4-2 Core and Adjunct Faculty Teaching Performance Expectations
4.2a Instruction
Faculty members of USU are committed to providing an excellent education to our students. In addition to assuming responsibility for being prepared for each class session, the instructor must strive to utilize appropriate strategies to maximize learning for each student's academic advancement and enhance the image of USU as an institution committed to quality education. We strive to foster an academic environment marked by civility, tolerance, and mutual respect. Faculty should set high standards and seek to accommodate students' diversity, learning styles, and preparation. It is expected that both instructors and their students will communicate in acceptable modes of speech, refraining from any offensive expressions and inappropriate personal references.
4.2 b Faculty Engagement and Responsiveness
● Faculty are expected to be familiar with all components of their online course, including content in the weekly modules, the supporting tabs, and resources linked to the course to:
○Better answer student questions about the course content;
○ Better direct students to resources provided in the course environment;
○ Assist with maintaining the functionality of the course.
● Faculty are expected to finish their course for student viewing by the Saturday before a term session starts. For information, see the Pre-Start Checklist in your Instructor Only Resources tab in your online classroom.
USU Faculty Obligations include but are not limited to the following:
1. Faculty engagement in courses should be regular and substantive interactions with students, including but not limited to,
a. posting a weekly announcement that recaps the previous week, summarizes the upcoming week, and other important information;
b. engaging in discussion boards;
i. In courses of 10 or fewer students: respond to all students in all weekly discussion boards;
ii. In courses of 11 or more, respond to at least half of the students in all weekly discussion boards (to ensure Faculty engage with all students at least 4x per 8- week course)
c. providing high-quality, individualized feedback to students in their course assignments.
2. Adhere to USUs Core Fundamental Requirements:
a. Authentic Connection: An authentic connection requires allowing students to know who you are and taking time to get to know them by understanding where they are and then meeting them there.
b. Presence in the Course: Presence is felt through consistent (at least weekly) interaction.
c. Timely Grading: Timely grading means posting grades per policy.
d. Facilitates Learning: Learning is intentionally facilitated through several avenues (e.g., announcements, discussion postings, grading) that meet the students where they are. Learning is often facilitated by using material beyond the classroom, such as outside sources and the sharing of real-life experiences.
e. Quality Feedback: Quality feedback clearly articulates what the student did right and (when appropriate) what needs improvement. Through the use of both a rubric and at least one of the following: written feedback in the grade book, LOOM video, or other video, track changes on documents, and/or audio or video feedback in the grade book.
f. Responsive: Being responsive means answering questions within 24 hours.
g. Supportive Communication: Supportive communication means giving appropriate positive feedback and using a supportive tone in communication (both inside and outside the course).
3. Answer student and all University communications within 24 hours, including but not limited to the "Ask Your Professor" discussion board and the D2L internal messaging system, both of which are the instructor's approved FERPA-compliant forms of student communication.
4. Grade assignments with individualized, formative, and constructive feedback on content, format, and learning outcome achievement within 96 hours from the due date using the grading rubric attached to the grade item.
5. Schedule a minimum of 1 virtual office hour per week; publish these office hours at the beginning of each course in the Instructor Introduction section and the weekly announcements.
6. Communicate any pertinent student issues to program lead faculty, academic advising, and/or administration. If necessary, utilize the Early Alert form. (Link to Early Alert Form)
7. Participate in a minimum of one professional development opportunity within the year. USU or an external party may provide this. Professional development should be recorded in the Faculty Project Concert account.
○ Grading assignments with individualized, formative, and constructive feedback on content, format, and learning outcome achievement within 96 hours from the due date using the grading rubric attached to the grade item.
● Faculty are expected to communicate any material student issues to program lead faculty, academic advising, and/or administration, including but not limited to:
○ Early Alert Forms (in the Instructor-Only tab in the online classroom)
○ Incident Reports (provided by program leads as needed)
○ Faculty are expected to submit final grades no later than 9 am Pacific Time the Friday following the term's end.
○ USU also requests that you complete the end-of-course Faculty Survey
○ Faculty may receive requests for information on a student or students from various United States University administrative offices and College Deans. Faculty are expected to respond to these requests in a prompt manner.
● Participate in a minimum of one professional development opportunity within the year. USU or an external party may provide this. Professional development should be recorded in the Faculty Project Concert account.
4.2 c Office Hours & Contact Information
Student accessibility to faculty is essential. Faculty office hours are used for advising students and for service to the University community. Faculty are required to provide regular, published office hours to fulfill their responsibilities to students.
● 1 virtual office hour per week should be published at the beginning of the course.
Office hours and other means of availability must be published in the Course Welcome tab in the Instructor Introduction. It is expected that instructors utilize the United States University email account for all University-related correspondence.
Some examples of ways in which to be contacted that have proven successful by many include, but are not limited to:
● Designating a specified time before and/or after class as being a time when they will be available to speak with students (if on-ground);
● Providing their faculty-designated USU email account to students and requiring this account to be used University related communication;
● Establishing a YouSeeU or Google Hangouts weekly meeting link within the course for office hour meetings.
● While many Adjunct Faculty provide their home or cell numbers, this is strictly optional and not a requirement.