Contracts issued to instructors by Seattle Pacific University designate salaries based on anticipated enrollments and any special conditions relating to the course. Contracts must be signed and returned to DCS prior to the course beginning date. Modifications mutually acceptable to the instructor and the University may be made if deviations occur in the contract terms. In such a case, the instructor should contact the University program director responsible for the course or the DCS business director. Since Seattle Pacific is not a tax-supported institution, any salaries higher than the University’s published rates must be offset by increased tuition. This could adversely affect course marketability. For a current salary schedule, contact the University program director appropriate for your course.
At the time contracted, instructors must have a W-4 form on file with the Seattle Pacific Payroll Department. Some instructors may be considered independent contractors and have a state-issued "91" number (or use their Social Security number). In this case, instructors must have a W-9 form on file with the University. Any payments for adjunct faculty or independent contractors will not be processed until a W-4 or W-9 has been received. Grades, a signed contract and a completed Immigration Reform & Control Act (I-9) form must also be received prior to the release of any payroll check.
Off-campus registration forms and a tuition payment for each student should be sent to SAS immediately after the second class session. A delay in the processing of registrations may result in a payroll check delay.
Payroll checks are available on the 15th of the month, one month following the course ending or closing date, if grades are submitted. Unless instructors arrange differently, checks will be mailed to the address on the W-4 or W-9 form.
Instructors Contracted by Other Agencies
Instructors who teach courses for SPU credit but are contracted by organizations other than the University must still be approved as adjunct faculty and fulfill the responsibilities listed in this handbook. For adjunct faculty specifications, see the Adjunct Faculty Qualifications/Applications section.
Terminating Contracts
The University reserves the right to terminate agreements without cause or prior notice upon payment to the instructor or the pro rata compensation accrued as of the effective termination date. The University further reserves the right to terminate agreements for cause without compensation based on any grounds discussed in this handbook.
The University may terminate an adjunct faculty member for cause without prior notice and without further compensation, if the adjunct faculty member is deemed by the University within its sole discretion to have violated any University policy or procedure or to have materially deviated from the original course proposal.
Expense Reimbursement
Reimbursement for course-related travel or other operational expenses must be stipulated in the Seattle Pacific contract and arranged prior to course approval. Expense reimbursement will result in increased tuition and/or required enrollment level. To receive refunds, a University expense reimbursement form must be completed with the appropriate receipts attached, signed by the instructor and returned to the Division of Continuing Studies. Checks will be issued within two weeks after receiving all proper documentation.
Instructor Benefit: Professional Scholarships
Seattle Pacific and other universities often provide growth opportunities for their resident faculty, but seldom does a university extend this courtesy to adjunct instructors. Because SPU is interested in the personal and professional development of all its instructors, a scholarship through DCS is available for adjunct faculty to attend, at a reduced rate, one course during the academic year (September 1 through August 31) in which the instructor has taught for the University. The Adjunct Faculty Scholarship covers courses sponsored through DCS, but does not apply toward special workshops, study tours, independent studies, distance learning courses or selected courses offered through other agencies. Interested adjunct faculty must fill out a Scholarship Application at least three weeks prior to the first class session. An approved scholarship covers a designated portion of the course expense; applicants pay the remainder when officially registering through Student Academic Services. All scholarships terminate on August 31, at the end of summer quarter of any given academic year, and thus cannot be accumulated from year to year.
For more information concerning Adjunct Faculty Scholarships, contact DCS.
DCS relies on the help of adjunct faculty and other agencies to maintain the quality, timeliness and completeness of course publicity. All publicity should be approved by DCS Marketing and Information Services and meet the University’s quality standards. Publicity that does not meet these standards can cause confusion and may affect the status of future courses.
There are three main avenues for publicizing courses: DCS bulletins, DCS-produced flyers or brochures, and instructor or agency-produced publicity. Space is provided on the course forms to indicate publicity type.
DCS Bulletins
Courses may be included in a SPIRAL, Momentum Time Schedule (Evening/Weekend), Connection (Distance Learning), or Summer Bulletin if courses are submitted and approved prior to publication deadlines and bulletin publication is requested on the course form. See below for additional SPIRAL bulletin publication criteria.
To be published in the SPIRAL bulletin courses must include pre-registration information and meet the following criteria:
SPIRAL Publication Criteria
1. In order to provide courses which are in demand we will publish those which have been offered at least once through SPU within the last two years with a minimum of 12 enrollments for SPU credit.
2. In order to provide consistent quality and utilize the bulletin most effectively, we will:
- Edit course descriptions for publication.
- Choose courses which are consistent with local or state reform and staff development goals.
(A course form and syllabus must be completed for each course that is published and approved by the director of educational professional development.)
