Volunteer Teaching

Intent: Employees have asked if they can volunteer to teach a course in an effort to save the College money in adjunct faculty expenses.

Eligibility: Non-exempt employees may only teach a course during their regular work hours (not to exceed 40 hours per week) by Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Exempt employees may volunteer to teach course(s) within or outside of their regular workweek since they are not required to be paid overtime.

Benefits of the Program:

  • Adjunct cost savings (average of $1,680 for a 3 hour course)
  • Overload cost savings if the volunteer is a faculty who normally would receive overload pay through dual employment

Considerations:

  • Opportunity costs of employee not doing their primary functions if they teach during their normal work hours.
  • Availability to students - there may be a lack of availability to students or student traffic that may infringe upon primary duty activities
  • Credentialing process – staff may need to have official transcripts ordered for their personnel file and releasing an employee’s file for audit by Department Head
  • Scheduling issues – the availability of a staff member may conflict with a time that a primary faculty wishes to teach
  • If it is during work hours, primary supervisor should approve
  • Sensitivity around performance and/or discipline issues that may occur while employee is in dual role

Process:

  1. Employee contacts Department Head, via e-mail, regarding desire to teach. Employee copies Sharon Colcolough (scolcolo) on the e-mail so she can allow Department Head to review employee’s credentials
  2. Department Head determines if the employee meets SACS and other accreditation standards and lets employee know what courses and times they could teach
  3. Employee discusses with Supervisor if the time will be during their regular work hours (it must be for non-exempt employees).
  4. Once appropriate supervisor approval is attained, employee e-mails Department Head and copies Sharon Colcolough to commit to teaching (including course, and meeting pattern (days/time))
  5. Upon receipt of the e-mail, Sharon Colcolough will send the employee a “Notice and Acknowledgement of Voluntary Temporary Assignment” form for signature.

Reporting:

  • Once all parties (Employee, Supervisor and Department Head) are in agreement, the employee will sign a “Notice and Acknowledgement of Voluntary Temporary Assignment” form to be placed on file in the Personnel Office.
  • Sharon Colcolough will track the estimated cost savings generated