Definitions

Discrimination

Discrimination is a discrete adverse action taken by a College official against an applicant, student, or employee based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Discrimination can occur under this Policy in either an employment or an educational context. Discrimination also includes failing to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified person with a disability or to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs or practices, as required by state and federal law.

Harassment

Harassment is unwelcome verbal, visual, physical, electronic, or other conduct based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to unreasonably interfere with a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s education program or activity or to interfere with the terms or conditions of the person’s employment, as judged by a reasonable person in the position of the individual subject to the conduct and considering all the circumstances.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment under Appendix A:

Conduct that is sexual, or on the basis of sex or gender, committed by any person upon any other person, regardless of the sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity of those involved which is one of the following:

  • When a College employee conditions the provision of an educational, research, scholarly, or work benefit, or service on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct (quid pro quo); and/or
  • Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, that it effectively denies a person equal access to an educational, research, scholarly, or work program, or activity of the College.  Unwelcomeness is subjective and determined by the Complainant (except when the Complainant is below the age of consent). Severity, pervasiveness, and objective offensiveness are evaluated based on the totality of the circumstances from the perspective of a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances (“in the shoes of the Complainant”), including the context in which the alleged incident occurred and any similar, previous patterns.

Sexual harassment under Appendix B:

Sexual harassment – Conduct that is sexual, or on the basis of sex or gender, committed by any person upon any other person, regardless of the sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity of those involved which is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to unreasonably interfere with a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s education program or activity or to interfere with the terms or conditions of the person’s employment, as judged by a reasonable person in the position of the individual subject to the conduct and considering all the circumstances. This can take the form of conduct by one or more individual respondents that, for each respondent, meets this definition or it can take the form of a cumulative hostile environment.

See CCS’s full policy, including definitions – Policy On Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, And Sexual Misconduct (Including Title IX).

Faculty Credentials and Equivalent Tested Experience

The College for Creative Studies adheres to The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines on Determining Qualified Faculty Through HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices. These guidelines state that institutions will use credentials as the primary mechanism to ascertain minimal faculty qualifications. HLC recognizes that tested experience also may be considered in determining faculty qualifications.  The following guidelines apply to all faculty members whose primary responsibility is teaching, including part-time, adjunct, dual credit, temporary, and/or non-tenure track faculty.

Credentials

Faculty credentials refer to the degrees that faculty have earned that establish their credibility as content experts and thus their competence to teach that content in the classroom.  Common expectations for faculty credentials include the following:

  • Faculty teaching should have completed a program of study in the discipline or subfield (as applicable) in which they teach, and/or for which they develop curricula, with coursework at least one level above that of the courses being taught or developed. Completion of a degree in a specific field enhances an instructor’s depth of subject matter knowledge and is easily identifiable.
  • Faculty teaching in undergraduate programs should hold a degree at least one level above the program in which they are teaching. If a faculty member holds a master’s degree or higher in a discipline other than that in which he or she is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which he or she is teaching.
  • Faculty teaching in graduate programs should hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship, or achievement appropriate for the graduate program.
  • Faculty guiding doctoral education should have a record of scholarship and preparation to teach at the doctoral level. Research and scholarship should be appropriate to the program and degree offered.

Equivalent Tested Experience

According to HLC, “Tested experience may substitute for an unearned credential or portions thereof.” Criterion B.2, Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support state that “when faculty members are employed based on equivalent experience, the institution defines a minimum threshold of experience and an evaluation process that is used in the appointment process.” Consistent with HLC policy, “experience should be tested experience in that it includes a breadth and depth of experience outside of the classroom in real-world situations relevant to the discipline in which the faculty member would be teaching.”

