143 Bostwick Avenue, NE

							MEMO
TO:            All Faculty
FROM:          Don Boyer
               Interim, Provost/Executive Vice President
DATE:          August 30, 2006

Welcome to Fall Semester 2006!
Please take a few minutes to read the following information. The more you know, the more smoothly
the semester start should be for you and your students.

I am pleased to announce a new assistant dean for the School of Arts & Sciences who joins us a result of a
national search.

Dr. Daniel Lerner comes to GRCC from Binghamton University (SUNY), NY, where he served as the Co-
Director of the Center for Teaching of American History. He is an experienced teacher and academic leader.
Dan will be working with Behavioral Science, Child Development, Preschool, Social Science, Teacher
Education, and Visual Arts.


Pay Date
Your Faculty Information Forms (FIFs) must be signed and returned ASAP to the appropriate academic assistant
dean. All required credentials (official college transcripts, degree status information, current certification,
licensure, etc.) must be on file in the Human Resources Office in order to ensure your correct pay rate. The
first overload pay date is set for October 6, 2006.

Parking Alert
It usually takes a couple of weeks for new students to familiarize themselves with parking. So, you are
encouraged to arrive on campus early to navigate the traffic and to allow yourself time to park. If you hear
student concerns on parking challenges, direct them to the Student Life Office (formally Student Activities
Office) for assistance. Please alert your students that there are discount bus tickets available, and there is a
“ride board” on Blackboard for car pooling.

Course Packs
As you know, Copyright Laws of the United States (Title 17 U.S. Code) govern the use of copyrighted materials
and making copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Although we are an educational site, the
doctrine of “Fair Use” does not relieve us of the responsibility to obtain permission for each use. GRCC policy
endorses strict compliance with the law, and GRCC provides resources to assist you with compliance.

If you personally have obtained written permission to use specific material, please keep the permission in your
records and include copies with your course pack order at Printing Services. If you do not have legal
permission, Printing will work with you to obtain appropriate permission. To obtain permission to use any

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copyrighted materials in a course pack or as a handout, you must submit a full bibliography for each piece of
material used, including:

              Author(s)/translator/editor
              Book/journal title
              Chapter and article title
              Exact page numbers needed
                    Page numbers where it appears in the course pack
              Publisher name
              Most recent date of publication

Forms for submitting bibliographic information are available from Printing Services or the LRTS web site.

The College Library staff will be happy to assist you with the ascertainment of precise bibliographic data. In the
near future, the Learning Academy will provide you with information and appropriate training on a new, more
effective process for you to follow to assure compliance with copyright law, as well as training on the basics of
Copyright Law and Fair Use.

E-MAIL
E-mail is the primary mode for communication at GRCC. All important information will come to you via that
medium. It is, therefore, important for all faculty to have an active GRCC e-mail box and to check it regularly.
If you have not yet setup your GRCC e-mail box or need instructions regarding forwarding e-mail to a different
e-mail box, please contact your department secretary or your assistant dean’s office for assistance.

Cell Phones and other devices in the classroom
Due to complaints from students because of the disruptions in the classroom, it is recommended that the
following statement be placed in your syllabus:
       “Use of telephones, pagers, players, or other electronic devices that disrupt the learning process or environment is
       prohibited in the classroom.”

Driving Clearance
Any staff member that wishes to use a college vehicle to transport students or other college employees to an
off-campus destination must submit a driving record check form to receive clearance to drive the vehicles. The
forms can be obtained from the Provost Office or Campus Police. Please plan on submitting the forms 30 days
prior to your departure date. These forms are sent to the Michigan State Police for clearance. The return of
information takes approximately three to four weeks.

Incomplete Grades (I)
A student may request an “I” (Incomplete) from an instructor. The “I” may be assigned only when the student:
     has completed at least 90% of the class, but is unable to complete the class work and/or take the final
       examination because of extraordinarily unusual or unforeseen circumstances or other compelling
       reasons;
     has done satisfactory work in the course; and,
     in the instructor’s judgment, can complete the required work without repeating the course.

