Academic Affairs Resource Handbook for Administrators, Faculty, and Staff

The Academic Affairs Resource Handbook is a resource for all full-time and part-time faculty, staff, and administrators at Central Piedmont Community College. It is intended to serve as a helpful reference for information about policies, procedures, services, and activities that will assist you in carrying out your responsibilities at the college. The information provided in this handbook is not all inclusive, and it may not answer every question you have. For more detailed information about the college, its philosophy, mission, and policies and procedures, review the college’s Policies and Procedures manual.

Quick Links to Handbook Sections

  1. Administrative Office Management
  2. Instructional
  3. Personnel
  4. Resources

1. Administrative Office Management

Curriculum Development and Procedures

CIM Forms

Program/Course Development and Revision Procedures

Program/Course Development and Revision Procedures

Programs of Study – Required Actions

Programs of Study — Required Actions (PDF)

Program Termination

Deans and associate deans will work collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition upon deciding to terminate a program. The dean and associate dean will be responsible for written notification to students and appropriate offices as well as oversight of the following activities.

  • Notify the Central Piedmont Curriculum Committee. The committee will notify the vice president for Learning.
  • The vice president for Learning will review and seek the support of the Board of Trustees Instructional Programs and Institutional Support Committee regarding the proposed program termination decision(s).
  • Board of Trustees will act on the recommendation of its Instructional Programs and Institutional Support Committee
  • The assistant to the vice president for Learning will be responsible for ensuring that the Curriculum Program Termination Form is submitted to the North Carolina Community College System Office
  • Notify program faculty/advisors.
  • Plan and conduct a meeting with students to inform/advise them of their options and, if possible, the last term program courses will be scheduled. Provide students with a detailed transitional Education Plan.
  • Submit a copy of the student letter of notification to the assistant to the vice president for Learning.
  • Maintain on file in the division office copies of the student letter of notification.
  • Notify the following offices:
    • Compliance and Audit
    • Counseling Services
    • Graduation Office
    • Library Services
    • Information Technology Services
  • Delete the program from the catalog.
  • Notify external accrediting agency, if applicable.
  • Notify members of the Advisory Committee.
  • Employ the standards established in Central Piedmont Policy 1.03 Hiring and Selection, if applicable.
  • Make decisions regarding the disposition of equipment, if applicable. 

Disposing of Complimentary Textbooks

It is the position of the college that unsolicited, complimentary textbooks addressed to named officers or employees be treated as samples to individuals who are acting in their official capacity as employees of the college. The college considers these books to be the property of the individuals to use them in their professional duties to the college. If at any time the employee does not want the textbooks, the textbooks should be disposed of in a professional manner. If the textbook is a free copy, cut the covers from the textbook to avoid sell back at the bookstore.

Field Trip Policy

College Field Trips

Financial Information

Instructional Service Agreements 

NCCCS Curriculum Procedures Reference Manual: Instructional Service Agreements

Refund Exception Policy and Procedures

Any student requesting a refund must go to the Cashiering Office to request the refund. If the drop date falls within the dates as described in the refund policy or if the reason for the refund is routine, Cashiering Office personnel will process the refund using the Central Piedmont Community College Finance and Facilities Operations Refund Exception Request form (requires Central Piedmont login). If the reason for the refund requires special consideration, the Cashiering Office personnel will send an email to the appropriate associate dean with an attached Central Piedmont Finance and Facilities Operations associate dean referral form. The student will see the associate dean and the associate dean will make a decision based on the information from the student. If the associate dean approves the request, they will access and complete the Central Piedmont Finance and Facilities Operations Refund Exception Request form online and send it to the Cashiering department for processing. If the associate dean denies the request, they will email the Cashiering department with this information.

Self-Supporting Guidelines for For-College-Credit Classes

  • Separate sections of for-college-credit classes may be offered on a self-supporting basis to meet demand that cannot be covered from the department budget. 
  •  A regular (tuition) section and a self-supporting section may be offered at the same time/location and taught by the same instructor.
  • Students who have met the maximum number of repeats for a course must register for the self-supporting section.
  • The associate dean will work with the instructional dean to establish a self-supporting fee based on contact hours and will determine what portion of the instructor’s pay is for self-supporting and what portion is for regular instruction.
  • No refunds are given for self-supporting classes. The instructional dean has the authority to approve refunds for hardship cases.
  • Senior citizens who have met the maximum repeats must register for the self-supporting section and pay the fee.

