy Web site focuses on Governance. In addition to presenting the college’s governance model and organizational charts, the site lists College-wide Standing Committees, their agendas, meeting schedules, membership, and membership limits to ensure that participants rotate at the end of their term. The Web site also includes the membership for the college-wide Task Teams and Presidential Think Tanks. The second section of the Web site discusses the policy review and development process. The college’s goal is to examine all policies within three years. The Academic and Student Affairs Policy Council, the Institutional Advancement Policy Council, and the Financial and Administrative Affairs Policy Council with the assistance of Task Teams and their constituents will determine if a policy merits retention, revision, deletion, or creation. Transparency is enhanced with the inclusion of bylaws, membership, minutes, “Policies under Review” and “Policies Approved” for each Policy Council and the membership and minutes for each Task Team. Once a policy is approved by the President’s Policy Advisory Board, the Policy Manual will be updated, and the Board’s minutes will be published on the Web site. Anyone, whether administration, faculty, or staff, may initiate the review process by forwarding a request to the Director of Governance and Policy.
GPC POLICIES 100 ACADEMIC AFFAIRS 100 Academic Expulsion 101 Academic Honesty 102 Academic Program Review 103 Alternate Coverage of Classes 104 Intellectual Property 105 Archiving of Grades and Final Exams 106 Attendance 107 Pay for Independent Study 108 Study Abroad 109 Study Abroad Pay 110 Text Selection 111 Curriculum - Common Course Online 112 Faculty Due Process Rights 113 Disruptive Student Behavior in an Academic Setting 114 Online Courses and Faculty 115 Emeritus/a Faculty 116 Faculty Overloads 117 Faculty Credentials 118 Field Trips 119 Grade Appeal 120 Grade Change 121 Grade Forgiveness 122 Independent Study 123 Infection Control in Biology Laboratories 124 Infection Control in Health Care Courses 125 Protection of Student Information Online 126 Reassigned Instructional Time for Faculty 127 Withdrawals 128 Incompletes 129 Literary Publications 130 Tenure-Track Faculty Workload 131 Part-Time Faculty Workloads 132 Term-to-Term (Limited Term) and Lecturer Faculty Workload 133 Determination of Credit Hours for Courses
200 STUDENT AFFAIRS 201 Acceptance of Transfer Credit 202 Use of Student Health Center 203 Alcohol and Drugs 204 Appeals Process for Tuition Classification 205 Captioning Policy 206 Cell Phone Use 207 College Court 208 Display of Non-College Publications 209 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) 210 Financial Aid 211 Free Expression 212 Infants and Underage Children in College Facilities 213 Orientation 214 Regents' Financial Assistance - Financial Needs Analysis 215 Release of Student Health Information 216 Sexual Assault and Harassment 217 Student Activities Fee Financial Code 218 Student Conduct Code 219 Student Discrimination Grievance 220 Student Organization Fund Raising Project 221 Students' Role in Institutional Decision Making 222 Tobacco Use on Campus 300 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS 300 Acceptance of Cash Contributions 301 Acceptance of Gift Books and Materials for the Learning Resource Center Units 302 Budget Development and Administration 303 Coordination Between Campuses and Financial and Administrative Services 304 Donated Property 305 GPC Tuition and Fee Payment and Deferral 306 Payment of Per Diem and Fees 307 Payment of Team or Group Travel From Student Activity Funds 309 Registration Fees 310 Reimbursing Coaches for Recruiting Expenses 311 Reimbursing Students for Expenses Incurred for College Sponsored Club or Organization 312 Student Travel 313 Student Mandatory Fee Approval Process 314 Travel and Reimbursement 315 Vehicle Impoundment 316 Payment Turnaround Responsibility 317 Petty Cash Usage 318 Sales and Solicitation 319 Student Elective Fee Approval Process 320 Course Reinstatement Policy 321 Employee Travel-Lodging Pre-payment 322 Individual Professional Association Membership 323 Institutional Professional Association Membership 324 Requesting Subscriptions and Institutional Memberships 325 Disposal of Property 326 Honorarium 327 Inventory Control 328 Internal Controls 329 Privately Owned Vehicles for Business Use 330 Purchase Requisitions and Restrictions 331 Enterprise Risk Management 332 Budget Manager Responsibility 333 Purchase of Capital Assets 334 Safeguarding Cash and College Funds 335 Stolen Property 336 Student Refunds 400 HUMAN RESOURCES 400 Age Criteria 401 Career Development 402 Classified Employee Disciplinary Policy 403 Classified Personnel Performance Management 404 Classified Staff Compensation 405 Drug-Free Workplace 406 Educational Leave Without Pay 407 Conflict of Interest 408 Background Investigation 409 Employee Orientation 410 Employment Beyond Retirement 411 Employment Grievance 412 Employee Dispute Resolution 413 Employment of Foreign Nationals 414 Employment of Full-Time Faculty 415 Employment of Full-Time Classified Personnel 416 Part-Time and/or Temporary Staff Performance Management 417 Employment of Part-Time Faculty 418 Employment of Relatives 419 Employment of Part-Time and/or Temporary Staff 420 Faculty and Lecturer Compensation 422 Faculty Summer Assignments and Compensation 423 Faculty/Staff Professional Travel 424 Family and Medical Leave 425 Anti-Harassment and Anti-Retaliation 426 Malfeasance Reporting 427 Inclement Weather 428 Military Leave 429 Miscellaneous Leave 430 Outside Activities 431 Employee Personnel Records 432 Pre-Employment Drug Testing 433 Professional Enhancement Leave 434 Professional Leave for Academic Year Faculty 436 Publicizing Full-Time Professional Position Vacancies 437 Reassignment and Transfer of Personnel Among Campuses-Centers 439 Hazardous Communication Plan and Right-to-Know 440 Screening Committee Expenditures 442 Shared Sick Leave 443 Sick Leave With Pay 444 Sick Leave Without Pay 445 Sick Leave With Pay/Faculty 446 Statement of Non-Discrimination 449 Tobacco on Campus 450 Tuition Assistance Program 451 Vacation 452 Visitors at Work 453 Voluntary Disclosure of Drug Use 454 Teleworking and Flextime 455 Violent Behavior in the Workplace 456 Academic Salary Following Administrative Role 457 Alcohol on GPC Locations 458 Weapons on College Property 500 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 500 Acquisition, Allocation and Management of Information Systems 501 Web Server Infrastructure 502 Faculty and Staff E-mail 503 IT Project Management 504 Student E-mail 505 Student Technology Fee 506 Third Party Software and Services 507 Use of IT Resources 508 Wireless Network 509 Captioning Policy
600 INFORMATION SECURITY 600 Access Control 601 Anti-Virus Software 602 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery 603 Change Management 604 Configuration and Vulnerability Management 605 Data Backup and Recovery 606 Data Classification and Handling 607 Encryption Techniques 608 Enterprise Information Security 609 Information Security Awareness and Training 610 Information Security Incident Response 611 Information Security Roles and Responsibilities 612 Password Management 613 Personnel Security 614 Physical and Environmental Security 615 Software Development Security 616 Virtual Private Network 700 INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT 700 Advertising Requests 701 Communications with Local Communities 702 Communications with the Media 703 Non-Credit Courses 704 Grant Applications 705 Official Use of Georgia Perimeter College Stationery and/or Postage 706 Printing College Materials 707 Time and Effort Reporting 708 Production of College Publications 709 Reproducing Copyrighted Material 710 Website Conformity 711 Social Networking 712 Statement of Non-Discrimination on Printed Materials 713 Alumni Association 714 Alumni Communications 715 Alumni Fund Management 716 Alumni Programs and Services 717 Alumni Records Management 718 Acceptance of Awards 719 Administration of Sponsored Projects 720 Cost Sharing on Sponsored Projects 721 Expenditure Compliance Under Sponsored Agreements 722 Principle Investigator / Project Director Eligibility 800 FACILITIES 800 Allocation and Reallocation of Building Space 801 Use of Facilities 802 Use of the Jim Cherry Learning Resources Center (JCLRC) 803 Hazardous Chemicals 804 Key Control 900 MISCELLANEOUS 900 Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Service Areas of the College 901 Institutional Review Board (IRB) 902 Office of Institutional Research and Planning 903 Policy Councils 904 President's Policy Advisory Board 905 Policy Development and Review 906 Reporting Substantive Changes to GPC's Accrediting Body
