62 Adjunct Faculty Because adjunct faculty do not have annual or sick leave benefits, a one-time absence per course is permitted without consequences as long as the absence has been approved by the Department Chair. After one absence, however, the letter of assignment may be adjusted to reflect a reduced number of hours. All adjunct absences must be reported to the Department Chair on the Classroom Absence Report. Procedures for Substitute Coverage Substitute coverage is considered the preferred choice if a faculty member must miss a class. It is important to have qualified and competent coverage for each class. In emergency situations qualified substitutes may not be available and class instructions and assignments/activities may be the only alternative. In the event that substitute coverage is not available, faculty members are strongly encouraged to make whatever adjustments are necessary to ensure the course content is covered. That may include scheduling a make-up class, creating an alternative assignment or using online educational material. The Department Chair should be notified of the alternative work assignments or activities for students. Professional Substitution: • Professional Courtesy/Coverage Exchange – Professional coverage occurs when a faculty member versed in the specific discipline can cover the entire class, completely as scheduled. This includes a previously arranged class exchange between faculty members. • Compensated Substitution – In no instance may a faculty member personally pay a substitute. All remuneration must be approved by the Department Chair and come through the Absence Management in PeopleSoft. Please note that when an adjunct faculty member serves as a substitute, compensation is required. Absence by Full-Time Faculty or Adjunct Due to Inclement Weather The safety of students, faculty, and staff is of primary concern. Therefore, if the College is not closed and a full-time or adjunct faculty member determines that it is unsafe to travel to class because of inclement weather, they may choose to cancel or reschedule the class. In such cases, the full-time or adjunct faculty member is responsible for communicating directly to the students via Blackboard. Text and/or email may be used as a secondary notification. Both full- time and adjunct faculty must notify their Department Chair and supervising Associate Vice President/Dean. ACADEMIC FREEDOM Frederick Community College supports the concept of academic freedom. Academic freedom establishes the right and implies the obligation of a scholar and faculty member to examine all data and to question every assumption. Academic freedom has to do with methods of inquiry rather than with the personal views of the inquirer. It obligates a faculty member to present all information fairly. The faculty member is entitled to academic freedom in the classroom in discussing subject matter. Faculty are entitled to academic freedom in research at Frederick Community College and in the publication of the results, subject to the approval of the Frederick Community College Institutional Research Board (IRB).
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