Course submission deadlines for the SPIRAL bulletin are sent via postcard to all SPIRAL adjunct faculty members living in the U.S. who have taught SPIRAL courses within the last 2 years. If you have any questions concerning submission deadlines, contact DCS.
Instructor or Agency-Produced Publicity
Instructors and agencies are encouraged to develop their own publicity provided it is sent to the DCS Marketing department with adequate time for review and approval prior to publication. DCS Marketing must approve any publicity which lists SPU’s name or phone number; confusion may result if our staff cannot answer questions which arise from non-DCS published materials.
Instructors may submit publicity for approval by attaching a draft to the course form. Course processing will route it to DCS Marketing and Information Services who will, in turn, contact the course proposer. Instructor-produced publicity may also be submitted directly to DCS Marketing and Information Services; however the course must be approved before publicity can be approved.
Publicity Guidelines
Complete publicity should include:
- Dates, meeting times, costs and other pertinent course information. Any additional fees, as well as how all fees are to be paid, should be clearly outlined.
- An explanation of course registration. Adjunct faculty wanting pre-registration or any prepayment should indicate that on the publicity. If official SPU registration takes place on-site, this should also be clearly stated on the flyer. Participants should know they will be required to pay for SPU credits in full at the time of registration.
- A clear graphic format that attracts attention but does not detract from understanding course content.
For more information on planning your publicity, please see Appendix A .
Publicity should reach prospective students at least four weeks before the first class session. Therefore, publicity should be mailed at least six to eight weeks in advance of the first class session for bulk mail and five weeks in advance for first class mail.
If you have questions concerning publicity guidelines, contact DCS Marketing and Information Services at (800)648-7898.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
The University is committed to protecting the right of privacy of all individuals about whom it holds information. Access to educational records is restricted to the student concerned, to parents of a dependent student (defined by the IRS), to others with the student’s written consent, to University officials who have legitimate educational interest in the records, to officials of another school where the student seeks to enroll, to certain authorized government representatives, to organizations conducting studies on behalf of the University, to accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting function, to a court of competent legal jurisdiction, and to appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.
Class or grade rosters are University educational records and, therefore, may not be used for any purpose not directly related to the specific course they are generated or created for. Furthermore, FERPA and Seattle Pacific University policy prohibit the use of any class or grade roster being used for any publicity or advertising purposes.
A copy of the University’s complete FERPA policy is located in Appendix B.
Students with Disabilities
Seattle Pacific University and the Division of Continuing Studies is committed to supporting all students in achieving a successful, satisfying educational experience. If you have a student with a disability who wishes to take your course, please seek information which would help us ascertain the student’s needs. We ask that all requests of this nature be taken seriously and that you contact the DCS director of operations at (206) 281-2003 for further information. DCS, working in conjunction with The Center for Special Populations, functions in accordance with regulations or laws including the appropriate sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as well as university policy on student support and equal access.
Copyright
Many well-meaning uses of media, print, and computer software materials are actually violations of copyright law. Faculty and staff should remember that "fair use" exemptions are not a broad set of rights. Those rights are sometimes very limited when it comes to newer technologies. Copyright holders are vigilant to protect their rights and actively pursue such cases through every legal means available. Even seemingly innocent violations of copyright law have been costly and troublesome to academic institutions. The Office of Learning Resources is making a determined effort to help guide faculty and staff through the sometimes confusing web of copyright law. In almost all cases, solutions can be found that protect the rights of the copyright holder while allowing Seattle Pacific faculty and staff to carry out their educational objectives.
The following policy has been adopted by Seattle Pacific University in regard to course material development. The Division of Continuing Studies urges all adjunct faculty to adhere to these requirements. For a full text of the guidelines, see "Questions and Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community," from the National Association of College Stores, Inc. and the Association of American Publishers, from which these guidelines are adapted.
The following are the four basic factors as established in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976:
1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purpose;
2. The nature of the copyrighted work;
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion of the work used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. The effort of the use in question on the potential market value for or value of the copyrighted work.
Guidelines For Printed Materials:
The following are prohibitions for unauthorized copying:
1. Unauthorized copying may not be used to create, replace, or substitute for anthologies, compilations, or collective works, whether or not such unauthorized copies are collected and bound together or are provided separately.
2. Unauthorized copies may not be made of "consumable" works, including workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, test booklets, answer sheets, and the like.
