Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/934008
24 | Faculty Teaching Responsibilities | NCU Faculty Handbook Communication with Students Communication with students takes place within NCUOne, University-designated systems (i.e. The Commons), and through University assigned email accounts. Faculty can also communicate with students via phone, Skype, or other web conferencing tools. Synchronous Contact Faculty are required to attempt to interact synchronously with every new student during the first week of a course. The purpose of the initial contact is to show a personal interest in the student's success and to address key points in the Welcome Letter. Faculty may use phone, Skype, or other synchronous means to engage with the student. Faculty are not reimbursed for the cost of calls. To avoid charges, ask students to initiate the call or use a free online tool. Required Available Hours and Accessibility When technologically supported by the platform, faculty are expected to host no less than two one-hour synchronous office hour sessions per week. Office hours will be posted in each course. This time may be during the day, evening, or weekend, and may be the same time for all courses. Students may schedule appointments during these times or simply initiate a contact according to instructions given in the Welcome Letter (referenced above). Faculty should accommodate requests for meetings outside of the fixed hour of availability. Faculty should accommodate international students within reason (e.g., by offering to talk at 8pm, but not at 2am). For those that experience difficulty scheduling availability with students, you can try You Can Book Me or any other free online tool. Required Response Time to Student Questions Faculty are expected to respond to messages from students within 48 hours. Remember that in most courses students are submitting work on a weekly basis, and a prompt reply to student questions helps students stay current in their course work. Additional Student Communication Guidelines Teaching is a relationship between a teacher and a student. For feedback to be effective, a student has to read, understand, and care about using the feedback given. For a student to be open to implementing feedback, faculty must create and nurture a relationship with the student. Faculty members should show a commitment to student learning through maintaining a relationship that fosters open communication with their students. Faculty members are encouraged to follow the guidelines outlined below to help build effective teaching relationships with students: • Send an email with general tips or specific guidance on avoiding problems prior to each assignment. • Invite and seek out conversations with students. • Send emails with thoughts on a student's work or topic area of dissertation research. • Make it easy to schedule appointments by being flexible. • Establish credibility by giving clear, useful, and accurate feedback. • Utilize the audio and video tools in NCUOne to provide feedback and engage with students.