GPC POLICIES (key policies for faculty) The following policies in their entirety, including Procedural information, are found in the GPC POLICY MANUAL: Policy 105: Archiving of Grades and Final Exams Georgia Perimeter College faculty members will archive grades and final exams for all their classes electronically or by hard copies.
Policy 446: Statement of Non-Discrimination No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or genetic information, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any college initiated program or activity.
Georgia Perimeter College supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order #11246, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.
Policy 425: Anti-Harassment and Anti-Retaliation Georgia Perimeter College prohibits any form of discrimination, harassment or retaliation against or by any member of the faculty, staff, administration, student body, or visitors to campus based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, whistle-blower status, disability, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.
Policy 455: Violent Behavior in the Workplace Faculty, staff, and students are required to report violent behavior, which is prohibited at the college, to the appropriate authorities.
Policy 458: Weapons on College Property The possession, storage, or use of firearms, ammunition, explosive materials, and dangerous weapons of any type is prohibited on property owned or leased by Georgia Perimeter College.
Policy 439: Hazardous Communication Plan and Right-to-Know Georgia Perimeter College will maintain a Hazardous Communication Plan and provide employees with Right-to-Know training.
Policy 430: Outside Activities Full-time Georgia Perimeter College employees will not engage in any occupation, pursuit, or endeavor which will interfere with the regular and punctual discharge of their official duties.
Membership in the academic profession carries with it special responsibilities. These responsibilities are affirmed in major policy statements, providing guidance to professors in such matters as their utterances as citizens, the exercise of their responsibilities to students and colleagues, and their conduct when resigning from an institution or when undertaking sponsored research.
Georgia Perimeter College strongly endorses faculty adherence to the Statement on Professional Ethics set forth by the American Association of University Professors. The statement is reproduced below.
Professors, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to his subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end professors devote their energies to developing and improving scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty. Although professors may follow subsidiary interests, these interests must never seriously hamper or compromise their freedom of inquiry.
As teachers, the professor encourages the free pursuit of learning in their students. They hold before them the best scholarly and ethical standards of their discipline. Professors demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. Professors make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to assure that their evaluations of students reflect each student’s true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student. They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students. They acknowledge significant academic or scholarly assistance from them. They protect their academic freedom. As colleagues, professors have obligations that derive from common membership in the community of scholars. Professors do not discriminate or harass colleagues. They respect and defend the free inquiry of his associates. In the exchange of criticism and ideas professors show due respect for the opinion of others. Professors acknowledge academic debt and strive to be objective in their professional judgment of colleagues. Professors accept their share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of their institution.
As members of an academic institution, professors seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars. Although professors observe the stated regulations of the institution, they maintain their right to criticize and seek revision. Professors give due regard to their paramount responsibilities within their institution in determining the amount and character of the work done outside it. When considering the interruption or termination of their service, professors recognize the effect of their decision upon the program of the institution and give due notice of their intentions.
As members of their community, professors have the rights and obligations of any citizen. Professors measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of his responsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to their institution. When they speak or act as private persons they avoid creating the impression of speaking or acting for their college or university. As citizens engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, professors have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.
(Source: The Statement on Professional Ethics, a revision of a statement adopted in 1947 and later revised in 1966, was approved by Committee B on Professional Ethics, adopted by the Council and endorsed by the Seventy-third Annual meeting of the American Association of University Professors in June 1987.)
Georgia Perimeter College endorses the Statement of Academic Freedom adopted by the American Association of University Professors in 1940, as it has been amended from time to time. Specifically,
In adopting the AAUP statement, the College does not necessarily adopt interpretations of the statement that are inconsistent with Georgia Perimeter College's primary mission as a two‑year teaching college within the University System of Georgia; however, the College acknowledges its respect for the experience of other academics and institutions in the interpretation of the statement. In addition, Georgia Perimeter College recognizes that students are free to take reasonable exception to the data or views offered in any course of study, while meeting the responsibility to learn the content of the course and maintaining the standards of academic performance established for the course. Specifically, the College recognizes the right of the student to free thought and orderly free expression in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and free of coercion and unreasonable interference. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia was created in 1931 as a part of a reorganization of Georgia’s state government. With this act, public higher education in Georgia was unified for the first time under a single governing and management authority. The governor appoints members to the Board, who each serve seven years. Today the Board of Regents is composed of 18 members, five of whom are appointed from the state-at-large, and one from each of the 13 congressional districts. The Board elects a chancellor who serves as its chief executive officer and the chief administrative officer of the University System.
The Board oversees the 35 colleges and universities that comprise the University System of Georgia, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and The Georgia Public Library System. These institutions enrolled approximately 311,442 students for the Fall of 2010 and employed 41,680 faculty and staff to provide teaching and related services to students and the communities in which they are located.
