Part Time Faculty Handbook

Policy Author:
SVPAA & Deans

Responsible Office – Department:
SVPAA

Effective Date of Policy:
2019

POLICY UPDATE PENDING THE RESTRUCTURING OF DIVISIONAL DEANS

Purpose:

Establish regulations and policies for part-time faculty

Scope and Applicability:

Part-Time Faculty

Policy Narrative:

Welcome 

We are delighted to welcome you to our faculty and hope that your teaching experience at Daemen is rewarding and enjoyable. 

We invite you to participate in the full life of our campus to the extent that you wish. Lectures, athletic events, and other cultural and educational events are typically free of charge. The Academic Festival, held annually in April, is a highlight of the campus calendar. We hope you will join us as an observer or as a faculty sponsor of a student presentation. 

Please review this handbook carefully. It contains important information about Daemen’s policies, expectations, and resources for faculty. If there are questions or concerns, you are encouraged to contact your Department Chair, your Divisional Dean, or the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Thank You.

Michael Brogan, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost mbrogan@daemen.edu, Duns Scotus Hall 103, Telephone – 716.839.8227 

Elizabeth Wright, Dean of Health & Human Services 
ewright2@daemen.edu, Duns Scotus Hall 333, Telephone – 716.839.8442 

Matthew Ward, Dean of Arts & Sciences 
mward@daemen.edu, Duns Scotus Hall 147, Telephone – 716.839.8424 

Getting Started 

Office Space 

Office space arrangements are made by your department. Please make yourself available to your students outside of class on a regular basis (1-2 hours for each course that you teach) each week. 

Campus Mail and Email 

Your department will inform you of the location of your campus mailbox. All part-time faculty will be issued a Daemen email account (needed to obtain a faculty parking hangtag) and will be added to our faculty-announce listserv. Please check your campus mail (electronic and snail) on a regular basis for important messages. If you have taught in one of the past three semesters immediately preceding the present semester, your account will have remained active. If you did not teach in one of the past three semesters, you will need to contact the Office of Information Technology to reactivate your account. IT staff can be reached at 716.839.8430 or computing@daemen.edu. 

A Text Alert/Email Notification System is used to notify the entire campus community of any incident or emergency condition that could endanger the campus community or disrupt daily activity. In order to get the most up-to-date information, please ensure that Employee Engagement has your cell phone number; if your number changes, be sure to notify Employee Engagement.

Photo ID 

A photo ID card should be obtained from Campus Safety in Wick Center. The card confirms your identity as a Daemen University employee and is required for checking out library materials. As the campus transitions to electronic locks, your Daemen ID card will also become essential to access buildings in which you may be teaching. 

Employee Parking 

Any employee who wants to park on campus may do so after registering their vehicle. Employees are required to register their vehicle annually, in August, using the Parking Permit Management System. The request form may also be found in the Facilities section of the left menu on my.daemen.edu. Employees are expected to display their hang-tag, which can be picked up at the Wick Student Center front desk, on their rearview mirror and must follow all of the driving and parking rules of the campus. Failure to do so could result in fines and/or loss of privileges. Employees may register multiple vehicles but will be issued only one tag. The cost to part-time faculty for parking on campus for 2019–2020 is $15. 

Internet Access

Wi-Fi is available across campus. Public computers are also available at various locations on campus, including the Research and Information Commons (the “RIC”), the Business Building, and certain departmental labs. Users of University servers and computers are responsible for knowing and complying with our Technology Acceptable Use Policy, posted on the Daemen University web page (see Technology Services) at https://www.daemen.edu/about/policies-and-procedures/technology-acceptable-use-policy.

Classroom & Events Technology 

For Immediate Assistance call: 716.839.8430 

To ensure proper technology support for your class, please use the Classroom Technology Request form. The request form may also be found in the Technology section of the left menu on my.daemen.edu. You must be logged in to MyDaemen to access this link. Should any questions arise with your request, CET will contact you after reviewing your submission. 

