Guidelines for ACA Faculty Liaisons

According to the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, "faculty liaisons are the crucial link between high school and college faculty and are the means by which the college engages high school instructors to new developments in the course area, pedagogic innovations, textbook adoption, educational outcomes, assessment of learning, grading standards, proficiency expectations, and syllabus components." The primary responsibility of a liaison is to ensure that the quality of each high school ACA course is equivalent to its on-campus counterpart in curriculum, delivery, rigor, assessment, and classroom management. ACA faculty liaisons also provide discipline-specific professional development to help high school adjunct teachers stay current with the latest information, trends, and technologies in their field.

Since its inception in 2011, The Reynolds Advance College Academy (ACA) has used a cadre of full-time college faculty liaisons in a variety of disciplines for these purposes and others, including:

  • setting goals and objectives and helping to review and create documents for the ACA;
  • researching and implementing best practices in the field of concurrent enrollment, specific to the academic discipline of expertise;
  • establishing and continuing working partnerships with ACA faculty members at high school sites;
  • assisting assigned ACA faculty members with understanding the Reynolds Curriculum;
  • acting as resource contacts for orientation to Canvas and SIS for assigned ACA faculty members;
  • engaging assigned ACA faculty members in the collegiate academic community;
  • attending and helping to design and deliver regularly scheduled faculty liaison workshops;
  • understanding the accreditation requirements from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS);
  • communicating with appropriate Reynolds Program Heads and Deans regularly about the performance and professional development needs of assigned ACA faculty members.

Since 2013, when the first Reynolds coursework was offered on-site at high school locations, ACA faculty liaisons have been required to perform annual on-site classroom observations, using Forms 36-2000 (Classroom Observation Planning) and 36-2001 (Classroom Observation). Copies of these forms are submitted to the ACA Director, the Reynolds Program Head and Dean, and the ACA faculty member.

Because Reynolds Program Heads and Deans are ultimately responsible for submitting the annual Adjunct Teaching Faculty Evaluation Summary (Form 36-5003) for ACA faculty members, they may choose to conduct their own site visits and classroom observations, or they may choose to work in tandem with the ACA liaisons to collaborate on the completion of Form 36-5003. In most cases, Reynolds Program Heads and Deans will draw from data submitted to them by ACA liaisons (Forms 36-2000 and 36-2001), along with other performance measures (such as Student Evaluations and the ACA faculty member's record of documentation and compliance with college policies and submission deadlines), in order to complete Form 36-5003. ACA faculty liaisons should communicate with their Program Heads and Deans to find out the extent to which they are expected to contribute to each assigned ACA faculty member's annual Adjunct Teaching Faculty Evaluation Summary (Form 36-5003).

Guidelines for ACA Faculty Members

As a high school instructor teaching dual enrollment courses as part of the Reynolds Advance College Academy (ACA), you are considered a Reynolds adjunct faculty member with the same access to resources and the same responsibilities as your counterparts on campus.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Reynolds faculty and administration when you have questions about these and other policies, guidelines, and procedures. Each of you has been assigned an ACA Faculty Liaison (who is a full-time Reynolds faculty member with expertise in your discipline), as well as a Program Head and Academic Dean who are responsible for evaluating your performance annually. Additionally, the ACA Director, the Coordinator of the Office of Dual Enrollment, and the Reynolds Career Coach assigned to your high school stand ready to assist you. (See the Contacts page below for more information.)

The Appointment Process

After you have been nominated to teach in the ACA, the appointment and intake procedure at Reynolds begins with the completion of your personnel file. Your file of credentials will look much the same as that of any other full-time or part-time faculty member at Reynolds. The following items are required in order to evaluate a high-school based instructor's eligibility to teach a dual enrollment course:

  • Commonwealth of Virginia State Application for Employment (see below)
  • Resume/Curriculum Vitae
  • Official transcripts or certified copy of official transcripts validated by home school district (signed and dated letter)
  • Three letters of recommendation (dated within 12 months of adjunct hire date)
  • Information Technology Employee Acceptable Use Agreement/Ethics Agreement, JSRCC Form # 40-0009
  • New Hire Equipment form
  • VCCS -10, Faculty Qualifications Summary (pages 1-3, only)* (filled out by the hiring dean and program head)

To submit a State Application electronically, go to Virginia Jobs. Complete the Commonwealth of Virginia application by selecting the option to " Click here if you want to create and save your application but not apply to a job." When you complete the application elect the option to save it and print it.