University System of Georgia Board of Regents University System of Georgia Chancellor University System of Georgia Vision, Mission, Goals University System of Georgia Policy Manual The USG Faculty and Staff Information Web site, has links to the following information: General Information Directories and Contact Information Office
of Legal Affairs Legislative
Update Human Resources Employee
Benefits Academic Resources Academic & Student Affairs Handbook Board of Regents Policy Manual Public Relations Resources USG
Employee Specialized Communication Skills Resource
Database Technical Information and Support ITS
Customer Services/HelpDesk Georgia
BEST Georgia
FIRST GeorgiaVIEW Fiscal Affairs and Budget Resources Business Procedures Manual (Accounting) Records Management and Archives The Help and College Directories Web site provides direct links to: GPC Online Directory GPC Main Help/Request Form Getting Help with iCollege Frequently Called Numbers Campus Addresses, Phone Numbers & Maps Department Website Listing Faculty Academic Website Listing Faculty & Staff Email Director Transcript Requests
(24/7 Communications Dispatch Center) "EMERGENCY" From Any On-Site Phone Dial "5511" Emergency Off-Site Phone Dial (770) 274-5511
See the Miscellaneous section of this handbook for information on “JagALERT,” the GPC Emergency Mass Notification System or In the event of an on-campus emergency, classes will be notified and given appropriate instructions by an official of the college (usually from Public Safety or the dean’s office). A student emergency requiring immediate attention should be reported to the campus Public Safety Office. Instructors should not dismiss class because of power failure, inclement weather, etc. without authorization from an appropriate campus administrator, such as a dean, department chair, or evening program coordinator.
Public Safety offices are located on each campus and are staffed whenever classes are in session. Please familiarize yourself with the location of your campus office.
FACULTY SERVICE DESK (Information Technology Help Desk) The Faculty Service Desk is your guide to technology support at Georgia Perimeter College. The mission of the Service Desk is to serve as the central point of contact for all Information Technology services and to provide consistent communication and support for these services in a professional, competent and timely manner.
The OIT Service Desk is the place to start for all of your computer, printer, telephone, and network problems or questions. To report a problem with any of these items, or to get help using supported software, please contact the Service Desk at 678-891-3460 or send email to servicedesk@gpc.edu.
ACADEMIC DIVISIONS DIRECTORY (as of July 2012) English/Reading Dr. Stuart Noel, Interim Dean
Business Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers, Interim Dean
Humanities/Fines Arts/ESL/Foreign Language Dr. Ron Key, Dean
Mathematics/Computer Science/Engineering Dr. Margaret Ehrlich, Dean
Science Dr. Paulos Yohannes, Dean
Social Sciences Dr. Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Dean
Health Sciences Dr. Diane White, Dean
Physical Education Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers, Interim Dean
Sign Language Interpreting Program Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers, Interim Dean
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS – Website Listings/Links
Refer to the Academic Calendar each semester for important dates for faculty and students.
The official GPC Holiday Calendar is located on the Human Resources website
FACULTY JOB DESCRIPTION, EVALUATION, WORKLOAD
FACULTY EXPECTATIONS/JOB DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY Source: Faculty Evaluation, Promotion and Tenure Handbook
Nature of Work The Instructional Faculty have the responsibility to provide effective instruction, to direct and support the learning process for students, to advise students effectively, to provide service related to the discipline or to the College, to maintain standard departmental and college practices and procedures, and to remain current in their teaching discipline. Instructional Faculty members are expected to devote a minimum of 40 hours per week to the institution. Instructional Faculty must carry out their duties in a professional, ethical, and collegial manner that enhances the mission of the institution. The faculty function under the general direction of Department Chairs.
Illustrative Examples of Work • Prepares and teaches courses as scheduled, under supervision of a Department Chair or Coordinator. Faculty members are expected to teach 27-32 semester credit hours and a minimum of eight classes per academic year. • Maintains a weekly on-campus office schedule. Faculty members are expected to maintain an average of 10 office hours per week. The Department Chair may approve variations, based on what is best for the students to be served. • Advises students about their program of study and selection of courses. • Counsels students outside of class regarding their academic problems, and provides extra academic help as necessary. • Maintains laboratory or other equipment applicable to the area of instruction. • Attends official college functions. • Assumes committee responsibilities as assigned. • Participates in evaluating and changing curriculum as necessary. • Pursues professional activities. • Maintains appropriate student records. • Reports grades and other information accurately and promptly.
[Illustrative examples are not meant to be inclusive of all job responsibilities or to imply that all illustrative examples are included in each faculty member’s responsibilities].
Desirable Knowledge, Abilities and Skills 1. Thorough knowledge of teaching discipline. 2. Knowledge of available College policies and procedures and applicable Regents’ policies and procedures. 3. Ability to provide quality classroom instruction and learning activities. 4. Ability to relate to students, faculty, staff, and administration in a professional manner. 5. Ability to use technology in the instructional process. 6. Ability to make referrals to appropriate college offices. FACULTY EVALUATION, PROMOTION AND TENURE HANDBOOK CONTRACTS Annual contracts for faculty (12 month and 10 month) are issued in June. The contracts are delivered to the appropriate campus academic dean’s office. Faculty are notified by their department chair when contracts are ready for pick up. Faculty should pick up, sign and return their contract to the academic dean’s office by the deadline noted on the contract. GPC Online faculty contracts are distributed from the Clarkston Campus academic dean’s office.
Note: Limited Term faculty and Lecturers receive offer letters distributed by the Office of Human Resources rather than academic contracts.
WORKLOAD Instructional Faculty members are expected to teach 27-32 semester credit hours and a minimum of eight classes per academic year and devote a minimum of 40 hours per week to the institution.
OFFICE HOURS Faculty are to maintain a weekly on-campus office schedule with an average of ten (10) office hours per week. The Department Chair may approve variations, based on what is best for the students to be served.
ATTENDANCE
Classroom Attendance Instructors are expected to attend all scheduled classes and to meet those classes for the entire period. You may not cancel class or dismiss class significantly early without the department chair’s permission. If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please follow your department’s established procedures. NOTE: The only approved substitutes are instructors already teaching at GPC and who are SACS qualified in the discipline.
Department and Division Meetings Attendance Attendance at scheduled Division Meetings and Academic Department Meetings is expected as part of a faculty member’s job duties.
Official College Functions Attendance Faculty are expected to attend certain official college functions as part of their job duties. These functions include Commencement, Fall Convocation and Faculty Development Day. Expected attendance at additional college functions will be determined by the deans and department chairs.
All personnel at Georgia Perimeter College are employees of the college with assignments to campus and center locations.
