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faculty and staff that choose to “opt out” of the CCSNH health care options because they<br />
are covered elsewhere, a medical buy-out stipend is provided.<br />
As described in Article 16 of the 2017-2018 adjunct faculty CBA, adjunct faculty are hired<br />
at one of three levels (adjunct instructor, adjunct lecturer or adjunct senior lecturer) each<br />
with a rise in salary. The contract also includes further information about pay rates for<br />
Clinical adjunct faculty, pay for attendance at required meetings and payments that occur<br />
in the event of a late cancellation of a scheduled class.<br />
The College has been able to attract qualified faculty and staff with few exceptions. The<br />
best advertising has often been word of mouth as Department Chairs and Program<br />
Directors reach out through professional networks to qualified candidates, or other staff<br />
members discuss open positions at <strong>RVCC</strong> with their acquaintances. The Allied Health,<br />
Health Science, and Nursing positions tend to take longer to fill due to the discrepancy<br />
between teaching salaries and the clinical salaries individuals are leaving to take the<br />
teaching positions. Ultimately, faculty often make the leap from clinical practice to<br />
instruction because of the quality of the experience and their dedication to passing on<br />
knowledge to new professionals. There is a strong comradery among <strong>RVCC</strong> faculty and<br />
academic staff. Most have been here for many years. Newest hires have been in the<br />
Business, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs (due to retirements and<br />
new job offers). We also have many adjuncts who are well respected and hired regularly.<br />
Onboarding & Ethical Standards<br />
Faculty are integrated into the institution through a formal New Faculty Orientation process<br />
which is guided by the New Faculty Handbook, updated in 2017. During this process, each<br />
faculty member meets with the Human Resource officer as part of the onboarding process.<br />
At this time, any required federal paperwork is completed and faculty are introduced to<br />
River Valley policies that ensure that faculty act responsibly and ethically. New hire<br />
training includes review of CCSNH policies (Policy 323.01 Workplace Conduct) such as nondiscrimination,<br />
anti-bullying and sexual harassment, and acceptable use of IT. During this<br />
onboarding of faculty, they are also introduced to the protections afforded them by their<br />
respective CBA’s as well as the guidelines for Academic Freedom and Professional<br />
Responsibility (Full-time faculty CBA Article VI Academic Freedom & Professional<br />
Responsibility; adjunct faculty CBA Article 13 Academic Freedom & Professional<br />
Responsibility) Additional policies are found in The Faculty and Staff Manual which is<br />
available in Canvas.<br />
Professional Development<br />
Professional Development is outlined as part of expected full-time faculty workload (CBA<br />
Article X). Annually, full-time faculty complete a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) that<br />
identifies goals and action items relevant to the College Strategic Plan regarding student<br />
access, student success, teaching and learning, and sustainability. The Institution and<br />
System provide internal opportunities for professional development including the Annual<br />
CCSNH Symposium and Monthly Teaching and Learning Seminars. Carl Perkins Grant<br />
funds have also traditionally been available for faculty professional development in all<br />
technical programs at <strong>RVCC</strong>. Those faculty with individual licensure or professional<br />
requirements often pay for external professional development out of pocket and the<br />
institution is supportive in approving time off to attend these seminars.<br />
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