Campus Bookstore 

The campus bookstore is located on the ground floor of Duns Scotus Hall by the entrance to the RIC (telephone 716.839.8263). Once you know the course(s) you will be teaching, please contact the bookstore with the following textbook information: author, title, ISBN, and whether the text will be required or recommended. Any supplies that will be used in a course (e.g., lab supplies, art supplies) should also be ordered so that we can make these items available to students. If you do not intend to use a textbook, please notify us so we are able to post the course as “no textbook required.” If textbooks have already been ordered by your department and you would like this information, please contact our manager for order details. If you would like to offer textbooks that are rent-eligible, please visit our website at www.rent-a-text.com for available titles. 

The federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires disclosure of textbook information when students are advance-registering for courses. Textbooks should therefore be ordered well in advance: for example, textbooks used in the Fall semester should ideally have been ordered by the preceding March, or as soon as you are assigned a course, so that students can see what textbooks are required as they are registering. The bookstore cannot order “complimentary” or “desk” copies. It is also our goal to provide the best used book and rental book options to our students. Please submit your orders to us as soon as possible so that we have time to buyback from our students as well as find copies at wholesalers.

Please feel free to contact us with any textbook-related questions at any time. It is important that we have information on each text and supply used in a course, as many students rely on book vouchers to purchase these items and are able to shop only at our store.

The bookstore offers a faculty discount—10% off textbooks, general reading, clothing, gifts and supplies. Please notify the cashier that you are faculty so that you may receive this discount. 

Campus Safety

Campus Safety may be reached by dialing 716.839.8246 or 716.839.SAFE (7233) 

An Emergency Response Notifications card is posted by the door of all public rooms on the Daemen University campus, including classrooms. In the event of an emergency, follow the instructions pertinent to the nature of the emergency.

If the emergency is of a serious nature that requires police, rescue squad and/or ambulance, dial 911 immediately. In addition to calling 911, always call Campus Safety afterwards. Apprise Campus Safety of your precise location and the name of the individual(s) involved. Campus Safety will assist authorities in finding their way around campus. It is imperative that Campus Safety be alerted to any emergency. If calling 911 from a cell phone, your call will be answered by a Buffalo dispatcher. You MUST tell the dispatcher that you are calling from Amherst, New York. Your call will then be transferred. Do not hang up. Wait on the line; when you are transferred, it often sounds as if you have been disconnected. When you reach an Amherst dispatcher, give your exact location.

In the case of an on-the job injury, no matter how minor, report it at once to the Employee Engagement department and notify your department. Employee Engagement will assist you with completing your injury report and arrange for you to be treated at one of the local Pulse Occupational Medicine locations. Of course, if your injury is severe or life threatening, 911 should be the first contact, followed by Campus Safety. Providing a safe campus environment for employees, students and visitors is a priority on our campus. The cooperation of every employee is necessary to make Daemen University a safe workplace. Safety is taken seriously and any willful or habitual violation of safety rules will be considered cause for discipline up to and including termination. Comprehensive information, including the University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASR) can be accessed at http://www.daemen.edu/about/working-daemen/employee- safety. 

Faculty Services at Daemen University Library

The library is located in the Research and Information Commons (RIC). The RIC provides a variety of quiet and talking-permitted spaces, including small-group study rooms, suitable for your individual use as well as conversations with students.

Some Services in Support of Classroom Instruction:

• Full-text online electronic reserves. 
• Text/Media Reserve: One-hour, two-hour, one-day, and three-day reserve. 
• Information Literacy instruction available for finding quality information in all formats.
• Beginning and advanced library instruction. 
• Research librarians available who possess the skills to help you function in an increasingly complex information environment. 
• Ask us for assistance, we’re here to help!

For Research and Teaching:

• Thousands of print and e-books. 
• Hundreds of print and online serials. 
• Fast and convenient interlibrary loan, with email delivery. 
• Online scholarly databases including:
  • Favorites: JSTOR and ScienceDirect 
  • General databases: ProQuest Research Periodicals, Academic Search 
  • Specialized databases for all academic departments 
  • Daily Newspapers 
  • Health-related databases: CINAHL full-text, MEDLINE full- text.
• Request new materials for the library to purchase. 
• Research assistance for faculty scholarship.

