HISTORY

Western Nevada College (WNC) is a comprehensive community college, which serves more than 6,000 students each semester within an 18,000-square-mile service area. One of four community colleges authorized by the Nevada Legislature and governed by the Nevada System of Higher Education of Nevada Board of Regents, it is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and Universities.

Western Nevada College opened its doors in leased facilities, serving Carson City, Reno, and most of western Nevada on September 19, 1971. In 1974, the Bristlecone Building opened on the Carson City Campus. In 1976, WNC split with the north campus in Reno. The Fallon Campus opened Sage Hall in 1981.

In 1987, the local builders and manufacturers donated time and materials to construct the machine tool technology building. The machine tool technology program was considered a state-of-the-art program.

The Pinion Hall classroom building opened on the Fallon Campus in 1988. The Aspen Building on the Carson City Campus opened in 1991 and brought the much needed science and art laboratories to campus and expanded the areas for counseling and admissions. The (Marvin) Sedway Cafe was also created.

In 1992, Stillwater Hall opened at the Fallon Campus and housed a new science and art labs, student services areas, and the first on-campus library and media services area. The Library and media services additions opened at the Carson City Campus followed by the Child Development Center in 1993.

In 1997 with Bently Hall opening on the Douglas Campus in Minden, Nevada, and the John Sheldon Trade and Industrial Complex opening on the Carson City Campus.

In 1999, the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Technology opened at the Carson City Campus. The WNC High Tech Center also opened at Carson High School and providing technology programs in a joint use college-high school facility.

The Jack C. Davis Observatory opened in 2003 and the Joe Dini, Jr. Library and Student Center opened at the Carson City Campus in 2004.

Rural instructional centers operate throughout the seven-county service area to meet the increasing demand for access to education in the rural communities of Dayton, Fernley, Hawthorne, Lake Tahoe, Lovelock, Smith Valley, and Yerington. Distance education offerings including Internet courses and interactive video reach students in even the remotest locations.

MISSION STATEMENT

Western Nevada College inspires success in our community through opportunities that cultivate creativity, intellectual growth and technological excellence, in an environment that nurtures individual potential and respects differences.

WNC STRATEGIC GOALS 2006-2012

1. Improve student success in program completion and graduation rates.
2. Ensure institutional excellence in teaching, programs and services.
3. Embrace our college's many communities and respond to their diverse needs.

DEFINITIONS

Approval Authority: The College Council is the recommending authority for all additions, revisions, or deletions of policies/procedures, as authorized by the College President and subject to the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents approval.

College Wide: includes information of interest to the entire College community. It is recommended that departmental procedures/policies be placed on departmental web pages.

Originating Division/Department: is the responsible division/department authorized to implement and/or modify the usage of the policy/procedures.

Contact: is the position responsible for maintaining, reviewing, revising, modifying, and answering any inquiries regarding the policy/procedure.

Policies: are broad guidelines that chart a course of action. They tell what is wanted and may include why and how much. A policy has the following characteristics:

• States goals, purposes, and aspirations.
• States how the Board of Regents and the College operate.
• Assigns responsibility or authority to the President.
• Establishes the position of the Board of Regents or the College on a topic of concern.
• Only the Board of Regents and administration have the authority to set policy.
• Answers the questions what and why, rather than how.

Policy Number: is the assigned administrative chapter and sequential number of the Policy/Procedure. The official policy number is assigned by the President's office.

Procedures: provide detailed directions developed by a responsible party/review authority to put policy into practice. They tell how, by whom, where, and when thing are done. A procedure has the following characteristics:

• Sets forth mechanics for implementing policies
• Lists specific do's and don'ts
• Lists required step-by-step instructions
• Answers the question how, rather that what and why

NSHE Code: The Code shall establish the primary organizational structure of the System and the basic personnel policies for its faculty. In institutional bylaws, procedures, and regulations the Code shall prevail.

The Nevada Revised Statutes: The Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) are the actual Laws.

The Nevada Administrative Code: The Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) are Rules and Regulations.

ADDING A NEW POLICY/PROCEDURES (See Policy 1-1-1, Policy and Procedure Development at WNC)

1. A new college wide policy or procedure must be submitted by the contact department.
2. Ensure that all individuals who share responsibility for this policy or procedure have been consulted, including your supervisor.
3. Your policy and procedure needs to include the following:
   1. Policy/Procedure name
   2. Policy/Procedure proposed number
   3. Originating Department
   4. Contact Position
   5. The text of the policy/procedure
   6. References contained within the policy/procedure, e.g., NSHE Board of Regents Code, Board of Regents' Meeting Minutes date, NAC/NRS, and other, etc.
   7. Copies of any referenced forms
4. Format for the policy/procedure must be consistent with the general Policies and Procedures format.
5. Submit electronically the proposed new policy/procedure, including any referenced forms, to the Assistant to the President.

REVISING AN EXISTING POLICY/PROCEDURE

1. Revisions may be submitted only by the originating department.
2. Ensure that all individuals who share responsibility for this policy/procedure have been consulted, including your supervisor.
3. Ensure that your proposed changes are consistent with the format used in the Policies and Procedures Manual.
4. Submit an electronic copy of the original policy/procedure, with your changes marked preferably in red to the Assistant to the President.

DELETING AN EXISTING POLICY/PROCEDURE

1. Deletions must be submitted by the originating department.
2. Ensure that all individuals who share responsibility for this procedure/policy have been consulted, including your supervisor.
3. Identify the policy/procedure to be deleted, and submit a brief statement explaining why the deletion is requested, to the Assistant to the President.

Disclaimer:  This document of policies and procedures serves as an informational service only and should not be relied upon as an official record of action.  For official information, please refer to the NSHE Code, The Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), and the Nevada Administrative Code (NAC).

As members of the WNC community, we choose to be part of an academic community dedicated to those principles that foster personal and professional integrity, civility, and acceptance.

We strive toward lives of personal integrity and academic excellence--We will encourage in ourselves, and in one another, those responsible actions which lead to lives of productive work, personal enrichment, and useful citizenship in an increasingly interdependent world.

We commit to treat one another with civility--Recognizing that there will be differences of opinion, we will explore the differences in a courteous and forthright manner, always acknowledging individual rights to the freedom of expression and association.

We embrace diversity--We encourage those of all cultures, orientations, and backgrounds to understand and respect one another in a safe and supportive educational environment.

• Organizational Units - Administrative
• Organizational Units - Academic
• Programs, Specializations, and Degrees
• Courses and Sections
• Files/Forms

• Section 1: Organizational Units - Administrative
  • A. (Administrative) Divisions: Administrative divisions are the broadest groupings of organization on the WNC campus. A vice president, who reports directly to the college president, is the head of each division. There are presently four Divisions: "Academic and Student Affairs," "Finance and Administration," "Human Resources and Legal Services" and "Institutional Advancement." Administrative divisions are usually referred to as "divisions."
    
    • 1. Under the Academic and Student Affairs administrative division, there are additional administrative divisions. They include (but are not limited to) "Student Services" and "Instruction." These are functionally similar to academic divisions in that there is a dean that reports to the Academic and Student Affairs division. Under the Instruction division are academic divisions (see below) instead of administrative departments.
  • B. (Administrative) Departments: Administrative Departments are non-academic organizational areas of the college. A director or coordinator heads each department who usually reports to an administrative division or another administrative department. Some departments may report directly to the president instead. Administrative departments are usually referred to as "departments."
    

• Section 2: Organizational Units - Academic
  • A. (Academic) Division: A collection of departments that grant degrees in particular fields.i These are the broadest divisions of academic areas. A division chair, who reports to the dean of instruction under the division of Academic and Student Affairs, heads each academic division. There are presently five divisions: "Business & Technology," "Communications & Fine Arts," "Nursing & Allied Health," "Science, Mathematics & Engineering," "Social Science, Education, Humanities & Public Service." Academic divisions may be referred to as "division" when in context of academic areas.
    
  • B. (Academic) Discipline: Academic disciplines are distinct areas of study, branch of instruction, or academic field.ii At WNC, academic disciplines are individual areas of instruction and are directly supervised by the academic divisions (or department if there is a designated department head). There are currently more than 40 academic disciplines on campus, including history, philosophy, music, Italian, etc. Academic disciplines may have an appointed "lead faculty" that oversees the academic discipline. Academic disciplines may be referred to as "discipline." All academic disciplines have a three or four letter designation, such as ACC for accounting, or MUS for music.
    

• Section 3: Programs, Specializations, and Degrees
  • A. Degrees: the award given to graduates based on educational level. The basic levels include associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctorate.iii This is the terminal result of a degree program.
    
    • 1. Programs: An academic title that signifies completion of a [program] of study.iv There are four degrees programs of study that WNC currently offers: Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of General Studies (AGS).
      • a. Emphasis: Emphasis refers to individual programs of study within a broader program, such as Associate of Arts, Computer Science Emphasis.
      • b. Specializations: Specializations are a specific area or branch of study within a student's [Emphasis]. For example: a student majoring in [Associate of Applied Science in Web Technology] may choose to pursue an emphasis (i.e. option or concentration) in [Web Administration].v Specializations are smaller divisions of emphasis.
      • c. Certificate Programs: An award made for satisfactory completion of a certain level of skill in an occupational curriculum.vi
  • B. Non-Degree Programs: Non-Degree programs are programs of study that do not end with the award of a degree
    
    • 1. Transfer Programs: Are programs of study similar to a degree program but do not carry a degree. Instead these programs are designed to facilitate transferring of credits to another institution degree program.
    • 2. Special Academic Programs: There are various Special Academic Programs. These have neither a degree nor certificate, but usually lead towards a certification or other industry accepted academic standing.
    • 3. Certification and Licensing Preparation: Are non-degree programs of study designed to help students take external certification or licensing exams. No degree, certificate or license is awarded

• Section 4: Courses and Sections
  • A. Courses: A single instructional subject commonly described by title, number, and credits in the college catalog or bulletin.vii There may be multiple "sections" of a course in any one semester.
    
    • 1. Courses are referred to by their course number. As each course is under a specific academic discipline, the course number starts with the academic disciplines three or four letter designation, followed by a three or four digit to differentiate a specific course. For example, ACC 201 refers to "Financial Accounting," while BUS 101 refers to "Intro to Business."
  • B. Classes or Sections: Classes, or Sections, refer to the individual courses being taught and are listed in the schedule of classes.
    
    • 1. Classes are referred to by the course number followed by a one letter and two digit number. The first letter refers to the "location" of the class. For example, C01 would be the first section of a particular course on the Carson campus, D03 would be the third section of a particular course at the Douglas campus, and W02 would be the second section taught on the web.
    • 2. Classes are also assigned individual call numbers, which is a five-digit number that starts with the semester it is being offered. For example, a 32005 number would be a fall semester call number while 18635 would be a spring semester call number.

• Section 5: Files/Forms
  • A. Supplemental Materials: Organization Flow Chart [ PDF / 484 KB ]

i NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual, Section 7, Chapter 6
ii NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual, Section 7, Chapter 6
iii NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual, Section 7, Chapter 6
iv Western Nevada College Catalog 2006-2007
v NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual, Section 7, Chapter 6
vi Western Nevada College Catalog 2006-2007
vii Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Accreditation Handbook

WNC is guided by the principle that there shall be no difference in the treatment of persons because of race, religion, color, age, sex, including a pregnancy-related condition, sexual-orientation, military status or military obligations, disability, including veterans with service-connected disabilities, or national origin, and that equal opportunity and access to facilities shall be available to all. Similarly, there shall be no difference in the treatment of persons who file charges of discrimination, participate in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise oppose discrimination. It is our policy to comply fully with the non-discrimination provision of all state and federal regulations with regard to recruitment, admission, financial aid, activities, hiring, promotions, training, terminations, benefits and compensation.

• Composition of College Council
• Development of College Policies and Procedures
• Approval of Policies and Procedures
• Distribution of College Policies and Procedures

• Section 1: Composition of College Council
  • A. College Council members shall be:
    
    • 1. College President
    • 2. Vice President Academic Affairs
    • 3. Vice President Finance and Administration
    • 4. Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel
    • 5. Academic Faculty Senate Chairperson
    • 6. Administrative Faculty Senate Chairperson
    • 7. Classified Council Chairperson
    • 8. Associated Students of Western Nevada President or representative
    • 9. Division Chair representative (rotating)
    • 10. SPFIE Representative

• Section 2: Development of College Policies and Procedures
  • A. Proposal for new or modified policies or procedures shall be submitted to the College Council through Academic Affairs Council, Faculty Senate, Administrative Faculty Senate, Classified Council, Associated Students of Western Nevada or appropriate college committees. Proposed changes will be distributed, in writing by the originator of the policy change, to the college community within 7 calendar days of the College Council meeting wherein it was presented as an e-mail attachment.
    
  • B. All proposed policies and procedures, new and modified must be reviewed by those bodies represented on College Council and action must be taken within 60 calendar days.
    

• Section 3: Approval of Policies and Procedures
  • A. New and modified policies and procedures shall be recommended by a majority vote of the College Council and approved by the College President.
    

• Section 4: Distribution of College Policies and Procedures
  • A. Approved policies and procedures shall be available in the College's libraries.
    
  • B. Approved policies and procedures shall be available on the College's web site.
    
  • C. Approved policies and procedures shall be distributed by the President's Office via e-mail attachment to the college community within 7 calendar days of approval by the College Council.
    

• Section 1: Procedure
  • A. The chairs will solicit volunteers and discuss the composition of the committees with the President. The chairs will each nominate and submit, to the President, a ratified pool of names for each college committee.
    
  • B. The chairs will meet individually with the President to discuss the committee nominations before appointments are made.
    
  • C. The President will inform the college of the appointments to the college committees.
    

• Section 1: Statement
  • A. ...Amendments to the Nevada Ethics in Government Law took effect October 1, 1991. Three prohibitions in the Code of Ethical Standards (NRS 281.481) which have a potential impact on employees of the NSHE are:
    
    • 1. A public officer or employee shall not accept any salary, retainer, augmentation, expense allowance or other compensation from any private source for the performance of his duties as a public officer or employee.
    • 2. A public officer or employee, other than a member of the legislature, shall not use governmental time, property, equipment or other facilities to benefit his personal or financial interest.
    • 3. A public officer or employee shall not seek other employment or contracts through the use of his official position.
  • B. The term "compensation," as used in paragraph 4 quoted above, is defined by the statute as "any money, thing of value or economic benefit conferred on or received by any person in return for services rendered, personally or by another."
    
  • C. Willful violations of the law are punishable by civil fines or up to $5,000 and/or repayment of any compensation or benefit received in violation of the law.
    
  • D. In addition, the law provides: "A Public officer or public employee shall not accept or receive an honorarium."
    
  • E. An "honorarium" is defined in the law as "the payment of money or anything of value for an appearance or speech by the public officer or public employee in his capacity as a public officer or public employee..." The term does not include travel or per diem expenses, nor is the receipt of an honorarium prohibited if it is paid to a charitable organization on behalf of the public officer or employee.
    

• Section 1: Costs
  • A. Copies of such public documents will be made available at the cost of $.10 per page.
    
  • B. In the event that copying such documents requires an extraordinary use of personnel or college resources, the college has the right also to bill for staff time or other actual expenses.
    
  • C. If a copying request requires less than a half hour of staff time, the requestor will only be charged for the copies.
    
  • D. If the copying takes one half hour or more, the requestor shall be charged in half hour increments for the employee's time at the actual hourly rate of the employee who does the copying.
    
    • 1. For example, if the employee earns $52,000 per year, the college will charge the requestor a minimum of $12.50 for the first half hour, plus an additional $12.50 for every additional half hour of copying, in addition to $.10 per page.
  • E. If charges for extraordinary use of staff time or college resources are anticipated, the requestor shall be notified of the estimated charges before the requested information is copied.
    
  • F. Public requests and employee requests, not directly related to their job performance, must be made through the President's Office.
    

• Section 1: Guidelines
  • A. The following guidelines should be followed:
    
    • 1. The campus mail should not be used to distribute political materials of any form. This applies to both members and non-members of the college community.
    • 2. Campaign signs and handbills for public officials should not be posted on college grounds or on campus buildings.
    • 3. The college will not sponsor or support political candidates.
    • 4. Elected officials or persons campaigning for public office will not be introduced at college functions.
  • B. Questions and information regarding political activity on campus will be handled by the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services on the Carson campus and by the dean on the Fallon Campus.
    

• Section 1: Guidelines
  • A. Employees shall have the right to vote as they choose and to express their political opinions on all subjects without recourse, except that no employee shall:
    
    • 1. Directly or indirectly solicit or receive, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving any assessment subscription, monetary or non-monetary contribution for a political purpose from anyone who is in the same department and who is a subordinate of the solicitor.
    • 2. Engage in political activity during the hours of his state employment for the purpose of improving the chances of a political party or individual seeking office; and at any time engage in political activity for the purpose of securing preference for promotion, transfer, or salary advancement.
    • 3. While off duty, engage in political activity to an extent that it impairs his attendance or efficiency as an employee.
    • 4. As an employee in an agency administering federally aided programs, engage in political activities at any time which are forbidden by federal law.
  • B. This standard is to be applied to all college employees.
    
  • C. College facilities, materials, or personnel duty time are not to be used for the promotion of any political candidate.
    
  • D. This policy in no way precludes any employee from participating in political activities as a private citizen.
    

This policy is has been rescinded and is no longer active.

If you wish to view an archive of this policy, please visit the WNC library.

Note: This policy was removed 2/3/2009 by College Council. The content of this policy is now incorporated into policy 6-1-1.

• Campus/Instructional Center Decision
• Decision Made During Hours of Operation
• Decision Made During Non-Operating Hours
• Campus Open/Classes Not Canceled During Inclement Weather
• Instructional Centers
• Allied Health
• Child Development Center

• Section 1: Campus/Instructional Center Decision
  • A. The decision to close a campus or instructional center or cancel classes, shall be made independent of other campuses and instructional centers operated by WNC.
    
  • B. The administrator in charge shall make the decision based on the best information available at the time.
    

• Section 2: Decision Made During Hours of Operation
  • A. If the decision is made to cancel classes and/or close the campus/instructional center during normal operating hours (8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday) the following shall apply:
    
    • 1. The administrator in charge shall determine the hour of cancellation or closure and make the announcement via e-mail to all faculty and staff.
    • 2. The administrator in charge shall make arrangements to inform radio and television stations of the cancellation or closure.
    • 3. The administrator in charge will make arrangements for the receptionist to properly inform those who call and to update voice mail, if available, to inform those who call the status of the cancellation or closure.

• Section 3: Decision Made During Non-Operating Hours
  • A. If the decision is made to cancel classes and/or close the campus/instructional center during non-operating hours (10:01 pm to 7:59 am, Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday) the following shall apply:
    
    • 1. The administrator in charge shall make arrangements to inform radio and television stations of the cancellation or closure.
    • 2. The administrator in charge shall contact key administrative staff to solicit assistance in informing as many campus employees as possible about the cancellation or closure.
    • 3. The administrator in charge shall make arrangements to update voice mail, if available, to inform those who call the status of the cancellation or closure.

• Section 4: Campus Open/Classes Not Canceled During Inclement Weather
  • A. Because of the localization of inclement weather in western Nevada, bad weather that affects one area may not affect other areas.
    
  • B. In cases where a campus remains open or classes are not canceled, every effort will be made to keep students informed about individual classes that are canceled due to instructors' unavailability.
    

• Section 5: Instructional Centers
  • A. When an instructional center is located in a non-college building, closure of the building will dictate cancellation of college classes.
    

• Section 6: Allied Health
  • A. The Director of Allied Health is responsible for the cancellation of clinical laboratories in the event of inclement weather.
    

• Section 7: Child Development Center
  • A. Whenever, due to weather, utility or other natural disaster, it is deemed necessary to close the Carson City Campus, the Child Development Center Director or designee shall be notified, so that the Center's procedure for notifying parents to pick up their children can be implemented.
    
  • B. The Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services is to be notified by the Child Development Center Director or designee.
    

• Section 1: Statement
  • A. WNC welcomes people of all ages and a broad range of abilities. We also work with businesses, agencies, and school districts to provide instruction at off site locations, via contract courses and custom-tailored educational experiences. Many high school students take advantage of this access, and we often have students enrolled in college classes during their high school years. In this manner, we welcome cooperation with public, private, and charter schools.
    
  • B. Our college strategic plan calls for heavy enrollment growth in both daytime and evening classes in the future. All of our current activities are focused on supporting this plan and maximizing the use of our current facilities for the support of post-secondary educational opportunities for Nevadans. During this transitional period, we do not expect to undertake any major new classroom or laboratory construction at any of our sites. Therefore, we are not able to offer use of our facilities for educational activities which are not post-secondary in nature.
    

• Background Information
• Definitions
• Sanction
• Administrative Recourse
• Groundless or Malicious Charges

• Section 1: Background Information
  • A. Both the college and the person in the position of superior power are vulnerable to charges of harassment from the person in the position of lesser power or from third parties.
    
    • 1. Faculty, staff, and administrators, particularly in relationships with students and persons under their supervision, need to be aware of potential conflicts of interest and the possible compromise of their evaluative capacity.
    • 2. Faculty, staff, and administrators need to be aware that a sexual relationship may give rise to a perception on the part of others that the evaluative capacity of the faculty member or the supervisor has been compromised.
    • 3. The power differential inherent in faculty-student and supervisor-supervisee relationships may compromise the student's or the supervisee's ability to make decisions and thus may call into question the bona fide consensual nature of a relationship.
  • B. Consensual relationships existing between individuals - neither of whom has direct professional power or authority over the other - are not prohibited by this policy.
    

• Section 2: Definitions
  • A. Direct professional power or authority over another individual occurs when a person is in the position to do any of the following:
    
    • 1. Supervise the academic work of a student in any capacity, including assigning grades, academic advising, or serving on scholarship committees;
    • 2. Influence a student's employment or any other college activity;
    • 3. Supervise and/or evaluate the work performance of a member of the faculty or professional or classified staff;
    • 4. Recommend or award merit or promotions to a member of the faculty or professional or classified staff;
    • 5. Serve on promotion or tenure committees.

• Section 3: Sanction
  • A. When a romantic or sexual relationship exists, both parties involved may be subject to sanction possibilities. However, the person in the position of power or authority over the other will bear a greater degree of accountability.
    
  • B. To avoid possible sanction, the person in the position of power or authority over the other must, at the beginning of such a relationship, report its existence to his or her supervisor.
    

• Section 4: Administrative Recourse
  • A. Once the college administration learns of a romantic or sexual relationship, whether through self-reporting or otherwise, it will take immediate steps to eliminate the power or authority of the one individual over the other.
    
  • B. This may be accomplished by reassigning duties or responsibilities or requiring withdrawal from a committee or similar action.
    
  • C. Should the action fail to remedy the situation, and the relationship continues, or if the relationship is not self-reported, the administration may impose one or more of the sanctions available through the college's disciplinary procedures, as outlined in the NSHE, the Nevada Administrative Code, or WNC policy(ies).
    

• Section 5: Groundless or Malicious Charges
  • A. Persons bringing groundless or malicious charges under this policy are subject to disciplinary action for personal misconduct under the appropriate personnel or student policies.
    

• Possession of Alcoholic Beverages
• Sale of Alcoholic Beverages
• Events and Activities Not Specified in Sections 1 through 2

• Section 1: Possession of Alcoholic Beverages
  • A. The possession and use of alcoholic beverages on WNC properties is prohibited except in the following circumstances with written institutional president approval:
    
    • 1. Event scheduled by a non-college group or organization, which has received approval for the event through the established college facility-use process.
      • a. During an approved non-college event for which the sponsoring organization(s) provide the college with evidence of appropriate insurance liability coverage and/or contractual arrangements with an outside vendor who demonstrates similar liability coverage
    • 2. Scheduled academic or community education class that involves the consumption of alcoholic beverages as part of the academic requirements (i.e., wine tasting, POST Academy, etc.).
    • 3. Conferences and institutes, having institutional approval through the established facility use process, where fees are collected for a reception or other event where alcohol is served.
    • 4. College-sponsored and approved events where Host account expenditures are authorized for such events. College employees are not permitted to possess and/or consume alcoholic beverages during assigned work hours including meal periods and/or breaks.
    • 5. Student association events having the institutional president's approval:
      • a. The institutional president is the only person authorized to approve the purchase of alcoholic beverages from student association funds.
      • b. This approval only is granted when sufficient evidence is provided to ensure the legal dispensing of alcoholic beverages.

• Section 2: Sale of Alcoholic Beverages
  • A. The college prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages on all owned and/or leased properties with the following exceptions with written institutional president approval:
    
    • 1. During an approved non-college event for which the sponsoring organization(s) provide the college with evidence of appropriate insurance liability coverage and/or contractual arrangements with an outside vendor who demonstrates similar liability coverage
    • 2. At college sponsored events at which an outside vendor provides the alcoholic beverage service. All agreements with vendors or other third party providers for the distribution of alcoholic beverages must have the institutional president's approval.

