Step 2 of the Part-Time Faculty

To help ensure your success as a part-time faculty member, it is important for you to become familiar with University Policy Statements (UPS), College procedures and university resources, and your department’s expectations.

In particular, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with UPS 210.060 (Personnel Policy for Part-Time Lecturers), UPS 230.000 (Statement of Professional Responsibility), UPS 230.010 (Faculty Obligation to Meet Classes), UPS 300.021 (Academic Dishonesty), and the UPS documents related to grading.

Among other things, you’ll note in UPS 210.060 that part-time faculty are required to submit a performance review file every year, usually around mid-April. Procedures for submitting your performance review file are available on the College of Education website and will be outlined by your department chair.

In addition to the policies described in UPS 230.000 and UPS 230.010, please be aware that sick time continues to accumulate until you notify the College you are no longer ill. Notify your department chair as soon as possible if you are unable to meet your class. Also, note that faculty are required to maintain one office hour for each course taught and must follow university, college, and department policies when students complete instructor evaluation forms, typically during the last week of class.

In addition to the policies presented in UPS 230.010, it is important to understand that your syllabus is a contract with the students. Syllabi are provided at the first class meeting and must follow the College of Education format and your department’s requirements. Contact your Course Custodian or Course Coordinator (faculty who oversee particular courses) about the requirements for your course and syllabus. If you are unsure of whom you should contact, contact your department chair.

As noted in UPS 300.021, report incidents of academic dishonesty to your department chair and to the Dean of Students Office, Judicial Affairs. The College of Education requires all syllabi to contain a statement about academic dishonesty. Check with your Course Custodian, Course Coordinator, or department chair.

There are several UPS policies referring to the assignment of grades (300.010, 300.016, 300.017, 300.018, 300.020, 300.023, etc.). Note that an incomplete can be granted only in extreme circumstances such as a grave illness or an unavoidable or personal family crisis. Please check with your Course Custodian, Course Coordinator, or department chair before assigning an incomplete. When you assign an incomplete, it is your responsibility to supervise and grade the outstanding work, as well as complete the necessary paperwork. Incompletes must be completed within one year.

The College of Education uses a standard template for all syllabi. It is available under Faculty Resources on the College of Education website (http://ed.fullerton.edu). In addition, your syllabus must contain information required by your department. Much of this may be specific to our accreditation requirements. Precise due dates for assignments are required. For example, stating an assignment is due during the fourth week of classes is not acceptable. Modifications in your grading policy, point system, etc., are not permitted. Note that syllabi are collected at the beginning of each semester for accreditation purposes. You will be asked to email your syllabi to a staff member in the College of Education. Contact your Course Custodian, Course Coordinator, or department chair for additional syllabi information.

It is very important that you verify students in your class are on your class roster. If a student’s name does not appear, he/she may not be officially enrolled and needs to check with Admissions and Records. Check with your Course Custodian, Course Coordinator, or department chair about the attendance policy for students.

Every faculty member receives a CSUF email account. Your university, college, and department email will be sent to this account. You are responsible for checking your CSUF email account at least once a week. For assistance, call tech support at 714 278-7777.

Each faculty member has a mailbox. Please check your mailbox at least once a week. Mail cannot be forwarded to your home address.

Every course is placed on Blackboard. Check with your Course Custodian, Course Coordinator, or department chair to see if there is a policy for using Blackboard as part of your instruction.

The Faculty Development Center is a great resource for learning more about Blackboard and other technologies, teaching, etc. Go to their website to see a listing of courses: http://fdc.fullerton.edu/

CSUF is recognized as a leading edge, technology-based campus. Every instructional classroom is “smart,” meaning it has a projection system connected to a computer, Internet access, and more. Go to http://www.fullerton.edu/it/support/ for additional information on our technology resources.

You are expected to contact the appropriate Course Custodian, Course Coordinator, or department chair regarding your courses and any questions you may have about your responsibilities as a part-time faculty member. Chairs and their email addresses are listed below:

We take great pride in who we are and what we represent. We welcome you to our team! We conclude with our core values, mission statements, and key student learning outcomes.

Core Values

We are a community of educators, educational partners, and students. Seven core values undergird our professional community. We value learning as a life-long process, professional literature that guides and informs our practice, responsibility to self and to the group, diversity as enriching the whole, multiple pathways to learning including the use of technology, critical inquiry that promotes positive student outcomes, and authentic and reflective assessment. We aspire to adhere to and model these in all our professional interactions. Through experiencing these core values in their educational journey, we believe our students will embrace and in turn, model them in their professional lives.

Based on our core values, our mission is as follows:

Mission Statement

Our mission is to teach, to serve, and to engage in scholarship. We teach our students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners. We prepare professionals who improve student learning, promote diversity, make informed decisions, engage in collaborative endeavors, maintain professional and ethical standards, and become change agents in their workplaces. We engage in scholarly work that informs the profession and serve the educational community by providing applied scholarship.

Student Outcomes and Indicators

After successful completion of a program of study, our credential recipients and program graduates are:

Outcome 1: Knowledgeable and Competent Specialists

a) demonstrate strong foundation in subject matter or field of study

b) demonstrate strong understanding and implementation of pedagogical skills or skills in their field

c) demonstrate ability to use technology as a resource

Outcome 2: Reflective and Responsive Practitioners

a) promote diversity

b) make informed decisions

c) engage in collaborative endeavors

d) think critically

Outcome 3: Committed and Caring Professionals

a) become change agents

b) maintain professional and ethical standards

c) become life-long learners