Process to Develop a Transfer (Articulation) Agreement

  1. Central Piedmont faculty/associate dean should develop a concept paper that may include a brief discussion of the idea, justification, and desired outcomes and demographics; discuss with dean.
  2. Dean will identify project coordinator to oversee the development of the transfer agreement.
  3. Conduct needs assessment and interest survey with the objective of determining students’ interests and community demand.
  4. Dean reviews assessment/survey results to determine feasibility and provides further direction.
  5. Consult with campus units such as Library, ITS, Enrollment and Student Services, Counseling/Advising, and others who may need to be involved.
  6. Complete the Transfer Agreement Work Plan.
  7. Develop the Agreement Development Team” (A.D.T) to clearly outline the one-for-one transfer, involving such groups as counselors and others from the college community.
  8. Review one-for-one course transfers with program faculty at the community college and senior institution.
  9. Negotiate exceptions with the college/university and request endorsements from appropriate associate deans and dean(s).
  10. Seek endorsement and approval from the vice president of Academic Affairs/president from both institutions. Signed copies filed with the vice president for Academic Affairs.
  11. Implement marketing plan; inform groups such as counselors, academic advisors, recruiters, and others to assist with implementation.
  12. Submit annual evaluation to the vice president for Academic Affairs discussing the following factors:
    1. evaluation of process between institutions
    2. student enrollment
    3. effectiveness of marketing strategies
    4. transfer of courses
    5. impact on resources such as supplies, travel, acquisition of books
    6. curricula alignments
    7. availability of credentialed faculty

Transfer Agreement (Articulation) Documents

Back to top

2. Instructional

Academic Calendar

Academic Calendar (login required)

Academic Freedom and Responsibility

Policy 4:00 Academic Freedom

Accreditation

Accreditation

ADA Accommodations

Policy 4.74: Accommodations Request Procedures for Persons with Disabilities

ADA Compliance and Course Syllabus

ADA Compliance and Course Syllabus

Attendance System and Required Training

Recording attendance for every class session (or weekly if teaching online) is required of all faculty. To record attendance, use the Central Piedmont Attendance System inside WebAdvisor.

overview of using the Central Piedmont attendance system

Recording attendance at Central Piedmont is important for:

  1. Student Success and Retention: Students who attend class are more likely to be successful. Regular attendance is one of the best predictors of good grades and retention. Recorded absences will trigger student interventions at key times under STAR student progress reporting.
  2. Attendance Records Affects College Funding: The college is funded by the number of full-time equivalent students calculated when a class has met 10% of the total hours. Since auditing records are pulled directly from the Central Piedmont Attendance System, recording weekly attendance is critical.
  3. Financial Aid and Veterans Disbursements: Students earn financial aid by how long they attend their courses. Central Piedmont disburses money to veterans on a weekly basis. Marking "stopped attending" (S) happens stops disbursement for aid the student is not eligible to receive before being disbursed.

Mandatory Central Piedmont Attendance System Training

Attendance System training is required for all instructors. Based on the class or classes instructors will be teaching, please note:

  • If teaching face-to-face, launch “Traditional (TR) Attendance Recording.”
  • If teaching online or hybrid, launch both “Traditional (TR) Attendance Recording” and Non-Traditional (IN & HY) Attendance Recording.
  • For the completion of your training, supervisory review, and professional development credit, you must take the final assessment. Once you complete the course, a pop-up window will display the following:  "Are you finished and ready to take the test"?  Click yes and proceed with the assessment. Please note that all activities/assessment questions in the course are for your practice and reflection only.
  • The online/on-demand version is available. Be sure to turn-off any pop-up blockers you may have turned on in your browser. The following links will allow you to launch the Mandatory Attendance training directly using your Central Piedmont credentials:

Attendance Highlights

  • For online (IN) for-college-credit classes only. While instructors are still responsible for accurately reporting attendance, attendance recording for online (IN) courses will be facilitated automatically by transferring data from the Learning Management System to the attendance system. Instructors cannot add "A"s for absences or enter this manually.
  • Access to the NA (never attended) box will close 48 clock hours after the census date for the class has passed.
  • The Attendance System will automatically close 48 clock hours after the official end date of for-college-credit classes.

Canceling a Class Meeting due to Unforeseen Circumstances

If a class meeting needs to be canceled, the instructor will notify the appropriate department chair, notify the students and fill out a Canceled Moved Class notice to be sent to the administrative assistant. The administrative assistant will hang it on the door of the classroom for those students who may have missed the announcement from the instructor.