• Section 3: Events and Activities Not Specified in Sections 1 through 2
  • A. Purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverages not addressed in sections 1 through 2 must have the institutional president's approval.
    

• Internal College-Sponsored Research
• External Agency-Requested Research

• Section 1: Internal College-Sponsored Research
  • A. This policy is designed to cover college-sponsored research.
    
    • 1. College-sponsored research is defined as research by faculty, departments, divisions or other entities that is used to describe students, services or programs to external audiences or is presented as official college findings.
    • 2. College-sponsored research is defined as research by faculty, departments, divisions or other entities that is used to describe students, services or programs to external audiences or is presented as official college findings.
  • B. The following are exempt from this policy but are required to notify Institutional Research for implementation purposes if Institutional Research is involved:
    
    • 1. Regular classroom examinations, research assignments, or test studies
    • 2. Faculty research protected by academic freedom
    • 3. Survey by academic faculty of their students
    • 4. Survey by administrative and executive faculty of academic faculty, students or classified employees
  • C. A college-sponsored research subcommittee of SPFIE shall review all instruments before they are used. This committee shall consist of the Director of Institutional Research, or his/her designee, and two academic faculty recommended by the Academic Senate Chair and appointed by the SPFIE Chair. All individuals shall serve a two-year term.
    
  • D. The Office of Institutional Research will provide technical assistance to faculty, departments, divisions, or other entities after their instruments have been approved by the college-sponsored research subcommittee. Nonapproved instruments are not college-sanctioned and are not publishable as official college findings.
    
  • E. All instruments approved by the college-sponsored research subcommittee will follow the Code of Federal Regulations governing the protection of human subjects (45CFR46).
    

• Section 2: External Agency-Requested Research
  • A. The Director of Institutional Research is responsible for coordinating the college's response to external questionnaires and other external data requests that will represent the college's position.
    
  • B. The Dean of Student Services is responsible for coordinating the college's response to requests for current student information.
    
  • C. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for coordinating the college's response to requests for employee information.
    
  • D. The Controller is responsible for coordinating the college's response to requests for information concerning purchasing and financial information. The Controller coordinates all responses to internal audit recommendations and follow-up.
    
  • E. The Budget Officer is responsible for coordinating the college's response to requests for information concerning the college budget.
    
  • F. The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for coordinating the college's response to requests for information concerning student scholarships, grants, loans and employment opportunities.
    
  • G. The Director of Library and Media Services is responsible for coordinating the college's response to requests for current library information.
    
  • H. External research not meeting the above criteria is the responsibility of the college-sponsored research subcommittee until such time as a suitable responder can be designated. It is understood that such data will be secondary once it is reported. It is further understood that WNC-IR will assist as needed in data gathering.
    

• In-Class Evaluation
• Student Participation
• Handling of Survey Forms

• Section 1: In-Class Evaluation
  • A. The evaluation by students shall be conducted during the last half of the instructional period.
    
  • B. A student selected by the faculty member shall distribute the survey forms to those students in attendance, collect the surveys after the surveys are completed, and seal the surveys in the envelope provided. The faculty member (after reading the instructions to students) shall leave the room during the evaluation process.
    
  • C. The packet is returned to Institutional Research following the instructions noted on the envelope.
    

• Section 2: Student Participation
  • A. Students will be afforded the opportunity to evaluate the quality of instruction in every one of their enrolled courses.
    

• Section 3: Handling of Survey Forms
  • A. Blank survey forms will be distributed to each faculty member by Institutional Research staff.
    
  • B. Institutional Research staff members will process completed forms.
    
  • C. Division summaries will be delivered to each appropriate Division Chair. Campus summaries will be delivered to the President, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, and Dean of Instruction. Institutional Research will also maintain copies of the Division and campus summaries.
    
  • D. Individual summaries and comments, if any, will be delivered to appropriate Division offices for their use and for distribution to faculty.
    
  • E. Copies of individual summaries and comments, if any, will be delivered to the Dean of Instruction and will be kept on file in that office for three years.
    
  • F. Original survey forms will be stored by Institutional Research for one academic year.
    

• General Information
• Definitions
• Procedure
• Compliance
• Records

• Section 1: General Information
  • A. WNC and its employees often benefit from the employee's participation in both public and private outside activities. WNC has no interest in setting forth detailed rules that may interfere with the employee's legitimate outside interests. Examples of activities which are clearly permissible include:
    
    • 1. acceptance of royalties for published works or of honoraria for papers and lectures;
    • 2. payments as a consultant to an outside entity, provided that the time commitment does not exceed WNC policy and that the arrangement does not alter the faculty member's commitments to WNC and;
    • 3. service on boards and committees of outside entities that does not distract from the faculty member's obligation to WNC.
  • B. Employees, in turn, must also ensure that their outside obligations, financial interests, and activities do not conflict or interfere with their commitment to WNC. This obligation pertains to both full-time and part-time employees.
    
  • C. This policy has been developed in response to specific federal agency requirements and is applicable to every investigator participating in sponsored project funding.
    

• Section 2: Definitions
  • A. The definitions and examples listed below are intended to aid WNC's employees and appropriate review bodies in identifying conflicts of interest. Identifying conflict situations and documenting steps taken to manage these conflicts serves to protect the employee and the institution, as well as assures that WNC will remain eligible for Governmental-sponsored research.
    
    • 1. Sponsored Project - A research, training, service, or other type of project with identifiable objectives and/or deliverables for which external funding either is being requested or has been received.
    • 2. Investigator - The principal investigator and any other person at WNC who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded, or proposed for funding. For purposes of this disclosure requirement, the term "investigator" includes the investigator's spouse and/or dependent children.
    • 3. Financial Interest - Anything of monetary value, including but not limited to, salary, or other payments for services (e.g., consulting fees or honoraria); equity interests (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interests); and intellectual property rights (e.g., patents, copyrights and royalties from such rights).
    • 4. Significant Financial Interest - The financial interest in business enterprises or entities where the value of such interest exceeds ten thousand dollars per anum in salary, fees, or other continuing payments or represents more than 5% ownership interest for any one enterprise or entity relevant to sponsored project activities when aggregated for the investigator and the investigator's spouse and dependent children.
    • 5. Conflict of Interest - A "conflict of interest" encompasses any situation in which an employee of WNC uses, or is in a position to use, his or her influence and authority within WNC to advance his or her own personal or financial interest, or the personal or financial interests of his or her immediate family. Examples of these types of conflicts may include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • a. personal gain or unauthorized use of privileged information acquired in connection with the employee's sponsored activities;
      • b. negotiations or influence upon the negotiation of an employees sponsored project agreement between WNC and organizations with which the employee has a consulting or other significant relationship;
      • c. acceptance of gratuities or special favors from agencies or organizations with which WNC does or may conduct business;
      • d. having a significant financial interest in an organization which funds the WNC employee's research work.

• Section 3: Procedure
  • A. Each investigator covered by this policy will annually report all "significant financial interests" held by themselves, their spouse and/or dependent children that are relevant to proposed or funded sponsored projects.
    
  • B. Disclosures will be made on the Conflict of Interest Policy Disclosure form, Attachment I, to the appropriate Supervisor on an annual basis and/or when new significant financial interests are acquired. A disclosure form must be completed prior to the submission of an application for sponsored project funding.
    
  • C. Positive disclosures will be reviewed by a committee composed of the Vice President of Finance/Administrative Services, two or more of the Academic Division Chairs including the cognizant Division Chair, the appropriate department chairpersons, and the Vice President of Institutional Development. Ad Hoc reviewers may be consulted on a case-by-case basis.
    
  • D. In those cases where the committee determines that a real or apparent conflict exists, it will take one of the following actions:
    
    • 1. Accept the sponsored project.
    • 2. Not accept the sponsored project.
    • 3. Accept the sponsored project subject to certain conditions, e.g.:
      • a. monitoring of research by independent reviewers;
      • b. public disclosure of significant financial interest;
      • c. modification of the research plan;
      • d. disqualification from participation in all or part of the sponsored project;
      • e. divestiture of significant financial interest;
      • f. severance of relationships that create actual or potential conflicts
    • 4. Appeal of the decision may be made to the President of WNC, who will consult with the principal investigator and the review committee before making a final determination (within thirty days of the appeal) as to the action to be taken. In all cases, resolution of the actual or apparent conflict of interest will be achieved before WNC accepts a sponsored project.

• Section 4: Compliance
  • A. Alleged violation of WNC's Conflict of Interest policy will be reviewed by means of an inquiry conducted by the review committee. Instances of deliberate breach of the policy, including failure to file a disclosure; knowingly filing incomplete, erroneous or misleading disclosure forms; or failure to comply with procedures prescribed in fulfillment of this policy, will be evaluated by the review committee.
    
  • B. The review committee will recommend to the President the appropriate sanction, in accordance with Chapter Six of the NSHE Code. Possible sanctions include: formal admonition letter to the faculty member's personnel file, suspension of privileges to apply for external funds, non-renewal of appointment, or dismissal.
    

• Section 5: Records
  • A. Disclosure forms and records of all further actions related to such disclosures will be maintained in the Office of the appropriate Vice President for three years following termination of the relevant award, or any subsequent action relating to that award.
    
  • B. All disclosures and related documentation are considered confidential, and only those persons involved in the implementation of this policy will have access to such records.
    

• Section 1: Usage
  • A. Please set your cell phone and/or pager on low or use a motion alarm when in classrooms, laboratories areas, testing areas, and Library and Media Services public areas.
    

• Approvals
• Instructions for Submission

• Section 1: Approvals
  • A. A course can be offered for academic credit only if the appropriate form has been submitted to and approved by the Faculty Senate Articulation Committee. Community Services (non-credit) courses are exempt.
    
  • B. A course is put into the College Catalog only if it has been submitted to and approved by the College Curriculum Committee.
    

• Section 2: Instructions for Submission
  • A. The appropriate articulation form is obtained from a Senate articulation member, the articulation officer, or an academic dean.
    
  • B. A faculty member (or administrator) completes and submits the appropriate form to his/her department chair (when applicable) and dean for approval and signature. The faculty member then submits the form to the Senate Articulation Chair.
    
  • C. The Senate Articulation chair proofs the form for errors, problems, etc. If necessary, the chair returns the form to the faculty member (administrator) for any needed corrections and/or revisions.
    
  • D. When the Articulation chair has a correct and approved copy, he/she will then forward forms for courses requesting transfer status to the Articulation Officer; copies of all forms will be kept by the Articulation Chair
    
  • E. The faculty member (or administrator) must also complete and submit SIS new course or change forms to enter the course or course changes in the student records system. The SIS form is submitted to the Articulation chair to verify the articulation has been approved, who then forwards it to the Admissions Office.
    
  • F. Approval for a title change for a class with a varying title (Special Topics) may be processed by submitting an Articulation form or by submitting the proposed title to the Articulation Chair through electronic mail.
    
  • G. It is the responsibility of the individual submitting the form to ensure any changes are submitted to the Curriculum Committee for submission in the college catalog. The individual responsible for bringing a program area to the Curriculum Committee must contact the chair of the Faculty Senate Articulation Committee at least four weeks prior to meeting with the Curriculum Committee.
    

• Section 1: Course Numbering System
  • A. To assist students identifying the types of courses available at WNC and their applicability toward specific degrees, the College maintains the following numbering system:
    
    • 1. Courses articulated for transfer within the University of Nevada System -- 100 - 299
    • 2. Courses not articulated for transfer within the University of Nevada System -- 100B - 299B
    • 3. Community Service Courses -- 100C - 299C
    • 4. Developmental Instruction -- 0 - 99
  • B. Developmental Course Numbering
    
    • 1. 001 - 020: Adult Basic Education (Reading, Math, Language, Writing)
    • 2. 021 - 050: English as a Second Language
    • 3. 051 - 060: GED Preparation
    • 4. 061 - 080: Lower Level Developmental Courses
    • 5. 081 - 099: College Preparation courses (i.e., ENG 95, ENG 98)

The purpose of an academic workload policy is to provide the following:

• A guide that places students' educational and developmental needs as our highest priority while insuring the best use of institutional resources.
• A measure of institutional efficiency to external audiences
• Equitable treatment of all Academic Faculty
• Impetus for institutional development
• A measure of financial accountability
• An equitable measure of workload

• Responsibilities of Full-Time Instructional Faculty
• Institutional Responsibilities
• Full-Time Instructional Faculty Workload
• Activities That Qualify for Reassigned Time and/or Additional Compensation
• Full Time Instructional Faculty Overloads
• Outside Professional or Scholarly Service
• Stipends
• Non-Instructional Faculty Workload

• Section 1: Responsibilities of Full-Time Instructional Faculty
  • A. As stated in Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 3, number 3, instructional faculty members are expected to teach; develop curriculum; conduct other instructional activities, including advising, grading, and preparing for classes; maintain currency in their academic discipline; and perform public and professional service, service to the institution, and similar academic activities.
    
  • B. An Instructional Faculty Member
    
    • 1. Reports to appropriate Division Chair or Director.
    • 2. Works cooperatively within the learning community.
    • 3. Provides instruction:
      • a. Teaches students in assigned classes in accordance with official course outlines.
      • b. Responds to the needs of students as learners and consumers by providing high quality educational programs and services.
      • c. Prepares individual course syllabi before instruction begins and distributes them to students and to Division Chairs on or before the first day of class.
      • d. Selects textbooks for classes.
      • e. Maintains scheduled office hours.
      • f. Identifies supplies, equipment, and other learning resources needed to support instruction and makes recommendations to Division Chair or director.
      • g. Maintains accurate class records of student grades and rosters.
    • 4. Availability to students:
      • a. Faculty Members are expected to be available to students and take an active role in student advising on all 171 contract days.
      • b. In general, Instructional Faculty will be present on campus following a schedule established with Division Chairs.
      • c. Absences from campus, for activities such as conferences or professional development, must be approved by the Division Chair and the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.
      • d. Should an emergency or illness require class cancellation, the Faculty Member will work collaboratively with the Division Chair to arrange for class make-up, faculty substitute, or alternate student assignment.
      • e. Faculty will maintain student advisement hours, which will be posted on office doors during the first week of classes and announced on all class syllabi.
      • f. Full-time Faculty must schedule student advisement hours totaling at least five hours per week.
    • 5. Service to the institution is a normal requirement of all full-time Faculty. Faculty Members are expected to identify service to the college in their annual self-evaluations. Service contributions may include:
      • a. Serving as the advisor of a student organization as approved by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs
      • b. Serving as the chair of a college standing committee
      • c. Serving in a productive manner on a college standing committee as attested to by the chair of the committee
      • d. Representing the college in a significant NSHE project or national professional organization as approved by the Vice President or the President.
      • e. Participating in a division or curriculum activity that significantly enhances an academic program, such as a significant and extraordinary assessment or program review activity
      • f. Participating in any other productive work that supports the college and its students as negotiated and approved by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs or the President.
      • g. Participating in peer-evaluation processes.
      • h. Serving on senate, college and/or system committees.
      • i. Participating in planning and budgeting processes.
      • j. Attending meetings and actively supporting college functions.
      • k. Participating in program review and academic program assessment.
    • 6. Professional development:
      • a. Engages in professional development activities, maintains currency in assigned teaching fields, and keeps informed on new approaches to instruction.
      • b. Maintains occupational/technical/professional credentials, if applicable, with the support of college resources.
    • 7. Prepares an annual self-evaluation in accordance with WNC bylaws.
    • 8. Promotes college educational programs and services to our communities.
    • 9. Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Section 2: Institutional Responsibilities
  • A. Western Nevada College endorses academic freedom as defined by the American Association of University Professors 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.
    
  • B. Furthermore, the institution is committed to providing the following, within resources available:
    
    • 1. The establishment and maintenance of a learning environment in which faculty can practice their profession as college teachers to the maximum advantage of their students and themselves.
    • 2. As much opportunity for study, professional advancement, and attendance at professional conferences as is consistent with the needs of the College's mission.
    • 3. Adequate instructional support, resources, and office facilities.
    • 4. The provision of a clearly-stated set of board and institutional policies.
    • 5. Opportunity to participate in both the setting of policy and decision-making, particularly as related to instruction and matters directly concerned with faculty welfare.
    • 6. Open channels of communication which allow the faculty to express their views, make recommendations, air grievances, and see appropriate action individually or collectively through authorized representatives.
    • 7. A salary schedule which compares favorably with those of similar institutions, and is as high as possible while remaining consistent with sound budgeting, and an opportunity to qualify for movement on that salary schedule as determined by the Academic Faculty Senate Professional Advancement Committee.
    • 8. A program of benefits: leave-of-absence program; sick leave policy; surgical medical, and major medical benefits; dental benefits; group life insurance, and retirement.
    • 9. An administration which accepts as its primary responsibility the support of quality instruction and service to students.
    • 10. Opportunity for full time faculty to recommend part-time faculty.

• Section 3: Full-Time Instructional Faculty Workload
  • A. Contracts/Schedules
    
    • 1. The instructional unit, defined below, is the basis for determining faculty workload.
    • 2. The contract period for instructional faculty coincides with the academic calendar, based on a five-day week, excluding holidays. It includes graduation and the period of time before the fall and spring semesters begin as reflected in the calendar recommended by the Academic Faculty Senate and approved by the college President. It also includes the time period needed to file student grades and other necessary reports at the end of each semester. Faculty will establish a schedule for campus presence during the contract period in consultation with their Division Chair. The Division Chair will forward all work schedules to the Dean of Instruction for approval.
    • 3. Faculty will complete all necessary reports by the deadlines established by the Office of Admissions and Records.
    • 4. Prior to each semester, supervisors and Faculty Members will complete a written semester workload agreement to be approved by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and forwarded to the president.
    • 5. A minimum of five student advisement hours must be scheduled over at least three days per week at an instructional site.
    • 6. By the end of the first week of each semester, Faculty Members shall submit a schedule of instruction and student advisement hours to the appropriate Division Chair for review and approval.
    • 7. Division Chairs will immediately forward approved faculty schedules to the Dean of Instruction and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.
    • 8. By the end of the first week of classes, Faculty will post the approved schedule outside their offices, and the Dean of Instruction will forward to the appropriate college offices.
  • B. Instructional Loads for Instructional Faculty
    
    • 1. Full-time Instructional Faculty will teach a minimum of 15 instructional units during the fall academic semester and a minimum of 30 instructional units for the academic year.
    • 2. Nursing Faculty will teach a minimum of 18 contact hours during the fall academic semester and a minimum of 36 contact units for the academic year (540 hours for the academic year).
    • 3. HIT, Welding, Machine Tool, and Automotive Faculty will teach on a 35 hour work week for the fall and spring academic semesters.
    • 4. There shall be a reduced class size of 8 students for clinical hours.
    • 5. Lecture hours are 50 minutes in duration. Practicum, lab, and clinical hours are 60 minutes in duration.
    • 6. The load definition formula is provided in section C below and is the same for all full-time faculty.
    • 7. In addition to the student advisement hours mentioned in the previous section, teaching faculty are expected to spend an average of 15 hours per week in institutional service, such as committee work, and instructional support, such as grading, preparation, or curriculum development. Instructional Faculty will spend 35 hours on their assigned duties per week. The terms of these 35 hours will be developed with Division Chairs and documented in the semester workload agreement.
    • 8. Twenty direct instructional hours per week are required for self-paced contact-hour contracts; 15 hours per week are required for office, institutional service, and other student contacts.
    • 9. Faculty may be required to teach both days and evenings as well as in different campus/rural center locations.
    • 10. Class scheduling is driven by the needs of full-time, degree-seeking students. If a division offers a degree, the division undertakes an obligation to assure that students can complete the degree in a timely manner by attending college full time. Division Chairs will consult with Lead Faculty, the Dean of Instruction, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, the Director of Institutional Research, and the Director of Counseling to develop schedules of class offerings that meet student needs. Division Chairs, in collaboration with Faculty Members, will then develop appropriate courses and loads so that Instructional Faculty meet student needs.
    • 11. Faculty may be given specific assignments according to their areas of expertise.
    • 12. The teaching load of a Faculty Member teaching less than the minimum expected load as stated in Section 3.B.1 will be adjusted, using one or more of the following options, in order of priority:
      • a. The assignment of a course previously scheduled to be taught by a part-time instructor.
      • b. Course or courses to be offered in the alternate semester schedule.
      • c. One or more short courses targeted for specific groups during the same semester.
      • d. Duties assigned by appropriate administrators, in consultation with the Division Chair, that relate to the Faculty Member's function at WNC.
      • e. In the event that option d (above) is exercised, prior, signed approval must be obtained from the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, and a written agreement of the work to be completed with a timeline and a reporting mechanism for specific outcomes must be provided.
  • C. Load Definition Formula
    
    • 1. Instructional contact-hour definitions:
      • a. (LE) Lecture: A lecture requires regular preparation of instructional material and student assignments and includes regular written work assignments graded by the classroom Faculty Member.
      • b. (LA) Laboratory: A laboratory requires regular preparation of laboratory assignments and equipment or materials, continual faculty oversight and interaction with students, and regular written work assignments graded by the laboratory Faculty Member.
      • c. (S) Studio: A studio requires regular preparation of studio assignments and continual oversight and interaction with the students by the Faculty Member. Operation of one campus gallery is equivalent to one studio course.
      • d. (P) Occupational practice: An occupational practicum requires regular preparation of practice assignments and continual faculty oversight and interaction with students.
      • e. (C) Clinical: A clinical experience requires regular preparation and grading of clinical assignments, including written work, and continual oversight and interaction with the students.
      • f. Note: The Division Chair Council and the Dean of Instruction are charged with recommending to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs the instructional units for any new class. This determination will be based on information provided in the course description and syllabus at the time of course approval.
    • 2. Load Calculation: The calculation below is based on a 15-week semester. Any deviations from normal semester lengths will be appropriately adjusted to assure that total instructional time per credit hour does not vary.
      • a. Full-time Faculty Instructional Load (in instructional units) = Total number of lecture hours per week + (15/18) x Total number of laboratory hours per week + (15/20) x Total number of practicum hours per week + (15/20) x Total number of clinical hours per week.
      • b. Full-time Instructional Faculty are required to teach a minimum of 15 instructional units (as defined above) per week in each semester of the academic year. The only deviation from this policy will be reassigned time for administrative responsibilities, as defined below, or special, written arrangements negotiated and approved by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, and forwarded to the President before the end of the first week of the semester.
      • c. The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may choose to place an Academic Faculty Member on an annual contract of longer than 171 days to accommodate certain administrative responsibilities. An agreement on the terms of these responsibilities, their specific duration, and mechanism for reporting outcomes will be signed by both parties and forwarded to the President for approval before a formal contract is issued.

• Section 4: Activities That Qualify for Reassigned Time and/or Additional Compensation
  • A. Reassigned time is only permitted for administrative assignments. Permissible reassigned time will be defined by the following:
    
    • 1. Division Chairs will be reassigned 15 instructional units per year for divisional administrative responsibilities. In general, this means 6 units reassigned time in the fall semester and 9 units reassigned time in the spring. Any deviation from this policy will require a written approval by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and formal, written notification to the President, prior to the end of the first week of the semester (193-day contract).
    • 2. Lead Instructors will be reassigned 3 instructional units per semester for divisional administrative responsibilities. Any deviation from this policy will require written approval by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and formal, written, notification to the President prior to the end of the first week of the semester.
    • 3. The Faculty Senate Chair will be reassigned 6 instructional units per semester for collegial governance administrative responsibilities (177-day contract).

• Section 5: Full Time Instructional Faculty Overloads
  • A. By the end of the first week of classes in each semester or prior to mid-semester for open-entry, open-exit classes, Division Chairs will submit to the Dean of Instruction any recommendations for teaching overloads. Full time instructional faculty will be limited to 6 units of overload per semester, in compliance with the terms defined below.
    
  • B. Instructional overloads are paid at the part-time rate of instruction.
    
  • C. In general, faculty loads will be 15 instructional units per semester. Occasionally the vice president of Academic and student affairs may approve an overload in excess of 15 instructional units in a given semester.
    
  • D. All overloads are based on the number of instructional units above 15 as computed by the above load formula (3.C.2).
    
  • E. Annual Instructional Faculty contracts are based on loads of 15 instructional units per semester.
    
  • F. Division Chairs are not permitted overloads.
    
  • G. All overload payments are paid on an annual basis before the end of the spring semester.
    

• Section 6: Outside Professional or Scholarly Service
  • A. Outside professional or scholarly service by Faculty Members within their subject matter field and for compensation is recognized as a legitimate activity unless specifically prohibited by the employee's contract with the institution. Faculty Members engaged in providing compensated outside professional or scholarly service shall provide advance notification in writing to their immediate supervisor about the nature of the work to be performed, the company/organization for which the work will be performed, and the estimated time involved. The request must be approved in advance by the supervisor and the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs within 10 working days unless the supervisor believes that a conflict exists with obligations currently incurred or assumed by the college regarding a Faculty Member's consulting activities. Faculty Members engaged in providing outside professional or scholarly service shall comply with NSHE Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 8 regarding Compensated Outside Professional Services.
    