Contact Us: 

Melissa Peterson, Director, mpeters2@daemen.edu 

Randy Chojecki, Acquisitions, rchojeck@daemen.edu 

Kara McGuire, Circulation/ILL, kmcguire@daemen.edu 

Andrea Sullivan, Research and Instruction, asulliv1@daemen.edu 

Justin Dise, Archive and Instruction, jdise@daemen.edu 

Justine Kennelly, Evening Operations Librarian, jkennell@daemen.edu 

Call or Text: 716.839.8243

Library hours during the fall and spring semesters

Monday-Thursday 7:00 am to 1:00 am 

Friday 7:00 am to 11:00 pm 

Saturday 9:00 am to 11:00 pm 

Sunday 10:00 am to 1:00 am

Contract Information 

Part-time faculty members are responsible to conduct assigned classes in accordance with the standards established by the faculty in consultation with the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; to teach assigned classes as scheduled; and to determine at regular intervals the proficiency and accomplishments of their students. Any questions or problems should be brought to the attention of your department chair. Departments are organized into two divisions—Arts & Sciences and Health & Human Services—headed by Divisional Deans, who may also be of assistance to you. Your department’s Divisional Dean will issue your contract. If you have questions, you may contact the appropriate divisional office—Arts & Sciences at 716.839.8424 or Health & Human Services at 716.839.8442. 

New employees must complete employment paperwork through the Employee Engagement office. New hire paperwork is distributed and completed electronically through HireForms. In addition, new faculty must provide original identification for the Form I9, in person, to a member of the Employee Engagement office during regular business hours. If you are unable to present your documents during normal business hours, an appointment may be scheduled, in advance, by contacting the Employee Engagement office at 716.839.8325. Contract payments will not be executed until all paperwork is complete and the Employee Engagement office has received a resume or curriculum vitae and transcript(s) verifying relevant degree conferrals. 

Your first paycheck will be issued according to the date indicated on your contract and biweekly (on Fridays) thereafter. Paychecks will be distributed through campus mail unless you have indicated on your Personnel Data Record that your paycheck be mailed to your home address. However, direct deposit is available and encouraged. In the event of low class enrollment, the University reserves the right to cancel the class or modify remuneration to the faculty member. In the latter case, the faculty member may refuse the contract without prejudice. 

Part-time appointments are planned and prepared on a per-semester basis, and successive part-time appointments are permissible. Appointments terminate automatically at the end of the specified contract term. There is no presumption that part-time contracts will be renewed. 

An appointment may be terminated for cause at any time during the term of the contract for reasons including, but not limited to: consistently failing to meet responsibilities; willful dishonesty, including, but not limited to, theft, academic dishonesty, plagiarism or forgery; the actual or attempted use, sale, distribution, or possession of a controlled substance at any time; physical abuse or threat of abuse of another member of the University; a violation of the University’s policy prohibiting harassment, including sexual harassment; the commission of an act which constitutes a crime under Federal or State law; for serious violations of professional ethics. 

Appointments may also be terminated for reasons of financial exigency. 

Salary 

1. Salary. The Faculty Senate Salary Committee shall meet annually with the President of the University to discuss faculty salaries and fringe benefits for the following contract year. If, after the meeting with the President, there is no substantial agreement between the Committee 63 and the President, the matter may be brought before the Trustee Committee on Business Affairs. This shall be accomplished by having a written report of the Salary Committee placed on the agenda of the next scheduled meeting of the Business Affairs Committee by one or more of the faculty members on the Business Affairs Committee. If a meeting of the Business Affairs Committee has not already been scheduled; a special meeting shall be called for this purpose. The Salary Committee shall be furnished relevant financial information from the University’s financial statement pertaining to faculty salaries. 
2. Salary Payments. All full-time faculty members shall be paid in 26 equal installments on alternate Wednesdays from September 1 through August 31. Should any of the above payment dates fall on a holiday, payroll checks shall be issued on the previous banking day. Payments shall be made in accordance with the salary scale as recommended by the President of the University and determined by the Board of Trustees. 
3. Summer Teaching and Overload Payments will be as follows:
   1. Remuneration to Daemen University full-time faculty for teaching credit courses or required non-credit courses over and above the full-time load during the academic year will be made at the rate of 8% of the full-time contracted salary for each three- credit hour course. 
   2. During the summer, a faculty member’s salary will be 75% of the tuition paid by the students for each three-semester hour course, not to exceed 8% of the full-time contracted salary. 
   3. Remuneration for teaching Cooperative Education courses during the summer on a directed independent study basis will be made at the rate of 38% of the total tuition paid by the student. 
   4. Remuneration for teaching credit free courses which are not required will be separately negotiated.