Personnel files are then reviewed by that academic school's program head and dean at Reynolds, who make the final determinations regarding your eligibility to teach.

Once the appointment process is complete, you will be given access to technology at Reynolds that will be crucial to your day-to-day communication and teaching.

Technology Details

You will be assigned two user IDs:

"My Reynolds": used for Canvas (our Learning Management System where you will load course materials, conduct discussion boards, post assignments, and manage grade reporting) and SIS (where you access student rolls and final grade rosters)

  • Go to inside.reynolds.edu
  • Under Learning Environment, SIS & PeopleSoft, click on Log In to SIS & Canvas via MyReynolds
  • Click on Look up your username and set your password
  • Enter the Information
  • Write down your user name, create a password and security question and click submit
  • You should see a welcome message and list of MY TOOLS (will include Canvas & SIS)

"ntpd01\srXXXXX" or "Lan": used for Webmail (where you will access your Reynolds email account weekly) & SharePoint (where you will post your syllabi, office hours, and access other information).

  • Go to inside.reynolds.edu
  • Click on Webmail (blue button at the top)
  • Click on Microsoft Outlook Web App
  • In the domain/user name type in ntpd01\then add the Lan user id you have been assigned
  • Use the case sensitive (temporary) password you have been assigned
  • Follow the process to reset your password (you will be asked to enter the domain/user name again)

Other helpful information can always be found at https://intranet.reynolds.edu. The HELP Desk at 523-5555 is also available to answer your questions. You can also contact your Program Head or Division Support Technician (see contract info below) for additional support.

Canvas

ACA courses are expected to use Reynolds' Canvas as the learning management system. All Reynolds ACA course sections are automatically assigned a Canvas course space and all students are automatically enrolled into Canvas.

Other Faculty Expectations

As ACA faculty members, you also have the same responsibilities as other Reynolds adjunct faculty:

  • Attendance policies and Add/Drop and Withdraw deadlines must be followed. It is imperative that you monitor your Reynolds class rosters on a regular basis and notify either the Office of Dual Enrollment or your school's ACA career coach if someone stops attending. Failure to alert someone when a student stops attending can also complicate the billing authorization and invoice process for that school division. Also, students who have not been dropped or withdrawn will eventually have a grade of "F" placed on their transcript for the course which negatively impacts their Satisfactory Adequate Progress (SAP) and financial aid should they decide to attend Reynolds after graduation.
  • Entering Grades into PeopleSoft upon your class's completion is extremely important. See Helpdesk
    (Technology Support under PeopleSoft SIS).
  • Although final grades are entered at the end of each semester, students should be aware of their academic progress in a course at all times.
  • Managed. Ongoing. Awareness. Tools (MOAT): Each year Reynolds employees are expected to complete Managed Ongoing Awareness Tools. You will be emailed a reminder that this is due to your Reynolds email address. If you need assistance with logging on contact the HELP Desk (523-5555) or click on Help Desk tab on Inside JSR. For information visit, IT Security.
  • Your course syllabus should reflect that the course is a dual enrollment course taught through Reynolds Community College. Reynolds makes every effort to ensure that there is course equivalency with our dual enrollment programs. Courses should have the same rigor and requirements as courses on our campus.
  • Reynolds requires that syllabi and final exams for all course sections and office hours for all instructors (including dual enrollment) be posted on SharePoint. You will receive reminders about the specific deadlines for these submissions via your Reynolds email account. For a tutorial on how and where to make these submissions, see Technology Support under SharePoint.