• Section 7: Stipends
  • A. Occasionally, the Division Chair may determine that a particular assignment to a full-time Faculty Member makes such an unusual demand of time and rises so far above the level of normal service that additional compensation is warranted. In that event, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may choose to provide a stipend for such service. The formal agreement, describing the nature and duration of the service, is signed by both parties and forwarded to the President prior to the beginning of the proposed activity. Stipends are provided on a semester-by-semester basis. The formal agreement does not imply a commitment by the administration to continue to provide such stipends for any activity. Funding of conference or professional development travel is not to be construed as a stipend. No written agreement is required for distance education, self-paced, independent studies, cooperative work experience, internships, or practicums.
    
  • B. Stipends will be calculated as follows:
    
    • 1. Distance Education (IAV/Online)
      • a. $100 stipend per course
      • b. $50 stipend for each student above a 30-student cap
    • 2. Self-Paced, Independent Studies, Cooperative Work Experience, Internships and Practicums
      • a. $70 per student
    • 3. Extraordinarily High Student Enrollment
      • a. Negotiated with the Division Chair Council
    • 4. Team Teaching
      • a. Credits will be divided between instructors after consultation with each Instructor and the Division Chair
    • 5. Additional Duties Deserving Compensation
      • a. Negotiated with the Division Chair Council

• Section 8: Non-Instructional Faculty Workload
  • A. Contracts/Schedules
    
    • 1. The contract period for academic non-teaching faculty coincides with the academic calendar and includes that period of time necessary for the completion of duties specific to that position.
    • 2. Faculty will be notified by July each year of the required period of service.
    • 3. At the beginning of each semester, Faculty Members shall submit a schedule of work hours for approval.
  • B. Loads for Non-Instructional Faculty
    
    • 1. The normal workweek for full-time Academic Support Faculty, including Librarians and Counselors, is 35 hours. Mutually agreed-upon adjustments in support of students will be allowed.
    • 2. College committee work, college meetings, staff meetings, advising, and registration responsibilities are considered part of the regular workload for Non-Instructional Faculty.
    • 3. Faculty may be required to work both days and evenings as well as in different campus/rural center locations.
    • 4. Faculty may be given specific assignments by their appropriate administrator according to their areas of expertise.
    • 5. In establishing workload, the same mitigating factors listed earlier in this document apply.
  • C. Overload Compensation for Non-Instructional Faculty
    
    • 1. Overloads will be processed as early as February 1 but no later than June 30 of each year. The Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs must approve exceptions.
    • 2. Payment will be based upon the approved part-time/overload salary schedule

• Teaching and Advising
• Meetings
• Course Materials
• Grading
• Textbooks
• Other Duties

• Section 1: Teaching and Advising
  • A. Teach 15 credits or 20 contact hours per week.
    
  • B. Meet each class as scheduled at the time, place and for length of time designated.
    
  • C. Maintain a minimum of five (5) posted student advisement office hours a week
    
  • D. Be available during regularly scheduled registration to serve as an advisor and assistant for students in the registration process.
    

• Section 2: Meetings
  • A. Attend all WNC college-wide and divisional or departmental meetings, as scheduled and announced.
    
  • B. Attend appropriate curricular advisory committee meetings.
    
  • C. Attend professional developmental meetings and participate in professional development activities.
    
  • D. Serve on committees, college task forces, workshops, and other college improvement activities, as needed.
    

• Section 3: Course Materials
  • A. Prepare course materials.
    
  • B. Provide each student at the beginning of each course with the following:
    
    • 1. goals and objectives/content for the course of study
    • 2. titles of required and supplementary textbooks to be used
    • 3. course attendance requirements
    • 4. planned schedule of examinations, field trips, and other special activities
    • 5. out-of-class assignment policy
    • 6. method of evaluating student progress toward and achievement of, course goals and objectives, including method by which the final grade is derived
    • 7. information about consultation/appointment availability procedures
    • 8. other information which informs students of requirements established by the instructor for meeting course objectives
  • C. Periodically review the progress of each student and inform each student of his/her progress toward achieving course objectives.
    
  • D. Work with division, department, administrative services, campus and other designated classified staff in the development of course materials, printed information, brochures, and other information which may be needed in the teaching or promotion of the college's curriculum.
    

• Section 4: Grading
  • A. Plan and administer a fair and equitable grading policy.
    
  • B. Maintain attendance and grade records; keep copies of records for one year.
    
  • C. Return all class list and grade reports correctly completed at the time requested.
    

• Section 5: Textbooks
  • A. Review proposed new textbooks as requested by department, division, or other appropriate chairpersons or administrators.
    
  • B. Order textbooks within the prescribed deadline requirements.
    

• Section 6: Other Duties
  • A. Fulfill other responsibilities as described in the full-time teaching faculty member's annual prospectus; these must be accepted by the appropriate administrator.
    
  • B. Complete other duties as assigned.
    

• Definition
• Approvals

• Section 1: Definition
  • A. Immediate family is defined as husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, granddaughter, grandson, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, or uncle.
    

• Section 2: Approvals
  • A. Any student attempting to take a class taught by an immediate member should be advised to take a section taught by a non-related faculty member, if such a section exists.
    
  • B. Any student attempting to take a class that is taught by an immediate family member must have prior approval of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs through the appropriate Dean.
    
  • C. If a student is approved to take a class taught by a member of his/her immediate family then the grade for that course must be determined independently. This independent method of grade determination must have the prior approval of the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs through the appropriate Dean.
    

• Definition
• Request
• Process
• Standards

• Section 1: Definition
  • A. Academic faculty may apply for course reassignment to develop a new course, restructure an existing course, or develop a new program. Faculty members will be given reassigned time from teaching to course/program development at a one-to-one instructional unit ratio.
    
  • B. To be eligible for reassigned time, the faculty member will provide evidence that the project will be beneficial to students and the college and that completion of the new course or program development would not be possible unless reassigned time is granted.
    

• Section 2: Request
  • A. All academic full-time faculty are eligible to apply for this award.
    
  • B. Part-time faculty are not eligible for reassigned time. Part-time faculty members should contact their division chair about the possibility of compensation for the development of a new course, restructuring an existing course, or developing a new program.
    
  • C. Faculty members may apply every year.
    
  • D. There is a maximum of twelve instructional units available for reassigned time through this program each academic year.
    
  • E. A faculty member may apply for a maximum of six instructional units per year.
    
  • F. Faculty may not accumulate an overload during the semester that they receive a reassignment for new course/program development.
    
  • G. Faculty must notify the division chair before submitting the application. Evidence of division approval should be included in the application.
    
  • H. The Sabbatical Committee will accept applications each fall semester. The committee will notify academic faculty with the dates of submission and information on the application process no later than September 15.
    
  • I. Faculty will submit three copies of a written proposal to the committee by the date specified in the announcement for applications.
    
  • J. Reassigned time is given at a one-to-one ratio. The development of a new three-credit class would result in a one semester, three instructional unit reassignment.
    

• Section 3: Process
  • A. Committee meetings and faculty interviews will be held each November.
    
  • B. Deliberations of the committee will be confidential. The committee will review all applications in detail. At the request of the committee, faculty may be invited to defend their proposals.
    
  • C. An alternate recipient will be selected in case a faculty member is unable to fulfill the approved proposal.
    
  • D. The committee chair will report the committee recommendations to the Academic Faculty Senate no later than the December senate meeting.
    
  • E. The committee will forward the final new course/program development recommendations to the Office of the President. The ultimate responsibility for awarding the reassigned time rests with the president.
    

• Section 4: Standards
  • A. The committee will consider the merits of the proposal and its benefit to the applicant, the college, the student community, and the curricular needs of the academic program.
    
  • B. Faculty members receiving awards are required to submit a report to the division chair, the Sabbatical Committee, and the Office of the President on or before the completion of the semester the course reassignment was granted.
    
  • C. The committee will deposit a copy of the application, the committee recommendations, and the recipient's written report in the WNC Library archives.
    
  • D. The faculty member must offer the developed class within one year from the date the reassigned time is granted.
    

• Definition
• Request
• Process
• Standards

• Section 1: Definition
  • A. Sabbatical leaves offer academic faculty the opportunity for professional growth and academic achievement through research, writing, curriculum or program development, work experience, artistic creation, or a project directly related to their responsibilities in the college. (Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 11.)
    

• Section 2: Request
  • A. Any faculty member who has served full-time for six or more years at WNC without a sabbatical leave is eligible to apply.
    
  • B. No later than September 15 of each year, the Academic Faculty Senate Sabbatical Committee shall notify eligible faculty of the application process. An eligibility list, provided by Human Resources, will be distributed with this notification.
    
  • C. It is recommended that all applicants meet with their chair or supervisor to discuss the proposal and its budgetary and staffing implications at least two weeks before submitting the proposal.
    
  • D. The faculty member will submit three copies of a written sabbatical leave proposal to the committee by the date specified in the announcement for applications.
    
  • E. Sabbaticals may be awarded for one semester at no reduction in salary, or for one academic year at 2/3 salary.
    

• Section 3: Process
  • A. The committee will use three major criteria when considering sabbatical applications:
    
    • 1. The merits of the proposal. The proposal should include the following characteristics: supports the overall mission of the college; enhances the ability of the applicant to perform their duties at the college; and has a positive impact on the college and the student community.
    • 2. The proposal demonstrates commitment to professional development and growth.
    • 3. Service to the college, over and above the faculty member's primary educational or support function. A history of substantive contributions to the college, such as committee work, advisor positions, etc., where properly documented, will strengthen the application.
  • B. All deliberations shall remain confidential. The committee will review all applications in detail. At the discretion of the committee, faculty may be invited to defend their proposals.
    
  • C. An alternate recipient shall be selected in case a faculty member is unable to fulfill the proposed project.
    
  • D. The committee chair will report the committee recommendations to the Academic Faculty Senate no later than the December senate meeting.
    
  • E. The committee will forward the final sabbatical leave recommendations to the Office of the President. The ultimate responsibility for awarding sabbaticals rests with the president.
    

• Section 4: Standards
  • A. The recipient is to make every effort to accomplish the tasks as defined in the proposal by the end of the sabbatical leave.
    
  • B. A written report shall be submitted to the Sabbatical Committee and the Office of the President within three months of return from leave. A copy of the report shall also be given to the recipient's division chair or supervisor.
    
  • C. The committee shall deposit a copy of the sabbatical leave applications, committee recommendations, and the recipient's written report in the WNC Library archives.
    
  • D. Recipients are encouraged to report the results of sabbaticals to the college community. Options may include, but are not limited to, a public lecture or presentation, a website devoted to the project, or a written summation.
    
  • E. Upon completion of the sabbatical leave, the recipient must return to college duties for a period of time at least equal to that of the last contract prior to sabbatical leave.
    

• Definition
• Procedures
• Obtaining Copyright Clearance
• Institutional Plan
• Regulations and Resources

• Section 1: Definition
  • A. Copyright is the legal protection of the work of an artist, author, musician, and other creators of intellectual works. Copyrighted material include audiovisual works, music, motion pictures, computer software, printed materials, material copied or downloaded from the Internet, and any other form of material that has been copyrighted under U.S. law. The reproduction of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder is prohibited, unless the use or reproduction of that material falls under the guidelines of fair use.
    
  • B. Fair use is the copyright principle that allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder for educational, news gathering, research, scholarship, or teaching activities. Four factors determine whether or not the reproduction of the copyrighted material falls under the guidelines of fair use.
    
    • 1. The purpose and character of use.
    • 2. The nature of the copyrighted material.
    • 3. The amount of and the substantiality of the portion of material used.
    • 4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work.
  • C. Additional information on determining if material is free of copyright restrictions, or falls under the guidelines of fair use, can be found in the copyright procedures document.
    

• Section 2: Procedures
  • A. All faculty, staff, and students of WNC shall comply with the provisions of the Copyright Law.
    
  • B. The faculty, staff, and students of WNC shall make a good faith effort to ensure that all materials used for courses, course related assignments, the college Web site, or college publications are copyright compliant.
    
  • C. WNC faculty or staff shall not require any individual in the college community to violate copyright law in order to fulfill a job duty or course related assignment.
    
  • D. All material put on the WNC Web site must be copyright compliant.
    
  • E. Any copyrighted material used in an official WNC publication must be copyright compliant.
    
  • F. Copyright warning notices must be prominently displayed on or near all copying equipment on WNC campuses and learning centers, college website, college class schedule, computer labs and libraries.
    
  • G. WNC computers or networks (including personal computers using the WNC computer network), photocopiers, DVD or video recorders, audio recorders, or any other copying equipment cannot be used to copy or download copyrighted material, unless at least one of the following conditions are met: the copyright holder has granted permission to use the material; the rights to use the copyrighted material have been purchased; or WNC has a copyright licensing agreement with the provider of the copyrighted material, such as a library database or an online periodical subscription.
    
  • H. Computer software cannot be downloaded, copied, or reproduced on WNC computers or networks, unless it is permitted in the software licensing agreement or is without any copyright restrictions.
    
  • I. Copyrighted digital media files (music, videos, television shows, etc.) cannot be downloaded, copied, or reproduced using WNC computers or networks, unless at least one of the following conditions are met: the permission of the copyright holder has been granted to use the material; the rights to use the material have been purchased from the copyright holder, a copyright licensing organization, or through a company that sells digital media files; or WNC has a licensing agreement with the provider of the copyrighted material.
    
  • J. Movies can be shown on campus if they fall under the fair use guidelines. If it does not fall under fair use, a copyright licensing agreement to show the movie must be purchased.
    
    • 1. Student clubs and organizations:
      • a. May show movies on campus without paying a copyright licensing fee if the movie has a specific educational purpose and the group has a discussion of the movie facilitated by a faculty or staff member with experience or expertise in the subject matter relevant to the movie.
      • b. Must pay a copyright licensing fee if the movie is primarily for entertainment purposes, the movie is open to the public, or an admittance fee is charged.
      • c. If student clubs or organizations have any questions about showing movies on campus, or need to obtain copyright licensing information to show a movie, the group should contact the Office of Student Life.
    • 2. Faculty and staff:
      • a. May show movies on campus for educational purposes without paying a copyright licensing fee under the guidelines of fair use if the following criteria are met:
        
        (1) The movie being shown must be relevant to the subject matter of the course.
        (2) The movie is being shown in a space that is routinely used for instruction.
        (3) The movie is only being shown to students officially registered for the class.
        (4) If a movie is not being shown as part of a regular course, a faculty or staff member with expertise relevant to the movie topic must hold an educational discussion about the movie. Only WNC students and employees could attend the movie presented under these circumstances without paying a licensing fee.
      • b. If the movie is advertised outside of WNC, or an admittance fee is charged, it will be considered a public presentation and a copyright licensing fee must be paid.
      • c. If a faculty or staff member has any questions about showing a movie on campus the faculty or staff member should contact the Inventions, Copyrightable Materials, and Intellectual Property Committee.
  • K. The performance and broadcast of music on campus is prohibited unless a
    musical composition has entered the public domain or rights to use the music has been obtain from its creators. U.S. Copyright law grants the owners of copyrighted music the exclusive right to perform their music publicly. Others must first obtain permission from the music owners or from their licensing agents before performing or broadcasting their music. Copyright licensing may be required to play or broadcast music at sporting events, fitness centers, fairs, festivals, other special events such as orientation or graduation, musical attractions, music-on-hold, and other live or recorded performances or broadcasts. If you are in doubt as to whether your event requires licensing, contact the college's Inventions, Copyrightable Materials, and Intellectual Property Committee.
    
  • L. Any material submitted to the WNC Library for addition to the book or audiovisual collections, the reserve collection, or the electronic reserves collection must be copyright compliant. The library staff will determine if the material submitted meet those requirements. If the material is not copyright compliant, the library staff will attempt to get copyright clearance for the material.
    

• Section 3: Obtaining Copyright Clearance
  • A. Students who have concerns regarding copyright compliance on a class assignment should consult the faculty member who is teaching the course.
    
  • B. If faculty or staff are uncertain about the legality of reproducing copyrighted material, they should consult the Inventions, Copyrightable Materials, and Intellectual Property Committee.
    
  • C. The Inventions, Copyrightable Materials, and Intellectual Property Committee will, after reviewing the submitted material in question, determine if it is copyright compliant. If necessary, WNC will request the rights to use the copyrighted material from the copyright holder, the Copyright Clearance Center, or another copyright licensing organization.
    
  • D. Any fees charged to obtain the permission to use the copyrighted material will be paid by the department or division that requested permission for the use of the material.
    
  • E. Faculty or staff members who have questions about showing a movie on campus should consult the Inventions, Copyrightable Materials, and Intellectual Property Committee.
    
  • F. Student clubs and organizations that want to show a movie on campus should consult the Office of Student Life.
    

• Section 4: Institutional Plan
  • A. Pursuant to 34 CFR 668.14(b)(30), WNC has adopted the use of one or more technology-based deterrents to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution's network without unduly interfering with the educational and research use of the network.
    
  • B. WNC has established mechanisms through this and other policies for educating and informing the campus community about appropriate versus inappropriate use of copyrighted material.
    
  • C. WNC has procedures for the handling of unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including disciplinary procedures.
    
  • D. WNC will periodically review the effectiveness of this plan to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution's network using relevant assessment criteria.
    

• Section 5: Regulations and Resources
  • A. Final HEOA Regulations Issued October 29, 2009
    
    § 668.14 Program participation agreement.
    
    (b) By entering into a program participation agreement, an institution agrees that--
    
    (30) The institution--
    
    (i) Has developed and implemented written plans to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution's network, without unduly interfering with educational and research use of the network, that include--
    
    (A) The use of one or more technology-based deterrents;
    
    (B) Mechanisms for educating and informing its community about appropriate versus inappropriate use of copyrighted material, including that described in §668.43(a)(10);
    
    (C) Procedures for handling unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including disciplinary procedures; and
    
    (D) Procedures for periodically reviewing the effectiveness of the plans to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials by users of the institution's network using relevant assessment criteria. No particular technology measures are favored or required for inclusion in an institution's plans, and each institution retains the authority to determine what its particular plans for compliance with paragraph (b)(30) of this section will be, including those that prohibit content monitoring; and
    
    (ii) Will, in consultation with the chief technology officer or other designated officer of the institution--
    
    (A) Periodically review the legal alternatives for downloading or otherwise acquiring copyrighted material;
    
    (B) Make available the results of the review in paragraph (b)(30)(ii)(A) of this section to its students through a Web site or other means; and
    
    (C) To the extent practicable, offer legal alternatives for downloading or otherwise acquiring copyrighted material, as determined by the institution.
    
    § 668.43 Institutional information.
    
    (a) Institutional information that the institution must make readily available upon request to enrolled and prospective students under this subpart includes, but is not limited to--
    
    (10) Institutional policies and sanctions related to copyright infringement, including--
    
    (i) A statement that explicitly informs its students that unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject the students to civil and criminal liabilities;
    
    (ii) A summary of the penalties for violation of Federal copyright laws; and
    
    (iii) A description of the institution's policies with respect to unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, including disciplinary actions that are taken against students who engage in illegal downloading or unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using the institution's information technology system
    
    
    Selected Clarifying Text from NPRM Preamble Issued August 21, 2009
    
    "The Department believes that some institutions may be able to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material using only one of the four types of technology-based deterrents (bandwidth shaping, traffic monitoring, accepting and responding to DMCA notices, or a commercial product designed to reduce or block illegal file sharing) while others may need to employ a combination of such deterrents." (74 FR 42393, emphasis added)
    
    "[T]he Department anticipates that individual institutions, national associations, and commercial entities will develop and maintain up-to-date lists that may be referenced for compliance with this provision [to offer legal alternatives]." (74 FR 42393)
    
    "The Department will work with representatives of copyright holders and institutions to develop a summary of the civil and criminal penalties for violation of Federal copyright laws to include as part of the Federal Student Aid Handbook that an institution may use to meet this requirement [to provide such information to students]." (74 FR 42392)
    
    
    Selected EDUCAUSE Resources
    
    http://www.educause.edu/HEOA
    
    http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/LegalDownloading/33381
    
    http://www.educause.edu/blog/sworona/189008
    

• Section 1: Files/Forms
  • A. Section 508 Web Standards Accessible Technology Policy [ PDF / 220 KB ]

• Section 1: Procedures
  • A. When a student enrolls in cooperative work experience, the cooperative work experience coordinator ensures the development of a training agreement for the student. The training agreement states competency based learning objectives. These objectives are developed with input from the work supervisor.
    
  • B. This agreement is filed in the CWE coordinator's office.
    
  • C. Upon completion of the course the CWE coordinator ensures completion of the final rating of the competency based learning objectives as well as a final evaluation form addressing work attitudes and behaviors. These written reports specify satisfactory completion of the obligation and activities in the student training agreement.
    
  • D. These reports are filed with the CWE coordinator.
    
  • E. Upon completion of the CWE course, a grade sheet is submitted to the appropriate dean's office.
    
  • F. The grade sheet is forwarded to the admissions office.
    

• Articulation
• Articulation Agreements
• Recruitment of Students
• Credit for Classes

• Section 1: Articulation
  • A. The WNC administration, faculty, the Tech Prep Coordinator and Tech Prep Consortium will identify occupational, vocational and high technology areas of study for articulation.
    
  • B. The WNC faculty member and high school teacher will exchange curricula, course and competency requirements for any course to be articulated.
    

• Section 2: Articulation Agreements
  The validation process for articulation agreements will be:
  • A. The high school instructor will submit the following:
    
    • 1. Course outline
    • 2. Course objectives/competencies/outcomes
    • 3. Methods of instruction/strategies
      • a. Student evaluation process - procedures for measuring competencies and outcomes
      • b. Instructional materials
  • B. The WNC faculty member will compare competencies from the high school curriculum to the college course competencies. If the WNC faculty member determines that the competencies are equivalent, the articulation agreement will be written.
    
  • C. Articulated courses must be reviewed and renewed or terminated every three years.
    
  • D. Articulation agreements will obtain the following signatures:
    
    • 1. WNC faculty member from the program area articulated
    • 2. High school teacher from the program area articulated
    • 3. Tech Prep Coordinator
    • 4. High school principal
    • 5. Division Chair from the program area articulated
    • 6. Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs or Dean of Instruction

• Section 3: Recruitment of Students
  • A. The WNC Tech Prep Coordinator will actively recruit eligible students.
    
  • B. The Tech Prep Coordinator will function as the liaison between WNC faculty and staff, high school faculty and staff, and the Department of Education, State of Nevada.
    
  • C. WNC staff will assist interested students in the completion of required documents for admission to the Tech Prep Program and WNC.
    
  • D. The Tech Program will maintain records on each student and will provide copies of records to Admissions and Records when a student enrolls at WNC.
    

• Section 4: Credit for Classes
  • A. In order for a student to receive credit for classes that have been formally articulated, the following process must be followed:
    
    • 1. The student must pass each articulated course/class with a grade of 'B' or higher.
    • 2. Tech Prep staff will collect high school transcripts at the end of each course/class for all registered Tech Prep students in each articulated class.
    • 3. Grades will be transcripted at WNC when the qualifying high school student successfully completes an articulated class.
  • B. Students may complete up to 21 WNC credits through the Tech Prep program, or no more than 50% of a WNC program (which ever number is lower).
    
  • C. Students will receive the same grade for the WNC course as they did for the articulated high school tech prep class.
    

• Enrollment Agreement
• Evaluation Report

• Section 1: Enrollment Agreement
  • A. When a student enrolls in an individualized course, the instructor responsible for evaluation must develop a written agreement with the student, specifying course objectives and activities to be completed.
    
  • B. This agreement is to be filed with the appropriate Dean.
    

• Section 2: Evaluation Report
  • A. Upon completion of the course, the instructor responsible for the evaluation, must complete a written report specifying satisfactory completion of the obligation and activities in the student course agreement.
    
  • B. This evaluation report is to filed with the appropriate Dean
    
  • C. Upon completion of the individualized study, a standard grade sheet is to be completed and submitted to the admissions office.
    

• Protocol Development
• Laboratory Instructor Responsibilities

• Section 1: Protocol Development
  • A. This list of protocols is developed by the current full-time faculty members of the Science Math and Engineering Division.
    
  • B. This list includes all courses in biology, chemistry, clinical lab technician program, geology, and physics where labs are taught.
    

• Section 2: Laboratory Instructor Responsibilities
  • A. Students MUST be supervised at all times during laboratory by the instructor.
    
  • B. The responsibility of cleaning up after a laboratory exercise is ultimately the responsibility of the lab instructor whether or not students have been asked to clean up.
    
  • C. Biological materials, waste, and chemicals to be discarded from the laboratory require that the lab instructor make a written request (Work Order) of the Building and Grounds staff at the specific campus. These materials should be confined in an appropriate manner and properly identified with respect to contents such that they are suitable for pick-up by the WNC Building and Grounds staff for disposal under current local and federal guidelines.
    