Requests for faculty (tenure-track and tenured faculty) transfers at Georgia Perimeter College shall be presented in writing to the Human Resources Department and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs no later than December 30 of the academic year prior to the effective date of transfer. See the GPC Policy Manual, Policy 437, Reassignment and Transfer of Personnel Among Campuses-Centers
ADP (Human Resources and Payroll System) The University System of Georgia has contracted with ADP (Automated Data Processing) to provide the USG institutions with an Enterprise Human Resources and Time & Labor System. This system provides all employees greater access to managing their personal information, reviewing select benefits, record time entries to log time worked, leave time taken and run the payroll processes. This model is designed to consolidate business functions throughout the University System of Georgia. The University System of Georgia's Shared Services Center's Customer Support can be reached at 1-855-214-2644 or by email at helpdesk@ssc.usg.edu. They can answer questions related to the ADP Portal, Direct Deposit, Paychecks, eTime and Benefits. Each employee at Georgia Perimeter College has an employment record in the Human Resources/Payroll System – ADP-- with a unique ADP employee number. Note: An employee’s ADP number is different from the GPC-ID number (“900” number) which is located on the GPC ID card. In order to view any ADP web application, all employees will need to first create an ADP Portal User ID and Password. The ADP web applications allow you to access your electronic time card (when applicable), enroll in benefits (when applicable), view your pay statements, view your W-2 and much more. To create your account you will need your social security number (SSN) and the USG Passcode of USG-6775. During the ADP registration process, the full-time faculty member will also register for eTime, the ADP time keeping system. Each month, the faculty member will follow the procedures for requesting/entering vacation/sick leave via eTime and submitting/approving his/her monthly timesheet by the published deadline set by the GPC Payroll Office. If you need assistance with the ADP registration process, receive an error message at any step in the process or any concerns once you are logged in, please contact the Shared Services Center (SSC) Customer Support team for assistance. Their normal business hours are Monday through Friday 8AM – 5PM except holidays. Call them toll free at 1-855-214-2644 or email them at helpdesk@ssc.usg.edu. Policy Number: 420 Policy Title: Faculty & Lecturer Compensation Policy
POLICY: Base salaries for new faculty or lecturers are based on education, discipline, teaching, and work-related experience.
PROCEDURE: Minimum Salaries Minimum salaries are established for each discipline based on salary data collected from national, regional, and local salary market surveys, faculty availability in each academic discipline, and available funds for faculty salaries in each academic year. Salary guidelines are reviewed on a yearly basis.
Determination of Salaries for New Tenure-Track Faculty and Lecturers After a minimum salary is determined for each new faculty member or lecturer, an additional $5,000 is added for those candidates who hold a doctorate degree. An additional amount is also added to the minimum salary for each year of full-time college teaching experience. Smaller increments are made to the minimum salary for each year of full-time high school teaching experience and each year of work-related experience that the individual possesses.
New hires into lecturer positions will be hired as Lecturer. New faculty other than Lecturers will generally be hired at the rank of Instructor. New faculty members holding a doctorate degree are normally granted a rank of Assistant Professor.
Exceptions to the above may be made when a new faculty member held a higher rank at another college. In these cases, the faculty member is considered for the rank held at the other institution provided the faculty member meets the Georgia Perimeter College criteria for the higher rank. Any exceptions must be approved by the president.
Faculty hired above the rank of instructor will receive additional compensation commensurate with their rank. This does not apply to those hired into lecturer positions.
The adjustments to the minimum salary will vary based upon the market and available funds each year. Consideration will be given to maintaining an equitable relationship between the salaries of new faculty and lecturers and the salaries of existing faculty and lecturers. Other types of experience may also be considered when appropriate.
Salary recommendations are made by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President for Academic Affairs reviews the salary calculation with the Executive Vice President for Financial and Administrative Affairs or his/her designee. The Georgia Perimeter College Guidelines for Faculty Academic Salaries for each particular year is available in the Human Resources Department, the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the homepage for the Human Resources Department
Determination of Salary Increases Salary increases related to promotion in rank and to adjustments to the minimum salary amount go into effect at the beginning of the following contract year in August. Salary increases resulting from merit increases go into effect on a schedule determined by the Board of Regents. All salary increases, regardless of type, are subject to available funding and Board of Regents guidelines.
I. Annual Salary Increases The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents allocates a specific pool of money for salary increases each year when financially able to do so. The average merit percentage is specified by the Board of Regents. Individual merit raises are based upon performance on the Annual Performance Review of Faculty and guidelines set by the Faculty Handbook for Evaluation, Promotion and Tenure.
II. Salary Increases Based on Award of a Doctoral Degree As specified in the Georgia Perimeter College Guidelines for Faculty Academic Salaries, a $5,000 salary increase will be awarded to a faculty member or lecturer who earns a doctorate degree in his or her teaching field from a regionally accredited institution. In order to receive the monetary award, a faculty member or lecturer must submit an official transcript and/or letter from the awarding institution confirming the completion of the degree to the Human Resources Department along with an Employee Education Update Request Form (available from Human Resources).
Faculty members or lecturers who receive their doctorate degree and provide the required documentation by June 30 of any given year will receive the $5,000 increase in salary in the following contract year in August. Those faculty members or lecturers who receive their doctorate degree after June 30 can expect to see the related increase in salary by the start of the next contract year following the award of the degree.
III. Salary Increases Based on Promotion Salary increases are usually awarded for promotion to a higher faculty rank. The amount to be awarded for promotion in a particular year is specified in the yearly Georgia Perimeter College Guidelines for Faculty Academic Salaries which is available in the Human Resources Department and the Office for Academic Affairs.
Salary Adjustments Based on Change in Job Title Changes in job title resulting from movement from a faculty position to an administrative level position or from a tenure-track or tenured position to a lecturer position may result in an increase or decrease in compensation as follows:
1. Tenure-Track or Tenured position to department chair or associate department chair: A faculty member considered for a department chair or associate department chair position may receive an increase in compensation of up to thirty percent based upon internal equity. In addition, there may be a further adjustment to the calculated salary based on internal equity. The employee will retain rank and tenure status.
2. Tenure-Track or Tenured position to Lecturer position: In order to be considered for a lecturer position, the tenured or tenure-track faculty member must resign from the faculty position that they are in and request to be assigned into a lecturer position. In doing so, the faculty member will lose rank and tenure status. In addition, the salary the faculty member will earn as a Lecturer will be reduced by the accumulated promotion increases the employee received in the faculty position.
These salary changes may occur as soon as the next pay period following the change in job title.
Extra Compensation for Assignments Performed by Faculty for the Center for Organizational Development
Extra compensation may be paid to faculty members for assignments performed for the Center for Organizational Development when all four of the following conditions are met:
1. The work is performed in addition to a normal full load.
2. No qualified person is available to perform the work as part of his/her normal load.
3. The work produces sufficient income to be self-supporting for a payment of compensation.
4. The additional duties must not be so heavy as to interfere with the performance of regular duties.
When extra compensation is paid, it shall be based upon rates agreed to between the faculty member and the Director of Organizational Development.
