Minnesota State College Faculty (MSCF) Teaching Online

Two principles dominate the development of these guidelines: 1) faculty engagement with the college community should be maximized; 2) faculty should be present in the environment where they are most likely to interact, make connections with, and communicate with their students.

Faculty must be available to report to the worksite:
Supervisors/Deans/Administrators can require faculty to report to the worksite during normal business hours and within the elapsed time language of the MSCF collective bargaining agreement for qualified business reasons given reasonable notice.

At the time of schedule development, a plan must be submitted by faculty interested in teaching online and approved by the appropriate dean. The following faculty responsibilities may fall within teaching online contingent upon supervisor approval and within the following parameters:

a. Instruction: online (03, 12, and 13 media codes) and hybrid courses (09 media code):

i. Teaching online must be equal or greater to the reduction in seat time, i.e., the time students are NOT meeting (on ground).
ii. Teaching online will not replace scheduled seat time. Teaching online is not a replacement option for instructor illness/absenteeism.
iii. Report on-site for student interactions as requested/needed by supervisor and/or students with reasonable advanced notice and with mutual consent of the faculty member and the supervisor/dean.
iv. Teaching online will not replace participation in-person on college committees, student life, etc. to meet college service requirements.

b. Office Hours:

i. MSCF Master Agreement: “Office Hours. Each instructor shall post and maintain one (1) office hour or one (1) hour of student availability in some other campus location per week for each three (3) credits taught to a maximum of fifteen (15) credits. Additional office hours or student availability may be scheduled at the instructor’s option.”
ii. Anoka-Ramsey Community College faculty who teach online classes may schedule one (1) office hour online per three online (media code 03) credits, up to 50% (maximum of 2 ½ hours) of their required office hours per week. The expectation of an online office hour would be a regularly scheduled, online synchronous meeting time that is posted as are all office hours and maintained specifically for student availability.
iii. Anoka-Ramsey Community College faculty who teach seated courses only and who teach full time (15 or more credits per semester), may schedule no more than one (1) office hour online per week of the mandatory five. The remaining office hours must be on campus.
iv. Anoka-Ramsey Community College faculty who teach seated courses only and who teach less than full time (less than 15 credits per semester), are required to schedule all office hours on campus.
v. Summer office hours shall be determined by dean and faculty member.

c. College, division, or department meetings:

i. Supervisors or persons charged with facilitating a meeting may consider a request for a telecommuting option for appropriate meetings.
ii. Deans, supervisors and persons charged with facilitating a meeting have the right to request on-site attendance.

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History:

05.2011 Adopted

11.2011 Adjusted office hour requirement for faculty teaching online to match Minnesota State verbiage

07.2017 Technical change: MnSCU to Minnesota State