  • D. It shall be a common courtesy that any equipment or materials removed from one lab and transported to another lab be done only after consulting with fellow faculty members in that area, and insuring that all materials and equipment are returned promptly to the lab from which they were taken.
    
  • E. An unencumbered phone line should be available to the lab instructor at all times during lab hours in case of an emergency with paramedic, fire and police numbers clearly posted by the phone.
    
  • F. The lab instructor should be sure that safety equipment is available and ready to use in an emergency in each lab. Contact the immediate supervisor (Dean on the Carson Campus, Executive Dean on the Fallon Campus) if the equipment is not present or properly working.
    
  • G. In the event of an accident, regardless of how minor, the lab instructor MUST file an accident report on appropriate form (see page -- State of Nevada Personal Injury and Property Loss/Damage Report) the same day and submit it to the line supervisor who is "in charge" at that particular moment.
    
  • H. The lab instructor of a particular course should, when purchasing items for use in the lab, consult with fellow faculty members in your subject area (eg., biology or chemistry) that may be using the same account to insure a fair share use of the funds available. All purchases are subject to PRIOR approval of the supervisor or individual who has signature authority over the account.
    
  • I. The lab instructor shall establish safety guidelines at the initial meeting with their students and will be responsible for insuring such guidelines are unambiguously enforced.
    
  • J. The lab instructor shall demonstrate the use of emergency equipment at the initial meeting.
    

• Rules Relating to the Challenges
• Transcript Grade
• Denial

• Section 1: Rules Relating to the Challenges
  • A. A student interested in these examinations should consult the registrar on the Carson campus or the counselor on the Fallon and Douglas campus.
    
  • B. Courses cannot be challenged if a student has taken an advanced course in the same area. Students who are part of an advanced placement program cannot challenge lower-level courses.
    
  • C. Challenge examinations are not considered resident credit.
    
  • D. Challenge examinations do not count as part of a student's credit load for any given semester nor are they computed into the grade point average.
    
  • E. A student may not retake a challenge examination.
    
  • F. A student may not challenge a course that has been previously attempted in classroom instruction.
    
  • G. Challenge examinations are not transferable and, in many cases, will not count for licensing agencies.
    

• Section 2: Transcript Grade
  • A. Successful challenge examinations are posted as a "pass" on the student's transcript.
    

• Section 3: Denial
  • A. WNC reserves the right to deny any petition for credit by examination.
    

• Section 1: Grade Change Form
  • A. Changes may be made by filing a grade change form, approved by the Division Chair or Dean of Instruction. Changes to an incomplete grade do not require approval.
    
  • B. Grade change forms may not be used to change a passing grade to a "W."
    

• Section 1: Guidelines and Procedure
  • A. Requests for full-time enrollment equivalency are submitted to the coordinator for Disability Support Services along with supporting documentation. Documentation must include a diagnostic evaluation from an appropriate professional (i.e., medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, audiologist, physiatrist, or other qualified professional), which is recent enough (no more than 3-5 years for learning disabilities, 3 years for ADD/ADHD and 6 months for psychiatric/psychological disorders) to evaluate the current impact of the disability.
    
  • B. The coordinator evaluates the documentation and the request in terms of the impact of the disability and the demands of the student's current or proposed schedule and any recommendations or concerns on the part of any department.
    
  • C. If the request is denied, the student may appeal the coordinator's decision through the standard accommodation grievance procedures.
    
  • D. If approved, the coordinator of Disability Support will submit a recommendation for full-time enrollment equivalency along with complete documentation to the dean of Student Services for final action.
    
  • E. Students awarded full-time enrollment equivalencies who have been awarded a scholarship may continue to receive funding with the approval of the donor.
    
  • F. Approval of full-time enrollment equivalency may result in adjusted Federal financial aid package in accordance with regulations. If aid has been disbursed prior to the reduced course load approval, consultation between the coordinator of Disability Support Services and the director of Financial Aid will determine whether or not a credit deficiency exists.
    
  • G. A decision to allow the student to be designated "full-time" with less than the standard full-time load shall allow the student all benefits and privileges assigned to "full-time" students at the institution, including but not limited to eligibility for Dean's List, participation in extracurricular activities, athletics (subject to approval of NJCAA or NIRA), and verification of student status for insurance purposes.
    

• Background
• Program Purposes
• Procedures

• Section 1: Background
  • A. The community education program is a component of the WNC mission as it is with most community colleges. It has been the experience here and at other colleges that a viable community education program actually has the effect of enhancing and encouraging enrollment in regular courses.
    
  • B. Since the WNC Community Education Program has rapidly expanded from limited offerings in 1985 to a major component of the college operation, these policies and procedures document the relationship between community education and state funded courses and programs.
    
  • C. The goal of life-long learning is essential to the development of our community and therefore a goal of the comprehensive community college.
    

• Section 2: Program Purposes
  • A. Within the context of WNC as a comprehensive community college, the community education program provides:
    
    • 1. Courses and workshops that respond to community cultural and recreational needs.
    • 2. Courses and workshops that develop and improve personal and job skills and respond to life-long learning.
    • 3. Activities that enhance the quality of life.
  • B. This purpose can be served by a variety of program formats and is characterized by a quick response system to the needs of the community. They are as follows:
    
    • 1. Noncredit courses/community education credit courses
    • 2. Noncredit workshops/community education credit workshops
    • 3. Seminars
    • 4. Performances
    • 5. Exhibitions
    • 6. Tours
    • 7. Lectures

• Section 3: Procedures
  • A. An annual estimated budget will be established for the community education program.
    
  • B. Instructors will be selected and compensated in accordance with the current personnel policy established for community education instructors.
    
  • C. Program services can be provided by contracting with public/private agencies and entities.
    
  • D. Only courses offered for community education credit require regular college registration.
    
  • E. Noncredit activities and courses will have a registration process that is separate from the regular college registration.
    
  • F. Community education course/workshop numbers and titles will not duplicate regular state course titles and numbers.
    
  • G. All revenues and expenditures are accounted for in accordance with Nevada System of Higher Education and WNC business office procedures.
    
  • H. All instructional activities that are less than 15 hours will be noncredit and classified as workshops.
    
  • I. Instructors for credit community education classes will be hired using the same criteria outlined in the Western Nevada College Staff Information Handbook.
    
  • J. Courses listed in the Master Course File take precedence over community education courses not only in number and title but also in content and description.
    
  • K. Information regarding proposed community education courses is to be sent to the appropriate dean and department chair(s).
    

• General Admission
• Admission to Advanced Standing
• Registration
• Classification of Students
• Grades and Examination
• Requirements for Graduation

• Section 1: General Admission
  • A. Western Nevada College will admit to its general programs any U.S. citizen, immigrant, or qualified international student who meets the following requirements:
    
    • 1. is at least 18 years old; or
    • 2. is a high school graduate; or
    • 3. has completed the General Education Development (GED) Test with a 12th grade equivalency.
  • B. All applicants for admission shall complete such tests, furnish such information, and meet such deadlines as required by the regulations published in the admissions section of the catalog governing the semester of initial enrollment.
    
  • C. Admission to Western Nevada College implies general admission to the college only and does not constitute admission to a specific curriculum or courses which may require additional admission criteria as published in the college catalog governing the semester of initial enrollment.
    
  • D. Programs designated as limited entry require fulfillment of selective admissions criteria as contained in the institutional catalog and other appropriate college documents. Continuation in selective admissions programs is likewise contingent upon fulfillment of conditions specified by the institution and contained in official institutional documents.
    

• Section 2: Admission to Advanced Standing
  • A. The college will accept a maximum of 45 semester credits toward an approved associate degree, with the following limitations:
    
    • 1. A maximum of 45 semester credits may be accepted from other colleges and universities.
    • 2. A maximum of 30 semester credits may be accepted from credit by examination.
    • 3. A maximum of 15 semester credits may be accepted from non-traditional sources.
  • B. The college may accept a maximum of 15 semester credits of previous training, education, or credit by examination toward a Certificate of Achievement.
    
  • C. Acceptance of various types of credit will be governed by the College's Transfer Credit Policy.
    

• Section 3: Registration
  • A. Registration procedures shall be developed in conjunction with the Instructional Divisions and shall be published by the Office of Student Services.
    
  • B. Registration is not complete until all fees are paid and all registration materials are filed with the registrar.
    
  • C. A student whose record indicates a delinquent indebtedness to the college for registration fees will be placed on financial hold for future registration, transcript, or diploma or certificate privileges.
    
  • D. A student who wishes to enroll for more than 18 semester credits must obtain the approval of a college counselor or instruction center coordinator.
    
  • E. The college shall have the right to define prerequisites or concurrent enrollment for registration for specific classes.
    
  • F. Definition of student enrollment status:
    
    • 1. Full-time student: 12 semester credits or more
    • 2. Three-quarter-time student: 9 - 11 semester credits
    • 3. Half-time student: 6 - 8 semester credits
  • G. A student may drop a course anytime prior to the last day of instruction.
    
  • H. The registration of a student who is ineligible to attend the college is subject to immediate cancellation.
    

• Section 4: Classification of Students
  • A. Freshman: Less than 30 Credit Hours Earned
    
  • B. Sophomore: 30 or more credit hours earned
    

• Section 5: Grades and Examination
  • A. The NSHE grading policy is identified in section titled Grading Policy
    
  • B. Pass/W - Students may elect to be graded on a Pass/W basis for developmental, community service, and physical education courses.
    
  • C. Repeat - Students may repeat any course. Only the highest grade is counted as part of their total grade point average. Students may repeat certain courses for additional credit as defined in the college catalog.
    
  • D. Audit - Students may elect to take any course for an audit grade. No credit and no grade points are earned if an audit grade is elected.
    
  • E. Final Examinations - The instructor is responsible for the proper evaluation of each enrolled student throughout the instructional period.
    
  • F. Grade Point Average - The student's grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total of semester credit hours attempted, excluding repeated courses and courses in which a grade of P, W, AD, or I was recorded.
    
  • G. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in order to be considered as progressing in a normal fashion toward a degree or certificate.
    

• Section 6: Requirements for Graduation
  • A. Each Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement student is required to satisfy his/her program requirements. In addition, the United States and Nevada Constitution requirements must be fulfilled for the Associate Degree.
    
  • B. A student may select either the catalog year under which he/she initially enrolls or the year under which he/she will complete the curriculum requirements for an Associate Degree or a Certificate of Achievement. If a degree is offered for the first time after a student has enrolled, the student may choose the catalog year in which the degree or major was first offered. In no case may students use a catalog which is more than six years old at the time of graduation.
    
  • C. A student must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
    
  • D. A student must complete a minimum of 15 semester credit hours within the college.
    
  • E. The required minimum number of semester hours for the Associate in Arts, Associate in Applied Science, and the Associate in General Studies degrees is 60, and for the Certificate of Achievement is 30.
    
  • F. A student must not have a financial or library obligation toward Western Nevada College.
    
  • G. A student must formally apply for graduation according to the procedures publicized in the college catalog.
    

• Background Information
• Campus Minority Plan
• Evaluation and Reporting

• Section 1: Background Information
  • A. As a part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, Western Nevada College provides access to quality comprehensive educational opportunities to residents in its service area. Based on this premise, and in response to the charge by the Board of Regents, the president, faculty and staff are prepared to make a commitment to a campus plan on minority admissions, recruitment, and retention on behalf of Western Nevada College. This plan, comprehensive in nature, will be supported by the college at large.
    
  • B. The college recognizes the urgent need to increase the participation of minority populations in higher education to serve the current and future needs of our state and nation. Inherent in this need is the necessity of the college to do more than just enroll more minority students. It is imperative to assure that students can successfully complete their course of study. Western Nevada College will view this task as a continually evolving process.
    
  • C. It would be unrealistic for the college to strive to recruit and admit large number of minorities, as its service area has limited numbers of minority residents. Therefore, the plan will focus on the advocacy of affirmative action.
    

• Section 2: Campus Minority Plan
  • A. The Campus Minority Plan will be directed toward three areas:
    
    • 1. the students served, in relation to recruitment, admission, and retention;
    • 2. the currently employed faculty, administration, and staff; and
    • 3. recruitment of minority faculty and staff.
  • B. Recruitment, Admission, and Retention
    
    • 1. Although the college is cognizant of the needs of all minority groups, the bulk of minorities residing within its service area are Hispanics and Native Americans. Therefore, strategies for recruitment of students will be directed toward Hispanics and Native Americans.
      • a. The predominant vehicle for increasing the enrollment of Hispanics is English as a second language.
      • b. A top priority in the use of state funding is the creation of a staff position to serve as a liaison between the college and representatives from Native American tribes in the local communities.
      • c. The college counseling staff will continue to work closely with Native American organizations.
    • 2. Further efforts to enhance minority outreach include increasing awareness of the college in the community through current working relationships with high schools and four-year institutions, as outlined in the college's goals.
      • a. Marketing efforts will continue to be expanded throughout the college's service area.
      • b. The JOIN and Single Parent programs currently enroll many minority students in the college. This trend is anticipated to continue.
    • 3. Recognizing that the most critical barrier to minorities is higher education is lack of preparation, Western Nevada College will seek additional resources for tutorial assistance and special instruction materials to assist minority students.
      • a. Carson campus and the Fallon campus, providing tutorial assistance in math, English, study skills, etc.
      • b. The college assessment program is presently being revised and currently the college operates academic skills centers at the expanded to ensure student success by placing students in courses that are appropriate for their abilities.
    • 4. Plans for a minority student scholarship are presently in progress. Grants, scholarships and college work-study will be strongly encouraged, while loans will be discouraged.
      • a. Further support services include orientation sessions and the establishment of a Spanish language registration form.
      • b. The college is considering hiring bilingual aids during registration to provide an early positive experience for Hispanic Students.
  • C. Faculty, Administration, and Staff
    
    • 1. A critical element in the retention of minority students is the attitude of the faculty, staff and administration toward minorities. These individuals have a predominant role in providing a positive academic experience for students.
    • 2. Each employee of the college will be expected to assume a wider, more intense role in adding minority students' adjustment to college. All will have the responsibility of becoming familiar with the campus minority plan, and will be asked to evaluate their attitudes toward minority students.
    • 3. A workshop will address these issues and will strive to increase awareness and sensitivity to the diverse cultures, values, and needs of minority students.
  • D. Minority Faculty and Staff
    
    • 1. To further enrich the minority student experience, the college is prepared to actively recruit, employ and retain qualified minority faculty and staff. The affirmative action officer will increase efforts to attract qualified minority candidates. Minority faculty and staff will provide role models and mentors for minority students, thereby increasing the existing campus support systems. This would visually reaffirm the college's commitment and support for minority participation in higher education at Western Nevada College.
    • 2. A committee will be established to implement and evaluate the campus minority plan. The committee will include the affirmative action officer, the current WNC members of the NSHE Minority Task Force, and a representative from the faculty, staff, administration, students, campus development program, and the community. A strong effort will be made to locate a minority student to serve on this committee.

• Section 3: Evaluation and Reporting
  • A. Several methods will be used to evaluate the college's endeavors in implementing this campus plan.
    
    • 1. Periodic comparisons will be made between the college's and the community's minority populations, and between the college's minority and total student population. This information will determine any gains in minority matriculation
    • 2. An ongoing dialogue will occur between representatives from other NSHE colleges through the existing NSHE Minority Task Force.
    • 3. The WNC minority committee will periodically review the strengths and weaknesses of the campus plan, and will assess the college's progress toward minority admissions, recruitment, and retention.
    • 4. The committee will provide annual feedback and propose recommendations regarding the plan to the college president.
  • B. The report from the Commission on the Future of Community Colleges stresses the obligation of community colleges to serve a diversity of students and increase efforts to serve minority groups.
    
  • C. Western Nevada College declares and reaffirms with pride and conviction its commitment to a goal of equality of opportunity and in serving all racial and ethnic groups.
    

• Drop a Course
• Drop/Add Periods

• Section 1: Drop a Course
  • A. Students who drop a course or courses with less than a 100 percent refund, may, upon their request, be allowed to apply the total amount of all courses dropped to the courses added without late fees.
    

• Section 2: Drop/Add Periods
  • A. This exchange of refund is only applicable during the advertised drop/add periods.
    

Rationale

Human beings grow and mature in communities. Living in a community requires depending upon the knowledge, integrity, and decency of others. In turn, the best communities help individuals form habits and values that enable them to achieve the highest personal satisfaction, including the satisfaction associated with helping to make a better world. Western Nevada College, a community comprised of students, faculty, staff and administrators, recognizes the need to establish policies and procedures to guide student actions and defines the penalties that are imposed when these rules and regulations are violated. The rules enforced by the College are designed to protect individual liberties, and other values stated in the College's Mission and Goals, especially the commitment to "personal growth and development, achieving their educational goals, advancing in their careers, and coping with the technical and social changes in our global society."

It is the policy of Western Nevada College (WNC) to ensure that the rights of an individual guaranteed by state laws and the U.S. Constitution are protected for all members of the community regardless of their gender, race, color, ethnicity, sexual preference, or religion. When such rights are infringed upon by violence, threats, or other harassment, the College will use every necessary resource to rapidly and decisively identify perpetrators for criminal and/or administrative prosecution in accordance with the WNC polices and the Board of Regents' Policies.

• Authority for Student Discipline
• Standards Governing the Conduct of Students
• Extraordinary Action Pending Disciplinary Process/Administrative Leave
• Due Process Procedural Protections
• Interpretation of Regulations
• Disciplinary Action while Criminal Charges Are Pending
• Standards of Classroom Behavior
• Prohibited Conduct
• Sanctions
• Case Referrals
• Conference and Hearing Committee Referrals
• Disciplinary Conferences
• Campus Hearing Committee
• Advisors
• Student Groups and Organizations
• Decisions on Appeal
• Transcript Encumbrances
• Disciplinary Files and Records
• Revocation of Degrees
• Definitions

• Section 1: Authority for Student Discipline
  • A. Ultimate authority for student discipline is vested in the NSHE Board of Regents that charges the president of WNC with responsibility of establishing and enforcing rules and regulations outlined in the NSHE Policies. At WNC, disciplinary authority is delegated to the dean of student services as set forth in these policies and procedures, and in other appropriate policies, rules, or regulations adopted by the Board. The President appoints the dean of student services to serve as an administrative officer, and delegates other duties by the President as set forth herein.
    
  • B. The College reserves the right to take necessary and appropriate action to protect the safety and well being of the campus community. Such action may include pursuing disciplinary action for any act prohibited by local, state or federal law that occurs on System premises or at a System sponsored on or off such premises. In addition, misconduct, as defined and established in the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.2.2), is as follows:
    
    • 1. Commission of any act interfering with academic freedom
    • 2. Use of, or threat to use, force or violence against any member or guest of the System community, except when lawfully permitted
    • 3. Interference by force, threat or duress with the lawful freedom of movement of persons or vehicles on the premises of the System
    • 4. Intentional disruption or unauthorized interruption of the functions of the System, including but not limited to classes, convocations, lectures, meetings, recruiting interviews and social events, on or off premises of the System
    • 5. Willful damage, destruction, defacement, theft, or misappropriation of equipment or property belonging to, in the possession of or on premises occupied by the System
    • 6. Knowing possession on any premises of the System of any firearms, explosives, dangerous chemicals or other dangerous weapons as defined by the laws of the State of Nevada, without the written authorization of the president of any System institution or the president's authorized agent, unless such possession reasonably relates to duly recognized System functions by appropriate members of the faculty, other employees or students
    • 7. Continued occupation of buildings, structures, grounds or premises belonging to, or occupied by, the System after having been ordered to leave by the president of a System institution or the president's designee
    • 8. Forgery, alteration, falsification or destruction of System documents or furnishing false information in documents submitted to the System
    • 9. Making an accusation, which is intentionally false or is made with reckless disregard for the truth against any member of the System community by filing a complaint or charges under this code or under any applicable established grievance procedures in the System
    • 10. Repeated use of obscene or abusive language in a classroom or public meeting of the System where such usage is beyond the bounds of generally accepted good taste and which, if occurring in a class, is not significantly related to the teaching of the subject matter
    • 11. Willful incitement of persons to commit any of the acts herein prohibited
    • 12. Disorderly, lewd, or indecent conduct occurring on System premises or at a System sponsored function on or off such premises
    • 13. Any act prohibited by local, state, or federal law that occurs on System premises or at a System sponsored function on or off such premises
    • 14. Use of threats of violence against a faculty member or the faculty member's family in order to secure preferential treatment for grades, loans, employment or other service or privilege accorded by the System
    • 15. Any act of unlawful discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, age, handicap or national origin. (referred to affirmative action officer)
    • 16. Any act of sexual harassment when submission to a request or demand of a sexual nature is either an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment or of academic grading, or where verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature has the effect of creating an intimidating, offensive or hostile work or classroom environment. (referred to the affirmative action officer)
    • 17. Acts of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, falsifying research data or results, or assisting others to do the same
    • 18. Willfully destroying, damaging, tampering with, altering stealing, misappropriating or using without permission any system program or file of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
    • 19. Acts of hazing, which are defined as any method of initiation into or affiliation with the university or community college community, a student organization, a sports team, an academic association, or other group engaged in by an individual that intentionally or recklessly endangers another individual
    • 20. Any conduct, which violates applicable stated prohibitions, policies, procedures, rules, regulations, or bylaws of the Board of Regents or a System institution
  • C. Students will be informed of the Student Conduct Policies and Procedures through a variety of communication vehicles including the College's website, student handbook, and/or electronic and written media as appropriate.
    

• Section 2: Standards Governing the Conduct of Students
  • A. The College expects its students to act with integrity. Dishonesty, fraud, and failure to respect the rights of others will not be tolerated in a community that is dedicated to the development of responsible individuals.
    
  • B. The Student Conduct Policies and Procedures prescribe standards for the conduct of students on and off the campus. Many of these regulations are similar to federal and state statutes; therefore, a violation of these Student Conduct Policies may concurrently represent a violation of a civil statute. The College and civil/criminal jurisdictions are considered independent, each based on its separate, distinct needs. Thus, both civil/criminal and College proceedings could result from the same violation. Civil or criminal action before or after College action shall in no way alter the College proceedings or findings, nor provide any right to immunity from College jurisdiction. College authorities shall expedite disciplinary proceedings, recognizing the advantage of a prompt hearing in the event of alleged infractions, while guaranteeing due process.
    
  • C. The above policy recognizes that College disciplinary jurisdictions may not extend to off-campus activities unless the College sponsors such activities (e.g., athletic event, concerts, etc.) or the off-campus incident or activity has a direct or indirect adverse affect on the College. Alleged infractions taking place off the College campus are left to the courts or other authorities, although College action shall be initiated in cases where individuals are representing the College or where the alleged actions give cause for concern that the presence of certain individuals on campus may endanger the College community. Behavior causing serious personal endangerment, may subject a student to immediately being placed on administrative leave prior to a disciplinary hearing in accordance with Board of Regent's Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.5.1), and as outlined in the Section III of this Code "Extraordinary Action Pending Judicial Process." A student of another NSHE institution against whom the institution has imposed the disciplinary sanction of suspension or expulsion may not apply for admission to the College and may not enroll in College courses until such time as the student is eligible to take courses at the institution imposing the sanction.
    

• Section 3: Extraordinary Action Pending Disciplinary Process/Administrative Leave
  • A. Pending a formal hearing, the President may place a student on administrative leave temporarily from the College if there is a determination that the administrative leave is required to:
    
    • 1. Protect life, limb or property;
    • 2. Ensure the maintenance of order; or
    • 3. Remove a person from the University of Nevada System community when an act of sexual harassment has been alleged against such person and the accuser or the accused person cannot be assigned other duties or classes or placed else in the System institution apart fro each other pending the completion of an investigation and/or disciplinary hearing into the allegation.
  • B. The dean of student services, if acting as an administrative officer, will inform the student in writing, by personal delivery or, if this is not possible, by registered mail to the student's identified place of residence.
    
  • C. The notice of administrative leave will include charges specifying the violation(s). The matter will be referred in writing to a general hearing officer. The student charged will be provided a copy of the written referral. A student placed on administrative leave shall be given the opportunity to appear personally before the dean of student services, or a designee, in order to discuss the following issues only:
    
    • 1. the reliability of the information concerning the student's conduct, including the matter of his or her identity;
    • 2. whether the conduct and surrounding circumstances reasonably indicate that the continued presence of the student on College premises poses a substantial and immediate threat to himself or herself or to others or the stability and continuance of normal College functions.
  • D. There is no appeal to the President's decision of an interim suspension pending a hearing. Unless the person placed on leave agrees to delay the hearing to a later time, the hearing committee will convene within ten (10) days considering the circumstances of each case including but not limited to:
    
    • 1. time of academic year;
    • 2. availability of witnesses (especially any injured party);
    • 3. whether criminal charges are pending.