When off-campus services conducted through the Center for Organizational Development can be included in the duties or responsibilities of a faculty member, no additional compensation shall be paid.
Other Job descriptions for various levels of faculty or lecturer are available from Academic Affairs or Human Resources.
Policy Number: 116 Policy Title: Faculty Overloads
POLICY: Under certain circumstances, full-time faculty may be called upon to teach an overload(s).
PROCEDURE: Whenever possible, Georgia Perimeter College will first consider a reduction in teaching load in a subsequent semester to recognize the extra duties performed by the faculty member during the semester of the overload. When workload adjustments cannot be made, the vice president for academic affairs must approve extra compensation for the overload(s).
Prior to the start of each fall and spring semester, department chairs will determine if they have a need to ask a full-time faculty member to teach an overload(s). Before assigning an overload(s) to any full-time faculty member, a department chair must first discuss the need for an overload(s) with his/her academic division dean and subsequently receive the approval of the vice president for academic affairs.
Full-time faculty who are compensated for an overload(s) will be compensated at the part-time faculty rate.
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS AND COMPENSATION
Policy Number: 422 Policy Title: Faculty Summer Assignments and Compensation
POLICY: Tenured and tenure-track faculty who teach during the summer semester are eligible to receive a percentage of their previous academic year’s regular ten-month salary.
PROCEDURE: With the prerequisite approval of their respective department chairs, faculty who wish to teach in the summer may teach one three- or four-hour class for ten percent or two three- or four-hour classes for twenty percent of their regular ten-month compensation for the previous academic year if the classes are available. In addition, with department chair approval, they may teach one additional class for part-time pay.
For those who teach for percentage pay, the additional summer commitment may include the following:
Developing curriculum
Advising and mentoring students;
Maintaining posted office hours;
Assisting with registration and drop/add for summer and early registration for fall;
Working on campus, discipline, or college-wide committees;
Completing projects for department chairs or academic deans.
The faculty member and his or her respective department chair should agree in writing regarding the faculty member’s distribution of office hours and other GPC professional obligations, which may take place over the entire term. Faculty teaching one class for ten percent of their academic year salary will be expected to complete thirty hours of work from the list above. Those teaching two classes for twenty percent of their academic year salary will be expected to complete sixty hours of work from the list above. Work commitments must be scheduled at times beneficial to students and to the department.
Faculty who wish to teach without any additional responsibilities aside from meeting with students on an as-needed basis will receive part-time pay for up to three classes.
Limited term faculty (also referred to as term-to-term faculty), lecturers, and part-time faculty (also referred to as part-time instructors) are ineligible for percentage pay. If offered a summer assignment, these individuals will be compensated at the published part-time faculty compensation rate.
Policy Number: 133 Policy Title: Reassigned Instructional Time for Faculty
POLICY: Tenured or tenure-track faculty may have part of their instructional time reassigned.
PROCEDURE: Reassigned time should be granted infrequently.
Department chairs will forward proposals for reassigned time for tenured or tenure-track faculty to their academic division deans. The academic division dean will forward requests along with his/her recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for approval.
After consulting with the department chair and dean, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will notify both the chair and dean of the faculty approved for reassigned time.
Faculty with reassigned time are not allowed to teach an overload.
PROFESSIONAL LEAVE (Sabbaticals)
Policy Number: 434 Policy Title: Professional Leave for Academic Year Faculty
POLICY: Faculty on academic year contracts are eligible for professional leave for professional development and/or for service to the community consistent with the college’s strategic plan.
PROCEDURE: Faculty are encouraged to participate in professional activities that do not interfere with the regular and punctual discharge of their official duties.
Requests for professional leave which occur during the academic semester and require absence from the classroom must be made by faculty members two weeks in advance through their immediate supervisor. Appropriate arrangements for classes missed and other professional responsibilities must also be made by faculty members through their immediate supervisor.
As a general rule, professional leave will not be granted for more than eight days in an academic year and/or for more than five days in any semester. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the vice president of academic affairs.
PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT LEAVE
Policy Number: 433 Policy Title: Professional Enhancement Leave
POLICY: All full-time professional employees may apply for Professional Enhancement Leave for professional growth and development.
PROCEDURE: Professional Enhancement Leave, at half pay, provides opportunities for full-time employees to engage in activities to acquire skills, competencies, and knowledge for professional enrichment and improved performance at the college. Even if all the criteria are met, however, the college reserves the right to approve or deny the request for leave.
Eligibility for Full-time Faculty Faculty must be employed at the college for at least three years to apply for a one- semester Professional Enhancement Leave and for at least five years to apply for a two-semester Professional Enhancement Leave.
EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS An Employment Compensation Agreement Between Institutions (commonly referred to as a “Joint Services Agreement”) is required for any work performed by a GPC full-time employee for another University System of Georgia institution. The approved agreement must be in place prior to work being performed and for payment to be issued. For instructions regarding Employment Compensation Agreements, please contact the Director of Faculty Services, Office of Academic Affairs, 678-891-2566.
OFFICIAL CLASS ROLLS FROM THE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (SIS)
For the first week of classes, check rolls prior to each class, as there is much movement the first few days. Do not allow any student to remain in your class who is not on your roll. If a student is not on your roster, immediately send the student to the Registrar to determine the problem. Do not allow any student to return to class without written confirmation of enrollment in your class, such as a printed class schedule with the current date or a written note from the Registrar or the Department Chair. Regardless of your attendance policy, attendance must be kept for the entire term of the class to avoid institutional liability.
Steps to retrieve your class rolls from BANNER WEB
Logging onto Banner Self-Service: Open up Internet Explorer Enter the URL address: http://sis.gpc.edu Click on “Enter Student Information System” The Logon screen will load Enter GPC Username Enter GPC Password Click on “Login” Click on “Menu” link at the top of the page or the “Continue” link at the bottom of the page If the address check screen comes up, click “yes” to continue. Click on “Faculty Services” link in blue bar at the top or the “Faculty Services” link Click on the “Summary Class List” link Select current term from drop-down box Click on “Submit” Select and verify appropriate CRN (course id) from drop-down box Click on “Submit” Scroll down to where the “Summary Class List” is showing. At the bottom, click on “Print Roster with Signature lines” Print your Roster
Enrollment and Registration Services No Show ReportingEach semester faculty must report those students who are on the class roll but have NEVER attended an on-campus class or logged in to an online class. This procedure is very important in order to keep the college in compliance with the laws regarding federal financial aid. If a student is on the class roll, but has NEVER attended a class, faculty must record a NS grade for that student during the no show entry period. If the student shows up for class at any point before the reporting date, even if it is only for 1 minute of one class, then the student has attended the class and is NOT reported as a no show. A ‘no show’ is someone who has NEVER been to class. No Show Timeline Full and First-half Term Classes: The no
show period to check attendance for a term will be from the first day of
class (Monday) until Sunday of the first week of classes. Second-half Term Classes:The no
show period to check attendance for a term will be from the first day of
class (Wednesday) until the Tuesday of the second week of classes.
