Rules

Stanly Community College (SCC) acknowledges the work and dedication required by faculty to support student success. We also acknowledge that each course is unique in its needs and demands that are required from faculty. With that understanding, Faculty Senate has developed the following Standards of Excellence. Each individual faculty member is expected to reflect the appropriate standards in their Course Policies portion of the Simple Syllabus, which must be approved by their Dean and then reflected in the course syllabus. 

1.  Communication

1.1 Faculty will respond to student emails in a timely and appropriate fashion, incorporating the Netiquette Rule published by the College.

1.1.1 Instructor response time will occur within 24 hours during the week and 48 hours on the weekends.  If instructors choose to have due dates over the weekend, weekend response times should occur within 24 hours.

1.1.2. Policies addressing instructor response times are to be included in Response and Feedback Guidelines of the Simple Syllabus and approved by the Dean of the respective program.

1.2 Full-time faculty should be available for a minimum of five posted hours each week to work with students.  These student hours should be posted in the Contact Information portion of the Simple Syllabus and approved by the Dean of the respective program.  In addition, full-time faculty should reflect these hours on their Faculty Locator Cards.  

1.3 All Faculty teaching in Canvas courses are required to complete the Center for Teaching and Learning checklist prior to the start of each course.  

 2.  Grading

2.1 Faculty Senate understands that grading and feedback are based on the curriculum area in which a faculty member teaches.  Grading and feedback should be provided within 7days, but no more than 10 days after an assignment is due, as approved by the faculty member’s program head or department head and documented in the Grading/Evaluation portion of the Simple Syllabus. If assignments build on each other, faculty should provide feedback prior to the due dates for subsequent assignments.

For courses operating with shorter terms (i.e., 8-week or 4-week courses), instructors will strive to provide grading and feedback within 4-7 days of the due date.

2.2 In extenuating circumstances inhibiting a faculty member from grading in a timely manner, the faculty member should develop a plan for grading and feedback with their program head, department head, or Dean that includes a clear set of expectations for the equitable resolution of the delay. The faculty member will inform the affected students of when they can expect to receive grades and feedback.  

3.  Accountability

3.1 Policies regarding attendance, academic integrity, communication, and late work will be addressed in the Simple Syllabus posted in the Canvas course and will be approved by the Dean of the respective program.

3.2 In order to support student success in the class, instructors should follow best practices:

3.2.1 Due Dates:  Due dates for course work should be posted in the Course Schedule of the Simple Syllabus.  Course schedules are directly linked to the Canvas calendar and any changes to the Course schedule must be communicated with students via email, Canvas announcements, or otherwise documented source of communication.  

3.2.2 Gradebook:  The Canvas gradebook should accurately reflect the weight of each assignment and should be kept up-to-date. This includes posting zeros for non-submissions (within 7 days, but no more than 10 days after the assignment due date) regardless of whether or not an extension is granted.

3.2.3 Late Work:  Policies addressing late work should be noted in the Simple Syllabus and approved by the Dean of the respective program.

3.2.4 Grading for Late Work:  If an instructor accepts late work, it should be graded within 7 days, but no more than 10 days after submission of that work.  

3.2.5 Dropout Detective:  Instructors are expected to submit early alert flags for students who are: not attending (or actively participating) regularly, failing the course, not submitting work on time, or at risk of withdrawal.

4. Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)

4.1 As a mechanism for meeting US Department of Education Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) requirements, one or more of the following methods must be utilized for communication between faculty and students:

4.1.1 The weekly use of the Announcements tool in Canvas.  To meet federal requirements, the tool must be set to allow students to reply to the post; or

4.1.2 The weekly use of the Discussion Forum tool in Canvas either collectively as a general discussion forum, or individually within modules of instruction.

4.2 Standardized communications with students will meet the following criteria:

4.2.1 Posts to either tool must be made on at least a weekly basis and the nature of these posts must be substantive to the course and addressed to the students currently enrolled in the course.

4.2.2 The course syllabus and the Getting Started module must include a description of how the course will use the Announcements or Discussion Forum tool to regularly and substantively communicate with students throughout the duration of the course. 

4.2.3 Any exceptions from this standardization must be approved by the appropriate Dean, documented within the course syllabus and Getting Started module, and alternative documentation of Regular and Substantive Interaction must be curated by the instructor within the Canvas shell.

4.3 This recommended standardization is intended to provide a common definition of minimum RSI and is not intended to be the expectation for all interaction within a course.  It is assumed that other interactions including email, the use of grading rubrics, grading feedback, and other communications are part of the course. Alternative interaction methods are welcome and can be recorded upon request, yet they are not standardized due to the challenges of documenting them on a large scale.  

5.  Course Standardization

5.1 In an effort to increase student success, Quality Matters (QM) has been approved as the standard for course quality at SCC.  

5.2 The adoption of QM for internal course (re)designs and reviews will support high quality courses for student success, serve as a guideline for faculty success in complying with federal and accreditation standards, and align with Stanly Community College’s Strategic Plan, the ELT-approved equity awareness plan, and coaching from SCC’s Achieving the Dream coach.

5.3 Standardization provides a common layout for students taking multiple courses (delivered online, hybrid, web-assisted, hyflex, or seated with technology components), helps SCC’s students in balancing work/school/life, serves as a common touchstone for college-wide continuity plans, and serves as a benchmark point-of-reference for non-standardized courses or course components to consider and address with students.

5.4 Required Canvas Course Quality Standards are as follows:

5.4.1 Use of Simple Syllabus: updated at the start of each class and approved by the appropriate Dean.

5.4.2 Use of the Canvas gradebook: provides real-time, accurate information on each student’s performance within a class.  

5.4.3 Use of the Canvas calendar: allows students to quickly see due dates across all their active courses.

5.4.4 Use of a simple, icon-based home page: allows for consistent and clear course navigation throughout each course.

5.4.5 Weekly use of either the Announcement tool or the Discussion Forum tool as described in Section 4 Regular and Substantive Interaction.

Approved by Faculty Senate March 21, 2024

Reference: Higher Education Opportunity Act, Pub.L. 110-315, 122 Stat. 3078, codified as amended at 34 C.F.R. §600.2