CCBC Learning Community for New Faculty

Mission Statement:

The CCBC Learning Community for New Faculty is designed to assist faculty in becoming fully functioning members of the learning college. This program addresses the unique needs of faculty as they are introduced to the learning college's organizational culture. These learning opportunities will provide a support system of peers, encouragement, information, and an introduction to learning college principles.

Framework:

Faculty who are new to the CCBC system will be required to participate in this extended program for one year. This will be in addition to the orientation sponsored by Human Resources. The program will begin in August and end in June each year. Faculty hired for the spring semester will join the cohort beginning the following fall.

The program will consist of biweekly meetings which will last 2 hours and will rotate among the campuses. The time for these meeting will be Mondays, 3-5. New faculty will not be scheduled to teach during this specified time period and travel time will be taken into consideration.

Participation in this program will replace the college service and professional development requirements for the first year of teaching. In addition, participation will be assessed and used by the academic deans as a variable in the faculty member's annual professional evaluation.

New faculty will be assessed initially for strengths and weaknesses and for their learning styles. This information will be used to create the program for the year and ensure that it is individualized. Each new faculty member will receive a resource notebook and will be able to add pages as additional information becomes available. Guest speakers will be asked to provide a resource sheet for this purpose.

Program Goals and Objectives:  

1. GOAL:  (CCBC Strategic Direction: Infusing technology) To introduce methods of incorporating technology in the classroom by:

OBJECTIVES:

Including, but not limited to -

A.     Introducing information on distance learning, telecourses, and online courses.

B.     Providing training in WebCT

FACULTY OUTCOME: Faculty will incorporate one or more components of electronic educational resources into their courses.  These can include but are not limited to a posted bulletin board, creation of a personal web page, use of WebCT to post grades…

2. GOAL:  (CCBC Strategic Direction: Learning Support) To provide information on the support services available to students by:

OBJECTIVES:

Including, but not limited to -

A.     Offering details of the services provided by the Student Success Centers.

B.     Bringing in representatives from counseling, advising, and student activities to discuss their roles in student learning.

FACULTY OUTCOME: Faculty will send their students to the Student Success Center, counseling, advising and/or student activities as appropriate.

3. GOAL:  (CCBC Strategic Direction: Learning College)  To offer opportunities for new faculty to understand the  learning college principles by:

OBJECTIVES:

Including, but not limited to -

A.     Bringing in representatives from each of the libraries and other learning support areas of the college to review resources and to demonstrate ways of including information literacy in their classrooms.

B.     Providing workshops on learning styles and brain based learning.

C.     Introducing the concepts of learning communities and learning outcomes assessment.

D.     Providing new faculty with forums to discuss the development of a learning syllabus and grading rubrics.

FACULTY OUTCOME:  Faculty will identify ways to address differing learning styles, theories of brain-based learning, principles of learning-centered teaching and goals of information literacy in their classes.  They will incorporate at least one of these areas into their courses through a written assignment, adapted lesson plan, changes in course syllabus…

4. GOAL:  (CCBC Strategic Direction: Management Excellence) To present to new faculty the organizational system of the college by:

OBJECTIVES:

Including but not limited to -.

A.     Utilizing a mentoring program to further expose new faculty to the organizational system.

B.     Discussing the governance system

C.     Explaining the connections between various organizations such as the campus CISLs to the system CISL.

FACULTY OUTCOMES: Faculty will fully participate in all aspects of the Mentoring Program, including meeting with their mentor at least twice a semester.  Faculty will attend at least one Learning/Academic Affairs Council (LAAC) or Professional Affairs Council (PAC) meeting per year.  Faculty will also attend at least one meeting of the college-wide or their campus CISL within the year.

5. GOAL:  (CCBC Strategic Direction: Embracing Diversity) To communicate the values and benefits of a diverse campus culture by:

OBJECTIVES:

Including, but not limited to -

A.     Providing workshops on issues such as multicultural affairs and students with disabilities.

B.     Bringing in representatives to discuss diversity issues such as minority students.

FACULTY OUTCOME: Faculty will incorporate alternative objectives into their courses which address diverse learners and learning styles.  

6. GOAL: (CCBC Strategic Direction: Building community) To encourage interaction with the communities of each campus by:

OBJECTIVES: 

Including, but not limited to -

A.     Demonstrating successful techniques of community interaction.

B.     Viewing the specific needs of each campus as they relate to the community that the campus represents.

FACULTY OUTCOME: Faculty will establish an evaluative goal in community outreach which may include but is not limited to the Speakers Bureau, admissions open house, and sample lessons for orientation.

7. GOAL: (CCBC Strategic Direction: Enrollment management) To introduce new faculty to teaching strategies that will improve student enrollment and retention by:

OBJECTIVES:

Including, but not limited to -

A.     Demonstrating how new faculty can become involved in the curriculum development process.

B.     Demonstrating how faculty can become involved in the program review process.

FACULTY OUTCOME: Faculty will develop course syllabi based on the approved Common Course Outline for their courses.  Faculty will prepare a draft proposal for a Learning Outcomes Assessment Project based on the student learning objectives outlined in one of  their Common Course Outlines. Faculty will be able to explain the processes  and forms required to have a new course approved by the Curriculum and Instruction Committee and the General Education Review Board.  Faculty will be able to explain the Program Review Process, identify the necessary components involved, and discuss possible methods for assessing program-level student learning outcomes.  Faculty will be able to identify the members of the enrollment management team and identify ways that faculty can promote student enrollment and retention.  

Budget Implications:

This program will require the ongoing coordination by an individual who will be reassigned 40% (6 load hours each semester) of his/her work time.  Duties may include but may not be restricted to:

• Preparing enriching activities for each of the scheduled bi-weekly meetings.

• Scheduling rooms on the three campuses on a rotating basis.

• Obtaining appropriate guest speakers.

• Maintaining individual contact with each new faculty member.

• Developing a means for electronic communication for each new faculty cohort.

• Coordinating an ongoing mentoring program for the academic year, partnering new faculty with veteran faculty.

• Assessing the success of the program and making appropriate adjustments.

• Appraising the participation of each new faculty member.

In addition, a supply budget is necessary for the purchase of literary materials essential for the success of the program and its participants. It is recommended by the CISL New Faculty Orientation Program Subcommittee that this be in the amount of $2000.  There will also be the cost of reimbursement for travel between the campuses. Additional costs may be incurred should this program be modularized to be dispersed in other programs such as the adjunct faculty development program or in the orientation of new administrators.