Comprehensive
Standard 3.7.5
The institution publishes policies on the responsibility and authority of faculty in academic and governance matters. (Faculty role in governance)
aCompliance ___Partial Compliance ___Non-Compliance
Narrative:
Lawson State Community College (LSCC) faculty members are heavily involved in both academic and governance matters as outlined in LSCC’s local polices governing College-wide Committee on Committees responsibilities Policies and Procedures Manual, Committee on Committees Policy). LSCC faculty and staff are assigned to and participate in College-wide Committees (called Standing Committees) (Committee on Committees Listings). The college-wide Standing Committees determine all matters that relate to both instructional and non-instructional programs. Committee structures (regardless of title) include faculty, staff, administrators and in some instances students. Committees that fall under the Administrative and Financial Services include: Administrative Computing and Telecommunications Committee; Athletics Committee; Budget Committee; Facilities and Physical Plant Committee; Human Resources; Employee Benefits/Amenities Committee; and Safety, Security and Environmental Committee. Standing Committees that fall under Instructional Services include: Academic Advising Committee; Academic Calendar Committee; Academic Standards and Curriculum Committee; Catalog and Schedule Committee; Professional Development Committee; Instructional Technology and Distance Learning Committee; Library Committee; Workforce Development Committee and Textbook Selection and Adoption Committee (Committee on Committees Sample Minutes). Standing Committees that fall under Institutional Effectiveness included the Institutional Effectiveness/Outcomes Assessment Committee and the Planning and Accountability Committee (Administrative Cabinet) (Sample Minutes Institutional Effectiveness.) Principal Committee Chairs or Co-chairs serve as the liaison between the Deans, Vice Presidents, the President’s Administrative Cabinet and the Subcommittee chairs.
In addition,
each full-time faculty member is assigned to a specific department as outlined
in the 2007-2009 Organization Chart (LSCC Organizational Chart). Departments are headed by Department Chairs,
and each unit works as a team to strategically plan, organize and improve its
unit (Samples,
Departmental Minutes). Faculty at the College have the primary responsibility for
changes to curriculum standards, selection of Student Learning Outcomes per
course; selection of Student Learning Outcomes (per program); and development
of course guidelines. Faculty
establishes and maintains the course syllabi for each course they teach. A syllabus template is provided to all
faculty on the College’s intranet (Course
Syllabus Sample). The
syllabus template provides a common framework for faculty to outline content
delivery for each course, instructor expectations and learning outcomes. Further, faculty design and implement
assessment procedures in all courses to ensure that students attain an
appropriate level of competency to receive credit for the course (Faculty
Created Assessment Example). The
requirements and means of evaluation are outlined in the course syllabus.
The effectiveness
of the curriculum is monitored by faculty.
They are responsible for designing and administering assessments in
their courses to measure and verify student achievement and competence at the
established level of proficiency.
Faculty also work within their units (as a team) to evaluate results and
to adjust the curriculum to improve student learning. Faculty often will work among divisions to
bridge curriculum gaps and to strengthen curriculum (Sample
Minutes between Developmental Education and Mathematics). Faculty also participate
in Program Reviews, Unit Planning, and Student Learning Outcomes Evaluations. They are directly responsible for working
with their Department Chair in crafting Unit Plans, tracking outcomes,
evaluating data and improving academic programs on a continuous basis. If a department requires a curriculum change
or if a change is initiated through post-secondary, they must seek approval by
the Academic Standards Committee (Developmental
Education Curriculum Change and Approval). If approved by the Academic Standards Committee, the change is
then submitted to the Administrative Cabinet and President for final adoption (Example
of Committee to Cabinet Approval).
Career
Technical faculty also participates in and often lead program Advisory
Committees. Advisory Committees are
charged with all aspects of program development, improvement and evaluation (Samples,
Advisory Minutes).
Based on the committee structure, there is a two-way process of disseminating and receiving information between and among committees. Proposals that affect academic programs, faculty or students may be initiated at the subcommittee level and flow to the Principal Committee Chairs and the President’s Administrative Cabinet for acceptance and/or approval by the President and his committee. Likewise, the president may refer items to Committees for input prior to making a final decision. The Vice President for Instructional Services, Academic Dean and Career Technical Associate Dean represent faculty members on the President’s Administrative Cabinet. Information or recommendations can also come out of faculty meetings held each semester (Faculty Meeting Minutes)
Documentation:
|
Documentation |
Location |
|
Current Policies & Procedures Manual, LSCC Local Policy (Committee
On Committees Structure, p. 337.) |
Policies and Procedures Manual, Committee on
Committees Policy |
|
2007-2009, Committee On Committees Listing, 2007-2009 Faculty and Staff Handbook |
|
|
Committee on Committees Minutes |
|
|
Institutional Effectiveness Minutes |
|
|
LSCC Organizational Chart |
|
|
Department Minutes, Samples |
|
|
Course Syllabus Template and Completed Samples |
|
|
Faculty Created Assessment Examples |
|
|
Sample Minutes of Joint Departments
(Curriculum Issues) |
Sample Minutes Between
Developmental Education and Mathematics |
|
Sample, Academic Standards Minutes &
Approval of Curriculum Changes |
|
|
Example Cabinet Approval of Curriculum Changes |
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|
Advisory Minutes |
|
|
Faculty Meeting Minutes |