Expectation #1: Faculty will demonstrate competence and quality teaching.

Competence and quality teaching are essential to a faculty member’s duties at Georgia Highlands College. We expect each faculty member to contribute to the mission of the college by taking a learned and considered approach to teaching inside and outside of the traditional, hybrid, or virtual classroom. A substantial effort should be made to ensure teaching is high-quality and consistently improving.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Work a forty hours per week schedule as agreed upon by the librarian’s supervisor
• Provide high-quality library services, as specified in the faculty member’s job responsibilities
• Provide research assistance to the college community through face-to-face and online reference interactions
• Regularly review and update library resources utilizing best practices, technologies, and pedagogies in the library field
• Create and share a copy of the instructional or informational resources, when appropriate
• Demonstrate competence and preparation for each patron interaction, presenting information in a relevant and organized manner while displaying knowledge and enthusiasm for librarianship and cognizance of the audience and their abilities
• Demonstrate a willingness to provide library services in the evening, as required by the division
• Other duties related to librarianship as mutually agreed upon by faculty member and the Dean/Campus Librarian

Expectation #2: Faculty will create and maintain a collegial environment that promotes student learning.

Faculty at the College should work to ensure every student has the environment and opportunity to succeed. All interactions at Georgia Highlands College conducted by a faculty member should be collegial, professional, and growth-oriented. In the classroom or library setting, it is the responsibility of the faculty member to ensure the environment is conducive to learning.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Demonstrate respect for views and rights of other faculty, staff, students, and administrators
• Demonstrate collegiality and cooperation between colleagues
• Create opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking and reasoning skills
• Implement a variety of teaching strategies that best target diverse student-audiences, and continually encourage student participation
• Use technology appropriately to enhance student-learning and success
• Communicate office hours to students and to the division office and be available to students during these hours
• Reply to pertinent GHC emails within 24 hours, Monday through Friday
• Create and/or implement library activities that foster collaboration and student learning
• Exhibit excellent customer service skills
• Uphold the American Library Association (ALA) Code of Ethics

Expectation #3: Faculty will participate in quality improvement processes and required record keeping.

Georgia Highlands College is a learning organization and constantly seeking to improve. It is a general expectation of all faculty to engage in these efforts. In order for the college and our students to improve, official records must be kept with care, integrity, and consideration.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Participate in the development, evaluation, and improvement of information literacy instruction, reference, co-curricular activities, and/or library systems
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate statistics on appropriate aspects of library services
• Participate in internal data-gathering opportunities related to student learning and success
• Through library instructional and training materials, inform students of the assessment methods and criteria that will be used for student assessment
• Ensure that all assessment aligns with the student learning outcomes as communicated
• Maintain confidentiality of patron records, as appropriate

Expectation #4: Faculty will participate in advising students.

As a college, we holistically advise students. Faculty members are expected to advise students in a way that focuses on the individuality of the student. This includes advising their personal, vocational, and educational goals while encouraging them to take charge of their own progress and success.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Participate in holistic advising with students in their second semester and beyond as required by the current advising model.
• Participate in Drop/Add Advising as required
• Incorporate conversations about academic success, career goals, and graduation into patron interactions.

Expectation #5: Faculty will contribute to the efficient operation of the College.

Faculty members have a unique responsibility to contribute to the efficient operation of the college. To assist the college in a meaningful way, it is vital that each faculty member engages in departmental, divisional, and full faculty activities. It is expected that faculty members will seek out and accept reasonable opportunities to serve on committees, support extra/co-curricular activities, participate in institutional service, and contribute to community service.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Attend all required meetings, unless otherwise approved by the academic dean
• Attend graduation, unless otherwise approved by the academic dean
• Comply with all pertinent SACSCOC, USG, and GHC policies and procedures
• Faculty should work with their academic dean to complete at least two of the following areas:
  • assist the Dean/Department Chair, as appropriate, in faculty searches, budget planning, school goals, required reports, etc.
  • serve on Committees of the College and/or Committees of the Faculty o support college extracurricular and/or student activities
  • engage in service-learning
  • participate in institutional service
  • participate in community service

Expectation #6: Faculty will participate in continuous professional growth and development.

As an organization, the college changes over time to meet the needs of our community and shape best practices. As such, we expect all faculty to attend all mandatory professional growth and development opportunities offered.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Attend all mandatory professional development and trainings offered by the college, Academic Affairs, and pertinent divisions and departments, unless prior approval by the academic dean
• Engage in new professional development opportunities
• Stay current of developments in librarianship
• Complete annual compliance training by the posted deadline

Expectation #7: Faculty will contribute their expertise to their scholarly discourse and our community.

The college embraces the Boyer (1997) model of scholarship. Therefore, we recognize four types of scholarly activities: discovery, or the building of new knowledge through traditional research; integration, or the interpreting the use of knowledge across disciplines; application, or aiding society and professions in addressing problems; and teaching, or studying teaching models and practices to achieve optimum learning.

REQUIRED DUTIES:

• Engage in the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and/or teaching. This may include:
  • Discovery: contributing to the knowledge base of the field by publishing in professional publications or making conference presentations.
  • Integration: researching, developing and implementing new or improved services for students.
  • Application: writing training guides, providing in-service training, or completing significant course development.
  • Teaching: developing new courses, making major revisions to existing courses, or exploring new delivery methods of instruction.