3. Unauthorized copying may not substitute for the purchase of books, publisher’s reprints, or periodicals.
4. Unauthorized copying may not be directed by higher authority, such as a dean or head of a department.
5. The same teacher cannot copy the same item without permission from term to term.
6. No charge shall be made to the student beyond the actual cost of the photocopying.
All of the following criteria must be met for "Fair Use" permission to apply:
1. When an individual teacher is "inspired" to use a work, and the inspiration and decision to use it and the moment of its use for maximum teaching effectiveness are so close in time that it would be unreasonable to expect a timely reply to a request for permission, AND
2. If the following limitations with regard to amount of copying of a work are applied:
a. Complete article, story, or essay--less than 2,500 words
b. Excerpted prose--the shorter of less than 1,000 words or 10%
c. Chart, graph, etc.--One (1) illustration
d. Poetry--less than 250 words on two (2) pages or less, AND
3. The copying is for only one course and term, AND
4. No more than one article, story, essay or poem OR two excerpts from works by the same author may be copied. No more than three works or excerpts may be copied from the same collective work or periodical volume during one class term and no more than nine such instances of multiple copying may occur for one course during one class term. (Item 4 guidelines do not apply to current news periodicals, newspapers, and current news sections of other periodicals.), AND
5. The original copyright notice should appear on all copies of the work.
Guidelines For Off-air Recording Of Broadcast Programming For Educational Purposes:
The following guidelines were entered into the Congressional Record as the intent of Congress when Copyright legislation was adopted. As a result, these "guidelines" have been adopted by the courts as law.
1. The guidelines were developed to apply to off-air recording by non-profit educational institutions.
2. A broadcast program may be recorded off-air and retained for a period not to exceed forty-five (45) consecutive days. Upon conclusion of the retention period, the off-air recording must be erased or destroyed immediately. "Broadcast programs" are defined as television programs transmitted by television stations for the reception of the general public without charge. Pay cable programs are not considered "broadcast programs."
3. Off-air recordings may be used once by individual faculty members in the course of relevant teaching activities, and repeated once only when instructional reinforcement is necessary. Programs may be shown only in classrooms and similar places devoted to instruction within the campus. The recordings may be shown in class only during the first ten (10) consecutive school days of the forty-five (45) day retention period. "School days" are defined as school session days--not counting weekends, holidays, examination periods, or other scheduled interruptions.
4. After the first ten (10) consecutive school days, off-air recordings may be used up to the end of the forty-five (45) calendar day retention period only for teacher evaluation purposes. An example of such use would be to determine whether or not to include the broadcast program in the teaching curriculum. It may not be used in the recording institution for student exhibition or any other non-evaluation purpose without authorization from the copyright holder.
5. Off-air recordings may be made only at the request of and used by individual faculty members, and may not be recorded in anticipation of requests. No broadcast program may be recorded off-air more than once at the request of the same faculty member, regardless of the number of times the program may be broadcast.
6. Off-air recordings need not be used in their entirety, but the recorded programs may not be altered from their original content. Off-air recordings may not be physically or electronically combined or merged to constitute teaching anthologies or compilations.
7. All copies of off-air recordings must include the copyright notice on the broadcast program as recorded.
Of course, educational video users can gain further rights if written permission is obtained from the copyright holder.
Guidelines For Use Of "Home Use Only" Videotapes In The Classroom:
The proliferation of video resources easily available to faculty members has created a copyright dilemma in many academic institutions. Holders of the copyright to a program also own the right to control how the video program is shown. This right is called the "performance right." Showing a videotape in the classroom is considered a "public performance." Many videotapes, when rented or purchased from home or consumer oriented video outlets, are often labeled as such to forbid "public performances." While this "Home Use Only" clause is legally binding, there is a limited exemption granted to faculty as long as they meet all of the following guidelines:
1. The videotape must be shown only to students and faculty in a face-to-face educational situation.
2. The videotape must be shown as part of a systematic course of instruction (curriculum outline and lesson plans).
3. The videotape must be shown in an assigned classroom location devoted to instruction.
4. The videotape must be shown using legitimate (not illegally reproduced) copy with the copyright notice included.
5. The signed rental or purchase agreement must not include a restriction on the use of the videotape for public performance.
The following uses of video programs are prohibited (without written authorization from the copyright holder):
1. The videotape is shown for entertainment, recreation, cultural value, or is not directly related to a teaching activity that is a part of a systematic course of instruction.
2. The videotape is shown to an audience not confined to registered students, faculty members, or guest speakers.
3. The videotape is shown in an area not assigned as a place of instruction. Lounge, dining, and some auditorium areas are not considered places of instruction.
4. The videotape is an illegally acquired or duplicated copy of the work.
Guidelines For The Use Of Computer Software:
The Copyright Act of 1976 and the Computer Software Act of 1980 legislate what is allowed in the use of computer software. Admittedly, confusion about what is allowed and what is not has created difficulties for both software producers and users. Generally the following uses are allowed:
1. An archival or back-up copy can be made of a program that you own. The back-up copy can only be used if the original fails. You cannot use the back-up copy on a computer at the same time that the master copy is being used.
2. You can adapt the program to your use by adding content or adapting it to another language. You cannot sell, distribute, or transfer the adapted version without written permission from the copyright holder.