Checklist of Routine Duties

  • For prospective faculty, respond to any requests for remaining items to complete or update your personnel file. These requests may come directly from your dean, your program head, your division support technician, or the Director of College Academies.
  • Once you have access to Reynolds technology, familiarize yourself with it, asking for assistance from the Help Desk during normal business hours (523-5555), your faculty liaison, your program head, your division support technician, or the Director of College Academies.
  • Complete your annual MOAT certification when required (you will be alerted when this is due on your Reynolds email). The first MOAT certification is due within 30 days of being activated, annually thereafter.
  • Attend at least one adjunct convocation at Reynolds each school year, preferably the fall meeting in late August.
  • Submit your syllabus and office hours to Sharepoint by the end of the first week of classes each semester and your final exam and attendance report to Sharepoint by the end of each semester.
  • Your Reynolds liaison will contact you to schedule an annual class observation. Plan to discuss the Faculty Classroom Observation Report (Form 36-2000) and the Adjunct Teaching Evaluation Summary (Form 36-2001) with your liaison after it has been sent to you.
  • When alerted by Reynolds email, make sure your students complete their course evaluations electronically for every course you teach every semester.
  • Report final grades via SIS by the required date.
  • Regularly monitor your Reynolds Outlook email account (at least 3X/week). Arrange ot have it forwarded to an address you check frequently, if necessary.
  • Place your course materials, assignments, course schedule, and grade book* on your assigned Reynolds Canvas space. *You may decide to keep the grade book on your high school learning management system, but just make clear to your students where they can find their grades on assignments.
  • Periodically (every week for the first few weeks, then again at midterm and near the end of the course) check your class roster(s) on SIS (to make sure Reynolds roll is reconciled with your HS roll); report any discrepancies to the Director of College Academies.
  • Participate in and attend Hanover and Reynolds ACA workshops.
  • Contribute your best assignments and exemplary syllabi to the Reynolds ACA Director for placement on the internal ACA wiki (for future cadres of ACA faculty at other locations in the service area).
  • Promote the ACA during the fall recruitment season and throughout the year.
  • Help to educate parents and other stakeholders about the purpose and goals of the ACA.
  • Contribute your expertise in person or electronically with your full-time and part-time colleagues at Reynolds and at other high schools, especially regarding your use of open educational resources.

The best way for you to stay on top of these responsibilities is by checking your @reynolds.edu college email account daily.

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Dual Enrollment students fall under FERPA guidelines even though they are below the age of 18. If you have a student who is having difficulty in your class, contact the counseling staff at the high school and the ACA career coach on site at the high school. You may also contact the Office of Dual Enrollment, your Program Head, your high school ACA coordinator, or the ACA Director. In order to allow communication about a student's academic performance with parents, a Release of Information form is signed by the student and kept on file by the high school ACA coordinator: https://www.reynolds.edu/get_started/steps_for_admission/forms/11-0020.pdf

Non-compliance with College Expectations

In the case of concerns from Reynolds administration over the quality of instruction or non-compliance with college expectations, or in the case of ACA faculty members failing to meet the annual requirements of providing a syllabus for every section, obtaining at least two hours of discipline-specific and two hours of general professional development, facilitating annual Classroom Observations by the ACA faculty liaison, program head, and/or dean, submitting grades and other required reports in a timely manner, and/or providing student course evaluations, the following steps should be taken.

  • The faculty liaison, program head, or dean will discuss the concerns with ACA faculty member and set a reasonable time to address the concerns and correct the problems. The ACA Director should also be informed at this point.
  • If the concerns are not corrected within a reasonable time (i.e., one semester) inform the ACA Director of the concerns regarding the instructor so that he or she can contact the high school ACA coordinator.
  • If the above steps do not correct the problems, the ACA Director and academic dean will co-write a letter to the appropriate parties listing specific issues:
    • Include a specific date by which the concerns listed in the letter need to be addressed or corrected as determined on a case-by-case basis within one academic year. Include the consequences of not correcting the problems by the above date.
    • Include a place for dated signatures of the ACA faculty member, the faculty liaison, the academic dean, and ACA Director.
    • Hold follow-up discussions with the appropriate parties on the issues.
    • Keep a file copy of the letter signed by all appropriate parties.
    • Follow up with the instructor to see if he/she has addressed and corrected the issues included in the letter before the deadline.
    • Future teaching assignments may be denied if the concerns addressed in the letter are not corrected.