No Show ProcessThe following students should be reported as a no show: On-campus Classes:-Students who have never
attended an on-campus class. Online Classes:-Students who have never logged
in to an online class. Additional Information:For on-campus classes that are
supplemented by iCollege, the student’s attendance in the on-campus class
will be the determining factor for no show. Whether or not the student
logged in to the iCollege component will not be considered. Steps to complete the “No Show” entry process
Open up Internet Explorer Enter the URL address: http://sis.gpc.edu Click on “Enter Student Information System” The Logon screen will load Enter GPC Username Enter GPC Password Click on “Login” Click on “Menu” link at the top of the page or the “Continue” link at the bottom of the page --If the address check screen comes up, click “yes” to continue. Click on “Faculty Services” link in blue bar at the top or the “Faculty Services” link Click on the “No Show Reporting” link Select current term from drop-down box Click on “Submit” Select and verify appropriate CRN (course id) from drop-down box Click on “Submit” Compare the listing of enrolled students to your attendance records. Select the grade of “NS” from the drop-down box for any student who has never attended your class or who has never logged into your distance learning class If you have a student who is attending your course and is not listed on the online roll – the student must go to the registrar’s office to find out why they are not registered in the course. Do not allow the student to attend your course again until they show up on your online roll!
Review and verify each NS entry to ensure accuracy.
Click on “Submit” - this will confirm that you have reported the no shows and will save the NS grades to the database. If needed, make corrections, and click on “Submit” to save changes.
IMPORTANT!! If you do not have any ‘No Shows’ to report in a particular course you must still click on “Submit” to confirm and verify that you have reviewed the course roll.
When you have completed each class - if you have another course to enter: Click the “CRN Selection” link at bottom of page Choose the next CRN /course to check Click on “Submit” Repeat NS entry process as described above for each course After completing all entries and checking all courses, click on “EXIT” link at top right to logout of BANNER WEB and close your browser to protect your privacy
Policy Number: 320 Policy Title: Course Reinstatement Policy
POLICY: Students who have had their classes purged due to non-payment will not be reinstated unless they have been purged due to a documented college error.
PROCEDURE:
Non-Financial Aid Students Students who are not on financial aid and who have not paid tuition and fees by the stated deadline dates will be purged from classes. They may re-enroll if they pay tuition and fees before the drop/add period for the term has ended. There is no guarantee that students will be able to register for the same class sections they originally held.
Students who have a minimal debit balance on their account must pay the balance before the end of the second week of classes. Once these students have been purged from classes due to lack of payment, they will not be reinstated.
Financial Aid Students Students who apply for financial aid by the stated financial aid application deadline will be informed of the financial aid decision before the start of classes. Students who apply for financial aid after the financial aid application deadline must pay registration and fees at the time of registration or defer their registration until the following semester when a financial aid decision will have been made.
Students who have been purged by a documented college error will be reinstated into the same classes. Students who no longer wish to take one or more of their classes will have to withdraw following the withdrawal procedures.
Policy Number: 106 Policy Title: Attendance
POLICY: Each academic division will establish attendance requirements for its classes.
PROCEDURE: Each division will assemble an academic committee(s) to develop recommendations for attendance. The division will forward its recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for approval.
Attendance may impact a student’s grade. Though students may not fail a class solely on the number of absences, their grade may be lowered due to excessive absences as established in division guidelines.
Attendance requirements addressing all applicable modes of instruction must appear in the syllabus.
GRADING SYSTEM At the close of the semester, students are responsible for viewing their final grades online through the Student Information and Registration System on the college website. Request
for Official Georgia Perimeter College Transcript Confidentiality
of Student Records Grading
System A 90-100 Excellent B 80-89 Good C 70-79 Average A grade of “C” is the minimum grade required for certain courses, as specified in the programs of study and Course Descriptions section of the GPC Catalog. D 60-69 Poor A grade of “D,” while giving hours credit will not apply toward the degree in courses requiring a “C” or better. F Below 60 Failure
WF Withdrawal/Failing “WF” indicates that the student withdrew from the course while doing unsatisfactory work. (See Course Withdrawal section of the GPC Catalog.) No credit toward graduation is given for a course in which a grade of “F” or “WF” is received.
Special Note: All grades issued to Dual Enrollment students will be recorded as letter grades based on the college grading system. College instructors will not issue numerical grades. For the grading system for Nursing and for Dental Hygiene, please refer to the department.
The following symbols are used in the cases indicated, but will not be included in the determination of the cumulative grade point average:
W Withdrawal This symbol indicates that a student was permitted to withdraw from the course without penalty. WM Military Withdrawal – No grade IP In Progress This symbol applies to Learning Support and under certain circumstances is assigned in lieu of grades below “C.” I Incomplete This symbol indicates the student has satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the course work, but for non-academic reasons beyond the student’s control, the student has not been able to complete some specific part or amount of the work required (for example, the final examination). An “I” not satisfactorily removed by the end of the following semester will automatically be changed to an “F.” The time allow for completing work may be extended to a maximum of 12 months when circumstances prevent the student from completing the work during the following semester. To obtain an “I,” the student and his or her instructor must complete the Petition for “I,” which will include a description of the work to be completed and the completion date. Copies of the Petition for “I” will be filed with the instructor, with the appropriate department chair, and with the campus registrar. Learning Support students may not receive an “I” in any required Learning Support course. S Satisfactory U Unsatisfactory These symbols (“S” and “U”) are not used except for certain courses in the technical programs and other special credits where a grade point average is not computed, such as credits by examination. K This symbol indicates credit granted by examination. NR No Grade This symbol is used when no grade is submitted. V Audit No credit is given to a student who audits a course. (See Auditing Courses in the GPC Catalog.)
Students may withdraw or the college may withdraw students from their classes following the proper policy/procedure.
See the GPC Policy Manual, Policy 139, Withdrawals
The Grade Appeals Procedure is the method by which a student may challenge a grade issued by an instructor at Georgia Perimeter College. CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORD (FERPA)
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights are listed here.