Determining Faculty Credentials or Equivalent Tested Experience

Once a search has been authorized for a full-time faculty position, the Department Chair develops a job description in consultation with the appropriate Dean. Throughout the search process, the CCS Faculty Credential Table should be used to evaluate candidates to determine qualified faculty requirements. The Faculty Credential Table should also be used to assess qualifications for adjunct instructors as well as continuing education faculty. If a candidate does not meet the minimum required credentials as outlined in the table, the rubric for Equivalent Tested Experience should be used to determine whether or not the candidate is qualified in lieu of having the appropriate credential.

DEPARTMENTLEVEL BEING TAUGHTCOURSE LEVELSREQUIREMENT
•ADVERTISING
•ART PRACTICE
•COMMUNICATION DESIGN
•CRAFT AND MATERIAL STUDIES
•ENTERTAINMENT ARTS
•FOUNDATIONS
•ILLUSTRATION
•LIBERAL ARTS
•PHOTOGRAPHY
•PRODUCT DESIGN
•TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
BFA UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE100-400MFA WITH SPECIALTY RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT OR OTHER MASTER’S DEGREE WITH AT LEAST 18 GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT
ART EDUCATIONTEACHER CERTIFICATION100-400MA WITH STATE TEACHING CERTIFICATION OR MAAE OR MFA IN ART, STUDIO ART, OR ART EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT – GRADUATE LEVELLEVEL BEING TAUGHTCOURSE LEVELSREQUIREMENT
•COLOR AND MATERIALS DESIGN
•INTERACTION DESIGN
•SYSTEMS DESIGN THINKING
•TRANSPORTATION DESIGN
MFA GRADUATE DEGREE500 – 700MFA or PHD WITH SPECIALTY RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT OR OTHER MASTER’S DEGREE WITH AT LEAST 18 GRADUATE CREDIT HOURS RELATIVE TO COURSE CONTENT BEING TAUGHT
ART EDUCATIONMA GRADUATE DEGREE500 – 700MFA or PHD IN ART EDUCATION

Equivalent Tested Experience Rubric

Equivalent Tested Experience form.

Higher Learning Commission. (2020). Determining Qualified Faculty Through HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices. Retrieved from “Determining Qualified Faculty Through
HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices: Guidelines for Institutions and Peer Reviewers”.

New Faculty Review Process

New faculty are reviewed by the Department Chair or a designated full-time faculty member by the eighth week of the semester through a Classroom Observation evaluation. Faculty are evaluated on planning/preparation, creating a positive learning environment, content delivery, achieving learning outcomes, and communication style. A semester-end evaluation is completed after the course concludes, which determines whether the faculty will be retained. An action plan is included, if needed, for performance improvement. This process may be repeated in subsequent semesters should the Department Chair determine it is needed.

Appointment of New Full-Time Faculty

General Principles

New full-time faculty are appointed to fill either an existing vacancy or a newly created position. The distribution of full-time faculty positions among the departments is determined through the College’s planning and budgeting processes. The distribution is based on enrollments and curricular needs and may change over time.

All searches for full-time faculty are authorized by the President.

Full-time faculty positions can be filled through national and international searches. Candidates should exhibit distinguished records of achievement as teachers, scholars, and practitioners in their respective fields. Candidates should have the potential to contribute at the highest level of quality as teachers, mentors, colleagues, and active professionals. Except in unusual circumstances, candidates are expected to possess the appropriate terminal degree in their fields and provide official transcripts from their alma maters. Faculty who falsify academic records or misrepresent their qualifications or experience will be immediately dismissed.

Procedures

Once the President has authorized a search, the Department Chair develops a job description in consultation with the graduate or undergraduate Dean. The appropriate Dean works with the department Chair and the Director of Human Resources to appoint a search committee. In addition to the appropriate Dean, members of the search committee include, at a minimum, the following:

  • Department Chair
  • Full-time department faculty member
  • Student department representative (non-voting), as determined by Department Chair 

The search committee is responsible for the following:

  • Ensure that the DEI hiring statement is included in all job postings
  • Reviewing the job description for the position
  • Identifying effective vehicles for advertising the position
  • Identifying potential candidates
  • Evaluating applications
  • Agreeing upon a set of specific interview questions to be asked of each candidate
  • Conducting pre-interviews using telecommunications means to select finalists
  • Interviewing finalist candidates on campus
  • Attending a lesson or lecture delivered by the candidates before a group of faculty and students
  • Recommending to the President one or more candidates for the position

When an acceptable candidate is identified, the appropriate Dean recommends the appointment of the candidate, the length of the appointment, and the candidate’s rank and compensation to the President. The President may interview the candidate. When the President approves the candidate’s selection, the appropriate Dean discusses with the candidate the terms of employment. When all terms are agreed upon, the President sends the letter of appointment.

Designation of Rank

After considering input from the search committee, the Dean recommends to the President the rank of new full-time faculty. The ranks to which new full-time faculty may be appointed are as follows:

Assistant Professor – Entry level designation for faculty with appropriate educational credentials.

Associate Professor – Designation for faculty with appropriate educational credentials and at least eight years of distinguished teaching or professional practice.

Professor – The rank granted to those faculty with appropriate educational credentials, who have achieved a career of high distinction in teaching or professional practice of fifteen or more years.

Alcohol and Other Drug Policy for Students, Faculty, and Staff

The College’s Alcohol and Other Drug Policy is in keeping with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and outlines the institution’s prevention, education, and intervention efforts, as well as consequences that may be applied by both the College and external authorities for policy violations. This policy applies to all faculty and staff, as well as students enrolled in credit-bearing and non-credit-bearing courses at CCS, including any and all programs located off-site. The institution’s Alcohol and Other Drug Policy is available on the CCS Policy Database.

Department Chairs

Teaching Load

Both graduate and undergraduate Chairs carry a minimum 2:1 teaching two courses in the fall semester and one course in the winter) or 1:2 (one course in the fall semester and two courses in the winter) teaching load. 

Responsibilities

The Department Chair is a faculty member, administrator, and leader. The Department Chair is responsible for planning and managing the educational objectives and the human, financial, and physical resources of the department. The Department Chair, working closely with the faculty and Program Manager of the department, sets standards of excellence and maintains the quality and reputation of the department, encourages innovation to sustain the department’s vitality, encourages cohesion and harmony within the department, supports formal and informal interdisciplinary activities and programs, and is a vigorous advocate for the department’s faculty, staff, and programs. As a member of the faculty, the Department Chair is expected to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a faculty member as described in this Handbook, although the number of credits a Chair teaches is typically fewer. In addition, the Department Chair’s duties are as follows:

  1. Direct and support faculty development
    1. In consultation with the faculty member, set development goals, motivate and encourage professional development, and conduct annual performance reviews in accordance with established College procedures, including preparing a written evaluation of each faculty member using the established template.
    2. Advocate on behalf of faculty in the support of professional development goals.
  2. Curriculum development
    1. Provide leadership in the development of courses and programs of study.
    2. Approve the syllabi of all courses and independent study courses offered by department faculty.
    3. Communicate approved curriculum requirements and changes to the Academic Advising and Registration Office.
  3. Planning/managing
    1. Hold and preside over regular department meetings throughout the academic year, preparing the agenda, and ensuring that Department minutes are posted to a College archive, as appropriate.
    2. Make written recommendations to the Faculty Review Committee (FRC) and the appropriate Dean regarding promotion in rank, renewal of contracts, or dismissal of faculty.
    3. Coordinate with the Program Manager to develop the teaching and course schedule of the department after consultation with the faculty, subject to the approval of the appropriate Dean, ensuring that the workloads, teaching, and departmental responsibilities are equitably distributed.
    4. Recruit new faculty, in accordance with institutional policy and in consultation with the appropriate Dean.
    5. Orient new faculty members.
    6. Develop, in consultation with departmental faculty and the appropriate committees, long-range plans, and departmental objectives. Develop, prepare, and administer the yearly budget in consultation with members of the department.
    7. Assure that faculty members provide appropriate and ongoing assessments to students, including midterm and final grades, in accordance with College deadlines. 
    8. In partnership with members of the department, develop and coordinate the department’s mentoring program.
    9. Ensure timely submissions of the department’s monthly report.
    10. Review student and faculty concerns arising within the department and handle them in accordance with College policies and, when necessary, in consultation with the Academic Affairs office.
    11. Ensure functionality of CCS facilities of which the department is the primary user.
    12. Hire departmental support staff according to institutional procedures, supervise their duties, and evaluate their performance.
    13. Participate in the recruitment of new students to the College.
    14. Partner with the Admissions Office in the screening and evaluation of applicants.
    15. Participate in the Chairs’ meetings as a partner in developing College governance and policy.
    16. Plan activities to augment the academic program by securing visiting artists, critics, lecturers, exhibitions, workshops, and international study programs.
    17. Coordinate responsibilities regarding accreditation requirements, assessment, strategic planning, and program evaluations.
    18. Support and facilitate interdisciplinary activities between departments and other colleges and universities.
    19. Partner in the development and assessment of the College retention plan.
    20. Delegate responsibilities, as appropriate, to support the mission and goals of the department.
    21. Support student international study opportunities by working with individual students, international institutions, and the Office of International Student Services at CCS.
    22. Develop, facilitate, approve, and manage, when appropriate, international programs through the College for Creative Studies.
  4. External Relationships
    1. Coordinate the department’s efforts and work with the Office of Career Development regarding internships and employment opportunities.
    2. Collaborator with Corporate and Foundation Partnerships to develop learning opportunities through sponsored research projects.
    3. Facilitate entering student work in national and international art and design competitions.
    4. Maintain and develop contacts in industries and professions for which the department educates students and stay abreast of changes in those fields that may affect the department’s educational mission.
    5. Partner with Marketing and Corporate Relations in developing the tools and communications necessary to achieve the department’s marketing and PR goals.
    6. Assist and encourage student and faculty participation in community art and design partnerships.

The graduate or undergraduate Dean or President may assign other duties from time to time.

Evaluation

Each year, the Chair completes an Annual Self Appraisal as a self-evaluation. The appropriate Dean provides written responses within the same document. Afterward, a meeting between the Chair and the appropriate Dean is conducted to review the evaluation.

Calendar Year Responsibilities

The Department Chair’s responsibilities for administering the department extend throughout the calendar year. The departments remain open during the summer, and numerous activities occur on campus, including summer classes, planning, and preparation for the coming academic year, admissions, readying of facilities, long-range planning, and community education. While Department Chairs determine their own schedules during the summer, including vacation time, they continue to take all necessary steps to maintain the operations of the department and honor reasonable requests from the President, Deans, and other administrators to attend to College responsibilities.

Appointment

The Department Chair is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the appropriate Dean and serves at the pleasure of the President. Chairs report to the graduate or undergraduate Dean.

Terms of Employment for Adjunct Instructors

Adjunct instructors receive an email letter that incorporates the class taught, rate of pay, and contact hours. All adjunct instructors are invited to a new faculty orientation that reviews policies, duties, responsibilities, and other information contained in the CCS Faculty Handbook.

In certain circumstances, an adjunct instructor may be employed without an email letter of appointment. Adjunct instructors are appointed on a semester-by-semester basis at the sole discretion of the Department Chair. An appointment for one semester does not guarantee an appointment for any subsequent semester. Adjunct instructors are assessed twice in their first semester; subsequent evaluations take place in years three and five in their employ. Thereafter, they are evaluated every five years.

Adjunct instructors may be terminated for cause at any time during a semester. Such causes may include but are not limited to academic falsification of credentials or work product, professional or personal misconduct, incompetence, and failure to perform teaching responsibilities and/or other assigned duties. Adjunct instructor terminations are handled by the Department Chair in consultation with the appropriate Dean.