Class Cancellation Procedures (Section Cancellation) 

  • Contact all students via their college email address to inform them of cancellation and offer alternative classes.
  • Assign either the scheduled instructor or someone else to meet the canceled class to speak with any students who may not have received the cancellation notice; or, if this is not possible, post a sign directing students to an office where students can be assisted.
  • State requirements mandate that the college must post an official Cancelled/Moved Class notice (Word) on the door.

Classroom Location Moves

All Classroom moves must be initiated with associate deans in conjunction with the individual in charge of classroom assignments at the specific campus. Faculty may not authorize class location moves. Once a class is moved, the instructor should meet the class in the originally scheduled room for the initial class meeting, announce the new class location, and plan to meet the next scheduled class in the new room. The instructor should also contact students who have not attended the first class to inform them of the move/new location and post the approved sign in the old room to inform students who drop/add the class of the classroom change. State requirements mandate that the college must post an official Cancelled/Moved Class notice (Word) on the door, even for one-time events such as a field trip or off-site location. An updated master schedule with current class assignments should be kept in the division office. 

Copyright Rules and Regulations

Copyright Rules and Regulations are also know as Fair Use Guidelines. For more information, review Policy 6.10: Reproduction of Copyrighted Materials.

Instructors may not:

  • Make multiple copies of a work for classroom use if it has already been copied for another class in the same institution.
  • Make multiple copies of a short poem, article, story, or essay from the same author more than once in a class term, or make multiple copies from the same collective work or periodical issue more than three times a term.
  • Make multiple copies of works more than nine times in the same class term.
  • Make a copy of works to take the place of an anthology.
  • Make a copy of “consumable” materials such as workbooks.
  • Make copies of the same item from semester to semester.

Instructors may:

  • Make a single copy for use in scholarly research, or in teaching, or in preparation for teaching a class of the following:

    • A chapter from a book.
    • An article from a periodical or newspaper.
    • A short story, short essay, or short poem, whether or not from a collection.
    • A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.
  • Make multiple copies for classroom use only, and not to exceed one per student in a class, of the following:
    • A complete poem, if it is less than 250 words and printed on not more than two pages.
    • An excerpt from a longer poem, if it is less than 2,500 words.
    • An excerpt from a prose work, if less than 1,000 words or 10 percent of the work, whichever is less.
    • One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture per book or periodical.

Sample Copyright Letter

The following is a sample letter to a copyright owner. It should be submitted using college stationery:

I would like permission to copy the following for use in my class next semester:

Title: Knowledge is Good, Second Edition
Copyright: Hypothetical Book Co., 1965, 1971.
Author:  Frances Jones
Material to be duplicated: Chapter 10 (photocopy enclosed).
Number of copies: 50
Distribution: the material will be distributed free of charge to students in my class.
Type of reprint: photocopy
Use: The chapter will be used as supplementary teaching materials.

I have enclosed a self-addressed envelope for your convenience in replying to this request.

Sincerely,

Faculty Member

Department Chair Responsibilities

Department Chair Job Description

    Emergency Preparedness

    Emergency Preparedness

    Faculty Advising Responsibilities

    Advising is a critical piece to the overall success of students. Faculty advising is an integral part of the Integrated Counseling and Advising Network (iCAN). It is the expectation that all full time faculty advise continuing students. Advising duties for new faculty begin at the second term of hire. Required faculty advising training sessions should be completed during the first term. In addition, ongoing training on advising best practices is available. Instructors are encouraged to take advantage of these training opportunities.

    Full Time Enrollment (FTE) and Lab State Reporting

    Full Time Enrollment (FTE) and Lab State Reporting Procedures

    Grades

    Submitting grades in a timely fashion is very important. The financial aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a Department of Education-mandated process completed each semester to determine if a student maintained minimum standards during the semester to continue receiving financial assistance. The Academic Affairs Unit requires instructors to submit final grades rosters electronically no later than 48 hours after the official end of the class as reported on the COD. 

    Graduation Participation Guidelines

    According to the full-time instructor job description, one of the responsibilities of a full-time faculty member is to participate in activities which enhance the college’s service to students and to the community. Participation in graduation ceremonies is one way faculty meet this responsibility. All faculty are expected to march in cap and gown in the ceremony unless they are assisting with graduation in another capacity as a member of the graduation committee. If a faculty member is unable to participate in the graduation ceremony, the faculty member is expected to obtain permission from their dean. Exceptions to active participation in the graduation ceremony will be handled on an individual basis at the dean level. 

    Harassment Prevention

    Policy 4.60: Discrimination and Harassment

    Inclement Weather Guidelines

    The college intends to adhere to NCCCS memo CC11-001 and any subsequent regulations pertaining to inclement weather policies. The college is committed to making every effort to make-up class time missed because of inclement weather or other emergencies. The college position is that within the confines of space limitations, course content, etc., instructors should work with students to provide the maximum number of hours of instruction listed in the class schedule.