During the Semester 

Attendance 

Regular class attendance is expected of Daemen University students; consult your Department Chair regarding any specific departmental expectations. At the end of the first full week of classes, the Registrar will request that you report any students who are registered for your course but have not attended. Please return the requested information promptly—it is much easier to straighten out any registration errors early rather than later in the semester. 

Class Cancellation Procedures

Please see the Class Cancellation Policy here.

Student Success Center 

The Student Success Center (SSC) houses the Office of Academic Advisement, the Learning Center, Disability Services, Arthur O. Eve HEOP, and Vision for Success. All offices of the SSC are located in the RIC, telephone 716.839.8228, with the exception of Arthur O. Eve HEOP (DS 118. (716.839.8249)

The Office of Academic Advisement provides assistance to students in need of academic guidance. A group of academic and student affairs professionals comprise our campus “CARE Team.” This team meets on a regular basis for identification of and intervention with students in apparent need of assistance: faculty referrals are requested. If you have concerns of any kind about a student in your class, we encourage you to consult with the advisors in the Advisement Office. The Learning Center provides free academic coaching (tutoring) to all students to help meet their needs and promote their success. The Disability Services office provides services for students with documented disabilities, including the administration of accommodated tests. Please refer to the Daemen University policy on Accommodation of Students with Disabilities and Guidelines for Faculty (located in the “Institutional Policies” section of this handbook), noting carefully your obligations in this regard. Our educational opportunity programs (Arthur O. Eve HEOP and Vision for Success) provide intensive support services for students enrolled in these programs. During the semester, you can expect program staff to reach out to you regarding student progress in your course and any recommendations you may have for your opportunity program students. 

Student Affairs 

Student Affairs staff can be reached at 716.839.8200. If you have concerns about a student’s well-being or behavior, please do not hesitate to bring any concerns to our attention using the CARE report form found at www.daemen.edu/concern. Additionally, counselors are available to assist students with their health and well-being through Daemen’s CHIP (Counseling, Health, Insurance, Prevention) Center.

Midterm Deficiency Grades 

For the official Daemen policy on Midterm Deficiency Grades please see the Grading policy, Here. (Link will be attached soon)

Midterm deficiency (C- and below) grades for undergraduates and final grades for all students are submitted electronically through the online Self Service system (see instructions immediately below). Please take special note of our UW and I grade options: 

• The grade of UW (unauthorized withdrawal) should be given at mid-term to any student, graduate or undergraduate, who is not attending class but who has not officially withdrawn. Students may not resume attendance in classes for which UW grades have been assigned. A student may appeal your assignment of a UW grade by first consulting with you and thereafter petitioning the Committee on Academic Standards if the matter is not resolved at the student-instructor level. 
• The I grade (Incomplete) may be given when a course has been left incomplete with respect to specific assignments (which may include the final examination). An I grade will be assigned only in cases of illness or prolonged or repeated absences for reasons beyond the control of the student, and only if the student has a substantial equity in the course. A student receiving an I grade has until the end of the subsequent semester to complete work in your course unless you set an earlier deadline. At the instructor’s sole discretion, an Incomplete may be extended for an additional semester. As a part-time instructor, you may wish to either set earlier deadlines for clearance of Incomplete grades or to consult with your department chair on how a student would complete your course in the event you are not employed at Daemen during the following semester. Please be aware that there is no compensation made for working with students clearing Incomplete grades.

