Release Time from Teaching - Procedure 2.0703

Purpose:

The full-time faculty of the college represents a source of talent and experience above and beyond its teaching skills that can be called upon to further the aims of the college. When a faculty member provides such service, there is an appropriate reduction in teaching assignments. This procedure defines the process for assigning release time.

Procedure:

1. Department Chairs and Directors are responsible for initiating requests for release time for full-time faculty. A Dean may initiate requests for release time. A Faculty Release Time Request form (SCC Form 93-5/91) must be completed for each faculty member who is being recommended to teach less than a full load.
   
   
2. The completed forms will be forwarded to the Dean for review and signature at least thirty duty days prior to the start of the development of the class schedule for the term in which the release time is requested.
   
   
3. If the Dean agrees with the request, it will be forwarded within five duty days to the Vice President for Educational Programs. Otherwise, the recommendation will be returned, with explanation, to the originator.
   
   
4. The Vice President for Educational Programs will review Release Time Requests to ensure that they are administered consistently throughout the college.
   
   
5. The basis for all faculty release time is the normal teaching load for the faculty member. Implicit in teaching load calculations is the preparation time for each course; therefore, release time represents a percent of total effort based on a 37.5 hour work week. For example, three hours of release time for a faculty member whose normal load is fifteen hours would equate to the part of the work week associated with the preparation and teaching of a three credit course. In most cases the reassignment will be scheduled on campus.
   
   
6. A faculty member who is receiving release time may teach overload classes if the overload is scheduled in addition to the required 37 1/2 hours (32 1/2 hours on campus).
   
   
7. Upon approval, the Vice President will enter all release time on the faculty member's load sheet. A copy of the approved Faculty Release Time Request form will be sent to the Dean.
   
   
8. If the Vice President does not approve a request for release time, the Faculty Release Time Request form will be returned to the Dean with an explanation prior to the beginning of the development of the class schedule. The Dean will inform the originator of the request.
   
   
9. Not later than the end of the fourth week of classes, the Vice President will provide the President and each instructional Dean with a summary of all approved release times for the term.

Did you know?

In a recent survey, 95 percent of responding graduates said they would attend SCC again and 43 percent rated their overall SCC experience as "excellent."