    Calculating Census Date:

    • If the college is closed due to inclement weather during the census period of any class, and the closure affects a class meeting day, the college will recalculate the census date for the affected class. The census date will be recalculated if a class is canceled from the start date through the census date.
    • If the college is closed due to inclement weather after the census date, no adjustment is necessary; however, instructors must document how class time was made-up using the procedures below.

    Documenting Missed Class Time — Procedures for Instructors:

    Because the college has an obligation to deliver the instructional services for which students pay tuition and fees, instruction missed due to inclement weather must be made-up by other alternatives. Some examples may include extra assignments, individual conferences, library assignments, out-of-class work that complements what may be on an instructor’s syllabus, etc.

    In order to have an audit trail for FTE reporting purposes, instructors must document how class time was made-up. Using the web attendance system, instructors must:

    • Choose ‘X’ for the day or days of class missed for inclement weather. All students must be marked with the ‘X’ for the missed day(s) if the class required students to attend in person on that day. Exceptions may be made with the approval of the dean of the course. Students in online courses who complete work on the missed day will have ‘P’ transferred from the learning management system; these should not be moved. Note: Faculty of online courses should take into consideration that some students may not be able to complete coursework due to the college closing and consider due date extensions, when appropriate.
    • Click on the course number highlighted in the top left corner of the web attendance page, which links to a "Post a Comment" window. Type in the date and reason the class was canceled, and how the class time was made-up. (i.e., On January 11, the college was closed because of inclement weather. The missed class will be made-up by students completing an online assignment.) Click “Post". Remember, that once a note is posted, changes cannot be made to that particular note.
    • Explanations may be brief, but must clearly communicate how the missed time was completed. Note: Distance education instructors may use a notation of “online assignment.”

    Incomplete Grade

    Late Registration

    Policy 5.08: Schedule Adjustment

    Following the 10% census date, instructors should not allow students to remain in class if they are not properly registered at this time and appear on the roster.

    Learning Management System Schedule of Planned Outages/Maintenance

    Schedule of Planned Learning Management system outages/maintenance

    Office Hours

    There is an expectation for each full-time instructor to hold and post 8-10 hours of office hours per week except in exceptional circumstances as approved by the dean. These office hours are for service to current students and also for advising new and potential students.

    Online Learning

    Online Learning

    Overload Regulations

    Policy 4:12: Workloads for Exempt Personnel

    Program Codes

    Each curriculum certificate, diploma, or degree program has a state program code. The program code is a number 6-8 characters in length.

    • Certificate codes begin with a C.
    • Diploma codes begin with a D.
    • Degree codes begin with an A.

    When a student is admitted to a program, the student is assigned the program code for that particular program. For example, a student admitted to the Business Administration degree program is assigned A25120. It is strongly recommended that students have only one program code (associated diplomas and certificates are acceptable).

    Changes to program codes may be requested using the online Program Admit/Change Form. New programs are effective at the beginning of the next term.

    Students who previously attended the college but have not enrolled in for-college-credit courses for three or more consecutive terms will have their program code ended and must be readmitted to the college.

    Regulations for Changing Program Codes

    1. All advisors and others who, after meeting with a student and obtaining the student’s authorization, want to initiate a program change on behalf of the student should be familiar with the following information:

      • Students who have not applied to the college should be referred to the Welcome Center at any Central Piedmont campus or to the online admissions application. However, faculty and others in Academic Affairs may want to assist existing students who are:

        • changing from one program to another
    2. An online Program Admit/Change Form is available for this purpose at Academic Affairs Forms. 
    3. The online Program Change form must be completed for curriculum students and can be completed by a faculty for the prospective program area. If students wish to change to a program code outside of their faculty member's academic area, the students should be referred to their navigator or academic advisor.
    4. It is critical that the form be completed as accurately as possible and include:
      • student name and ID number
      • term and catalog year for the new or added program
      • new program name and code
    5.  Ask the student to:
      • Answer "Primary Academic Program" as "Yes" or "No" to indicate whether or not this program is the student’s primary goal.
      • Indicate whether or not they plan to "Keep" or "End" the current program of study.
      •  All completed forms are electronically sent to the Central Campus Admissions department.
    6. Please remind students who wish to be admitted to a program of study of the following requirements:
      • Students must show evidence of high school graduation, usually by submitting high school transcripts, unless they provide proof of having earned an associates degree or higher from an accredited college.
      • Placement is required for most programs unless the student provides proof of having earned college level English and math credit from an accredited college.
    7. Students receiving financial aid should be advised to check with the Financial Aid Office to determine the impact on their current award.
      • Students receiving VA benefits should check with the Veterans Affairs office before completing the change form for approval from a VA specialist.
      • Be aware that all courses taken, no matter the program of study, will be counted toward the 150% completion rule. Certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid unless they include 16 credit hours or more. Students who have questions should visit or contact the Financial Aid/Veterans Affairs office.