Self Service 

Our Registration System, “Self Service,” may be accessed through MyDaemen on the left hand side of Daemen’s website under Quick Tools. 

1. Click on the FACULTY menu to access information for your:
   1. Class roster – names of students enrolled in your class 
   2. Grading – for electronic submission of midterm deficiency grades and final grades 
2. Click on the COURSE CATALOG menu to search for sections – courses offered, teaching schedules, etc.

The Committee on Academic Standards (UG and Graduate) 

The CAS reviews student academic standing and petitions of an academic nature, such as requests for late course withdrawals. Should a student request a letter from you supporting such a petition, please email your recommendation to the Committee Chair, Sabrina Fennell, Assistant Vice President for Student Success, at sfennell@daemen.edu.

Career Services 

Career Services exists to provide students with the resources, career-readiness skills, experiential opportunities and support to prepare and empower students to achieve their career goals. Career Advisors are available to help develop an individualized career action plan (iCAP), link a college major with career or graduate school plans, create or refine resumes and cover letters and enhance interviewing skills with mock interviews. Students are also able to take personal assessments to help identify the best fit for their passion(s).  

• Students are encouraged to participate in academic credit-bearing internships in WNY, in their home state or in an international setting. An additional option is to participate in a full semester in Washington, DC or Albany, NY. 
• Internship sites include businesses, industries, government, health-related facilities, educational, non-profit and cultural organizations. 
• Career Services offers Career Field Experience 97 (CFE 97), which is a non-credit, FREE, prerequisite hybrid course designed to help students prepare their professional documents, learn job-seeking and interviewing skills and present themselves in a professional manner. This course is offered every semester and all students are encouraged to participate and register early in their college career. Students will receive a Certificate of Completion signed by the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and the Director of Career Services, which is a great resume builder for professional development! 

Career Services sponsors numerous career-readiness workshops throughout the year in collaboration with other departments. These include the annual Career & Internship Expo and monthly Recruiters on Campus (ROC) events, which provide students/alumni the opportunity to meet employers and organizations, explore internships and job openings. 

• Career events, resources, and department contact information can be found on our website at daemen.edu/career 
• Job and internship opportunities can be found on WildcatWorks aka Handshake, a mobile-friendly platform for finding jobs, internships, notification of on-campus events and connecting directly with employers.

Visit our department located in the Wick Student Center, 2nd floor (in Students Affairs Suite). Our office is open when classes are in session Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Walk-ins are welcome and services available to all students and alumni.

Faculty Lounge and Dining Facilities 

Please feel free to use the Faculty Lounge (DS 351). Amenities include coffee, microwave, and refrigerator. The Wildcat Den in Wick Center is open Monday through Thursday (8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.) and Friday (8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.) during the academic year. Light fare and a variety of coffees are available at the RIC café, 78 West. All-you-can-eat lunch, with a wide variety of choices, including salad bar, daily entrées and short-order grill, is also available at a discounted price to faculty and staff in the campus Dining Hall (2nd floor Wick Center). More information can be found at daemen.edu/food. 

Institutional Policies

Tobacco Free

As an employer and institution of higher learning, Daemen University is committed to providing a healthy and safe work and educational environment. Out of respect for employees, students, visitors and the surrounding community, Daemen maintains a 100% tobacco-free environment. 

Academic Freedom

Every faculty member is entitled to freedom of research and publication, and freedom of classroom discussion.

Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual teacher or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.

Academic freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research. Freedom in research is fundamental to the advancement of truth. Academic freedom in its teaching aspect is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom in learning. It carries with it duties correlative with rights.

Faculty members are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.

Faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.

Faculty members are citizens, members of a learned profession, and representatives of the University. When faculty members speak or write as citizens, they shall be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and educational officers, faculty members should remember that the public may judge their profession and the University by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the University.

Grade Appeal Procedure

Please see the Grading Policy for information on Grade Appeal Procedures, here.