CCS Alumni Teaching at the College

In order to ensure that an individual has developed the appropriate background and skill to qualify as an instructor, a graduate of the College for Creative Studies may be hired as an adjunct instructor only after having three years of direct or related work experience.

Administrative Staff Teaching at the College

Administrative staff may, from time to time, teach classes in the degree, Pre-College and Continuing Studies, and Community Arts Partnerships programs. Administrative staff may teach classes in these programs providing the classes do not interfere with their primary responsibilities and scheduled work times. Administrative staff may not teach any classes scheduled prior to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday unless otherwise approved by their supervisor, appropriate Dean (if applicable), or the Dean of Academic Affairs (if applicable).

Missed Classes

Refer to the article on Missed Classes for more information.

Intimate Relationships

Between Students and Faculty

Faculty members are in positions of authority and influence in regard to students. Therefore, intimate relationships between a faculty member and student, whether or not the student is in the faculty member’s class or department, can compromise the integrity of the student-faculty relationship. Faculty members, therefore, may not engage in romantic or intimate relationships with students, even if the relationship is welcomed and wholly consensual.

Between Non-Supervisory Official and Faculty/Staff

Consensual relationships between a non-supervisory official and a faculty/staff person, while not prohibited, must be disclosed to the Human Resources Director so that the Director can take any steps necessary to protect the parties involved and avoid even the appearance of favoritism.

Faculty Development

Faculty Development

The College is committed to the continuous improvement of its primary resource, the faculty. Through a variety of activities, supported in whole or in part by the College, faculty are able to strengthen educational, scholarly, and professional abilities. Generally, individual faculty will initiate requests for funding to their Chair, or a member of the Academic Affairs office may recommend professional development opportunities to specific faculty.

The College has a strong commitment to faculty development and believes that it is through faculty development that the curriculum progresses and the instructional program is strengthened.

Examples of faculty development activities include, but are not limited to:

  • Attending conferences, seminars, or workshops
  • Speaking, presenting, or participating in panel discussions at conferences and other events
  • Participating in discipline-related professional communities

Sabbaticals

The purpose of the CCS sabbatical leave program is to enable a full-time faculty member to pursue research, scholarly and/or professional creative development with a degree of concentration and freedom not normally possible while teaching a full-time schedule. Details on the College’s Sabbatical Leave Program policy can be found on the CCS Policy Database.

Faculty Development Grants and Conferences

CCS endeavors to budget funds each year to support faculty development. These funds may be used for activities that include, but are not limited to:

  • workshops, seminars, training, or courses related to their field
  • travel to conferences or symposia
  • other activities as determined by the appropriate Dean

Courses or workshops must be successfully completed to be eligible for reimbursement. Faculty development grants are not used to support the pursuit of degrees. The College recognizes the value of faculty making presentations at and attending conferences that enhance faculty’s knowledge of current trends in their respective fields, their professional practice, and scholarly activities, and the College’s visibility.

  1. Full-time faculty members may request financial support to attend conferences, seminars, workshops, and other means of professional development. Requests should include an explanation of the value of the event and a budget of the expenses required. Requests are given to the Department Chair for approval and then forwarded to the Dean of Academic Affairs who will make a decision in consultation with the appropriate Dean based on funds available and the number and types of requests received. Faculty members who have been granted sabbatical leave are not eligible to receive faculty development grants during the leave.
  2. If a request is approved, travel, lodging, and registration arrangements are the responsibility of the faculty member. Reimbursable expenses include registration fees, visa application (if necessary), air and ground travel, lodging, meals, and tips up to the amount approved and consistent with the College’s policy on travel.

An approved expense report with original itemized receipts is required for reimbursement. Travel advances may be granted by completing a Payment Requisition form with the Business Office one week in advance of when funds are required.

Please refer to the policy on Travel and Entertainment.

Course Release

Course releases are a one course reduction in a full-time faculty teaching load and are provided to further the faculty member’s scholarship, research, and/or creative activity. Details on the Course Release policy can be found on the CCS Policy Database.