• Section 4: Due Process Procedural Protections
  • A. As provided for by the NSHE Code, students accused of disciplinary violations are entitled to the following procedural protections, which are general described as the following:
    
    • 1. To be informed of the charge and alleged misconduct upon which the charge is based;
    • 2. To request that the dean of student services, as administrative officer, to resolve the case in an informal disciplinary conference;
    • 3. To be allowed reasonable time to prepare a defense.
    • 4. To be informed of the evidence upon which a charge is based and accorded an opportunity to offer a relevant response;
    • 5. To call and confront relevant witnesses;
    • 6. To be assured of confidentiality, in accordance with the terms of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
    • 7. To request that any person conducting a disciplinary conference or serving as a hearing board member or hearing officer be disqualified on the ground of personal bias.
    • 8. To be considered innocent of the charges until proven responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.
    • 9. To be advised by a person of their choice.

• Section 5: Interpretation of Regulations
  • A. The purpose of publishing disciplinary regulations is to give students general notice of prohibited behavior. These policies and procedures are a summary of the grounds, process and forms of discipline that are governed by the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6. Reference is made to this document for specific and detailed information on the NSHE and Western Nevada College disciplinary process.
    

• Section 6: Disciplinary Action while Criminal Charges Are Pending
  • A. Students may be accountable both to civil/criminal authorities and to the College for acts that constitute violations of law and of these policies. Disciplinary action at the College will normally proceed during the pendency of criminal or other proceedings, and will not be subject to challenge on the ground that criminal or other charges involving the same incident are dismissed or reduced.
    

• Section 7: Standards of Classroom Behavior
  • A. The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the academic faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class for the remainder of the class period. Longer suspensions from a class, or dismissal on disciplinary grounds, must be preceded by disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the WNC Policies and the Board of Regents' Code.
    

• Section 8: Prohibited Conduct
  • A. Unacceptable misconduct includes, but is not limited to any of the activities or behaviors outlined in Section I of this document and the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.2.2).
    

• Section 9: Sanctions
  • A. Consistent with the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.3), possible sanctions associated with violations of these WNC Policies may include:
    
    • 1. Warning: notice, orally or in writing, that continuation or repetition of prohibited conduct may be cause for additional disciplinary action.
    • 2. Reprimand: a written warning that continuation or repetition of prohibited conduct may be cause for additional disciplinary action. Notice of this action may appear on the student's academic transcript for up to one year.
    • 3. Disciplinary Probation: exclusion from participation in privileged or extra-curricular institutional activities for a specified period of time not to exceed one year. Additional restrictions or conditions may also be imposed. Violations of the terms of disciplinary probation, or any other violation during the period of probation, will normally result in suspension or expulsion from the College. Notice of this action may appear on the student's academic transcript for up to two years.
    • 4. Restitution: repayment to the College or to an affected party for damages resulting from a violation of these Policies.
    • 5. Suspension: exclusion from College premises, and other privileges or activities for a defined time period as set forth in the suspension notice. Notice of this action may appear on the student's academic transcript as Disciplinary suspension effective (date) to (date). Parents or legal guardians of minor students shall be notified of this action.
      
      A student who is not currently enrolled in the System and who was not registered during the previous semester, or who graduated at the end of the previous semester may request that the notation of the disciplinary suspension be removed from the official transcript when two years have elapsed since the expiration of the student's suspension. Such a request must be submitted in writing to the President. If the request is not granted, the student at yearly intervals thereafter may submit a request for removal of the notation.
      
      No student suspended shall be refunded or credited any fees paid by and/or for the student.
    • 6. Expulsion: termination of student status for an indefinite period of time, and exclusion from College premises, privileges and activities. Permission of the President shall be required for readmission. This action will be recorded on the student's academic transcript as Disciplinary Expulsion Effective (date). The parents or legal guardians of minor students shall be notified of this action. No expelled student shall be refunded or credited any fees paid by and/or for the student.
    • 7. Other Sanctions: other sanctions, if agreed to in writing by the student, may be imposed instead of, or in addition to, those specified in sections (1) through (6) of this part. Service activities, fines or research projects may also be assigned.
  • B. Violations may result in expulsion or suspension from the College unless specific and significant mitigating factors. Factors to be considered in mitigation shall be the present demeanor and past disciplinary record of the offender, as well as the nature of the offense and the severity of any damage, injury, or harm resulting from it.
    
  • C. Repeated or aggravated violations of any section of these Policies may also result in expulsion or suspension or in the imposition of such lesser penalties as may be appropriate. Attempts to commit acts prohibited by these Policies may be punished to the same extent as completed violations.
    

• Section 10: Case Referrals
  • A. Any person may refer a student or a student group or organization suspected of violating these Policies to the dean of student services. This referral must be done in writing using a standard form available from the College's public safety, dean of student services, coordinator of student activities, or dean of instruction offices.
    
  • B. Those referring cases are normally expected to serve as the complainant, and to present relevant evidence in hearings or conferences. The complainant may request the assistance of an advocate.^[1]
    

• Section 11: Conference and Hearing Committee Referrals
  • A. The dean of student services or a designee will conduct a preliminary review to determine whether the alleged misconduct might result in expulsion or suspension from the College. Students not subject to suspension or expulsion will be entitled to a disciplinary conference to attempt an informal resolution of the matter, in accordance with Sec. 6.8.2(c) of the Regents' Code, with the dean of student services, or a designee, as set forth in section XIII of this Code of Student Conduct. Students who are subject to suspension or expulsion will be entitled a hearing before the Campus Hearing Committee as set forth in section XIV.
    
  • B. Students referred for a hearing by the dean of student services, or a designee, may elect to have their cases resolved in accordance with section XIII of these Policies. Such an election must be in writing, affirming that the student is aware a hearing is being waived.
    
  • C. The dean of student services, or a designee, may defer proceedings for alleged minor violations of these Policies for a period not to exceed ninety days.
    

• Section 12: Disciplinary Conferences
  • A. As permitted by NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.8.2), students accused of non-academic offenses that may result in penalties less than expulsion or suspension may be subject to an informal resolution or recommendation for a disciplinary conference with the dean of student services or designee. The following procedural protections are provided to accused students in disciplinary conferences:
    
    • 1. Written notice of the information specified in subsection 6.8.1 of the NSHE Code at least three business days prior to the scheduled conference.
    • 2. Reasonable access to the case file prior to and during the conference. The case file consists of materials which would be considered "educational records,'' pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974; personal notes of College staff members or complainants are not included.
    • 3. An opportunity to respond to the evidence and to call relevant and necessary witnesses.
    • 4. A right to be accompanied by an advisor as provided in item XV of these Policies.

• Section 13: Campus Hearing Committee
  • A. There shall be a Campus Hearing Committee appointed in accordance with procedures established by the College and approved by the President, and in accordance with Sec. 6.11.2 of the Regents' Code. Each hearing committee shall consist of at least five participants and not more than three from both the student or faculty/staff constituencies, and a faculty or staff member appointed as chair. The dean of student services shall be responsible for training and providing administrative support to the Campus Hearing Committee.
    
  • B. Both the findings and the sanctions determined by the Campus Hearing Committee shall be regarded as recommendations to the College President.
    
  • C. Members of the Campus Hearing Committee charged with a violation of these Policies or with a criminal offense may be suspended from their positions by the dean of student services during the pendency of the charges against them. Appointments of members found responsible of any such violation or offense will be terminated immediately upon determination of a case.
    
  • D. Hearing Committee procedures include the following procedural guidelines and will be implemented in accordance with the procedural requirements of the Board of Regents' Code, Title 2, Ch. 6:
    
    • 1. The College president will appoint a committee chair from the faculty or staff members of the committee. The chair shall conduct the hearing, participate in Board deliberations and discussions, but shall vote only in cases of a tie vote by the committee.
    • 2. The dean of student services, or a designee, shall provide an accused student notice of the hearing date and the specific charges against him/her at least five business days in advance. Notice shall be by personal delivery or by certified mail to the last address provided by the student to the College. An accused student shall be accorded reasonable access to the case file which will be retained in the office of the dean of student services.
    • 3. The committee chair may call relevant witnesses in consultation with the dean of student services. Notice of the hearing will be personally delivered or sent by certified mail. College students and employees are expected to comply with such requests issued pursuant to this procedure, unless compliance would result in significant and unavoidable personal hardship, or substantial interference with normal College activities, as determined by the president of the College.
    • 4. Accused students who fail to appear after proper notice will be deemed to have pled ``innocent'' to the charges pending against them. A hearing will be conducted in their absence.
    • 5. Unless requested otherwise by the individual charged, hearings will be closed to the public except for accused, an advisor for the accused, and if appropriate, the victim and relevant witnesses.
    • 6. The chair shall exercise control over the proceedings to avoid needless consumption of time and to achieve orderly completion of the hearing. Any person, including the accused student, who disrupts a hearing, may be excluded by the chair.
    • 7. Hearings shall be tape recorded or transcribed. These records are maintained for a seven-year time-period.
    • 8. Any party may challenge a hearing board member or the hearing officer on the grounds of personal bias. Board members may be disqualified by the chair, or upon majority vote of the voting members, conducted by secret ballot. The chair may be disqualified by the dean of student services and a pro tem chair appointed by the College president for a specific hearing.
    • 9. Witnesses shall be asked to affirm that their testimony is truthful, and may be subject to charges of violating these Policies by intentionally providing false information to the College.
    • 10. Witnesses, other than the complainant and the respondent, may be excluded from the hearing during the testimony of other witnesses. All parties, the witnesses, and the public shall be excluded during Board deliberations, which shall not be recorded or transcribed.
    • 11. The charges against the respondent must be established by a preponderance of the evidence.
    • 12. Formal rules of evidence shall not be applicable in disciplinary proceedings conducted pursuant to these Policies. The chair shall give effect to the rules of confidentiality and privilege, but shall otherwise admit all matters into evidence that reasonable persons would accept as having probative value, materiality and relevancy. Unduly repetitious or irrelevant evidence may be excluded.
    • 13. Complainants and accused students (not their advisors), will be accorded an opportunity to ask relevant questions of those witnesses who testify at the hearing.
    • 14. Board members may ask questions of the parties and all witnesses. They may also take judicial notice of matters which would be within the general experience of College students and faculty members. The past disciplinary record of the accused student, if any, will be supplied to the board during the proceeding.
    • 15. A determination of responsibility and recommendations on the appropriate sanction(s) to be imposed shall be made to the President.
    • 16. Any determination of responsibility and recommendations will be supported by written findings completed by the chair. This document will be provided to the President.

• Section 14: Advisors
  • A. Complainants and accused students may be assisted by an advisor, who may be an attorney. The role of an advisor will be limited to providing confidential advice to the complainant or accused student. Even if accompanied by an advisor, an accused student must respond to inquiries from the chair and the hearing board. In consideration of the limited role of an advisor, and acknowledging the compelling interest of the College to conclude the matter expeditiously, the work of the hearing board will not, as an expeditiously general practice, be delayed due to the unavailability of an advisor. If an attorney accompanies a student, the name, address, and telephone number of the attorney must provided to the dean of student services at least five (5) working days prior to a hearing.
    

• Section 15: Student Groups and Organizations
  • A. Student groups and organizations may be charged with violations of these Policies.
    
  • B. A student group or organization and its officers may be held collectively and individually responsible when violations of these Policies by those associated with the group or organization have received the consent or encouragement of the group or organization or of the group's or organization's leaders or officers.
    
  • C. The officers, leaders, or any identifiable spokesperson for a student group or organization may be directed by the dean of student services to take appropriate action designed to prevent or end violations of these Policies by the group or organization. Failure to make reasonable efforts to comply with the dean's order shall be considered a violation of these Policies, both by the officers, leaders or spokesperson for the group or organization and by the group or organization itself.
    
  • D. Sanctions for group or organization misconduct may include revocation or denial of registration or recognition, as well as other appropriate sanctions.
    

• Section 16: Decisions on Appeal
  • A. Consistent with the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.14.2), an accused student will be provided with a copy of the President's decision by personal delivery or by certified mail to the last address provided by the student to the College.
    
  • B. For a suspension or lesser sanction, the student has ten (10) business days to submit a written request for reconsideration of the decision to the President. In the event of a decision for expulsion, the accused will have ten (10) business days to provide a written appeal to the Board of Regents for action.
    
  • C. As outlined in the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.14.1), the basis for such an appeal must establish that:
    
    • 1. The procedures under which the person was charged are invalid or were not followed;
    • 2. The person charged did not have adequate opportunity to prepare and present a defense to the charges;
    • 3. The evidence presented at the hearing was not substantial enough to justify the decision; or
    • 4. The sanction imposed was not in keeping with the gravity of the violation.

• Section 17: Transcript Encumbrances
  • A. In pending cases that could result in suspension or expulsion, a temporary encumbrance will normally be placed on a student's records by the dean of student services.
    

• Section 18: Disciplinary Files and Records
  • A. Case referrals will result in the development of a disciplinary file in the name of the accused student. Disciplinary files will be retained as a disciplinary record for seven years from the date of the letter providing notice of final disciplinary action.
    

• Section 19: Revocation of Degrees
  • A. The College reserves the right to revoke an awarded degree for fraud in receipt of the degree. The process outlined in the NSHE Code, title 2, chapter 6 (6.2.8) is utilized to determine this as a recommendation to the President.
    

• Section 20: Definitions
  • A. When used in this document, the term(s):
    
    • 1. aggravated violation means a violation which resulted or foreseeably could have resulted in significant damage to persons or property or which otherwise posed a substantial threat to the stability and continuance of normal College or College-sponsored activities;
    • 2. group means a number of persons who are associated with each other, but who have not complied with College requirements for registration as an organization;
    • 3. institution and college mean the College and all of its undergraduate divisions and programs;
    • 4. organization means a number of persons who have complied with College requirements for registration;
    • 5. reckless means conduct which one should reasonably be expected to know would create a substantial risk of harm to persons or property or which would otherwise be likely to result in interference with normal College or College-sponsored activities;
    • 6. student means any person who is taking or auditing classes at the College, or is matriculated in any College program;
    • 7. College premises means buildings or grounds owned, leased, operated, controlled or supervised by the College;
    • 8. weapon is defined in accordance with state law, and includes any object or substance designed to inflict a wound or cause injury;
    • 9. College-sponsored activity means any activity on or off College premises that is directly initiated or supervised by the College;
    • 10. will or shall are used in the imperative sense.

^[1] An individual, usually an employee of WNC, who could assist the victim during the hearing and advocate for the individual in relation to issues related to the case.

• Guidelines for Academic Integrity
• Academic Dishonesty
• What is "Academic Dishonesty?"
• What are Specific Acts of Academic Dishonesty?
• Academic Dishonesty Complaint and Hearing Procedures
• Final Level of Appeal
• Timelines
• Suspected Academic Dishonesty Outside of the Classroom

• Section 1: Guidelines for Academic Integrity
  • A. Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the coursework they submit. The following are guidelines to assist students in ensuring academic integrity:
    
    • 1. Students must complete and submit only their own work on examinations, reports, and projects, unless otherwise permitted by the instructor. Students are encouraged to contact their instructor about appropriate citation guidelines.
    • 2. Students may benefit from working in groups. They may collaborate or cooperate with other students on graded assignments or examinations as directed by the instructor.
    • 3. Students must follow all written and/or verbal instructions given by instructors or designated college representatives prior to taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations.
    • 4. Students are responsible for adhering to course requirements as specified by the instructor in the course syllabus.

• Section 2: Academic Dishonesty
  • A. The College places a high expectation on all students to act honestly in all situations. The College does recognize that some students will choose to commit acts of academic dishonesty, which places an expectation on all faculty and staff to confront these acts of dishonesty.
    

• Section 3: What is "Academic Dishonesty?"
  • A. Academic dishonesty is any form of cheating and plagiarism which results in students giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or receiving credit for work which is not their own. Academic dishonesty is a behavioral issue, not an issue of academic performance. As such, it is considered an act of misconduct and is subject to the College disciplinary process as defined in the Nevada System of Higher Education Code.
    

• Section 4: What are Specific Acts of Academic Dishonesty?
  • A. Cheating
    Cheating is an act of deception by which a student misrepresents that he or she has mastered information on an academic exercise, which in fact has not been mastered. Examples include:
    
    • 1. Copying from another student's test or assignment.
    • 2. Allowing another student to copy from a test or assignment.
    • 3. Collaborating during a test with any other person without instructor permission.
    • 4. Using the course textbook or other course materials during a test without instructor permission.
    • 5. Using prepared materials during a test (e.g., notes, formula lists, notes written on the student's clothing, etc.) without instructor permission
    • 6. Stealing, buying, or otherwise obtaining all or part of a test before it is administered.
    • 7. Selling or giving away all or part of an unadministered test, including answers.
    • 8. Bribing any person to obtain an unadministered test or any information about the test.
    • 9. Taking a test for someone else or permitting someone to take a test for the student.
  • B. Plagiarism
    Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words, ideas or data as one's own. When a student submits work that includes the words, ideas or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate and specific references, and if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well.
    
    • 1. In academically honest writing or speaking, the student will acknowledge the source whenever:
      • a. Another person's actual words are quoted.
      • b. Another person's idea, opinion or theory is used, even if it is completely paraphrased in the student's own words.
      • c. Facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials are borrowed, unless the information is common knowledge.
    • 2. Some pitfalls that lead to plagiarism:
      • a. Procrastination
      • b. Failure to follow instructions for the assignment
      • c. Inadequate writing skills to accomplish the assignment
    • 3. How you can avoid these problems:
      • a. Have someone you trust review your work and/or sources.
      • b. Talk with your faculty members, Division Chair, or counselor about your writing skills.
      • c. Complete drafts before due dates.
      • d. Use the Academic Skills Center.
  • C. Multiple Submission
    Submitting, without prior permission, any work submitted to fulfill another academic requirement.
    
  • D. Fabrication
    Fabrication is the intentional use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive. Examples include:
    
    • 1. Submitting as the student's own work any academic exercise (e.g., written work, lab work, computer work, art work, etc.) prepared totally or in part by another. (The typing of a student paper by another person is permissible, but all corrections and rephrasing must be the student's own.)
    • 2. Inventing data or source information for research or other academic exercises.
    • 3. Citing of information not taken from the source indicated.
    • 4. Listing sources in a bibliography not actually used in the academic exercise.
  • E. Grade Tampering
    Grade tampering involves changing, altering, or being an accessory to the changing and/or altering of a grade in a grade book, on a test, on an assignment, on a grade change form, or on any other official academic record.
    
  • F. Failure to Report a Violation
    The conscious failure to report any student who has committed a breach of the Code and may result in action against the student involved.
    
  • G. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all acts of academic dishonesty, but is a guide to help student and faculty understand what constitutes academic dishonesty.
    

• Section 5: Academic Dishonesty Complaint and Hearing Procedures
  • A. The faculty member observing or investigating the apparent act of academic dishonesty documents the commission of the act, usually by writing down the time, date, place, and a description of the act.
    
  • B. The faculty member collects evidence, often by photocopying the plagiarized assignment and creating a paper trail of all that occurs after the alleged act of academic dishonesty. Often the evidence will include various samples of the student's work showing a radical disparity in style or ability.
    
  • C. The faculty member provides the student with an opportunity to explain the incident.
    
  • D. The faculty member explains to the student the procedures and penalties for academic dishonesty and gives the student a copy of the Western Nevada College Academic Integrity Statement.
    
  • E. The faculty member may resolve the matter informally by determining an appropriate course of action, which may include a verbal or written warning, or a failing grade on an assignment, project, or examination, or no further action. If the accused student contests the faculty member's decision, a hearing with the Division Chair may be requested. The faculty member's policy, with regard to dishonesty, should be included in the course syllabus.
    
  • F. If the faculty member wishes to initiate further action (e.g., assign a lower grade or a grade of "F" for the course), the student is entitled to a hearing with the Division Chair. The faculty member submits a copy of the Academic Dishonesty Report form and any additional evidence to the Dean of Instruction within 10 days of the alleged act of academic dishonesty, which initiates the hearing process.
    
  • G. Within 10 business days of receiving an Academic Dishonesty Report form, the Division Chair notifies all parties in writing of the date, time and location of the hearing. At the hearing, the student meets with the faculty member, Division Chair, and two student representatives appointed by the USA President, to hear the charges and present information related to the case. The student may bring an advisor, who may advise the student but not present the case. If the student fails to attend the hearing, the faculty member and Division Chair may proceed with the process to completion. The Division Chair will consider any evidence submitted and interview persons as warranted. The Division Chair determines if the action recommended by the faculty member is appropriate.
    
  • H. Within 10 business days of the hearing, the Division Chair sends written notification of the results to the student and faculty member.
    
  • I. Within 10 business days of the notification, the student may submit a written appeal to the Dean of Instruction.
    
  • J. The Division Chair sends a final report to the Dean of Instruction. The Dean of Student Services may also issue disciplinary sanctions in accordance with NSHE Code, Title 2, Chapter 6, Section 3. These may include:
    
    • 1. Disciplinary admonition and warning.
    • 2. Disciplinary probation with or without the loss of privileges for a definite period of time. The violation of the terms of the disciplinary probation or the breaking of any college rule during the probation period may be grounds for suspension or expulsion from the college.
    • 3. Suspension from Western Nevada College for a definite period of time (i.e., suspension of the privilege to attend Western Nevada College).
    • 4. Expulsion from Western Nevada College (i.e., removal of the privilege to attend Western Nevada College).
  • K. NOTE: A student may not withdraw from a course in order to avoid possible academic and disciplinary sanctions. If a student is suspected of committing an act of academic dishonesty, then the case must be resolved before the student can initiate a withdrawal. Once a student receives an "F" in any course as an academic sanction, the student cannot withdraw from the course. If a student appeals the determination or sanction, the student may not withdraw from the course until after the appeal is resolved. If the appeal process results in the sanction being upheld, then the grade of "F" for that course will be upheld.
    

• Section 6: Final Level of Appeal
  • A. If the student chooses to appeal the determination of the Dean of Instruction, the student must file a petition for review with the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs within ten business days of notification of the decision. The Vice President reviews the written records and issues a written decision.
    

• Section 7: Timelines
  • A. Division Chairs, the Dean of Instruction, and the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs may for good cause, extend the scheduling timelines described above.
    

• Section 8: Suspected Academic Dishonesty Outside of the Classroom
  • A. The College requires that standards of academic integrity and academic honesty be upheld outside the classroom as well as inside the classroom. Examples of academic dishonesty outside a classroom could include cheating, photocopying papers and tests, plagiarism, and illegal access to web courses and tests, etc. If a student is suspected of committing an act of academic dishonesty outside of the classroom (in a lab, the library, the learning center, etc.) the student will be subject to the following:
    
    • 1. The person who believes that academic dishonesty took place will gather all available evidence and forward it to the instructor of record for the class in question. The instructor will then confront the student with the evidence and follow the steps as outlined above.

• Activation
• Written Notice
• Unresolved Grade Appeal
• Hearing Committee
• Final Action on Grade Appeal

• Section 1: Activation
  • A. Prior to activation of the formal grade appeal process it is recommended that the student discuss his/her complaint with the instructor who issued the grade.
    
  • B. If the student cannot reach the instructor or if the grade is not resolved by the instructor then the student must file a written intent to appeal the grade with the instructor's division office within 2 weeks of the grade's posting.
    

• Section 2: Written Notice
  • A. Once the written notice is filed, the student has until 5 p.m. on February 1st or 5 p.m. on September 1st (whichever occurs immediately after the grading period in which the grade was issued) to contact the Division Chair who will set up a meeting between the student, instructor and division chair (or student and instructor if they had not met before).
    

• Section 3: Unresolved Grade Appeal
  • A. If the grade appeal is still unresolved, the student must submit details in writing to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs within 10 days of the meeting with the division chair and instructor.
    
  • B. The vice president in return will notify the instructor, student and division chair by certified mail of the formal grade appeal.
    

• Section 4: Hearing Committee
  • A. Within 15 days of the receipt of the written certified letter, a hearing committee made up of the Division Chair, two faculty members of the same division chosen by the Division Chair, and two students chosen by the USA President will meet to hear the grade appeal.
    
  • B. The instructor and the student who is appealing his/her grade will be invited to be present when this committee meets.
    

• Section 5: Final Action on Grade Appeal
  • A. The written recommendation of this hearing committee will be forwarded to the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs who will act on the grade appeal within15 days of being notified.
    

• Initiation of Grievance
• Committee Membership
• Presentation of Case
• Recommended Course of Action
• Final Decision

• Section 1: Initiation of Grievance
  • A. Formal grievance procedures are initiated only after informal attempts have been found unsatisfactory in reaching a just solution.
    
  • B. A grievance must be filed in writing to the appropriate dean within 30 instructional days of the alleged infraction.
    

• Section 2: Committee Membership
  • A. Members of a grievance committee will be selected by the appropriate dean.
    
