MyCurry

What if I am unable to teach a class due to sickness, attendance at a conference, weather conditions, or similar reasons?

• Unit members who are unable to teach a traditional day class must notify the Provost's Office by telephone (617.333.2233) and when possible e-mail no less than two hours in advance of a class. Unit members who are unable to conduct a scheduled class meeting should make every effort to ensure the academic continuity of their course. Unit members should make up missed class time by rescheduling at another mutually agreeable time, or in another appropriate delivery format, or by arranging for appropriate coverage, so that contact hours remain consistent. Faculty should address such contingency plans in course syllabi. The College will provide appropriate technology support for these contingencies.

• If the class is to be cancelled, then the Provost's office will make its reasonable best effort to notify students as well as Chairs, Directors, Coordinators.

• If the class is either a Continuing Education or Graduate course, that office must be notified (Milton: 617.333.2364; Plymouth: 508.747.2424) as far in advance as possible, and the CE office will make its reasonable best effort to notify students.

• If a unit member is unable to notify the Provost in advance of a class cancellation, the unit member must notify the Provost within 48 hours following the class cancellation.

• To find out if the College is closed due to emergency, weather, or other event please call the hotline at 617.333.2075 or visit www.curry.edu. For more details on emergency closing procedure, see this page.  
• For more information, see the CBA.

What is the policy on hiring a substitute to cover my class?

• Unit members who fill in for teaching and non-teaching faculty on leave (e.g. maternity, sick, emergency, or personal) shall  be paid:

1. Teaching Substitutes' First Week Salary: $85 for each 50 minute class, $106 for each 75 minute class, $170 for each 120 minute class, $212 for each 150 minute class, and $400 for each 285 minute class, for up to 6 weeks.

2. Teaching Substitutes' Compensation Following First Six Weeks: If the unit member on leave is away for more than six weeks, the substitute will be compensated at the substitute's salary rate for contracted overload, for the entire course retroactive to its beginning.

3. Non-Teaching Substitutes: Department/Division Chairpersons, Directors or Coordinators may request substitutes for unit members with non-teaching responsibilities. The Provost's Office has final approval in granting such requests.

• For more information, see the CBA. 

How many office hours should I schedule?

• Faculty should schedule a minimum of one posted in-person office hour per week, for each three contact hours or the equivalent (including assigned and release time), per semester at a variety of times chosen to accommodate student needs (and/or in the case of assigned and/or release-time, to accommodate the needs of colleagues), to a maximum of three hours per week. These times must be posted on the faculty member's office door no later than the end of the first calendar week of classes, following the beginning of each semester; available for perusal in the Departmental office; and submitted in writing to the appropriate Administrative Assistant and the Provost's Office no later than the end of the first calendar week of classes following the beginning of each semester. Faculty members shall increase their in-person office hours as necessary during advance registration in order to provide ample opportunity for advisee-advisor interaction.

• For more information, see the CBA. 

How do I get certified to teach hybrid or online classes at Curry?

• Faculty preparing for distance learning are required to complete Curry College training requiring approximately three hours before offering hybrid courses. After you have built your hybrid/online course, it will be reviewed by the Faculty Center Instructional Designer and Department Chair (or designee).  After the Chair approves it, a stipend of $135 will be paid to the faculty member. Faculty may not be assigned distance learning or hybrid courses without their consent.
   
  Any other provision regarding distance learning or hybrid courses that affects current conditions of employment shall be negotiated by the AAUP and the College, unless otherwise permitted by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In addition, the College will continue to provide training. Faculty desiring to teach courses designated as hybrid or online will complete the self-certification Faculty Readiness Program and make reasonable efforts to follow College guidelines associated with such teaching platforms. The College will provide technical support and training associated with hybrid and on-line course delivery.

What is the College's Final Exam Schedule Policy? Can I give an exam during the last week of class?