Family Policy Compliance
Office Annual Notice of Directory Information Contents Directory information is information not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Georgia Perimeter College considers the following information to be directory information:
Directory information cannot include student identification numbers or social security numbers. The College may disclose any of these items without
prior written consent, unless the student has submitted a written request
to the College not to release directory information pertaining to him or
her. Students who do not wish to have directory information released
by the College should complete and submit a Request to Prevent Disclosure of
Directory Information form at the campus Enrollment and
Registration Services Office. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
INSTRUCTOR ATTENDANCE Instructors are expected to attend all scheduled classes and to meet those classes for the entire period. You may not cancel class or dismiss class significantly early without the department chair’s permission. If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please follow your department’s established procedures.
NOTE: The only approved substitutes are instructors already teaching at GPC and who are SACS qualified in the discipline.
CLASS TIMES AND ROOM ASSIGNMENTS
All classes are to meet at the assigned time and in the assigned room for the duration of the term. Any variation requires prior approval of the department chair, in consultation with the dean of academic services. Under no circumstances should any scheduled class meeting, including the final exam, be held at an off-campus site. The exception would be an approved field trip (see Field Trips).
The instructor should always leave a note on the classroom board and door should the instructor take the class to another campus location such as the LTC or Library.
COMMON COURSE OUTLINE http://www.gpc.edu/~acadaff/ccos/ Every approved academic course at Georgia Perimeter College must have an official Common Course Outline. Throughout the college all faculty teaching a course should adhere to the Common Course Outline. Consult with your department for Course Syllabi samples. This checklist includes suggested components of syllabi at GPC. Faculty at the college may use it as a convenience in composing syllabi.
REQUIRED COMPONENTS
Information about the instructor Name Contact Information (Phone, E-mail, Office location & hours) Times when students may contact you
Course Information Heading (college name) Course ID---e.g. PADL 1101 400 Course title and location Required texts---titles, authors, editions Course description Course objectives reflecting Expected Educational Results Attendance Policy (as developed by each academic division) Withdrawal Policy Cheating and Plagiarism Policy
Schedule Information Dates of major assignments, papers, field trips, projects, etc. Dates of midterm and/or other important tests Disclaimer stating dates may change Date and time of final exam (the final exam must be given as outlined by the published final exam schedule)
Grading Information Course requirements: exams, quizzes, classroom participation, projects and papers, including the percentage each counts toward the final grade Policies on missed exams and late work Grading scale & standards
Statements
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT Georgia Perimeter College supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order #11246, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the college.
Any individual with a grievance related to the enforcement of any of the above provisions should contact the Office of Human Resources.
The college complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, which guarantees any student the right to inspect and review his or her educational records, to challenge the content of the records and to control disclosures from the education records with certain exceptions.”
GPC DISABILITY SERVICES If you are a student who is disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (http://www.ada.gov/) and requires assistance or support services, please seek assistance through the GPC Center for Disability Services. A CDS Counselor will coordinate those services.
Any student requesting academic accommodations due to a disability must contact the Center for Disability Services. Student Guide from the Center for Disabilities Service
QEP STATEMENT Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): Georgia Perimeter College, as part of its reaffirmation of accreditation, created a five-year plan to improve student learning by making coursework and campus activities more engaging for students. GPC’s QEP is called the EDGE (Engagement Drives GPC Education) initiative. For more information, please visit the QEP’s website (http://www.gpc.edu/qep) or read the following short document (http://depts.gpc.edu/qep/EDGE%20Flyer_v4.pdf). This is a sample statement of relevance to place on syllabus: History 1111: This course focuses on the key political, intellectual, scientific, social, economic, and cultural changes that occurred in world civilization from the prehistoric era to 1500 AD. Why is it important to study history? Because the study of history is not simply about reminding us of what happened when in the past. The study of history helps us understand the developmental process by which we have come to understand everything from ideas and country borders to melting ice caps and local politics. In other words, what has happened in the past and the way it was interpreted and recorded is still affecting the ways in which we function today. Moreover, employers are increasingly looking to hire individuals who can work independently and in a team, think creatively, solve problems, and write well. Thus, as this course will provide an opportunity to learn content about world civilization from the prehistoric era to 1500 AD, it will also provide you with ample opportunity to think creatively, solve problems, write, and critically examine the world around you through individual and group efforts. ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT Each faculty member will use the Academic Honesty Statement developed by their discipline unit.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION STATEMENT Georgia Perimeter College adheres to affirmative action policies designed to promote diversity and equal opportunity for all faculty and students.
SUGGESTED COMPONENTS • Recommended supplemental course materials. • Schedule of class meetings, including subject matter and topics to be covered as well as pre-class readings and other assignments. • Unique class procedure/structures, such as cooperative learning, peer review, panel presentations, portfolios, case studies, journal or learning logs, and others. Special components: science and computer labs, tutorials, computer classroom, Learning and Tutoring Center Lab, and others.
A selection committee of tenured and tenure-track faculty approve a list of no more than three texts with different ISBN numbers to serve as approved texts.
See the GPC Policy Manual, Policy 138, Text Selection http://gpc.edu/~gpcgov/policies/New100/138.pdf
ACADEMIC HONESTY (Cheating and Plagiarism)
In accordance with policies and procedures regarding Academic Honesty (GPC Policy Manual, Policy 101, Academic Honesty, cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable in attempting to fulfill academic assignments.
See the Student Guidebook at http://globaldatebooksonline.com/flipbooks/georgiapc2012 for definitions and examples, procedures followed as a consequence of cheating or plagiarism, and possible disciplinary actions.) The college has established this policy to ensure due process in such cases. State and federal laws involving computer fraud, software piracy, etc., as well as institutional policy, govern the use of the college’s computer systems. (See the Student Guidebook for a full explanation of these standards.) Special regulations are listed in the Student Handbook as these relate to usage of the Internet other than in support of research and educational objectives. The final exam schedule is published in the Academic Calendar on the College Web site each semester. All faculty should adhere to the published final exam schedule unless given specific permission from the department chair to vary from that schedule. Note that final exam times do not necessarily match class times. The final exam date/time must be listed in the class syllabus.
Learning Support classes have their own set of guidelines and dates for final exams, including college-wide dates for standardized exit testing. Consult your department chair for dates.
Faculty must keep their accumulated grade reports and final examinations for each student for a minimum of one year for uncontested grades and for one year after contested grades have been resolved. Faculty members must also turn in a copy of grade records to the department at the end of the semester to be archived for one year.
Faculty members not returning to GPC must turn in their accumulated grade reports and the final exams from the previous year to their department chair.