  • B. This committee will consist of the appropriate dean, two faculty members, one student, one representative from the Associated Students of Western Nevada, and may also include a classified employee.
    

• Section 3: Presentation of Case
  • A. The student and involved parties will be given the opportunity to present their case in a formal hearing to the selected grievance committee.
    

• Section 4: Recommended Course of Action
  • A. The committee will then recommend a course of action to the vice president for academic and student affairs.
    

• Section 5: Final Decision
  • A. The student will receive a written notification from the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs of the final decision.
    

• Eligibility
• Procedure

• Section 1: Eligibility
  • A. Eligibility for academic renewal is subject to the following conditions:
    
    • 1. At the time the petition is filed, at least one year must have elapsed since the most recent course work to be disregarded was completed.
    • 2. In the interval between the completion of the most recent course work to be disregarded and the filing of the petition, students shall have completed at least 12 acceptable credits of course work at a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a grade-point average of at least 2.5 on all work completed during that interval. Courses taken during the interval may be repeats of previously attempted college work.

• Section 2: Procedure
  • A. The student's filed petition must specify the semester to be disregarded. A semester with only W grades may not be considered for academic renewal.
    
  • B. If the petition is approved under this policy, the student's permanent academic record will be suitably marked to indicate that no work taken during the disregarded semester, even if satisfactory, may apply toward graduation requirements and the grades will not be calculated into the student's grade point average. However, all course work will remain on the academic record, ensuring a true and accurate academic history. The original grades earned will be calculated toward satisfactory academic progress for financial aid.
    
  • C. Academic renewal can only occur once during a student's academic career. Academic renewal can only be applied prior to graduation from the first degree or certificate. Once a student graduates, academic renewal cannot be retroactively applied.
    

A student may repeat a course and have only the highest grade counted as part of his/her total grade point average; all grades will remain on the student transcript. Students will not receive duplicate credit for repeated courses unless the course is designated as repeatable for credits.

Students may repeat courses provided they have fulfilled current course prerequisites and met criteria established for courses with selective admissions criteria.

Students may petition to repeat up to 12 credits with an adjustment to the previous grade(s). If approved, the original grade will be reflected as an "R" for repeat. The "R" will only be used as a replacement if the repeated course earns a grade higher than the grade originally earned. Repeat adjustment may not be applied to W or AD grades.

A repeat adjustment request must be submitted to Admissions and Records no later than four weeks after the end of the semester in which the course was repeated. If a student requests a repeat adjustment for a course that is designated as repeatable for credit, he/she will not receive additional credits for the repeated course.

This policy is has been rescinded and is no longer active.

If you wish to view an archive of this policy, please visit the WNC library.

• Purpose
• Notification
• Procedure

• Section 1: Purpose
  • A. The purpose of the mentor is to give the new hire collegial support; to instill values of the college's culture; and to help him or her learn college procedures, practices and policies.
    

• Section 2: Notification
  • A. When the WNC Human Resources Office notifies the college community of a new staff member by e-mail, an additional e-mail, requesting that a mentor be assigned, will be sent to the specific Vice President and to one of the following:
    
    • 1. For academic faculty, to the appropriate Division Chair/Director;
    • 2. For administrative faculty or classified staff, to the appropriate governance senate/council chair.

• Section 3: Procedure
  • A. At the point when notification is made, the division chair or supervisor and the governance chair of the new hire will confer and select a mentor to be recommended for the newly hired individual. The division chair or supervisor will submit the mentor recommendation(s) to the appropriate vice president. If the recommendation is approved by the vice president, the recommendation will be forwarded to the president for final approval.
    
  • B. The president's office will notify the division chair or supervisor and the governance chair of approval of the mentor recommendation. The division chair and the governance chair or supervisor will notify the mentor. The President's Office will keep a master list. The mentor should contact the new hire as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks after being appointed.
    
  • C. When possible, the mentor and new hire should be on the same campus, but not generally employed in the same division/department.
    
  • D. A mentor relationship may be dissolved at any time at the request of either party and a new mentor may be assigned.
    
  • E. No mentor plays a role in a peer review process for the new hire, unless requested by the new hire
    

• Definitions
• Procedures
• Exceptions

• Section 1: Definitions
  • A. WNC seeks to employ on a competitive basis the best possible applicant for any position.
    
  • B. There is no prohibition to the appointment or hiring of a relative of an employee in the same or in another department, college or division. However, the Nevada Revised Statutes 281.210, Nevada Administrative Code 284.375 and 285.377 and Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 7 in the Board of Regents Handbook, prohibits the employment of relatives under certain circumstances.
    
    • 1. No person may be appointed to any employment position if they will be in the direct line of authority of any relative of a NSHE employee within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity (i.e., a spouse, child, parent, or sibling, half-sibling, or step-relatives of the person; the spouse of an employee's child, parent, or sibling, half-sibling, or step-relatives of the person; or the employees in-laws, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, or first cousin. of the person).
    • 2. Consanguinity is a blood relationship within a family.
    • 3. Affinity is a marriage or other legal relationship formally recognized by the State of Nevada.
  • C. In addition for classified staff, no person shall be appointed, who is in a dating relationship with the immediate supervisor or in the direct line of authority.
    

• Section 2: Procedures
  • A. Pursuant to Section 1, the following procedures apply to all WNC employees including academic or administrative faculty both full and part time; members of the state classified system; and all student employees; regardless of the funding source or budget account.
    
  • B. The term "relative" is defined by state statute and WNC policy as any person who is within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity:
    
    • 1. The appointing authority for WNC is the College President. Appointing authorities cannot hire a relative.
    • 2. NSHE Regents must report on an annual disclosure form the employment of any relatives within third degree of consanguinity or affinity hired by any NSHE institution.
    • 3. No employee can participate in making recommendations or decisions affecting the appointing, retention, tenure, promotion, salary, or other status or interest of any individual within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity.
    • 4. Department heads and supervisors -at any level-who hire a relative of any employee within the department-level unit(s) must provide written notification of the intended hire to the appointing authority and specifically address the manner in which the nepotism issue will be handled. All hires must be approved in writing by the appointing authority.
    • 5. If a supervisor becomes related to an employee in the direct line of supervision, the supervisor will notify the appointing authority in writing within 10 working days. The appointing authority shall make the final determination of what action shall be taken.
    • 6. Any deviation from the above policy could result in disciplinary action as well as sanctions stipulated in the NRS and NAC.

• Section 3: Exceptions
  • A. Any exceptions to this policy can only be made with specific written approval from the appointing authority.
    

The Legislature has declared to be the public policy of this state that a state officer or employee is encouraged to disclose, to the extent not expressly prohibited by law, "improper governmental action," and it is the intent of the Legislature to protect the rights of a state officer or employee who makes such a disclosure.

"Improper governmental action" means any action taken by a state officer or employee in the performance of his official duties, whether or not the action is within the scope of his employment, which is (1) in violation of any state law or regulation; (2) an abuse of authority; (3) of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety; or (4) a gross waste of public money.

The Nevada Revised Statutes prohibit a state officer or employee from using his or her official authority or influence to intimidate, threaten, coerce, command, influence or attempt to intimidate, threaten, coerce, command or influence another state officer or employee in an effort to interfere with or prevent disclosure of information concerning "improper governmental action."

The use of "official authority or influence" includes taking, directing others to take, recommending, processing or approving any personnel action such as an appointment, promotion, transfer, assignment, reassignment, reinstatement, restoration, reemployment, evaluation or other disciplinary action.

Western Nevada College encourages employees or other members of the WNC campus community to report suspected incidents of "improper governmental action" to the vice president of finance and administrative services. This individual is charged with investigating and issuing a report detailing the outcome of the investigation. The vice president provides the report to the college president or other appropriate NSHE representative. The vice president also informs the reporting individual of the outcome of the investigation.

If requested by the individual reporting such a possible violation, the vice president will preserve anonymity of the reporting individual.

In situations possibly involving the vice president of finance and administrative services, another college vice president may initiate a similar process.

The Nevada Revised Statutes prohibit any reprisal or retaliatory action against a state officer or employee who discloses information concerning "improper governmental action." A claim of reprisal retaliatory action must be submitted on the NPD-53 form, Request for Hearing under the provisions of NRS 281.641 (Whistleblower Law) within the 10 working day filing pursuant to NAC 281.305. This form is obtained from the Nevada Department of Personnel at 775.684.0141 or from the WNC Human Resources office.

• Section 1: Regulations
  • A. Regulations concerning civil leave including jury duty, witness summons and other judicial leave are covered for the following:
    
    • 1. Classified Personnel - Rules for State Personnel Administration NAC 284-582
    • 2. Professional Staff - NSHE Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Codification of Board Policy Statements, Chapter 3, Section 18, Judicial Leave

• Preamble
• Definitions
• Significant Use
• Inventions
• Copyrightable Works
• Administration
• Distribution of Income
• Institutional Policies
• Periodic Reporting
• Restricted Access Research

• Section 1: Preamble
  • A. The Nevada System of Higher Education is dedicated to teaching, research, and the extension of knowledge to the public. The personnel at its institutions recognize as two of their major objectives the production of new knowledge and the dissemination of both old and new knowledge. A byproduct of these objectives is the development of new and useful products and processes and the publication of scholarly works. Such activities (1) contribute to the professional development of the individuals involved, (2) enhance the reputation of the institutions concerned, (3) provide additional educational opportunities for participating students, and (4) promote the general welfare of the public at large. (B/R 6/07)
    
  • B. Inventions and copyrightable works often come about because of activities of NSHE personnel who have been aided wholly or in part through the use of funds and/or facilities of the System. It becomes significant, therefore, to ensure the utilization of such inventions for the public good and to expedite their development and marketing. The rights and privileges, as well as the incentive, of the inventor or author/creator must be preserved so that the abilities of the inventor or author/creator and those of other personnel of the NSHE may be further encouraged and stimulated. (B/R 6/07)
    
  • C. The Board of Regents acknowledges that faculty, staff, and students who are employees of the Board regularly prepare for publication, usually through individual effort and initiative, articles, pamphlets, books, and other scholarly works that may be subject to copyright and that may generate income. Publication may also result from work supported either partially or completely by the institution. With the advent of innovative techniques and procedures, the variety and number of materials that might be created in a higher education community have increased significantly, causing the ownership of such copyrightable works to become increasingly complex. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • D. The foregoing considered, the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education does hereby establish the following policy with respect to inventions, intellectual property, and restricted access research from which NSHE faculties, staff and students are contributing participants. (B/R 6/07)
    

• Section 2: Definitions
  • A. "Intellectual property" is a category of intangible property, which includes patents and copyrights. (B/R 6/91)
    
  • B. The term "inventions" shall refer to all inventions, discoveries, computer programs, processes, methods, uses, products, or combinations whether or not patented or patentable at any time under the Federal Patent Act as now existing or hereafter amended or supplemented. (B/R 2/90)
    
  • C. "Copyrightable works" shall include the following: (1) books, journal articles, texts, glossaries, bibliographies, study guides, laboratory manuals, syllabi, tests, and proposals; (2) lectures, musical or dramatic compositions, unpublished scripts; (3) films, filmstrips, charts, transparencies, and other video or audio broadcasts; (4) distance education courses or programmed instructional materials; (5) computer programs and documentation; and (6) other materials or works which qualify for protection under the copyright laws of the United States or other protective statutes whether or not copyrightable there under. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • D. "Net income" is defined as income received by the NSHE from a NSHE owned invention or copyrightable work, less all payments or obligations directly attributable to patenting, copyrighting, marketing, licensing, protecting, or administering the invention or work. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • E. "Personnel" refers to part-time and full-time members of the faculty, staff, all other agents and employees, and undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows of the NSHE. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • F. "Work for Hire" is defined by the copyright laws of the United States, and is used herein, as a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment. (B/R 6/91)
    

• Section 3: Significant Use
  • A. When an invention or a copyrightable work is developed by NSHE personnel or others participating in NSHE programs using significant System resources such as facilities, materials, equipment, personnel, funds or other resources under the control of or administered by the NSHE, the NSHE will own the invention or copyrightable work in accordance with the provisions of this policy. (B/R 6/03)
    
    • 1. For the purposes of developing inventions or copyrightable works, the NSHE does not construe the provision of office or library facilities or traditional desktop personal computers as constituting significant use of NSHE space or facilities, nor does it construe the payment of salary from unrestricted accounts as constituting the significant use of NSHE funds, except in those situations where the funds were specifically paid to support the development of inventions or copyrightable works. (B/R 6/03)
    • 2. Textbooks developed in conjunction with class teaching are also excluded from the "significant use" category, unless such textbooks were developed using NSHE administered funds paid specifically to support textbook development. (B/R 6/03)
    • 3. Generally, an invention or a copyrightable work will not be considered to have been developed using NSHE funds or facilities if:
      • a. only a minimal amount of unrestricted funds have been used; and
      • b. the invention or copyrightable work has been created outside of the assigned duties of the inventor or author/creator; and
      • c. only a minimal amount of time has been spent using significant NSHE facilities or only insignificant facilities and equipment have been used; and
      • d. the development of the invention or copyrightable work has been made on the personal, unpaid time of the inventor or author/creator. (B/R 6/03)
    • 4. This section shall not be interpreted as preventing member institutions of the Nevada System of Higher Education from adopting stricter criteria on what constitutes the significant use of NSHE resources. (B/R 6/03)

• Section 4: Inventions
  • A. An invention disclosure should be submitted when something new and useful has been conceived or developed, or when unusual, unexpected, or unobvious research results have been achieved or used. (B/R 6/91)
    
  • B. Determination of rights and equities in inventions (patentable or not) shall be as follows:
    
    • 1. Except as otherwise specified by the NSHE in writing, inventions shall belong to the NSHE if conceived or reduced to practice: (1) by an employee of the NSHE as a result of the employee's duties, (2) by agreement with a non-NSHE sponsor, or (3) through the significant use, by any person, of the NSHE's resources such as facilities, materials, equipment, personnel, funds, or other resources under the control of or administered by the NSHE. (B/R 6/03)
    • 2. Inventors acquire ownership in inventions which are: (1) not the result of a NSHE employee's duties or subject to the terms of agreements with research sponsors or other third parties, and (2) do not involve the significant use of resources administered by the NSHE. (B/R 6/03)
    • 3. In the event there is a question about an invention as to whether the NSHE has an ownership claim, the invention should be disclosed to the NSHE. Such disclosure is without prejudice to the inventor's ownership claim. In determining ownership interest in an invention, a designated official may determine that the NSHE has no property interest in the invention because its conception and reduction to practice was unrelated to the inventor's NSHE duties, involved only insignificant use of institutional resources, or for such other reasons as may be set forth in the guidelines. (B/R 6/03)
    • 4. Sponsor-Supported Efforts. Prior to signing any agreement with a non-NSHE sponsor that may result in or that deals with patent rights or the like, where NSHE time, facilities, materials, equipment, personnel, funds, or other resources are involved, NSHE personnel must bring the proposed agreement to the attention of the appropriate administrators of the constituent institution in accordance with its invention procedures and either obtain a written waiver of NSHE rights or otherwise modify the agreement to conform with these policies, as is determined by the institution in its discretion. Research agreements with private sponsors shall define ownership of inventions. The agreement under which inventions may be produced may contain specific provisions with respect to disposition of rights to these materials. The sponsor may receive an option to license such inventions on terms to be negotiated. In those cases where all rights are vested in the NSHE, where income is shared between the sponsor and the constituent institution, the inventor may appropriately share in the income. The nature and extent of inventor participation in income, however, shall be subject to sponsor and NSHE regulations as well as the agreement. (B/R 6/03)

• Section 5: Copyrightable Works
  • A. Copyright is the ownership and control of the intellectual property in original works of authorship, which is subject to copyright law. In contrast to a patent which protects the "idea," copyright covers the "artistic expression" in the particular literary work, musical work, computer program, video or motion picture or sound recording, photograph, sculpture and so forth, in which the "expression" is embodied, illustrated, or explained, but does not protect any idea, process, concept, discovery, or the like. It is the policy of the NSHE that all rights in copyright shall remain with the author/creator unless the work is a work for hire (and copyright vests in the NSHE under copyright law), is supported by a direct allocation of funds through the NSHE for the pursuit of a specific project, is commissioned by the NSHE, is created with the significant use of NSHE administered resources, or is otherwise subject to contractual obligations. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • B. Except as may be provided otherwise in this policy, the NSHE does not claim ownership of books, articles, and similar works, the intended purpose of which is to disseminate the results of academic research or scholarly study. Such works include those of students created in the course of their education, such as dissertations, papers, and articles. Similarly, the NSHE claims no ownership of popular nonfiction, novels, poems, musical compositions, or other works of artistic imagination that are not institutionally commissioned works or that were not created with the significant use of NSHE administered resources. If title to copyright in works defined within this paragraph vests in the NSHE by law, the NSHE will, upon request and to the extent consistent with its legal obligations, convey copyright to the creators of such works. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • C. The NSHE shall retain ownership of works created as institutional rather than personal efforts -- that is, works created for NSHE purposes in the course of the author/creator's employment. For instance, work assigned to staff programmers is "work for hire" as defined by law (regardless of whether the work is in the course of sponsored research, un-sponsored research, or non-research activities), as is software developed for NSHE purposes, and the NSHE owns all rights, intellectual and financial, in such works. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • D. Except as excluded under Section 3, the NSHE owns all rights, intellectual and financial, in copyrightable works created in the course of scholarly projects specifically funded by NSHE sponsored agreements or other NSHE funds. Prior to signing any agreement with a non-NSHE sponsor that may result in or which deals with copyrightable works, where any NSHE time, facilities, materials, personnel, or resources are involved, NSHE personnel and students must bring the proposed agreement to the attention of the appropriate administrators of the constituent institution in accordance with its copyright procedures and either obtain a written waiver of NSHE rights or otherwise modify the agreement to conform with these policies as is determined by the institution at its direction. (B/R 6/03)
    
  • E. Under the copyright laws of the United States, commissioned works of nonemployees are owned by the author/creator and not by the commissioning party, unless there is a written agreement to the contrary. NSHE personnel must, therefore, generally require NSHE commissioned contractors to agree in writing that ownership to copyrightable materials is assigned to the NSHE. Examples of copyrightable works which the NSHE may commission non-employees to prepare are:
    
    • 1. Illustrations or designs
    • 2. Artistic works
    • 3. Architectural or engineering drawings
    • 4. Forwards and introductions
    • 5. Computer software
    • 6. Reports by consultants or subcontractors. (B/R 6/03)
  • F. Any videotaping, broadcasting, or televising of classroom, laboratory, or other instruction, and any associated use of computers, must be approved in advance by the appropriate institutional administrators, who shall determine the conditions under which such activity may occur and resolve questions of ownership, distribution, and policy. (B/R 6/91)
    
  • G. The NSHE in all events shall have the right to perform its obligations with respect to copyrightable works, data, prototypes, and other intellectual property under any contract, grant, or other arrangements with third parties, including sponsored research agreements, license agreements, and the like.
    
  • H. Except as provided in Section 3, NSHE resources are to be used solely for NSHE purposes and not for personal gain or personal commercial advantage, or for any other non-NSHE purposes. (B/R 6/03)
    

• Section 6: Administration
  • A. Institutional procedures for the development of inventions, copyrightable works, and intellectual property are as follows:
    
    • 1. Each institution of the NSHE is required to develop policies and procedures for handling inventions, copyrightable works, and intellectual property. Each President shall appoint an Intellectual Property Committee consisting of no fewer than three or more than nine members, one of whom shall be designated by the President to serve as chair. In each case the committee shall include a representative of the office of fiscal affairs of that institution. This committee shall make recommendations to the President regarding procedures, guidelines, and responsibilities for the administration and development of inventions, copyrightable works, intellectual property, and such other matters as the President shall determine. The Committee shall report annually to the President and to the Chancellor on inventions and copyrightable works disclosed and the disposition thereof. (B/R 6/03)
    • 2. Each President shall appoint one institutional officer who is responsible for the administration and disposition of inventions, copyrightable works and intellectual property. It will be the duty of this Intellectual Property Administrator to determine ownership of inventions and copyrightable works, develop terms of agreements with non-NSHE sponsors, inventors and authors/creators, and to resolve disputes among co-inventors and co-authors/co-creators. Detailed operational guidelines and procedures for the administration of these responsibilities shall be established by each institution. (B/R 6/03)
    • 3. When income is to be shared, all net income received by the constituent institution on inventions and copyrightable works subject to this policy shall be divided with the inventor(s) or the author(s)/creator(s) on the basis stated in Section 7, it being understood that if there should be a plurality of inventors, the portion accruing to the inventors or authors/creators will be distributed on an equal share basis unless specifically agreed otherwise in writing by all the inventors or authors/creators. The inventor(s) or author(s)/creator(s) at or before the time of filing a patent application or copyright must agree in writing to any other terms and conditions negotiated with the institution. In the case of a plurality of inventors or authors/creators, all individual inventors or authors/creators must sign the same agreement. (B/R 6/91)
    • 4. In the implementation of its policies and procedures with respect to inventions, each institution may elect, through the recommendation of its Intellectual Property Administrator and with approval of the President, any of the following courses:
      • a. To develop and manage its licensing program through an independent patent assistance organization so as to secure competent evaluation of inventions or discoveries, expeditious filing of applications for patents, and aggressive licensing and administration of patents; or
      • b. To develop and manage its licensing program through an affiliated nonprofit corporation; or
      • c. To develop and manage independently its own licensing program; or
      • d. To release an invention to which the institution has title or an interest to the inventor for management and development as a private venture after the execution of an agreement providing for the division of income. (B/R 6/91)
    • 5. In the implementation of its policies and procedures with regard to distance education courses, each institution shall require compliance with all federal copyright laws, including the provisions of the TEACH Act, 17 U.S.C. Sec. 110(2). In accordance with the TEACH Act, the institution's policies on distance education should include, among other things, provisions regarding: (1) limitations on use of copyrighted materials; (2) limiting access to materials to enrolled students; (3) use of copyrighted materials as part of mediated instructional activities; (4) providing informational materials to students, faculty and staff members regarding copyright laws; (5) providing notice to students that course materials may be subject to copyright laws; (6) limitations on digitizing of analog works; (7) limiting retention of copies of materials; (8) preventing unauthorized further transmission of digital materials; and (9) non-interference with technological measures taken by copyright owners to prevent retention and distribution.
    • 6. Each institution's policies shall provide for an appeal procedure, with final decision by the President, in the event of a disagreement as to the ownership and use of an invention or intellectual property. (B/R 6/03)

• Section 7: Distribution of Income
  • A. The inventor of the author/creator shall receive not less than 60 percent of the net income from each invention or copyrightable work. The inventor's or the author/creator's academic unit or department shall receive not less than 25 percent of the net income, and any remaining income shall go to the institution. (B/R 6/91)
    

• Section 8: Institutional Policies
  • A. The intellectual property policy of each institution shall be consistent with these guidelines and shall be submitted to the Chancellor for review and subsequent approval by the Board of Regents. (B/R 6/03)
    

• Section 9: Periodic Reporting
  • A. Periodically or upon request, each NSHE President or his or her designee shall report to the Research and Economic Development Committee of the Board on the status and outcomes of institutional research endeavors. (B/R 6/07)
    

• Section 10: Restricted Access Research
  • A. The Board of Regents through NSHE institutions is committed to the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Further, the Board recognizes the importance of open intellectual communication within a research group, within an NSHE institution, and within the community at large. Recognizing that NSHE institutions are dedicated to academic freedom and to the public documentation and dissemination of the knowledge that they create, a free and open academic environment is an essential element in fulfilling research and educational missions. Policies or practices that inhibit the free exchange of ideas, by limiting scholarly interchange, can markedly restrain both the advancement of knowledge and its productive use.
    
    In meeting this commitment, NSHE faculty may find it important to engage in research in the national interest where restrictions may be imposed on access to, documentation, and dissemination of information. In these cases, the specific research may be characterized as "classified" or "restricted access." Restrictions on these projects create potential conflicts with the academic values of NSHE institutions. Reorganization (2008) Title 4, Chapter 12, Page 9
    
    This policy does not attempt to anticipate all possible concerns about restricted access research. In some cases, decisions will need to be made about specific research projects to which the application of particular policy guidelines are not clear. In choosing to accept or decline such projects, an institution must weigh the potential of a project for generating and disseminating new knowledge for the benefit of society, against the project's potential for adversely affecting the climate for research conducted in a free and open environment. While this policy sets no explicit limits on the extent of classified research permitted by an NSHE institution, it is not the intent of the policy to encourage an institution to engage in classified research as a primary ongoing activity.
    