If these conditions are met, the instructor electing to give an “I” must complete an Incomplete Grade Form at
the time course grades are due. This form will indicate actions the student will undertake to finish the course,
when those actions will take place, and the grade to be given (A, B, C, D, E) should the work not be completed.
Both the student and the instructor will sign the form. Copies will be provided to the Registrar, the student, and
the instructor. If an instructor does not submit an Incomplete Grade Form or complete a grade
change, the “I” will default to a grade of “E” one year from the end date of the class.

All incomplete course work must be finished by the date indicated on the Incomplete Grade Form, but the
deadline may not exceed one calendar year.
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If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the instructor, or in the event of further unforeseen, extreme
or unusual circumstances, a written appeal for an extension can be made to the Dean or Assistant Dean of the
School.

Adjunct Faculty Evaluation
Adjunct faculty members teaching Fall and/or Winter semesters will administer standardized student
questionnaires in one class section every Fall and Winter semester that they teach. For Fall, a packet containing
the student questionnaires and instructions will be placed in your campus mailbox by Tuesday, October 31,
2006. If your only class is an off-campus class, your packet will be mailed to your home.

If you have any questions about the evaluation process or do not receive your packet by November 6, 2006,
please contact your assistant dean's office. If you wish to participate in a more comprehensive faculty
evaluation process, ask your assistant dean for details.

Disability Awareness
Please be aware that GRCC and its faculty are required to provide reasonable learning and testing
accommodations for disabled students. Any failure to provide reasonable accommodations could result in a
lawsuit. Contact the Disability Support Services Office (234-4140) for assistance in helping our students to be
successful.

Office Hours for Full Time Faculty
Teaching faculty (full time) must be on campus a minimum of five (5) office hours per week for student
consultation in addition to the faculty member’s normal teaching load. These hours should be in both a.m. and
p.m. modules, in locations accessible to your students.

To best serve our students, office hours should be scheduled in units of no less than 30 minutes in length,
posted for easy student viewing, and adhered to. This schedule should be submitted to the appropriate
academic assistant dean upon his/her request. If you will not be in your announced location during these
hours, you must communicate the new location by posting a notice in a conspicuous location.

Faculty should also be available on campus additional times each week for preparation and attendance at
meetings related to his/her responsibilities as a full-time faculty member, as scheduled by their dean, assistant
dean, or department head/program director.

Textbook Policy
I encourage you to take a moment to review the textbook policy. It can be located on the network at
www.grcc.edu/?PageID=2296 . This policy gives clear direction about ordering of textbooks, course packs,
instructional materials, and supplies. I also encourage you to review the Bookstore’s Textbook Return Policy
and hours of operation for the bookstore at www.grcc.edu/bookstore . You may want to inform the students,
particularly those in the evening, weekend, and off-campus classes, that they may order their books via the
internet. For information, call the GRCC Bookstore (234-3880) or e-mail Stewart at skruliko@grcc.edu.

Inclement Weather Policy
When GRCC closes due to inclement weather, the campus is closed for everyone. Please assist in making
students aware that if GRCC is closed, no services will be provided or available to them. Let your students know
that they can call 234-GRCC after 6:00 am or check the web at www.grcc.edu for information about closing due
to inclement weather.

2006 Calendar
The 2006-07 academic calendar can be found on-line at www.grcc.edu/?PageID=2 . This calendar has
important dates for the coming semester.

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800 Minutes Per Credit Requirement
The State Activities Classification Structure (ACS) guidelines state, “A semester credit hour will not be less than
800 instructional minutes.” Please do the necessary computation to ensure that this requirement is met by all
GRCC classes you teach. Multiply the number of times you meet during the semester by the duration per class
session, and then subtract all holidays and break times, if any. The State of Michigan audits the College on this
matter, and there is a financial penalty for each infraction. If you have any concerns about the total
instructional minutes of your class, please discuss those concerns with your assistant dean immediately. Each
instructor shall remain responsible to ensure that their assigned classes meet during the time scheduled (as
stated in the official College Course Schedule publication) and for the scheduled length of time.

Leaves of Absence
If you are going to attend meetings and other College-related functions off-campus including class trips, you
must complete a Request for A Leave of Absence Form at least five (5) days before the actual absence. We
cannot approve requests for a leave of absence after the fact. If you are requesting an expense
reimbursement, the approved Request for A Leave of Absence Form must be on file; otherwise the
reimbursement cannot be approved. Expense reimbursements (especially if grant funded) should be submitted
within 30 days after the activity.