All faculty are expected to:

1. Refrain from administering any course examination, written or oral, during the calendar week immediately preceding the first day of the designated final exam period;
2. Administer final exams, written or oral, or collect final projects at the final exam time scheduled by the Registrar's Office. Only in extraordinary circumstances may the time for final exams be changed, and then only with the joint approval of the Department/Division Chair, the Director of PAL, when applicable, and the Registrar. All requests for a final exam time change must be made in writing for approval and submitted in advance to the Registrar.
3. Ensure that examinations are proctored by faculty.

Is there a minimum number of contact hours, per course, that I am required to teach?

• For a three credit course, there is a requirement of 45 contact hours (37.5 hours when we adjust to 50 minute "hourly" increments). This is an absolute standard, which defines, for example, the number of class meetings required. In the case of scheduled final exams (see previous item), the designated final exam period is counted in reaching the contact hour requirement. Another example: hybrid and on-line courses should meet the face-time equivalency contact hour requirement – exclusive of time typically anticipated for homework or related out of class work.

To whom do I give my textbook order? And when is it due?

• Textbook orders are due to the Campus Bookstore by the end of October for Spring semester courses and mid-April for Fall semester courses. Submissions can be made via e-mail or phone 617.333.2322.

How do I put a textbook on reserve in Levin Library?

• Levin does not actively purchase textbooks. If you would like your students to have access to the textbook for class, please bring a copy to the Reserve desk. For non-textbooks and other media, you can search Levin's discovery tool, Primo, to see if the Library owns the title. If not, contact your Library liaison to discuss the options for acquiring the resource.

How many days am I required to be on campus as a full time faculty member?

• Weekly Schedule: Full time faculty are expected to be available for teaching or related professional duties three days per week and may be asked to be available a fourth day for professional duties and responsibilities such as meetings. Normally this includes availability for teaching three days per week, but in order to meet the scheduling needs of the College, some faculty may be asked to teach a fourth day per week. Full-time teaching faculty are permitted to take one professional day per five-day work week during the Traditional Academic Year. A professional day is defined as a day on which teaching faculty members will not be required to be on campus for College duties.

• For more information, see the CBA.

To whom do I submit a copy of my CV?

• Full-time faculty are required to provide updated professional C.V.s/resumes to the office of the Provost by December of every even year (e.g. 2016, 2018). The Provost's office will maintain a master file of these C.V.'s/ resumes.

• For more information, see the CBA. 

Does the College support Full-time Faculty Professional Memberships and Licensures?

• Yes, to request membership or licensure reimbursement, full-time faculty can prepare a check req that includes the name of the organization, cost of membership, and dates covered by the membership. Please attach proof of payments to the check req and send it to the Dean of Faculty via interoffice mail.

What is the policy on office space for full-time faculty?

• The College will provide every full-time faculty member with her/his own office space, and provide appropriate office space for Senior Lecturers that takes into consideration schedules, advising and administrative responsibilities. The College also will provide other part-time faculty access to reasonable office space upon request. The College pledges to include this need in its strategic planning. To this end, the College agrees to work closely with the institutional Physical Facilities Committee, consisting of three elected members of the faculty as well as three members of the administrative staff and one student, in order to review and enhance the space available to faculty. This Committee has the authority to examine the proposed use of all unused academic space or newly created academic spaces and facilities on campus, including but not limited to faculty office.

• For more information, see the CBA. 

What if I have a student struggling in my class?

• Curry has many resources available. You can find a list on this Student Support Success Network. 

What if I have a student who is not doing well in my class?

• It is advised that you complete an Academic Early Alert as early as possible when you identify academic performance issues for a given student.

What do I do if I have non-academic concerns about a student's behavior or a general community concern? 

• Please complete the Student/Community Concern form.

Does Curry have an Academic Integrity or Plagiarism policy?

• Yes. The UAPC has prepared this Academic Integrity Policy.

What if a student violates the College's Academic Integrity policy?

• It is advised that you complete a notice of Academic Integrity Violation. 

Are there resources regarding support for PAL students?