    • 1. Restricted access research includes proprietary, sensitive but not classified, and classified research, unless otherwise provided.
    • 2. The President shall develop policies and procedures for all restricted access research that include provisions for oversight of research projects by the President or his or her designee, appropriate project controls, and guidelines for the release and dissemination of project results, including preliminary results. These procedures must be reviewed by the Chancellor and published by the institution. Copies of the policies and procedures must be lodged with the Secretary of the Board upon adoption by the institution, and whenever modified thereafter.
    • 3. The President or his or her designee may enter into contracts with confidentiality clauses where such clauses protect from public disclosure only that information defined as restricted access by Board policy and in accordance with the guidelines of the Board and institution for accountability and dissemination of research results.
    • 4. NSHE auditors and legal staff shall have access to materials related to restricted access research, excluding classified research, as is appropriate and germane to the performance of their jobs.
    • 5. The President or his or her designee must have the appropriate security clearance for the oversight of classified research.

(B/R 6/07)
(B/R 12/04 - reorganization)

• Intent of Policy
• This Policy May Be Superseded When:
• Clarification of Intellectual Property Rights to Specific Works
• Procedure for Appeal of Ownership

• Section 1: Intent of Policy
  • A. This policy is created to preserve an atmosphere of respect, creativity, and innovation for faculty, staff, and students who are employed by or attend Western Nevada College and will:
    
    • 1. Agree with existing, traditional and legal protections of copyright for scholars, artists, and creators of original works
    • 2. Expand upon and agree with existing NSHE policy (Title 4, Chapter 12) in order to clarify and specify protections for intellectual property
    • 3. Support a spirit of collaboration and sharing for the purpose of institutional effectiveness and excellence
    • 4. Guide in the commercial use of intellectual property not defined as traditional scholarly or otherwise traditionally protected creative work
    • 5. Inform faculty, staff, and the college of rights to creative work produced in the course of employment or sabbatical.

• Section 2: This Policy May Be Superseded When:
  • A. Agreements through federal, state, or local government grants alter the legal ownership of intellectual property
    
  • B. Agreements through non-profit, non-government, or private entities alter the legal ownership of intellectual property
    
  • C. This policy is amended by the specific terms of a contract that clearly designate particular intellectual property as work for hire, or that otherwise alter the ownership of intellectual property.
    

• Section 3: Clarification of Intellectual Property Rights to Specific Works
  • A. Rights that Remain Solely with their Creator
    
    • 1. The intellectual property rights of original scholarly, pedagogical, and creative works, whether created by faculty, professional staff, or students, shall belong to their creator(s).
    • 2. Scholarly, pedagogical, and creative works will hereby include, but not be limited to instructional materials (such as course syllabi, textbooks, instructional multimedia materials, recorded lectures, instructional web files, quizzes, and exams), journal articles, research bulletins, monographs, literary works (plays, poems, stories, etc.), works of art (pictorial, graphic, sculptural, etc.), computer software, sound recordings, and musical compositions.
    • 3. These works will also include:
      • a. Scholarly, pedagogical, or creative works produced with usual facilitative resources available for the purpose of supporting normal instruction, creative efforts, scholarly activities, or course development, including library resources, instructional technology (such as recording tools, computer networks and storage), and support staff
      • b. Scholarly, pedagogical, or creative works that make use of a desktop computer and/or software purchased to support general instructional and scholarly activity.
    • 4. Additional rights retained by the creator or author of the work:
      • a. The individual has exclusive right to allow or disallow the use of their intellectual property in part or in whole by others
        i. This will not prevent instructors from requiring students to share their original work in peer groups, as part of a performance, or in the course of other classroom activities
        ii. This will not prevent copies of student work from being retained anonymously, or in a confidential file, for comparative purposes among faculty and staff.
      • b. The individual retains the exclusive rights to market or otherwise release or use the work outside of Western Nevada College, in whole or in part, in a manner that does not interfere with the individual's current employment or duties at the college.
    • 5. Portability (applicable only to works owned by the creator, as stipulated above):
      • a. Upon the individual's departure from employment by the college, the college forfeits all rights to use the work or any components of intellectual property of the individual unless permission is otherwise granted in writing by the individual.
  • B. Rights that Remain Solely with the Institution
    
    • 1. The intellectual property rights of institutional works shall belong to Western Nevada College and include:
      • a. Works produced by a student as assigned duty during the course of student employment and created during designated work hours
      • b. Works produced by professional staff as assigned duty during the course of employment and created during designated work hours (excluding works specified in section 3-A)
      • c. Policies or procedures produced as institutional documents by faculty, staff, or student employees
      • d. Works produced under the terms of a contract that specify institutional ownership rights.
      • e. Works that are produced by any person with significant use of college resources
        i. Not otherwise defined in section 3-A as "usual facilitative resources"
        ii. See section 3-C for details about rights pertaining to sabbatical, overload pay, and release time.
    • 2. Portability (applicable only to works owned by the institution, as stipulated above):
      • a. Upon the departure of the individual from employment at the college, the individual forfeits all rights to use or market the work or any components of the intellectual property unless permission is otherwise granted in writing by the college. The college retains exclusive right to use and revise the work and to market it outside the college.
  • C. Rights that are Shared
    
    • 1. Exclusive intellectual property rights to works completed for assigned duties by student and professional employees, but developed using a majority of personal resources (using any 65% of personal time), will remain with the author/creator. The institution will retain rights to continue using the work, but all future rights (commercial or otherwise) return to the author/creator. Student and professional employees who want to protect the intellectual property rights of said works, will be responsible for maintaining records of personal time committed to the work, along with normally assigned work hours devoted to the work. The student or professional employee will then submit a claim for those rights to the Intellectual Property Committee, providing clear evidence of a majority of personal time devoted to the work.
    • 2. Additionally, joint rights if any, will be specified in a contract between the institution and the creator of a specific work. The contract will be agreed upon and signed by both parties before work begins. Joint rights may apply, as specified in contracts for work:
      • a. developed during release time that has been allocated specifically for said work
      • b. developed during a sabbatical that has been allocated specifically for said work
      • c. developed specifically in exchange for overload pay.
    • 3. If no joint rights are specified, then the author or creator of the work (who has received overload pay, release time, or sabbatical) will retain all rights over the work, as detailed in section 3-A.
    • 4. With joint ownership, the creator or author:
      • a. Has the exclusive right to market the course outside the college in a manner that does not conflict or interfere with the individual's current employment or duties at the college;
      • b. Has the right to be informed in advance of any uses, reproductions, distributions, and dispositions of the work by the college.
    • 5. With joint ownership, the college
      • a. Has the right to borrow portions of the work for use in compilations or other composite works
      • b. Has the right to make derivative works if the author or authors assign copyright ownership to a third party.
    • 6. Portability (applicable only to shared works as stipulated above):
      • a. Rights of the individual following the individual's departure from the college: Exclusive right to market or use the work provided the college's name or image is not used in connection with the work, except as may be otherwise provided in a contract between the institution and the creator
      • b. Rights of the college following the individual's departure from the college: Non-exclusive right to use the work without the creator's consent. This right will remain completely within the college and shall not be transferred to any other institution or entity. No other party will have the right to use the work, in part or whole, outside of the college.

• Section 4: Procedure for Appeal of Ownership
  • A. In the event that an author or creator disputes the ownership or rights of a work, that author or creator will submit a written appeal.
    
    • 1. Written Notice
      • a. The author or creator will submit a written appeal to his or her division chair or direct supervisor and to the Intellectual Property Committee.
    • 2. Recommendation of Ownership
      • a. The Intellectual Property Committee will make its recommendation about ownership of the disputed work to the College President within 60 days of receiving the written appeal.
    • 3. President's Determination
      • a. The College President will decide ownership of the disputed work within 30 days of receiving the recommendation of the Intellectual Property Committee.

• Policy Compliance
• Responsibility for Implementation

• Section 1: Policy Compliance
  • A. Western Nevada College declares and reaffirms a policy of equal employment opportunity, equal educational opportunity, and nondiscrimination in the provision of educational and other public services.
    
    • 1. Equal Employment Opportunity
      
      The college will make all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotions and all other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed or religion, sex, national origin, age, physical challenge, political affiliation, or other factors which cannot be a lawful basis for employment decisions.
    • 2. Affirmative Action in Employment
      
      The college undertakes a program of affirmative action to which good faith efforts will be directed for achievement of equal opportunity through affirmative action programs.
    • 3. Compliance with Laws
      
      Western Nevada College undertakes to comply fully with all federal, state, and local laws relating to equal educational opportunity, equal employment opportunity, and affirmative action.

• Section 2: Responsibility for Implementation
  • A. Ultimate responsibility for equal employment and its full achievement through this affirmative action plan rests with the president of Western Nevada College.
    
  • B. It is the responsibility of the executive and administrative faculty members at WNC to implement affirmative action and equal opportunity within his or her respective area. Overall programmatic responsibilities shall assure that all employment practices of the college are conducted in a manner, which does not discriminate unlawfully.
    
  • C. Every member of the Western Nevada College community has the responsibility to become familiar with Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity.
    
  • D. Western Nevada College employees, who serve on committee, especially peer review, recruitment, and other personnel committees, shall inform themselves about affirmative action/equal opportunity principles and regulations and apply them in all such deliberations and decisions in which they are involved.
    
  • E. The part-time position of affirmative action officer will be maintained and its incumbent shall report directly to the president.
    
    • 1. The affirmative action officer shall have immediate responsibility for implementation of the affirmative action plan; participate in all required governmental reports concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action; collect and present all statistical and other information on reports for the college President and NSHE Board of Regents.
    • 2. Technical and administrative assistance to personnel needing help to meet their responsibilities under the plan.
    • 3. Periodic review of documents relating to the employment process at WNC, e.g., job descriptions, application forms, job announcements, advertisements -- to assure that the impact of their use is not discriminatory against persons protected by law.

• Section 1: Access to NAC
  • A. Access to NAC is available as follows:
    
    • 1. On-line web access is available via:
      • a. State Personnel at http://dop.nv.gov/
      • b. WNC website, Human Resources section, click on Policies, and then clicking on NAC.
    • 2. Hard copies are available for review in the Human Resources Office, Library Services at Carson and Fallon.

• Introduction
• New Positions
• Existing Position Vacancy
• Recruitment Process

• Section 1: Introduction
  • A. Requests for classified recruitment are processed by Business Center North (BCN) Human Resources in the order received.
    
  • B. The timeline for completion may be very lengthy. Therefore, the hiring department will need to plan accordingly.
    
  • C. The following guidelines are a general overview for classified recruitment and do not include temporary or casual labor, registration, 160 hour and emergency appointments.
    

• Section 2: New Positions
  • A. When a new classified position is budgeted, the hiring department should contact the WNC Human Resources (HR) Office as to how to proceed.
    
    • 1. A memo requesting approval to fill this position also needs to be completed and submitted to the Vice President and President. These written approvals must be received before proceeding.
    • 2. In addition, the hiring department must obtain, from WNC Finance, the correct account, position number and FTE and make sure the budget has been established for this position.
    • 3. A NPD-19 (long or short form) will need to be completed.
    • 4. After all approvals have been received, the memo and NPD-19 should then be forwarded to the WNC HR Office for processing.
  • B. The NPD-19 and supporting forms will be forwarded to BCN Personnel Services, when completed.
    
    • 1. A study will be conducted which will include comparison with other similar positions; this may include a desk audit and/or interview with the supervisor and others to place that position in the correct classification.
    • 2. When this process is complete, the position then begins the recruitment process.

• Section 3: Existing Position Vacancy
  • A. When an existing classified position becomes vacant, the department needs to contact the WNC HR Office as to how to proceed.
    
    • 1. A memo requesting approval to fill this position must be submitted to the Vice President and President for approval. Human Resources must receive these written approvals before proceeding.
    • 2. After the WNC HR Office receives these written approvals, the necessary forms will be forwarded to BCN Personnel Services to begin the recruitment process.

• Section 4: Recruitment Process
  • A. For some classifications, applications are accepted and kept on file at the WNC HR Office. The hiring department will screen and interview from these applications.
    
  • B. For most other vacancies, the State will certify an existing list of applicants or a new recruitment will be initiated depending on the type of recruitment, (i.e. open competitive, NSHE or WNC promotional). This process can be very time consuming. The WNC Human Resources Office will try to keep the hiring department updated on where the process is.
    
  • C. Positions at Grade 23 or above will be announced in accordance with Policy 4-3-5.
    
  • D. When the recruitment is completed, the hiring department will be provided with a list of certified interviewees.
    
    • 1. If five or fewer applicants are certified, all applicants are interviewed.
    • 2. If more than five applicants are listed, they will be ranked by a predetermined testing device to determine the five to be interviewed.
    • 3. If the list is unranked, the department may choose to interview any of the applicants off the list.
  • E. The hiring department will contact and schedule all interviews with candidates.
    
    • 1. Interviewees should be given a reasonable amount of time to come for the interview.
    • 2. The applicant will need to bring a completed State of Nevada application to the interview, as BCN or State Personnel does not provide a copy of the application to the hiring department.
    • 3. No travel expenses are paid.
    • 4. Interview questions should be prepared in writing ahead of interviews. All applicants should be asked the same questions. For assistance, the WNC HR Office and/or Affirmative Action Officer should be contacted.
  • F. After the interviews are completed, a memorandum must be forwarded to the appropriate Vice President and President to request approval for hiring.
    
    • 1. The rationale for hiring and the application of the candidate should be attached to this request.
    • 2. No offer of employment is to be made without the President's written approval.
  • G. After the approval is received, the department may make an employment offer, and upon acceptance, the hiring department will notify those persons interviewed of the final decision by telephone.
    
  • H. The hiring department will forward the approved memorandum along with the appointee's completed application and the start date to the WNC HR Office. For each interviewee, the Interview Record for Classified must be completed in detail by the interviewer, along with a list of those on the interview committee, and a copy of the questions asked.
    
  • I. The WNC HR Office will begin working on the hiring paperwork, once all the necessary materials have been received from the hiring department.
    

• Procedure
• Appeal Process

• Section 1: Procedure
  • A. In order to upgrade or reclassify a classified position, the following is required:
    
    • 1. The employee and/or supervisor must complete an NPD-19 form along with an updated State of Nevada application. It should then be forwarded through to the supervisor for review and approval. If the position is vacant, the supervisor completes the form. The employee, supervisor, and up the department's chain of command up to the vice president should review and sign off on the NPD-19. The form then is forwarded to the WNC Human Resources Office for review.
    • 2. Human Resources completes a Form 202 (Classified Position Action Form), Reclassification Checklist and any other necessary paperwork. The HR Office reviews and approves as appointing authority. The Budget Office reviews and approves the request.
    • 3. The approved NPD-19 and accompanying paperwork is then forwarded to BCN Human Resources. The position is then reviewed and compared to other positions within the system and state and within the class specifications. If needed, arrangements are made for a desk audit either in-person or by telephone. The audit can consist of an interview with the incumbent, supervisor, and others to gather the necessary information. Once all the information is reviewed, a classification recommendation will be made. This process can sometimes be lengthy and time consuming.
    • 4. When the written notification is received, the necessary paperwork will be done to implement the reclassification, unless the employee plans to appeal. The effective date of the reclassification is the date the NPD-19 is stamped in at BCN Human Resources.

• Section 2: Appeal Process
  • A. If the employee disagrees with the recommendation, it may be appealed. The employee must file an appeal in writing. The appeal must be filed within 20 working days after the date of receipt of the written notice of action or in compliance with the letter that is sent to employee. The appeal must address the points outlined in the recommendation regarding the proper classification for the position, indicate the points with which the appellant disagrees, and express the reasons why they disagree and is forwarded to the Director of BCN Human Resources. The Director will issue a decision on the appeal.
    
  • B. If the employee still disagrees with the decision, the appellant or the agency affected by the decision may appeal to the State of Nevada Personnel Commission.
    

• Casual Labor
• Procedures
• Benefits

• Section 1: Casual Labor
  • A. The following types of casual labor are available:
    
    • 1. Regular Casual Labor - Limited to 120 working days (approximately six months) in any 12-month pay period regardless of FTE. Regular casual labor positions are filled the same as regular classified positions, requiring recruitment and certification.
    • 2. 160 Hour Special Casual Labor - Limited to 160 cumulative hours or less in a calendar year.
    • 3. Emergency Appointments - Limited to 60 consecutive working days or less regardless of FTE.
    • 4. 1000-Hour Appointment - Limited to 1000 hours in a calendar year and is limited to registration workers and college students carrying one to six credits per semester.

• Section 2: Procedures
  • A. To establish a casual labor position, the hiring department must complete a Request for Temporary Position form.
    
    • 1. This form must include the account number and blanket position number and all required signatures
    • 2. The form should be returned to the WNC Human Resources (HR) Office for processing.
    • 3. For questions and assistance, contact the WNC HR office.
  • B. The form is then forwarded to Business Center North (BCN) Personnel Services for final approval.
    
  • C. After receiving notification, the WNC HR Office will contact the hiring department with the approval and effective date.
    
  • D. No appointment can be made prior to the effective date.
    
  • E. The hiring department may appoint any qualified person.
    
  • F. For regular casual labor positions, refer to Recruitment Guidelines for Classified Positions.
    

• Section 3: Benefits
  • A. All casual labor and emergency appointments are eligible to accrue sick leave and annual leave based upon the hours worked.
    
  • B. When an appointment exceeds six calendar months (such as 160 and 1000 hour appointments), the employee will be eligible either to use or be paid for annual leave hours accrued when terminating.
    
  • C. Employees working under six months are not eligible to use or be paid for annual leave.
    
  • D. Casual labor employees are not eligible for retirement benefits, but may be subject to social security and Medicare contributions.
    
  • E. Any employee who works more than 90 consecutive days at .50 FTE or more may become eligible for health insurance and other benefits at the department's expense.
    

• Announcement Methods
• Announcement
• Length of Announcement
• Policy Conflict

• Section 1: Announcement Methods
  • A. The following shall be the minimum announcement methods:
    
    • 1. WNC e-mail.
    • 2. WNC Job Opportunities web page (www.wnc.edu/jobs) and at other locations designated by the Human Resources Office.

• Section 2: Announcement
  • A. Each position announcement shall include the minimum information:
    
    • 1. Position title and grade.
    • 2. Position status, such as full-time, part-time, permanent, grant funded, non-layoff eligible, etc.
    • 3. FTE and/or number of hours per week.
    • 4. Hiring department.
    • 5. Closing date.
    • 6. Where to apply or get further information.

• Section 3: Length of Announcement
  • A. Each position shall be open for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days, if at all possible.
    
  • B. The fourteen days will be from the date the announcement is placed on ccmail.
    
  • C. Exceptions shall be noted in the announcement.
    

• Section 4: Policy Conflict
  • A. When the WNC recruitment policy is in conflict with State of Nevada recruitment policy, the State of Nevada policy will supersede the WNC policy.
    

• Request for Change
• Presidential Review

• Section 1: Request for Change
  • A. A position must perform a variety of professional and administrative duties for a department or unit.
    
    • 1. A request for a position to change from classified to administrative faculty should be made in writing, and should have approval through the appropriate departmental channels to the college president.
    • 2. The request should include written rationale including reason for change from classified to administrative faculty and the financial impact of such a change.
    • 3. The college president may request additional information in reviewing the proposal.

• Section 2: Presidential Review
  • A. After reviewing the submitted documentation, the college president shall make the final decision on the request. Should the change be granted:
    
    • 1. the effective date of the change will begin on the first working day of the month following approval;
    • 2. the existing classified position shall be eliminated on the effective date of the change to administrative faculty.
  • B. Written approval will then be forwarded to the WNC Human Resources Office for processing.
    

• Section 1: Procedures
  • A. Overtime must be kept to an absolute minimum. All overtime must be approved in advance by the appointing authority or his/her designee, unless an unpredictable emergency prevents prior approval or communication.
    
  • B. The preferred method of compensating overtime is cash payment. Departments must have the funds budgeted in order for the overtime to be paid.
    
  • C. The method of compensating overtime for classified employees for either cash payment or compensatory time must be agreed to before working the overtime. This agreement is recorded on the Report of Earned Overtime Form.
    
  • D. Compensatory time shall be scheduled by the appropriate supervisor and should be within a reasonable amount of time. An employee must exhaust any compensatory time before using available annual leave.
    
  • E. Classified staff may not accrue compensatory time in excess of 80 hours. Overtime liability in excess of the 80 hours must be paid in cash.
    
  • F. Compensatory time below 80 hours may be paid at the discretion of the appointing authority.
    

• Tuition Reimbursement
• Job Required Courses at WNC
• Job Related Courses at any NSHE Institution
• Career/Personal Development Courses
• Time Off Guidelines
• Exceptions

• Section 1: Tuition Reimbursement
  • A. All classified staff members are encouraged to take courses that are both job required, job related or for their own enrichment.
    
    • 1. Courses taken by classified employees are subject to the provision of NRS 284.343 and NAC 284.482 through 284.522.
    • 2. Classified employees must be .50 FTE or more and have been employed as a classified staff member at least six months before the start of the semester.
  • B. Job required classes are to be taken only at Western Nevada College. Job related and career/personal development classes may be taken at any NSHE institution.
    
  • C. The completed "Request for Tuition Reimbursement" form must be approved by the immediate supervisor, the appropriate dean or director, and the division vice president.
    
    • 1. This form is then forwarded to the WNC Human Resources Office.
    • 2. The form should be approved and submitted before the first class meeting in order to receive reimbursement.
  • D. WNC, Other NSHE institution courses:
    
    • 1. All NSHE institution courses: After HR receives the approved tuition reimbursement and it is approved by the HR Office, HR will give a copy of the form to the Business Office to defer the tuition of the course at WNC until the end of the semester or to process tuition payment at other NSHE institutions.
    • 2. Courses must be successfully completed with a "C" or above and the employee has up to two weeks following the end of the semester to provided the WNC Human Resources Office with proof of completion. If the course is not passed with a "C" or better, the employee must reimburse the full amount for the course following the repayment agreement listed on the tuition reimbursement form.
  • E. If payment for books is approved, the employee will be responsible for paying for the books and providing the WNC Human Resources Office with the receipt. Book fees will be reimbursed along with the course fees after successful completion.
    

• Section 2: Job Required Courses at WNC
  • A. Tuition will be reimbursed up to four credits per semester, providing the course is required to complete the current job.
    
  • B. Job required courses include those courses needed to enable the employee to meet the standards of performance for the current position; and those that would be required to update the employee's skills, knowledge and techniques in the current position.
    
  • C. The immediate supervisor, the dean or director, and the division vice president must approve the taking of any job-required courses by employees under their jurisdiction.
    
  • D. Time off for the approved classes will be on "other paid leave" status and will not require that the time taken from work be made up.
    
  • E. Registration and related fees (i.e. per-credit-hour fees, lab fees and required books) will be paid.
    

• Section 3: Job Related Courses at any NSHE Institution
  • A. Courses may be taken at any NSHE institution.
    
    • 1. Tuition will be reimbursed up to six credits per semester for courses that relate to the responsibilities of the current position and would be beneficial to the operation of the department, but are not necessarily required to meet the standards of performance.
    • 2. The immediate supervisor, the dean or director and the division vice president must approve the taking of any courses by employees under their jurisdiction. Registration and related fees (i.e. per credit hour fees, lab fees, and required books) will be paid.

• Section 4: Career/Personal Development Courses
  • A. Courses may be taken at any NSHE Institution.
    
    • 1. Tuition will be reimbursed up to six (6) credits per semester for other credit courses that a classified employee may be interested in taking that would not qualify as job required or job related.
    • 2. These classes may include courses toward completion of a degree, career development, or personal enrichment.
    • 3. Community Services classes are not eligible for reimbursement.
    • 4. The immediate supervisor, the dean or director, and the division vice president must approve the course(s) for reimbursement.
    • 5. Registration and related fees (i.e. per credit hour fees and lab fees) will be paid.
    • 6. Fees for books and other expenses will not be reimbursed.

• Section 5: Time Off Guidelines
  • A. When registering for job related or career/personal development classes, these guidelines are to be followed:
    
    • 1. Any release time to take classes during the work period must be charged to annual leave or compensatory time. Alternatively, the employee's supervisor may approve a variable work schedule to allow the employee to make up the time through rescheduling of the workday.
    • 2. A one-half to one-hour meal break must be allotted to each employee.
    • 3. Breaks are not cumulative and cannot be combined with the lunch hour and/or beginning or end of the workday.

• Section 6: Exceptions
  • A. Any exceptions to this education policy will be made only with the advance written recommendation of the appropriate dean/director and with the approval of the division vice president.
    
  • B. An individual department may elect to pay for additional courses, seminars, workshops, etc. for their employees. These fees are to be paid by each department.
    

• Responsibilities of Part-Time Instructional Faculty
• Part-Time Instructional Faculty Workload
• Stipends

• Section 1: Responsibilities of Part-Time Instructional Faculty
  • A. As stated in Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 3, number 3, instructional faculty members are expected to teach; develop curriculum; conduct other instructional activities, including advising, grading, and preparing for classes; maintain currency in their academic discipline;...
    
