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Dr. Paul Wilson, social sciences and humanities chair, argued atTuesday s College Council Meeting that Procedure I.1 : Teaching in Different Modalities would allow faculty to maintainonly five hours a week in their office. The way this is written, every member of my faculty could selectnot to be in their office except for five hours, Wilson said. Idon t think that s the direction we re trying to head. The procedure says, Full-time faculty are expected to maintain 10office hours each work week. Regardless of whether faculty teachonline, up to half of those hours may be scheduled online usingsynchronous electronic communication tools. Wilson said the procedure stems from when office hours were onlydedicated to making instructors available to their students. But now I need instructors available to whoever walks into myoffice, for advising, counseling, he said. Dr. Dawn Elmore-McCrary , Faculty Senate chair and English professor, said the proposedprocedure helps students who cannot always come to the campus. It also progresses ways that you can have people available towork with folks virtually, for folks who don t come in to yourtime (schedule), Elmore-McCrary said. You may have students who need advising at off times, andyou can do that synchronously from wherever you happen to be. Elmore-McCrary said students and faculty will have to set up appointment times sofaculty will not have to wait around for students. Synchronous is the key word, Elmore-McCrary said. You actually have to be in a synchronous mode. Psychology Chair Thomas Billimek said 30 percent of his sections are online, and students from allover the country are enrolled. We do have faculty, who do respond to these students in themiddle of the night sometimes because that s when they reavailable, he said. Billimek said he thinks faculty should be available seven days aweek because of the new online education culture. He said he gets email on the weekends and holidays and replies tothem because he understands their schedule. I don t wait till Monday, he said. Just because we havethose 10 office hours, those are the hours when my students come into see me as their instructor, that s not the time I m supposedto be advising. I m supposed to be advising during those other 15hours. He referred to the duties of full-time faculty, which break downinto 15 hours a week in class, 15 hours in service and 10 hours intheir office. Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of academic affairs, said, We ve never attached the on-campus to those 15 (hours). President Robert Zeigler said, I think the expectation is thatpeople work their hours so that they fulfill their advisingresponsibilities. That s really the concern. Howard said the main point of the office hour procedure is toempower chairs by giving them flexibility. Wilson said, I think my people, if you will excuse my looselanguage, should have their cheeks in the chair for 10 hours. Ithink their physical presence needs to be here. Billimek believes the decision should be made between the chairsand the dean because office hours need to be flexible. The council approved eliminating the statement and approved therest of the procedure. Elmore-McCrary and Helen Torres, director ofpartnerships and extended services, opposed the motion. On Thursday, Torres said she opposed because she thought theprocedure was reviewed enough times for it to pass and procedure C did not need reconsideration. The way the procedure was written allows flexibility for thechairs to address their concerns, Torres said. They have toensure that the students do have access to the faculty and to thedepartments. Torres believes the flexibility was clarified in procedure B because of the line, Chairpersons may consider exceptions to thisexpectation for faculty teaching online if departments needs aremet, to be approved by the appropriate dean. She believes procedure C should stand because that flexibilitywill help both on- and off-campus students. Many of students services are being delivered more and moreonline, Torres said about professors office hours. She said students do not necessarily need to see their professor inperson, but they need engagement, which can be done through emailor video chat. I understand the need for faculty to be on campus, Torres saidbecause it is resourceful for professors to be available on campus. She also said it is important for professors to be availablevirtually, too, so they can respond at all times of the day. Zeigler said a separate procedure for office hours will beestablished. In other news, Zeigler announced that the college has hired a newpublic relations director. Former public relations Director Deborah Martin, resigned from thecollege in February to accept a position as senior vice presidentfor development and public relations for the YMCA. Vanessa Torres, enrollment marketing manager at St. Mary sUniversity, will begin June 1. She comes very highly recommended, Zeigler said. We relooking forward to her starting June 1. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Electrical Insulation Tape , Electric Bulb Holders for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Electrical Wall Socket.
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