See the GPC Policy Manual, Policy 105, Archiving of Grades and Final Exams
MANAGING DISRUPTIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR Policy Number: 113 Policy Title: Disruptive Student Behavior in an Academic Setting
POLICY: Disruptive student behavior in an academic setting is prohibited at Georgia Perimeter College.
PROCEDURE: Disruptive behavior is defined as any behavior that interferes with teaching, administration, college activities, and the collegiate learning process. Determination of a behavior as disruptive is at the discretion of faculty or staff and can be dependent upon many factors. Behavior which college personnel may declare disruptive includes, but is not limited to, the following: • Entering class late or leaving early (without permission) • Eating/drinking in class without permission • Sleeping in class • Persistent speaking without permission • Inappropriate use of electronic devices • Disputing the authority of faculty or staff • Arguing with faculty, staff or other students • Electronic communications which are abusive, harassing, or excessive • Threats of any kind and/or harassment • Physical or verbal disruptions or assault
CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING The Center for
Teaching and Learning offers opportunities for the faculty of Georgia
Perimeter College to develop their teaching, service and professional
activities and provides resources for reflection, rejuvenation and
innovation.
See the CTL website for information on Workshops, Programs, Awards, and Resources.
CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES (CDS) Georgia Perimeter College is committed to providing educational opportunities for all students and assisting them in making their college experience successful and positive. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Center for Disability Services coordinates the provision of reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.
Disability Services Faculty Guide
CDS CAMPUS LOCATIONS
Clarkston, CB 1300 (inside Suite 1200) 678-891-3385
Decatur, SF 2311 678-891-2406
Dunwoody, NA 2100 770-274-5235
Alpharetta 678-240-6038
Newton, 2N 2405 770-278-1316
GPC Online 678-891-3385
Georgia Perimeter College places a high priority on offering services that will support the academic success of our students. Therefore, the college offers a variety of services to students designed to enhance classroom learning and to provide a technologically advanced learning environment. Examples of support services include:
Advising, Counseling and Retention Services Health, Wellness and Recreation International Student Admissions and Advising The Center for International Education
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (training – computer classes)
The area of Instructional Technology Services provides face-to-face and online training for various software applications and hardware. Online sessions are delivered live via Wimba classroom or are accessible as video tutorials. In addition, some vendors offer free training to GPC users. Throughout the year, this area also hosts conferences and events which provide supplemental training and allow faculty to showcase innovative classroom and online teaching techniques.
CAMPUS INTEROFFICE MAIL Faculty are assigned individual mailboxes within their department to receive mail. Interoffice mail is sent via interoffice envelopes.
Georgia Perimeter College provides all faculty, staff, and authorized third party users with accounts on the GPC email system and all messages sent by GPC will constitute an official means of communication.
See GPC Policy Manual, Policy 502, Faculty and Staff Electronic Mail
(24/7 Communications Dispatch Center)
"EMERGENCY" From Any On-Site Phone Dial "5511"
Emergency Off-Site Phone Dial (770) 274-5511
Non-Emergencies General Information Dial (770) 274-5500
The Department of Public Safety provides many services to our faculty, students and staff. Some services of note for faculty include:
Other services include:
As a State of Georgia Certified law enforcement agency, the Georgia Perimeter College Department of Public Safety is authorized to provide police services, which includes, but is not limited to:
Persons wishing to contact Public Safety to receive a report, or to report a crime should contact Dispatch at X5511 from any campus phone or 770-274-5511 from a non-campus phone. JagALERT is GPC's state of the art mass notification system that enables college public safety officers to communicate with students, faculty and staff within minutes in the event of an emergency. In the event of an emergency, please look out for SMS text and voice messages and emails for updates. Brief messages will appear on the GPC Web site on the scrolling message and final updates when necessary will be posted on the GPC Public Safety site. How it Works Through Blackboard's Connect-ED software, GPC public safety officers can communicate vital information via phone, email and SMS text messaging.
When Will it be Used? JagALERT will only be used in emergencies to notify the college community of events or hazards that present an immediate and present threat, such as severe weather, tornado alerts, violent acts or hazmat situations.
How do I Sign-Up? You're already signed up! If you are a staff member or registered student, you may have already received a confirmation message from JagALERT asking you to verify your personal information. There is nothing that you need to do to sign up, you only need to make certain your contact information is accurate. Also, by Federal regulation, you may choose to opt out of receiving SMS text messages, JagALERT strongly recommends that you DON'T opt out of this feature.
Verify your Information Not sure if your information is up to date? If you are a faculty or staff member, login at the ADP faculty and staff portal to double check your information. (Faculty and staff members who have been students at GPC or who are currently students will need to update their employee address in the ADP faculty and staff portal and their student address in the Student Information System (SIS.) Parking permits are required at all times for vehicles parked on GPC property. Faculty/Staff Parking Permits (free of charge) are issued by the GPC Department of Public Safety on each campus with presentation of your GPC ID, driver’s license and tag number. A parking permit does not guarantee or reserve a place to park.
ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES In compliance with Federal and State Laws and as a recipient of federal funds, Georgia Perimeter College is committed to establishing and maintaining a drug-free workplace.
The unlawful manufacture, distribution, sale, use, or possession of marijuana, a controlled substance, or other illegal or dangerous drugs as defined by Georgia laws is prohibited in all work areas of Georgia Perimeter College including vehicles, buildings, grounds and at institutionally approved events off campus. Details of the policy are specified in the Drug Free Workplace Policy and may be obtained in the Human Resources Department.
Alcoholic beverages may not be sold, used, distributed or possessed by employees or students of Georgia Perimeter College in violation of state or local law or inconsistently with University System policy or the Campus Alcohol Policy.
The use of tobacco is prohibited in all buildings of Georgia Perimeter College. Tobacco usage is restricted to designated outdoor areas.
All University System of Georgia employees (full and part time –including student workers) are required to complete the Ethics Training program. The training may be accessed via iCollege.
This training must be completed within 10 days of your hire date. Completion of the training is a condition of employment at Georgia Perimeter College.
Follow the steps below to login to iCollege and complete this mandatory training.
Click on iCollege via the GPC webpage under Quick Links or you may go directly to:
Run the Browser Checker by clicking on the link at item number two under the New Users section
Enter your GPC user name and password
Scroll down and click on USG Training-Ethics Training Group x (The x will be different for different people.)
Print and read the instructions
Complete the training
Complete both assessments
TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP) Regular full-time faculty, staff and professional & administrative employees who have at least six months of service (by the TAP deadline) are eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Program. The TAP program can be used towards undergraduate or graduate courses from any University System of Georgia schools. TAP does not guarantee admissions into a USG school. Each employee must adhere to the admission guidelines of the teaching institution.
The GPC TAP Coordinator in Human Resources can be reached at (678) 891-2537. |