  • B. A part-time academic faculty member
    
    • 1. Reports to appropriate division chair or director.
    • 2. Works cooperatively within the learning community.
    • 3. Provides instruction:
      • a. Teaches students in assigned classes in accordance with official course outlines.
      • b. Responds to the needs of students as learners and consumers by providing high quality educational programs and services.
      • c. Prepares individual course syllabi before instruction begins and distributing them to students and to division chairs on or before the first day of class.
      • d. May be asked to select textbooks for classes.
      • e. Identifies supplies, equipment, and other learning resources needed to support instruction and makes recommendations to division chair or director.
      • f. Maintains accurate class records of student grades and rosters.
    • 4. Availability to students:
      • a. Provides students with a way to contact them for help through e-mail, telephone, or by holding scheduled office hours.
      • b. Should an emergency or illness require class cancellation, then the faculty member and the division chair shall work collaboratively to arrange for class make up, faculty substitute, or alternate student assignments.
    • 5. Professional development:
      • a. Engages in professional development activities, maintains currency in assigned teaching fields, and keeps informed on new approaches to instruction.
      • b. Maintains occupational/technical/professional credentials, if applicable, with the support of college resources.
    • 6. Promotes college educational programs and services to our communities.
    • 7. The rights, duties, obligations, and privileges of part-time faculty members contained in the Part-time Faculty Manual are incorporated herein by this reference.

• Section 2: Part-Time Instructional Faculty Workload
  • A. Contracts/Schedules
    
    • 1. Part-time academic faculty are hired through Letters of Appointment (LOA) on a per semester basis.
  • B. Instructional Loads for Part-time Faculty
    
    • 1. Part-time academic faculty are restricted by the Board of Regents to less than 10 credits of instruction or 19.5 contact hours per semester.
    • 2. Faculty teaching more than 9.9 credit hours or 19.5 contact hours per semester but less than full time will be assigned a workload proportional to a full-time contract.
    • 3. Part-time faculty teaching one-credit science labs, or other one-credit courses where the contact hours equal that of a 3-credit lecture class are compensated by the formulas given in Section 2,C,3, not credits. This should not impact the maximum of 9.9 credit hour/ 19.5 contact hour load as stated above.
    • 4. There shall be a reduced class size of 8 students for nursing clinical hours.
    • 5. Lecture hours are 50 minutes in duration. Practicum, lab, and clinical hours are 60 minutes in duration.
    • 6. Faculty may be asked to teach both days, evenings and weekends as well as in different campus/rural center locations.
    • 7. Class scheduling is driven by the needs of full-time, degree-seeking students. If a division offers a degree, the division undertakes an obligation to assure that students can complete the degree in a timely manner by attending college full time. Division chairs will consult with lead faculty, full-time faculty members in the discipline, the dean of instruction, the academic vice president, the director of institutional research, and the director of admissions and records to develop schedules of class offerings that meet student needs. Division chairs, in collaboration with faculty members, will then develop appropriate courses and loads so that teaching faculty meet student needs.
    • 8. Any arrangement accepted by the instructor, recommended by the director or the division chair, and approved by the academic vice president in consultation with the dean shall be a part of this workload policy if the agreement is written and enacted prior to the service being rendered.
    • 9. Part-time faculty may be released from their appointment at the discretion of the Division Chair and /or the Dean of Instruction for any of the following reasons:
      • a. The teaching load of a full time faculty member not teaching the minimum expected load as stated in Section II.B.1 of the Academic Faculty Workload Policy needs to be adjusted by the addition of this class.
      • b. Enrollment in the class is not high enough.
      • c. Other reasons as determined by the division chair and/or the Dean of Instruction to be in the interest of the college.
  • C. Reimbursement Formulas
    
    • 1. Instructional contact-hour definitions:
      • a. (LE) Lecture: A lecture requires regular preparation of instructional material and student assignments and includes regular written work assignments graded by the classroom faculty member.
      • b. (LA) Laboratory: A laboratory requires regular preparation of laboratory assignments and equipment or materials, continual faculty oversight and interaction with students, and regular written work assignments graded by the laboratory faculty member.
      • c. (S) Studio: A studio requires regular preparation of studio assignments and continual oversight and interaction with the students by the faculty member.
      • d. (P) Occupational Practice: An occupational practicum requires regular preparation of practice assignments and continual faculty oversight and interaction with students.
      • e. (C) Clinical: A clinical experience requires regular preparation and grading of clinical assignments, including written work, and continual oversight and interaction with the students.
      • f. Note: The Division Chair Council and the Dean of Instruction are charged with recommending to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs the instructional units for any new class. This determination will be based on information provided in the course description and syllabus at the time of course approval.
    • 2. Part-time faculty pay rate will equal the full time faculty overload rate.
    • 3. LOA Reimbursement Formulas for part-time Faculty:
      The calculation below is based on a 15-week semester.
      • a. Part-time faculty reimbursement for lecture classes: Number of credits X per credit rate
      • b. Part-time faculty reimbursement for courses that are lecture + lab (3+3 as defined in the catalog): (Lecture contact hours X per credit rate) + (Number of contact hours for lab X 15/18 per credit rate): Note that 15/18 is 83.3%.
      • c. Part-time faculty reimbursement for lab, studio, and practicum classes with no formal lecture as defined in the catalog: (Contact hours) X (15/18 per credit rate)
      • d. Part-time faculty reimbursement for physical activity classes: (Contact hours) X (15/18 per credit rate)
      • e. Part-time faculty in professional programs such as nursing may be reimbursed on a per hour basis by agreement with the Division Chair, the Dean of Instruction and the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
      • f. Part-time faculty are reimbursed for serving on Academic Faculty Senate at the rate of $70 per meeting based on attendance.

• Section 3: Stipends
  • A. Any instructional stipend normally paid to full time faculty will also be paid to part-time faculty with the same assignment. This includes distance education, extraordinarily high enrollment, as well as others that may be defined.
    

• Section 1: Guidelines
  • A. All offers of employment must:
    
    • 1. Be cleared with the appropriate Division Chair, Dean, and/or Vice President.
    • 2. Be offered only by the president or his duly appointed designee.
  • B. No promise of an employment term or condition should be made that will not subsequently be stated in the professional employment contract.
    
  • C. No one is authorized to promise continued employment.
    
  • D. No one is authorized to make any promises concerning tenure.
    

Role of Administrator
Evaluations will be conducted by the dean of instruction or designee, and should include classroom observation, written evaluation based upon previously determined criteria, discussion with the faculty member, and response and signature of the faculty member verifying knowledge of the evaluation's contents. The signature does not confer a faculty member's agreement with its contents.

Role of Students
Students in each class taught by part-time faculty members will have the opportunity to complete evaluation forms.

Timeline
The first evaluation for new part time faculty will take place on or about the middle of the semester. Evaluations for continuing part time faculty will be conducted between the 4th and 12th week of the semester. Whether it is administrative evaluation or peer observation, both the evaluator/observer and the faculty member will set the date(s) of the observation and any follow-up meetings. The dean of instruction or designee reserves the right to conduct more than one administrative evaluation per academic year. 20% of all part-time faculty members will be evaluated each academic year by the dean of instruction or designee.

Criteria
Each division should determine specific criteria to be met by part-time faculty. Establishment of these criteria should include input from full and part-time faculty and the division chair. These criteria will be provided by the division chair to each new part-time faculty hired.

PART-TIME FACULTY EVALUATION FORM

NAME ________________________________________________
 
ACADEMIC YEAR ________________________________________________
 
DEPARTMENT ________________________________________________
 
DATE ________________________________________________

1. Student evaluations collected in the following courses (list titles/semesters). Attach a copy of the summary sheet for each student evaluation.

2. Peer/supervisory evaluations obtained from: (list all sources).

3. Division Chair's evaluation, including nature of evidence evaluated.

4. Comments (if appropriate):

________________________________________________________________________
Faculty Member Signature Date
 
 
________________________________________________________________________
(Print Name of Division Chair) (Signature of Division Chair) Date
 

________________________________________________________________________
(Signature of Dean)

• Teaching Classes or Accepting Assignments.
• Notification and Approval
• Exceptions

• Section 1: Teaching Classes or Accepting Assignments.
  • A. WNC administrative faculty may assume LOA assignments at WNC or at other NSHE institutions (for example teaching classes) that fall outside of their regular work assignments. However, the College must address the impact on their department and written approval must be obtained from the supervisor and Vice President.
    
    • 1. If the assignment is outside the hours of the employee's normal work day, the employee may be compensated at the standard rate appropriate for the assignment, and only with their supervisor's approval. The employee will perform all LOA duties (preparing, meeting with students, etc.) outside the normal work day.
    • 2. If the assignment is during the employee's normal work day, the employee may:
      • a. With approval of the supervisor, the employee may take annual leave for time spent during the normal working day for the additional assignment. Compensation will be at the standard part-time faculty or applicable rate.
        
        -OR-
        
        
      • b. With the approval of the supervisor, the employee may take an additional assignment during the normal work day without additional compensation.
    • 3. If an employee agrees to accept an assignment and receive no compensation, they may use the assignment as part of their college service. Paid assignments will not be viewed as service.
    • 4. Full-time administrative faculty will be limited to six instructional units per semester or eight hours per week on average for non-instructional assignments.

• Section 2: Notification and Approval
  • A. Written approval from the supervisor and appropriate vice president must be obtained before the employee agrees to an assignment.
    

• Section 3: Exceptions
  • A. The dean level and above are excluded from this policy.
    
  • B. It is understood that the terms of this policy can be changed or altered only with the written approval of the College President.
    

• Recruitment for State Funded Positions
• Interviewing Expenses for State Funded Positions
• Expenses for Grant Funded Positions

• Section 1: Recruitment for State Funded Positions
  • A. Recruitment for WNC professional full-time (.50 FTE or above) positions shall follow Hiring Academic and Administrative Faculty in the WNC Policy and Procedures Manual and expenses will be paid as follows:
    
    • 1. The WNC Interview and Recruiting Account will pay for the following:
      • a. Printing, postage, and distribution of announcement information including but not limited to the position announcements, labels and postcards for mailings
      • b. Mailing applicant packets and follow-up correspondence including postage, envelopes and stationary
      • c. Position announcements in the Reno Gazette Journal, Nevada Appeal and other media depending on the geographic location of the position and other institutional needs as identified by the Human Resources office.
  • B. The hiring department will be responsible for paying the following:
    
    • 1. At the direction of the hiring department, additional advertising may be done. This includes advertisement in other media not addressed above.

• Section 2: Interviewing Expenses for State Funded Positions
  • A. The screening committee will follow the guidelines in Hiring Academic and Administrative Faculty in the WNC Policy and Procedures Manual for interviewing candidates for professional positions.
    
    • 1. The hiring department will be responsible for completing all travel claims submitted with all required receipts.
    • 2. The travel expenses will be paid to the interviewees from the Interview and Recruiting Account with the following guidelines:
      • a. The applicant may be reimbursed for traveling expenses in accordance with State Travel Regulations and WNC policy; limited to three applicants per search but additional applicants may be added at the discretion of the President.
      • b. Travel expenses will not be paid to interviewees living within a 75-mile radius of the interviewing campus.
      • c. No reimbursement may be made to an applicant who has been offered the position and declined.
  • B. Guidelines for Travel Reimbursement
    
    

    Description	Reimbursement Policy	Additional Requirements
    Airfare	Actual cost (coach/business class only)	Receipts required
    Hotel	Actual cost per below per day (2 days maximum)	Receipts required
    Auto Rental	Actual cost up to $ 40.00 per day (2 days maximum)	Receipts required
    Parking	Actual cost up to $ 20.00 per day (2 days maximum)	Receipts required
    Food	Actual cost up to GSA limits - see Note below (2 day maximum)	No receipts required
    Notes	Meals provided or included in conference fees are not reimbursed Total reimbursements for any candidate will not exceed $800 per interview; This limit may be waived at the discretion of the college president. Federal rates, published by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), determines reimbursement rates for hotel and per diem rates (see www.gsa.gov).

• Section 3: Expenses for Grant Funded Positions
  • A. Professional grant funded positions (.50 FTE or above) shall be recruited following Hiring Academic and Administrative Faculty in the WNC Policy and Procedures Manual and following the above guidelines.
    
    • 1. The vice president of the recruiting department is responsible for all expenses in the recruitment of these positions.
    • 2. If there are no funds allocated in the grant for the position(s), another funding source must be identified prior to the search initiation.
    • 3. The Interviewing and Recruitment Account will not pay for recruiting expenses for grant positions.

• Notification
• Recruitment and Screening
• Recommendation
• Irregularities
• Exceptions

• Section 1: Notification
  • A. The hiring department submits a request to initiate the search process in the applicant tracking system.
    
  • B. The president will offer the opportunity to nominate members to the screening committee (herein referred to as the committee) from Academic and Administrative faculty senates. The composition of the committee should include no less than five members with the majority representing the area where the position reports, but with at least one other WNC faculty and staff member, and may include community and other NSHE staff.
    
  • C. The president appoints all committee members and designates a temporary chair to call the first meeting. The chair should be the appropriate supervisor in the area of the vacancy, such as division chair, director, dean, or vice president, if possible. The president notifies the committee members in writing of their appointment.
    
  • D. The hiring department is notified of the approval to begin the search process.
    
  • E. A copy of the letters is sent to the Human Resources (HR) office.
    

• Section 2: Recruitment and Screening
  • A. Academic Faculty
    
    • 1. The division chair/supervisor will instruct the division/department members to develop position requirements consistent with the qualifications, experience, and duties that are required for the position.
  • B. Administrative Faculty
    
    • 1. The president and/or appropriate vice president will develop, with the assistance of the department, the position requirements consistent with the qualifications, experience, and duties that are required for this position.
  • C. The chair is responsible for having each screening committee member complete a confidentiality/nondisclosure form and send the originals to the HR office.
    
  • D. The committee shall meet and review the position requirements in accordance with the qualifications, experience, and duties that are required for this position. The hiring department submits the approved job announcement to the appropriate dean, vice president or president, depending on the position, for approval via the applicant tracking system.
    
  • E. Upon approval, HR reviews and opens the position.
    
  • F. All positions will be open for a minimum of 30 calendar days.
    
    • 1. The committee may approve a longer search period.
    • 2. The position announcement will state the date that the committee will begin reviewing applications (the 30 day minimum date or longer), and those applicants who have submitted an application by that date will receive full consideration.
    • 3. The Recruitment and Interview Expense Policy in the WNC Policy and Procedures Manual will be followed for mailing and advertising procedures and expenses.
  • G. At the end of the 30-day search period, the HR Office will grant search committee members access to view applications in the applicant tracking system.
    
  • H. The chair shall establish a reasonable date for committee members to review the applications. The committee will then meet to decide on the finalists for telephone interviews.
    
  • I. Telephone interviews are required before bringing any finalists to campus for interviews. As a courtesy during the telephone interview, the candidate should be informed that, if they are recommended to be brought to campus for inperson interviews, reference checks will be completed before they are scheduled for interview.
    
  • J. After telephone interviews are completed, reference checking on those candidates who are being considered for in-person interviews will be completed. Reference checking must be completed before interviews are scheduled. The chair should assure that applicants have signed the Reference Release Form for Professional Positions. The committee will complete "three-deep" reference checks. Three-deep checks mean that at least two committee members will speak with references for each candidate at least three levels including the first reference they contact.
    
  • K. The hiring department will contact and arrange to bring the candidates to campus for in-person interviews.
    
    • 1. This will include scheduling meeting times for the college president and vice president(s) to meet with the candidates.
    • 2. Interviewees should be given a reasonable amount of time to make travel arrangements for the interview.
    • 3. Travel reimbursement will conform to Recruitment and Interview Expense Policy in the WNC Policy and Procedures Manual.
    • 4. The Recruitment and Interview Expense Policy will be provided to candidates prior to scheduling their on-campus interviews.
  • L. Interview questions shall be prepared in writing by the committee prior to the interview.
    
  • M. Once interviews are completed, the committee may choose to do further reference checks on the finalists. This would be in addition to the previous reference check done before the interview process.
    

• Section 3: Recommendation
  • A. Immediately after the interview process is completed, the committee will invite the appropriate dean, vice president and the president to the committee meeting for the committee's discussion concerning the qualifications, strengths, and weaknesses of the final candidates and the committee's recommendations. The vice president will make a recommendation to the president for final approval and signature.
    
  • B. Upon approval by the president, the appropriate vice president shall contact the selected person and confirm acceptance.
    
  • C. The vice president will complete the hiring proposal in the applicant tracking system.
    
  • D. After the person has accepted the position, the chair will call those persons interviewed and inform them of the decision. The HR office will follow-up the phone calls with letters, informing all applicants that the position has been filled.
    
  • E. For each applicant, the chair completes an Application Review/Interview Record.
    
  • F. It is the responsibility of the chair to follow-up to make sure all search requirements are completed including all written approvals before the process is deemed completed.
    

• Section 4: Irregularities
  • A. The Affirmative Action officer or chair shall report any problems during the search and selection process to the college president.
    

• Section 5: Exceptions
  • A. If at any time during the search process, there is a consensus; either by the committee and/or vice president/president that the applicant pool is insufficient, a decision will be made on how to proceed with the search. The administration agrees to support this decision as long as the reasons are not discriminatory.
    
  • B. It is understood that the terms of this policy can be changed or altered only with the written approval of the college president.
    
  • C. In accordance with Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 8, Section 7.2, the institutional president or chancellor may waive the search requirement where he or she determines the waiver to be in the best interests of the institution or System unit.
    

• Definition
• Notification
• Recruitment and Screening
• Recommendation

• Section 1: Definition
  • A. An internal search is defined as opening a professional full time (50% FTE or more) academic or administrative faculty vacancy to qualified candidates who are employed full time (50% or more) at Western Nevada College (WNC), and have already gone through a WNC external search process.
    

• Section 2: Notification
  • A. If, after reviewing the minimum qualifications for the position, the supervising administrator determines that there is at least one qualified internal candidate and there is a need for an internal search, a memorandum would be initiated to the President recommending approval. The memo should explain the rationale of conducting an internal search versus an external search (Refer to hiring Academic and Administrative Faculty Policy in the WNC Policies and Procedures Manual). The College President has final approval.
    
  • B. If an internal search is approved, the search committee will be established pursuant to college bylaws.
    

• Section 3: Recruitment and Screening
  • A. The supervising administrator making the recommendation may not serve on the search committee.
    
  • B. The Committee shall meet, develop and approve the requirements in accordance with the qualifications, experience, and duties for the vacant position.
    
  • C. The position announcement will be forwarded to the Human Resources Office for review and processing.
    
  • D. All positions will be open for a minimum of 14 days.
    
  • E. Human Resources will notify the college community by e-mail, and will post the position announcement on the WNC HR Job Opportunities web page.
    
  • F. Applicants will be asked to submit a cover letter, detailed resume, names and addresses of three current references and the Pre-employment Information Form to the Human Resources Office by the deadline date. The applicants may be asked for additional information or written approval to review their Personnel file by the committee chairperson.
    
  • G. The Human Resources Office will have the resumes available as soon as possible after the posted deadline date.
    
    • 1. The chairperson should check with the Human Resources Office before scheduling meetings with the Committee.
  • H. The chair of the committee shall not call the next meeting for a minimum of five working days after the applications have been distributed without the committee's approval.
    
  • I. Irregularities. Any irregularities shall be reported to the college president by the Affirmative Action Officer or committee chair.
    

• Section 4: Recommendation
  • A. The search committee chair will advise the appropriate vice president in writing of their final recommendation.
    
    • 1. The vice president will review and, if recommending approval, forward the recommendation on to the President for final approval and signature.
    • 2. The final approval will be sent to the Human Resources Office and to the chair of the search committee.
    • 3. NO OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT SHALL BE MADE UNTIL THE REQUIRED APPROVALS ARE OBTAINED.
  • B. Upon approval from the President, the vice president shall contact the selected person and confirm acceptance.
    
  • C. After the person has been chosen and has accepted the position, the committee chair will inform the other candidates of the decision. The Human Resources Office will follow-up the phone calls with letters, if necessary, informing all applicants that the position has been filled.
    
  • D. Should the recommended candidate refuse the position, the Chair shall recommend another candidate from those interviewed or recommend that an external search process begin.
    
  • E. For each applicant, an Application Review/Interview Record form must be completed in detail by the chairperson of the Committee and returned with the resumes to the Human Resources Office. It is the responsibility of the chair to follow-up to make sure all search requirements are completed including all written approvals before the process is deemed completed.
    

• Definitions
• Steps
• Continuation

• Section 1: Definitions
  • A. If at all possible, vacant positions should be filled in accordance with policies set forth in the WNC Policy and Procedures Manual.
    
    • 1. When the normal policy cannot be followed due to such things as: sabbatical leave, leave without pay, last minute resignation, change in assignment, fluctuating enrollment, death or illness, or funding not available until shortly before or after the semester begins, the need to fill vacancies promptly with quality personnel obviously takes precedence over strict conformance to normal recruitment procedures.
    • 2. In these cases, an emergency appointment may be requested.

• Section 2: Steps
  • A. To the greatest extent possible, provisions should be made for filling positions on an emergency basis, in a timely manner, but at the same time extend an equal chance for all interested to apply. When this situation arises, the following should be observed:
    
    • 1. The Vice President shall notify, by memorandum, the college president requesting approval for an emergency appointment.
    • 2. This memo shall include the rationale that makes the emergency appointment necessary, title and brief description of the duties of the position, type of appointment (A or B Contract), length of appointment, and financial support.
  • B. If the President approves this request in writing, the memo will then be forwarded to the Human Resources office before making the final appointment. In addition, the following will be provided to HR: salary amount, FTE, account number, position number.
    
  • C. Where an employee on a letter of appointment goes over one-half time or greater during the semester for more than three consecutive months, the employee may be placed on a Letter of Appointment with Benefits (LOB) or contract depending on the situation.
    
  • D. The employment contract will contain a clause that pertains to the conditions and limitations of the emergency appointment.
    

• Section 3: Continuation
  • A. It is understood that an emergency appointment can be extended at the College President's written approval.
    
  • B. If this position continues, a national search will be required by the president.
    
  • C. In the event that the president chooses to waive a national search, the president shall so inform the chancellor and college council.
    

• Definition
• Request
• Process
• Standards

• Section 1: Definition
  • A. Faculty member, for this policy, means both academic and administrative faculty.
    

• Section 2: Request
  • A. Upon notification that a WNC faculty member of at least ten years standing will be retiring from WNC, the awarding of emeritus status will be considered, following established procedures.
    
  • B. Any notification of retirement by a WNC faculty member eligible for emeritus status received after April 15 will be considered during the next academic year.
    
  • C. A request for supporting documentation from the faculty member under consideration for emeritus may be made.
    

• Section 3: Process
  • A. Upon notification of a retirement from WNC of a faculty member eligible for emeritus status, the human resources office will notify the college president, the chair of the academic faculty senate and the chair of the administrative faculty senate that a retirement notification has been received and a consideration for emeritus status will be automatic.
    
  • B. There shall be one emeritus committee who will consider emeritus (faculty) submitted prior to April 15 of each academic year. (Emeritus committee discussions will remain confidential.) Appointment shall be as follows:
    
    • 1. College president: One (1) appointment
    • 2. Academic Faculty Senate: shall recommend four (4) appointments; three (3) of which will consist of the members of the academic faculty senate sabbatical committee.
    • 3. Administrative Faculty Senate: shall recommend two (2) appointments to the college president.
  • C. The college president shall make appointments from those names recommended.
    
  • D. The college president shall appoint the temporary chair of the Committee, who will call the first meeting. At that meeting, committee members shall elect the chair.
    
  • E. The committee may request materials from the employee, his/her supervisor, or any WNC office.
    
  • F. The committee shall use the established standards for determining its recommendation.
    
  • G. The committee's recommendation shall be forwarded to the college president for review.
    

• Section 4: Standards
  • A. Typically, the employee must have been employed at WNC for a period of at least 10 years. The committee may take into consideration other experience at a NSHE institution.
    
  • B. The employee must be officially retiring from WNC.
    
  • C. The employee must have a distinguished history of service to WNC for consideration.
    

• Procedures
• Notification

• Section 1: Procedures
  • A. The appropriate Vice President must approve any job title change for administrative or academic faculty member in writing no matter how the change is initiated. The faculty member may be asked to provide a proposed job description and/or other information. A job title may be changed for a variety of reasons including, administrative assignments to academic faculty members, change in reporting order and/or additional responsibilities.
    
    • 1. Change in job title does not imply a change in contract type, rank or salary. The faculty member should be consulted prior to any change in job title.
    • 2. Changes in job title contract type, rank or salary will be determined by job responsibilities and duties, authority, and reporting order etc. and must be approved in writing by the appropriate Vice President and the College President.

• Section 2: Notification
  • A. In cases where a change is approved that is accompanied by a change in contract type, rank or salary, written notification must be sent to Human Resources, the Budget Officer and Information and Marketing. Any changes will not be made on contracts, catalog, and staff directories until final written approval is received.