Faculty Information

Faculty Handbook

The 2019-20 Faculty Handbook provides information for all Palm Beach State College Faculty.
Download Faculty Handbook in PDF format.

The Faculty Handbook includes information on the following topics:

Introduction
Message from the Vice President of Academic Affairs
General Information - Strategic Plan, Vision, Mission & Values
Academic Calendars
Pillars of Instructional Excellence
Student Issues or Concerns
Before Classes Begin
Attendance Reporting
While Classes are in Progress
Instructional Materials
As Classes End
Resources for New Faculty & Program Instructors
E-Learning (Distance Learning)
Academic Issues & Procedures
Campus Information

Questions? Please email Cyndi C. Demitruk

Compliance Calendar

Faculty & Instructors are encouraged to add the Compliance Calendar to your Outlook Calendar. Follow these steps to ensure deadlines are not missed:

In the Outlook Calendar, click on the Home Tab.
Click on Add Calendar, and then click on From Address Book.
Type “Compliance” in the search bar, and “Compliance – Calendar” will populate in Calendar box below, and then click “OK.”

Faculty Home Page Utility

For Faculty Home Pages, please note the following:

Accessing the Faculty Home Page - Login to the EmployeeWeb and select Faculty Home Page Utility.
Tutorials and Instructions - View a video tutorial and Adobe PDF Instructions on how to use the Faculty Home Page Utility. In addition, there are Instructional Design Technology Workshops being offered for faculty and staff.
Priority Posting the Syllabus - Your first priority is to upload your syllabus for the upcoming term according to the Syllabus Posting Deadlines. PBSC has adopted Simple Syllabus; a centralized, template-driven platform that enables instructors to quickly personalize and publish interactive class syllabi. You may upload your syllabus using the Simple Syllabus Tutorial.
Faculty Home Page - After that you may build out the Faculty Home Page with your information. If your department or discipline has standards on what should be included, please follow them.
Photo Display Options – You may choose to display your PantherNet ID picture or choose not to display any photo. If you wish to have your ID picture retaken, please see your PantherCard representative at your campus.
Posting Deadlines - Syllabus Posting Deadlines, we will monitor compliance and report back to Deans, Associate Deans, Directors and Department Chairs.
Link to your Faculty Web Page – If you reference the link to your faculty home page in your syllabus or in notes on classes in PantherNet, please know that the links will need to be updated. The link is displayed at the address bar of your web browser when you have your faculty homepage loaded.
These guidelines apply to both Full-Time and Adjunct Faculty.

Mid-Term Grading Windows

In order to support Palm Beach State College's commitment to student success, a web grading tool was developed to provide faculty with an efficient and sustainable way to assign mid-term grades to students. When faculty enter grades in the system, grades are emailed to students through the Palm Beach State College student email system. Grades are not stored nor used in any calculations of grade point average. The use of the tool is not required; however faculty are required to deliver a mid-term grade in some form - using this web form, some other form of written communication to the student, in private consultation with the student, or through an online grade book. Faculty MAY NOT post grades on doors or some other form of public display of grades.

The web tool is programmed to give a two-week window* in which a mid-term grades may be entered.

The following table displays the dates for the 2019-2020 Academic Year:
Term	Session 1		Session 2		Session 3		Session 4
2020-1	8/22/2019	12/18/2019	8/22/2019	10/17/2019	9/6/2019	12/18/2019	10/21/2019	12/18/2019
Grading Tool	Open	Closes	Open	Closes	Open	Closes	Open	Closes
Grading Tool	10/12/2019	10/28/2019	9/11/2019	9/27/2019	10/19/2019	11/4/2019	11/11/2019	11/27/2019
2020-2	1/6/2020	5/6/2020	1/6/2020	2/28/2020	1/21/2020	5/6/2020	3/9/2020	5/6/2020
Grading Tool	Open	Closes	Open	Closes	Open	Closes	Open	Closes
Grading Tool	2/27/2020	3/14/2020	1/24/2020	3/6/2020	3/6/2020	3/22/2020	3/30/2020	4/15/2020
2020-3	5/18/2020	8/10/2020	5/18/2020	6/29/2020	6/30/2020	8/10/2020	N/A	N/A
Grading Tool	Open	Closes	Open	Closes	Open	Closes	Open	Closes
Grading Tool	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	N/A	N/A

*TBD - Dates will be added in upon receipt of summer class rollover report

Accessing the Mid-Term Grading Tool

The mid-term grading tool is located on the EmployeeWeb page, please see below:

Sign on to EmployeeWeb using your user id and password that you use for email.
The mid-term grading tool is located under the Faculty/Advisor Tab, labeled Mid-Term Grades. It is the second item in the pull-down box.
Assign the letter grade which is most appropriate. Grades are automatically emailed to students once the window closes.

A tutorial is available at: Using the Mid-Term Grading Tool. Please email your associate dean or department chair should you have any questions or difficulties.

Online Teaching Modules

The League for Innovation, funded through a National Science Foundation grant, has produced a set of six modules on improving teaching skills.

From the website:

Welcome & Overview to Getting Results. Whether you're a new or experienced teacher, you have a chance to make an impact on the future of the country. How can you be as effective as possible? This multimedia resource for community college faculty will challenge your previous thinking about teaching and learning and give you the basic tools for effective classroom practice. The key theme of the course is to encourage you to focus on what the students will do and take responsibility for their success. Teachers know their content and they know how to explain. These are valuable skills. But teachers have to become experts at tapping into their students' knowledge base and how they learn.

Below are the links to the website and each of the six modules:

Getting Results: A Professional Development Course for Community College Educators Overview: How to Take This Course

Textbook Information

Textbook/Software selection is based on Palm Beach State Textbook Selection Policy and individually approved Cluster Textbook Selection Procedures. After a textbook/software selection is made, cluster chairs must submit a completed Textbook/Software Adoption Form to the Academic Coordinator, along with copies of the revised course outlines and cluster minutes approving the textbook changes. With this information, course outline list will be updated and then the Academic Coordinator will determine if curriculum action is required for the change. Part-time faculty members will need to contact their department chairs or cluster chairs to request a current copy of the Course Outlines.

Textbook/Software Selection

Three Years or More since Textbook/Software Revision
If a course has not changed its textbook/software in three years or more, the selection process follows what is outlined by the Palm Beach State Policy on Textbook/Software Selection and the specific cluster textbook selection policy. Once the textbook is selected, an update course outline and the cluster minutes approving the selection are sent to Academic Services and are posted on the online course list.

Less Than Three Years since Textbook/Software Revision
If course textbook/software changes occur within three years of the last selection/revision, in addition to the cluster selection process, a completed textbook/software adoption form is submitted to Academic Services along with the cluster minutes and updated course outline. These documents are sent to the Associate Dean, Dean, Director of the Library and Tech Infrastructure Director for electronic approval. Once these signatures are gathered, the form, cluster minutes and the revised outline are sent to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for approval. VPAA approval will authorize Academic Services to post the updated outline and textbook/software on the Palm Beach State College website.

To view the list of textbooks that are on current order for the College, visit the Follett Web site. There, you will key in "Florida" to select the location. Next, you will select the Palm Beach State location of your course. Finally, you will key in the course number. The course text title and price will be displayed. Computer Resource Management provides an online Web site where faculty can view textbook software evaluations and licensing information. The CRM’s at each respective location will keep this page up to date as they test and evaluate textbook software.

Bookstore Ordering Deadlines:

FALL - April 15

SPRING - September 15

SUMMER - February 1

Other Helpful Resources:

Palmer and graduates