3. You can loan the computer software in a university computer lab.
Likewise, faculty and staff cannot:
1. Make multiple back-up copies.
2. Make one copy for home and one copy for use at the university.
3. Make a copy for a friend (unless the software is public domain).
4. Use or make more than one copy to be used in a computer lab without purchasing the rights to the additional copies. This includes running a computer program on more than one machine from one purchased copy (as in a network system).
5. Illegally copy commercial software from SPU computers for use on other computers, or vice versa.
6. Use SPU computer facilities to compromise other computers or networks, or to commit crimes or other unethical acts.
7. Place public-domain or bulletin-board software on any SPU computer without the approval of the executive director of computer and information systems because of the danger of introducing viruses, worms, and other malicious or dangerous programs into the SPU computer network.
It is understood that the above responsibilities are part of job descriptions and employment relationships with the University and that employees may be disciplined up to and including termination for violation of said responsibilities.
Sexual Harassment
Seattle Pacific University is committed to maintaining an environment free of sexual harassment. Members of the university community have the right to work, study and communicate with each other in an atmosphere free from unsolicited and unwelcome communication of a sexual nature. The University’s sexual harassment policy and procedures are intended to provide fair, equitable treatment for both the complainant and the alleged harasser.
Sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual conduct, whether verbal or physical, or statements that create an environment that fosters such unwelcome conduct. Examples include:
1. Making acceptance of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature as a condition (expressed or implied) of the student’s academic matriculation, or
2. Making submission to or rejection of such conduct the basis for academic decisions affecting the student, or
3. Stating or implying that a particular student’s grades, academic awards, evaluations or recognition received, have resulted from the granting of sexual favors, or the establishment or continuation of a sexual relationship, or
4. Stating or implying that a particular student’s performance is attributable in whole or in part to the gender of the person, or
5. Commenting on particular characteristics associated with a particular sex (e.g., a female student’s breasts), or
6. Creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive academic environment by such conduct or comments.
Sexual harassment is a form of misconduct which violates the integrity and trust in human relationships. It is illegal and against University policy for any student or employee to engage in actions which sexually harass a University student or employee. Any student or employee who violates the policy is subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion or dismissal.
Employees and students who believe they have been the subject of any sexual harassment or who have concerns about the appropriateness or the behavior of another employee or student should report the alleged act immediately to one of the University’s grievance officers, who will collect information about the complaint, make any appropriate referrals and/or initiate an investigation and appropriate resolution. The dean of students, a representative from the faculty and the director of human resources are the University’s grievance officers.
Further information or a copy of the complete sexual harassment policy is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Life or the Office of Human Resources.
Policy of Nondiscrimination
It is the policy of Seattle Pacific University not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in admissions and access to, or treatment or employment in its programs or activities, as required by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (to the extend applicable to the University), Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, as amended, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the Age Discrimination Act, as amended, and their implementation regulations.
As a religious educational institution operating under the auspices of the Free Methodist Church of North America, Seattle Pacific University is permitted and reserves the right to prefer employees or prospective employees on the basis of religion.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the following persons:
Section 504 Coordinators:
Primary Assistant Director, Center for Special Populations (206)281-2475
Secondary Vice President for Student Life (206)281-2067
Title IX Coordinators:
Primary Vice President for University Relations (206)281-2650
Secondary Director of Human Resources (206)281-2809
Age Discrimination Compliance Coordinator:
Primary Director of Human Resources (206)281-2809
Secondary Vice President for Business and Finance (206)281-2522
Address for all of
the above:
Seattle Pacific University
3307 3rd Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
If you believe you may have been discriminated against in violation of this policy, please immediately contact the Section 504 Coordinators, the Title IX Coordinators, the Age Discrimination Compliance Coordinator, the Office of Student Life or the Office of Human Resources for a copy of the University’s Discrimination Grievance Procedures. If, due to a disability, you require reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of your job, you should immediately notify your DCS program director and the director of human resources.
On-Campus Courses
If any on campus emergency situation occurs, contact the Campus Safety and Security Office at extension 2911 (from any on campus phone). For situations that are not emergencies but need Security’s services, please do not use extension 2911; instead call extension 2922. During weekend and evening hours escort service can be provided for you and your students by calling extension 2922.
For on campus emergencies, do not call the police, fire or ambulance directly; Security will contact the emergency service(s) that should arrive at the scene.
When calling, give the location of the accident victim and a brief description of the injury. Also provide the name and phone number of the person reporting the accident.
Off-Campus Courses
Instructors
are responsible to determine how to report any
accidents off campus to the agency upon whose
premises they are teaching. In addition,
instructors must send the Division of Continuing
Studies a report of any and all accidents or
security incidents.