Procedures for Faculty

Who Teach Certificate Courses

To propose a course:

  • Consult with swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff) to discuss possible course topics and their fit with Certificate needs.
  • Write a brief course catalog description (examples).
  • Submit a CV and the course description to Wyckoff.
  • Susan Wyckoff will observe you teaching a class, making a presentation to a group, or participating in an online class.
  • Susan Wyckoff will communicate with you about whether your proposed course has been accepted.

To teach a course:

No later than twelve (12) weeks before the course is scheduled to start:

  • Discuss with swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff) the course schedule (days and times), the delivery mode (online, hybrid or face-to-face class), the Consortium campus location for your course offering (if any), and any course prerequisites or permissions required.
  • Submit a draft syllabus, brief bio, your contact information, and final course schedule to Susan Wyckoff for posting on the Certificate Web site. Note that the syllabi already posted follow a standard format; the syllabus posted for CT 901 Seminar in College Teaching is a good example. In particular, we ask that Certificate courses model best practice by articulating clear learning objectives that describe what students will know and be able to do by the end of the course. Since your course will be evaluated by students using the IDEA student rating system, you may wish to consult the list of IDEA objectives (click on faculty information form) as you write your own objectives. Visit the faculty page on this site for a sample format and  content of your faculty bio posting.
  • When your syllabus has been posted, you may be eligible to receive a $500 course development stipend (for a new course). In order to receive the stipend, you must submit a completed I-9 form with required documentation of immigration or citizenship status (a Social Security number and two forms of valid ID or a passport) to swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff) at the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. Call Susan (508-754-6829, ext. 3029) for more information on acceptable forms of identification.

No later than eight (8) weeks before the course is scheduled to start:

  • Susan Wyckoff will initiate the hiring process. She will contact you regarding Consortium hiring forms to be completed. You will receive a contract in the mail from the Consortium Office; sign and return it promptly according to instructions.  Note:  A minimum enrollment established by the Consortium is required for your class to run.  Classes not achieving the minimum enrollment may be cancelled.
  • Be prepared to respond promptly to queries from prospective students. Be aware of the registration policies (Procedures for Students).

No later than six (6) weeks before the start of your course:

  • You should have received communication about your network accounts from the WSU Help Desk. If you have not, contact the Help Desk team by email (help [at] worcester [dot] edu) or phone at 508-929-8856. Please be sure to specify that you are a Consortium faculty member teaching in the Certificate in College Teaching Program.

No later than four (4) weeks before the start of your course:

  • Once you have your WSU cccount using the Blackboard course management system, a course site at WSU will be established for you.
  • If the course is offered a Consortium campus, contact swyckoff [at] cowc [dot] org (Susan Wyckoff) for your classroom assignment.

One week before the start of your course:

  • At any time after course registration starts, you can see how many students have registered for your course, in real time, by contacting dedwards [at] worcester [dot] edu (Dona Edwards) (or 508-929-8873) at the Center for Effective Instruction at Worcester State University.
  • Please note it is Certificate in College Teaching policy not to allow auditors in any courses.

After the course begins:

  • Within three (3) weeks after the start of the course, you will be asked to review and correct a course roster which will be sent to you by email.
  • Using the class list you have provided, Susan will set up the administration of the IDEA online student ratings for your course, and will notify you when she has done so. You will then need to respond to an email sent by Susan through the IDEA site that requests you to select course objectives. If you are not familiar with the IDEA system, check it out at http://www.idea.ksu.edu/StudentRatings/index.html. You are encouraged to consult with Susan if you are unfamiliar with the IDEA system.
  • At the end of the course, you will submit your grades online by using the letter grade +/- grading system. You will receive detailed instructions from the university registrar.
  • After the course has ended, Susan Wyckoff will send you your IDEA student rating reports.
 

(revised 08.09.10)