Accommodation of Students with Disabilities: Guidelines for Faculty

For more information on student accommodations please see he Testing Accommodations Policy, here, and the Disability Documentation Guidelines Policy, here. (Links coming soon)

Please observe the following guidelines in working with students with disabilities. If you have any questions about the University’s disability policy or our responsibilities under the law, please speak with Therese Bass, Director of Disability Services, in the Student Success Center suite on the ground floor of the Research and Information Commons, (716.839.8583; email, tbass@daemen.edu. In addition, Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Sabrina Fennell, serves as the University’s 504/ADA compliance officer and is available for consultation. Sabrina Fennell can be reached at 716.839.8228 and is located in the Student Success Center, Research and Information Commons, Room 108.

1.  A student who is entitled to disability-related accommodations is furnished an Accommodation Form. The student is then responsible for notifying his or her professors, as needed, of accommodations for a particular class. The Accommodation Form lists all accommodations the University has authorized in light of the disability. Common accommodations include extended time for examinations; a separate, distraction-reduced testing area; alternative testing formats; assistive technologies; and note taking services. The Disability Services Office in the Student Success Center is the primary provider of services to students with disabilities; proctoring of accommodated tests is one such service. A student with a disability will typically have established a working relationship with the Disability Services Office.
2. An Accommodation Form constitutes formal recognition by Daemen University that the student possesses a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act: the Accommodation Form lists the accommodations the University has authorized in light of the disability. As an employee of the University, therefore, you should not: (1) refuse to provide an authorized accommodation or (2) provide an accommodation not authorized by the University. You are encouraged to discuss with the student how an accommodation may be most appropriately implemented with a view to providing the accommodation in a mutually agreeable way. Should you have questions or concerns in this regard, please bring them to the attention of the Director of Disability Services.
3. The student is to present his/her Accommodation Form when requesting an accommodation. Please do not honor requests for accommodation without verifying that the requested accommodation has been approved by the University. Please refer any student lacking documentation to the Director of Disability Services. The Accommodation Form bears her signature stamp; should you have any questions about the authenticity of a student’s form, please contact Disability Services immediately.
4. The Director of Disability Services is the primary service provider for students with disabilities. Academic Advisement staff may also become involved in advisement and/or referrals. If you need to refer a student for assistance and are unsure of the student’s needs, you may refer the student to the Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Sabrina Fennell, for initial assessment. She may be contacted in the Student Success Center suite of the RIC, telephone 716.839.8228; or sfennell@daemen.edu.
5. Please be discreet regarding a student’s disability and/or need for accommodation. Although it may be obvious to others that a student is never present in the classroom for examinations, for example, please do not unnecessarily call attention to the fact that a student is receiving accommodations or remark on a student’s disability in the presence of others. Disability-related conversation should take place privately.
6. For additional information, the University’s policy and procedure on the accommodation of students with disabilities may be viewed on the University’s website. We also have the Testing Accommodations Policy, here, and the Disability Documentation Guidelines Policy, here. (Links coming soon)

Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act (FERPA) 

A complete statement of the University’s policy on compliance with FERPA may be found online in the Daemen University Student Handbook. Highlights of this policy are: No person shall have access to, nor will the institution disclose, any information from a student’s education records without the written consent of the student, except to the student and to certain other parties as specifically named in the University’s FERPA policy. Note: Academic information (including grades) may not be disclosed to a student’s parents without the specific written consent of the student. The Registrar maintains records of such consent. Students have the right to inspect and review information contained in their educational records. Inquiries regarding the FERPA policy should be directed to the Registrar. 

Accommodation of Employees with Disabilities 

For more information on Daemen University’s policy for accommodating employees with disabilities, please see the official Accommodation of Employees with Disabilities Policy here.

Non-discrimination, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action Policy 

For more information on Daemen University’s policy regarding Non-discrimination, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action, please see the official Policy here. 

Policy Prohibiting Unlawful Harassment Including Sexual Harassment

For more information on Daemen University’s policy regarding harassment, please see the official Policy Prohibiting Unlawful Harassment Including Sexual Harassment here.

Drug Free Workplace

For more information on Daemen University’s policy regarding drug use, please see the official Drug Free Workplace Policy here.