• Yes, check out the Learning Disabilities Reference guide put together by PAL faculty. 

What is the ADA?

• The ADA, American with Disabilities Act provides legal accommodations for students with documented learning or other disabilities. If you have questions regarding the ADA, please email Jeremiah Rex, the College's Student Disability Officer, or call him at 617.333.2182.

Is there a recommendation on how I should communicate with my students? 

• Yes, it is recommended that you establish a college voice mail, email, and mailbox location so that students, faculty, and staff can contact you. These should be listed on syllabi. All Curry faculty are asked to use their Curry e-mail accounts on a regular basis. Unit members are expected to maintain reasonable contact (normally no less than twice a week) via Curry email during the traditional academic year, or when engaged in teaching or other paid work outside of the traditional academic year. In addition to in-person office hours, faculty are encouraged to be available for electronic communications with students. 

Do I need to share my completed syllabi with anyone?

• Yes, please send electronic copies of your syllabi to your Department's Administrative Assistant and Levin Library. Final copies should be available by the second week of class. Copies of previous syllabi are available in departmental or satellite campus offices.

Does Curry have any recommendations or guidelines of language that I should add to my syllabi?

• Yes. The UCC has prepared this document on Recommendations.

Does the College have a Retention Plan and, if so, how do I access this?

• The College's Retention Plan, now referred to as the Student Success Plan can be found under the Academic Affairs tab, Reports and Plans. The Plan was updated in February 2017.

What do I need to do if I am planning an off-campus field trip for my class?

• There may be instances that faculty will coordinate off-campus field trips to enhance an academic experience in a course. All faculty that are planning off-campus field trips must complete Student Day Trip Proposal and Check In Sheet and submit it to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs no less than two weeks prior to the field trip. Students that are participating in the trip must complete the Academic Activity Release Form. Faculty should collect the forms and submit them to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs no less than one week prior to the field trip. Overnight trips should contact the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs no less than six weeks prior to the field trip. Students participating in overnight trips shall also be required to complete the Field Trip Student Application. Faculty shall collect these forms and submit them to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs no less than two weeks prior to the field trip.

• Faculty that are conducting short-term travel courses or field trips that are multi-day (such as a course traveling for the entirety of spring break) shall be required to plan the trip under the auspices of the College's Study Away program and forms that faculty and students must complete may be different than the above. Students will also be subject to review for academic standing, financial standing, and conduct standing prior to approval to participate in the program. Faculty planning for these types of trips are encouraged to contact the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs as early in the planning process as possible. Trips that have a significant cost which will be added as a course fee must typically be planned at least a semester in advance and prior to course scheduling/registration is finalized. Proposals of this nature shall be reviewed by the Study Away Proposal and Policy Committee prior to approval.

• Faculty are encouraged to use Curry College vans whenever possible as the means of transportation for local trips. Full information regarding van usage and approved drivers can be obtained by contacting Jayne Savioli (617.333-2232). Documentation related to Curry College vans including policies and request forms can be accessed on the Common Drive.

• While not highly encouraged, there may be instances when students will utilize private means of transportation for field trips. Students traveling by private vehicles as either a passenger or driver must complete the Travel by Private Vehicle Form. Drivers of the private vehicles must also complete the Student Driver Acknowledgement Statement. Faculty should collect the forms and submit them to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs no less than one week prior to the field trip.

• The Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (617.333.2166) serves as the point of contact in the Provost's Office to answer questions that faculty may have related to field trips.

What do I need to do if I would like to propose a short-term, faculty-led Study Away program?

Faculty are encouraged to develop short-term, faculty-led programs for academic credit. If you are interested in initiating discussion regarding a short-term, faculty-led Study Away program (either domestically or internationally), please contact the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs at michael.bosco@curry.edu. Draft proposals are prepared in coordination with the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and then brought forward to the Study Away Policy & Proposal Committee for their consideration. Faculty members leading the program will need to complete the Short-term Faculty-Led Study Away Proposal Form as well as the Study Abroad Budget Template.