Distance learning faculty are faculty who go through the same credentialing as traditional face-to-face faculty teaching on campus classes. Both full-time and part-time (adjunct) faculty must meet the criteria for academic and professional preparation.- PBCC Board Policy number 6Hx-18-5.25, Legal Authority 240.313 FS, 240.319 FS
Training and Support Services for Faculty
Blackboard Training
Faculty and Staff - Getting Started with Blackboard
Sign up for training and review important Blackboard information. Link to: Blackboard Training
Staff and Program Development
Palm Beach Community College offers many ways for staff to develop professional content and skills. Among these opportunities are Development Days that are offered in the Fall and Spring terms, and independent development supported by Staff & Program Development (S&PD) funds. Information on Development Days will be updated throughout the year. Link to: Staff & Development
Instructional Technology
The Office of Instructional Technology along with the Professional Teaching and Learning Centers (PTLC) offer workshops for PBCC faculty and adjunct professors on a wide variety of topics. Workshops are hands-on and typically cover best practices for enhancing instruction with technology. Please contact Jeannine Burgess, Director of Instructional Technology for customized classes, specialized software training, or one-on-one tutoring services. Link to: Instructional Technology
Professional Teaching and Learning Center
The Mission of the Professional Teaching and Learning Center (PTLC) is to promote teaching excellence and student learning. The PTLC will foster a community of inquiry by serving as an information and support center, providing an informal setting for sharing ideas, encouraging research on effective teaching practices, and assisting in the mastery of instructional design; thereby increasing the opportunity for students to succeed. Link to: Professional Teaching Learning Center
Media Technology and Instructional Services
Media Technology and Instructional Services provides leadership in instructional technology resources and services pursuant to the successful achievement of the College's mission, by providing faculty and students with resources, including electronic media materials for instruction, presentations, and web support, within an atmosphere and environment conducive to learning. Link to: Media Technology Instructional Services
Faculty Load, Credentials and Class Size Guidelines
Faculty Load
Faculty loads for full-time instructors are based on the Agreement between the Board of Palm Beach Community College and the United Faculty of Palm Beach Community College regardless of the method of delivery. Part-time faculty can teach 36 points in each term. A lecture hour is credited with 3 points per hour and a laboratory hour is credited with 2 points per hour. The academic deans or supervisors determine instructors and the Academic Deans Council reviews all distance learning course offerings. Supervisors, who may be department chairs, determine the exact courses taught by part-time faculty members.
Credentials/ Repository
In an associate degree program, full-time and part-time faculty members teaching credit courses in humanities/ fine arts, social/ behavioral sciences and natural sciences/ mathematics or occupational and technical areas must have completed 18 graduate hours in the teaching discipline and hold at least a master’s degree, or hold the minimum of a master’s degree with a major in the teaching discipline. These requirements are for courses leading to the transfer of courses. – PBCC Board Policies Section 5. Distance Learning faculties are held to the same standards as other Palm Beach Community College faculty members meeting Southern Association of Colleges requirements.
Class Size Guidelines
Online courses will have the same class size as face-to-face courses. The review for cancellation of classes with enrollments of 12 or under, two to three days prior to the first day of the session will be made by campus Academic Deans.
Faculty Responsibilities, Syllabus Checklist and Textbook Guidelines
Faculty Responsibilities for Distance Learning Courses
- Determine the need for the course to be delivered via distance learning. Understand the target student population – consider demographics, course demands, program demands, technological skills, varied learning styles, etc. Know why students take these classes – work and personal schedules, geographical locations, other unique situations.
- Obtain approval to offer the course from the Campus Dean.
- Become proficient with the delivery media to be used for course development/ delivery.
- Take advantage of available training opportunities.
- Identify clear learning objectives and student outcomes.
- Ensure academic content and quality are equal to traditional on campus course.
- Provide students with frequent opportunities to interact with class content, other students and faculty member. Encourage student activities such as research projects, problem solving situations, study groups, and areas to improve writing and communication skills, etc via email, discussion, chat rooms. Integrate activities into course assignments.
- Respond to student phone and e-mail messages in a timely manner - identifying the response time to be expected both in the syllabus and course web site.
- Provide students with opportunities to access their learning of the material.
- Provide feedback in a timely manner about ongoing progress.
- Encourage student contact with libraries, learning resources, support services and other services provided by the college.
- Clearly advise students of any technical requirements prior to the start of the term using your faculty homepage and course web site.
- Provide students with course policies, procedures and schedule of activities.
- Update any course materials prior to the beginning of the term and during the term with notice to students of any new information.
- Course evaluations can identify course strengths and weaknesses – providing open-ended questions can provide great insight from a student’s perspective when redesigning is a consideration.
Checklist for Preparing Course Syllabus
For the development of a new or revised distance learning course or program, it must follow the established curriculum process Course Outlines and Guidelines. Course Outlines
Each category and topic has been included to meet policies of the College and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is to be included in each course syllabus. Please verify the due dates for course syllabi with your supervisor.
Textbook Guidelines
Guidelines have been developed to assist with the selection of course materials contact your academic Cluster for Textbook Procedures.
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