I need to contact all of my students about a change to our syllabus.
All students have a student email address provided by MGCCC. Encourage your students to be familiar with this address by periodically sending them messages. If you should be unavailable or need to make a quick change to the anticipated class, you can send an email to the collected address of all your students with just one click.
What is the best method for contacting my students?
Through Web Services you have access to the phone numbers and email addresses of all your students.
Whom do I notify if I am unable to be in class?
If illness or some other unforeseen event occurs, contact your department chair and Adjunct Faculty Coordinator as soon as possible. Be prepared to answer how your students are to be notified and if an assignment in lieu of meeting the class will be required.
I need to duplicate items for my class session.
Your Adjunct Faculty Coordinator or department chair can advise you on the policies and practices of duplicating material for classes. Faculty must abide by the copyright laws. Faculty may be requested to prepare material in bulk to be sent to the Central Printing Office. Faculty may be expected to provide material in an eLearning course shell for students to view online. Duplication on campus or at the center may also be available before class or during the week prior to need.
What is the policy on students attending class?
Students are permitted to be absent one hour for each semester hour of credit the course carries. Absences beyond that are in excess and the student should be dropped. The college does recognize documented military duty and personal illness. The student may be re-instated in the class at the discretion of the instructor.
Do I create my own grading scale or is there a standard?
Each department has set a grading scale for faculty teaching in that discipline to use.
What style of test is recommended?
Styles of tests assess students’ learning in a different ways: rote memory, random selection, or full explanation. Each has its function in the classroom. Many of the departments have a rubric for guided grading on specific assignments. Your department chair can advise you.
What style of presentation of subject matter is recommended?
Not all students are auditory learners who appreciate the straight lecture format. Some require visual examples; some, a writing or hands-on assignment. Vary your presentation to incorporate all avenues of learning.
When will I be paid?
As soon as your documents (official transcripts, financial forms, contract) are complete, you are recorded as the instructor of record for the class. Usually your first pay period will be at the end of the first month. Pay dates are the 15th and 31st of the month or the closest date before those if they fall on weekends or holidays. Your last pay period will be at the end of the term.
Can I participate in the state retirement program?
If you are currently participating in the Mississippi State Retirement System, a portion of your salary will be set aside and the college will contribute a percentage, as well. If you are not participating in the retirement system, this benefit is not available to part time employees.
Do I have to keep the class for the full period?
To award semester hour credit, the class must meet a specific number of minutes during our seventeen week term. Planning sufficient concepts to present and activities to assist with understanding the concepts will be addressed by your department chair. Occasional release of students early may be acceptable, for example after a test. Regular early release of students is not approved.
Why does my class have to make-up time when the college has a holiday?
To award semester hour credit, the class must meet a specific number of minutes during the seventeen week term. In some instances the holiday has been taken into account when building the calendar and no make-up is necessary. In others, the holiday takes away too many minutes from the class time and must be made up.
Do I have to use the assigned textbook for this class?
All classes have an assigned textbook or other material for student use. Some subjects, such as mathematics, lend themselves to using the textbook for assignments. Some subjects use the textbook more as reference material. Be sure to familiarize yourself with material in the text and refer your students to reading and reviewing the textbook.
If I have a question about policies/procedures, who can answer them?
Refer to the Adjunct Handbook, Student Handbook, and/or Policy and Procedure Manual. Discuss any questions with your Adjunct Faculty Coordinator or department chair for further clarification.
Will I be evaluated or observed during my class presentations?
Each term adjunct faculty are evaluated by the students in the classroom. The evaluation survey questions try to identify specific components of teaching and veer away from personality. Students are permitted to write free form comments that are read by the department chairperson. The department chairperson observes the teaching process in the classroom. After the evaluations are tabulated and the observation completed, the department chair and the faculty member will meet to discuss the results. The chair may make suggestions for improvement or discuss overall progress toward meeting the goals previously identified.
What if I don’t cover all of the course material?
The department chair will identify the concepts that must be taught in the individual course. Planning your syllabus is based on the amount of work that both student and instructor must complete to satisfy the introduction and mastery of each concept.
What should I do if a student becomes ill while in class?
An ill student can be more than a distraction to the class. Adults think that they can manage through any discomfort but can be caught unawares once arriving to the classroom that attending is not in their best interest. Try to discuss this away from other students to determine if the student can manage to drive home. If the student appears to be intoxicated or on drugs (prescription or recreational), contact the Campus Police. Under no circumstance should you encourage or permit them to drive.
I prefer to use power point or other electronic media in my classroom. How do I get access to data projectors or laptop computer?
Some classrooms are equipped with a data projector installed. For other classrooms, a request to the Media Services office is necessary. MGCCC has a limited number of laptop computers available for faculty use but faculty are encouraged to provide their own.
Does the college have any assistance for students who are in need of extra tutoring?
MGCCC has faculty available to work with students in our campus Learning Labs. The subjects available for assistance are Writing, Reading, Math, Science, and Accounting.
Will I have an office location?
Some departments and/or some centers may have an office set aside for adjunct faculty to meet with students or to have a working space before and after class. Discuss this with your chairperson.
What if a student and I disagree on discipline or grades?
Review the Due Process information in the Student Handbook before an issue should arise. Due Process relates to both discipline problems and grade disputes. For grade disputes, the college provides a document form for students and faculty member to write a narrative of the dispute and potential resolution. The student will need a copy of this document to discuss any disagreement of the resolution with the department chair. The department chair records a narrative of the meeting with the student and faculty member. The student may press the issue forward to the Dean of Instruction.
My classroom does not have sufficient seating for the students. What do I do?
The number of students assigned to the classroom may have exceeded the known number of student desks or you may have students with special needs who are not adequately served by the current desk or table available. Please inform your Adjunct Faculty Coordinator immediately for assistance in correcting the problem. The class may need to be relocated to another room temporarily or permanently to alleviate the problem.
Can I choose another classroom location?
Classrooms are assigned based on the number of students enrolled, the type of subject to be taught, and the availability. If your classroom needs to be changed to meet the needs of your students or department, you may discuss this with your department chair or the coordinator for adjunct faculty at your campus or center. For the security of our students and faculty, any temporary or permanent relocation of the class must be discussed with the Adjunct Faculty Coordinator.
I have a student who is requesting accommodations. Must I grant these?
Students who request special accommodations should be advised to speak with the Special Populations Counselor. This person will advise the student on the procedures needed to be completed to request accommodations. If the student is approved for accommodation, the Special Populations Counselor will contact the faculty member by letter outlining what accommodations must be provided. Approved accommodations cannot be ignored in the classroom or by the instructor.
