Teaching & Learning Center: New Faculty Orientation

Answers to almost every faculty question related to classrooms, syllabi requirements, office hours, supplies, and more can be found in the faculty handbooks. There is one for full-time faculty and a separate handbook just for adjuncts.

• Faculty Handbook
• Adjunct Faculty Handbook

Go to volstate.edu/policies to locate policies regarding the promotion and tenure processes.

• II:01:00 Academic Tenure
• II:01:01 Faculty Promotion

The Promotion & Tenure Committee chair (typically holds training sessions in the fall semester to review the policies.

Those eligible for promotion and/or tenure will apply in the fall of the prior year.

If you do obtain a degree, inform the Academic Affairs office and send your transcripts to Human Resources.

If you have a question regarding your eligibility, contact your dean or Academic Affairs.
 

The Economic and Community Development Division is an instructional arm of the College that offers a variety of courses, workshops, and seminar offerings and awards, as appropriate, the nationally recognized CEU (Continuing Education Unit). 

In the truest sense, the Division is a provider of professional development opportunities for both the internal college community and the external business and industry community. The development of course offerings is based on expressed and implied needs and focuses on career entry, career sustainment, and career advancement. Four of the Division’s six departments serve those needs:

• Business & Industry Institute (online, off the shelf, and customized training in leadership, management, soft skills, IT, technical skills, etc.)
• Center of Emphasis, Health Sciences Continuing Education (training for healthcare providers)
• OSHA Training Institute Education Center (health and safety training)
• Tennessee Small Business Development Center (consulting and training for existing and potential small business owners)

Through the CEU Scholarship, faculty and staff may enroll in any job-related course or workshops offered through the Division. There are hundreds of online courses and numerous on-ground courses that may be of interest to many faculty and staff. The CEU Scholarship form is provided as an attachment. It requires that the individual’s home department cover the cost of the training. Upon completion of the training, a transcript of record is available, and, as appropriate, completed cards or certificates of completion are provided.

The Division seeks new and creative ideas for adding to its inventory of offerings and welcomes a conversation with faculty who may be interested in providing training. For example, in the summer of 2021, more than twenty workshops were created for middle and secondary teachers in the College’s eleven county service area. Vol State faculty were instrumental in creating the content of these workshops to align with the State of Tennessee Academic Standards in history, world history, algebra, biology, chemistry, geometry, political science, English composition, literature, music, and Spanish culture. These summer workshops yielded over 200 enrollments. 

For more information about professional development opportunities through the Economic and Community Development Division, contact Nick Bishop, Vice President at 615-230-4788 or nicholas.bishop@volstate.edu.

Visit the following VSCC webpages for detailed information regarding matters of student conduct and academic integrity.

Student Conduct and Discipline

Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT)

Academic Misconduct Forms and Processes - for faculty

Student Forms

Full-time faculty must maintain office hours according to the Faculty Handbook.

The Excel file below can be used as a template to calculate office hours and to create a printable version for posting on your office door.

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) payroll department is responsible for the administration of all Vol State payrolls, leave reporting, tax reporting, and general accounting functions relating to payroll. Here are a few quick links to common payroll-related resources. Send any questions to your division office administration or to the Payroll department group at Payroll.Services@volstate.edu.

Faculty have many responsibilities regarding records and reporting. Most forms are available in My Vol State under the Employee Forms category.

Vol State tracks and reports student engagement (i.e., participation) instead of class attendance. Reporting engagement matters because it greatly impacts student's financial aid amounts. The PDF document available below outlines some important information about financial aid that all faculty should know. Note that engagement requires activity beyond coming to class or logging into an online environment. Also, faculty must keep the "last date of engagement" documentation for 5 years according to TBR's policy on Records Retention and Disposal of Records.

Helpful Emails:

• Financial.Aid@volstate.edu
• Records@volstate.edu

Vol State's Advising Office coordinates all matters related to student academic advisement. New full-time faculty complete advisor training during their first year of service, and they are assigned an advising load after their first year. Adjunct faculty members are welcome to apply to be gap advisors on an as-needed basis.

Faculty with specific advising questions or adjuncts interested in becoming a gap advisor may also contact Terry Bubb, Director of Advising, at terry.bubb@volstate.edu or 615-230-3398.

For general questions, email advising@volstate.edu or call (615) 230-3702.