Faculty Absences
Faculty absences must be reported as follows:
        Call 234-3909 by 7:00 a.m. to report daytime absences.
        Call 234-3909 by 3:00 p.m. to report evening absences.
        Call 234-3909 by 7:30 a.m. to report absences for Saturday classes.
        Call 234-3671 to report absences for Sunday classes (Noon – 5:00 p.m.).

Day and evening absences will be posted around campus and on the College web-site. If you are teaching off-
campus, you also need to notify the host school regarding your absence so that proper posting and notification
can be done. The telephone numbers are listed on the last page of this memo. (See “Off-Campus Sites”
section at the end of this memo.)

Guest Speakers
Faculty members must seek approval from the appropriate dean or assistant dean for all guest speakers one
week in advance. Please provide name, organization or affiliation, topic, date, and time of presentation.

Changing Classrooms
To avoid potential conflicts and other surprises, you must not change rooms. If you have a need to change
rooms, contact your assistant dean. The assistant dean or dean will then work with the room scheduler to try
to accommodate the request. If your class is going to meet anywhere other than your assigned classroom,
please notify your assistant dean.

Campus Police
The Campus Police office is located in room 418 Main. The phone number is 234-4010 and the office hours are:
    Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
    Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
    Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Sunday, 11:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m.

If you have an emergency please call 4911, which will ring directly into Campus Police.

Faculty Learning Opportunities
The Learning Academy for Faculty and Staff is located in room 310 of the Main Building. The faculty who work
in the Academy provide resources and support to help fellow faculty members work on any instructional issue.
Faculty can get curriculum development help such as using the Course Approval and Revision Process (CARP) to
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design a new course, choosing a variety of ways to assess student achievement of course outcomes, or deciding
the best teaching strategy to use to achieve a course outcome.

The Learning Academy is the provider of faculty development activities at GRCC. In assisting all faculty in their
practice of teaching and learning, the Academy provides a variety of learning and development opportunities.
Staff is available to assist faculty in effective use of classroom technology and use of Blackboard to enhance
communication with students. Technology assistance is available to help faculty scan text, graphics or slides, or
to digitize video or audio. Offerings of special note this fall are the next Adjunct Institute in December, FGIP
Training for faculty who will be evaluated this year, Blackboard training, General Learner Outcomes Assessment
sessions, Foundations of Service Learning, and this Fall’s Online/Hybrid Certification course. The Faculty
Professional Development Advisory Team, a subcommittee of the Academic Governing Council (AGC), is
providing leadership and advice for future offerings and services. For more information, contact the Learning
Academy at 234-4285 or learningacademy@grcc.edu .

The new Institute for Faculty Research on Teaching and Learning is managing the FIPSE research grant project
and other faculty-developed research projects. You can submit a research grant proposal at any time. For
more information, contact Penni Verica, secretary in the Interdisciplinary Studies area at 234-4547 or
pverica@grcc.edu .

The Library offers information/skills classes for students and various workshops for GRCC faculty and staff.
Faculty can also borrow laptop computers from the library. Contact Susan Bergin at 3876 for more information.

Off-Campus Locations
Ben Randolph, Assistant Dean of the School of Workforce Development, handles the off-campus classes. If you
have questions, check with Nanci Guigue at 234-3405 (e-mail nguigue@grcc.edu). If you have any reason you
need to call the off-campus location directly, contact the individuals listed here:

        Caledonia High School
         Diana Snyder
         891-8129

        Ottawa Area Careerline Tech Center
         Ralph Swanson
         1-877-702-8600 ext. 4201

        Grandville Community Education
         Tom Trout, Director
         Sherry Johnson, Secretary
         254-6553

        Rockford Community Education
         Tom Pugh, Director
         Nancy Seeley
         863-6322
                             sm
        Thompson M-TEC —Ottawa County
         Dan Clark
         1-877-702-8600 ext. 4206
                        sm
        Tassell M-TEC —Kent County
         George Waite, Director
         234-3800

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