    If you have questions concerning procedures or the Program Admit/Change form and its use, please contact the Admissions Office at your campus for clarification.

    Programs of Study: Approved Listing

    Program listing

    Standards of Academic Progress

    Standards of Academic Progress

    Syllabus Template/Approval Form

    •  Each individual class syllabus must be created using the appropriate syllabus template and approved by the associate dean.
    • Syllabus templates are found in the Forms section of the Academic Affairs website.
    • Before submitting the online Course Syllabus Submission Form, save a PDF copy for your records by printing as a PDF.
    • When approved by the associate dean, you can use the PDF file in Brightspace. Be sure to run the Accessibility Checker to ensure ADA compliance.

    Textbook Selection

    Selection of Course Materials

    Web Grading

    All class grades at Central Piedmont are entered by instructors on the web:

    1. Go to MyCollege.
    2. Click “Login” and sign on using your network login and password.
    3. Click “Faculty.”
    4. Click “Grading” and follow onscreen selections. If no classes are assigned to you, it will indicate “You have no faculty activity on record.”

    When grading students, please note that grades of “F” and “W” require a last date of attendance. “WN” grades are automatically assigned following the census date of the course when the “Never Attended” box has been checked for a student.

    Work-Based Learning (Formerly Co-Op)

    Work-based learning faculty coordinators:

    • must be teaching faculty or associate dean in the program of study/division in which they are teaching or administering
    • must meet the credential requirements for that particular program of study/division
    • program of study/division must offer approved cooperative education programs

    Exception:

    Work-based learning faculty coordinators for students in the college transfer program will be assigned to the English Division and must meet the credential requirements for teaching faculty or associate dean engaged in teaching transfer courses. This will mean that the work-based learning faculty coordinator assigned to (college transfer) co-op students will be required to have a Master’s degree. The college and the state views students in the college transfer program as “generic” and their work-based learning experience is to explore career options while pursuing courses in order to transfer to a four-year institution.

    Other Requirements:

    • Work-based learning faculty coordinators will be appointed by the appropriate associate dean.
    • The associate dean will renew all appointments each semester.
    • The qualifications, duties, and responsibilities of work-based faculty coordinators are outlined in “Faculty Coordinator Job Specifications."

    For more information, visit Work-Based Learning.

    Back to top

    4. Personnel

    Absence Procedure for Faculty

    Procedure for Reporting Absences and Obtaining Substitutes

    Allocation of Faculty Clinical Load Units

    Allocation of Faculty Clinical Load Units

    Parr Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence

    Parr Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (requires Central Piedmont login)

    Required New Employee Orientation

    The college recognizes that orientation for new faculty and staff is a cooperative effort by several areas of the college. New Full-time Employee Orientation (NEO), managed by the Office of Professional Development, is required for all new employees to complete within 30 days of hire.

    Orientation is split between two parts. The first part is a day-long workshop scheduled the first Friday of the month. If the college is closed on Friday, new employee orientation will be held on the first Thursday of the month. During orientation, you will learn about services of the college that will help you do your job better as well as meet representatives from various college departments and programs. Orientation also includes the following required training:

    • Student Success
    • Institutional Equity
    • Policies and Procedures
    • Human Resources services for employees

    The second part of orientation is offered online. Additional orientation components are:

    Required New Employee Training

    All new employees must complete the following required training for all college employees within 30 days of their hiring date (available in the Percipio course catalog under "Employee Online Learning"):

    • Title IX
    • New Employee Orientation
    • Information Security
    • Safety and Emergency Procedures

    Required Training for Full-Time Faculty

    In addition to required new employee training, new full-time faculty must complete:

    • Central Piedmont Attendance System Training (available online) before teaching classes
    • the year-long Full-Time Faculty development course (in-person sessions are scheduled once per month with concurrent online sessions)

    Back to top

    4. Resources

    College Catalog

    College catalog

    ITS Service Desk

    Service Desk

    Library

    Library

    Textbooks and Supplies

    Bookstore

    Back to top

    The Latest at Central Piedmont