Adjunct Starter Kit: Academic Administration

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar contains important information and dates, including but not limited to contractual and non-contract days, professional development days, and College holidays. It also contains information including but not limited to semester start and end dates, return of students, final exam week, attendance reporting dates, add/drop deadlines, deadlines for 5, 7.5, 10, 12, and 15 week classes. Important dates are available for spring, summer, fall, winter, and concurrent enrollment classes. See the links below for a copy of the current academic calendar.

Academic Calendar

The Current Academic Calendar (and those for previous years) are also in the Provost Communications Folder on Sharepoint.

Modalities and Back-Up Plans

Tompkins Cortland Community College currently offers an array of teaching modalities to serve a variety of student and instructor needs. A complete list of our current modality offerings along with a brief description of each can be found here:

Course Modalities Instructor Guidance

Back up Plans
Please pay particular attention to back up plan requirements for each modality in case the campus (or a class) is required to be remote. All classes that have a face to face component must have a clear back up plan delineated in the Syllabi. Back up plans must include a live-online synchronous component to replace the face to face synchronous component. Under no circumstances should a course with a synchronous component become completely asynchronous.

Curriculum Committee

Please follow this link for detailed information about the Curriculum Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and approving curriculum changes, including new program/course creation and revisions of Master Course Syllabi.

Curriculum Committee Sharepoint

Student Concerns and Course Feedback

Students who have concerns or wish to provide feedback (negative or positive) about a course may use the following link:

Student Feedback Form

Note: Students can contact the Provost’s office at provost@tompkinscortland.edu. Please do not provide students with the e-mail addresses of individuals in the provost’s office. Please have them use the e-mail address above. That makes it easier for us to track e-mails and respond effectively.

Independent Study

Two types of Independent Study courses exist: 1) independent studies, which are a substitute for a traditional course in a given a semester, and 2) enhanced independent studies, which are designed to enhance a student’s understanding of a discipline and not to substitute for an existing course. The former (#1) are common, but the latter (#2) are rare.

Independent Study Course

An independent study course is designed as a substitute for a traditional course that is needed for the student(s) program of study but it is not available in a particular semester. The most common reason for an independent study is due to a regularly scheduled course having low enrollment and needing to be cancelled by the Provost’s Office. The course name, description, and learning outcomes are the same, but fewer students are in the course than is typical, including courses of only one student. Though other reasons may be valid, the independent study option should not be used as an alternative to inadequate planning by a student or inconvenient timing. It is expected that only instructors who normally teach the course will teach an independent study course. Regular tuition and fees will be charged for each directed study credit. Approval for an independent study course during any semester must be granted by the Provost or designee. Independent study courses may be run utilizing typical scheduling times, with fewer students than a typical class or utilizing alternatives (one on meetings, projects, etc.).

Enhanced Independent Study Course
What is an enhanced independent study course?

a. Intended to expand a student’s learning experience beyond the normal program curriculum
b. Not intended as a substitute for an existing course
c. Provides the student with an opportunity to pursue/research a subject in more depth, and in a more independent manner than would be possible in a traditional course
d. Each hour of credit should reflect a minimum of 45 hours of work
e. Can be sponsored by all programs and disciplines and listed under the relevant discipline and a 280 course number, e.g., BIOL 280, ENGL 280

How is an enhanced independent study developed?

a. Eligibility Criteria – The student must demonstrate the ability to undertake independent work in the specified area.
b. Specific prerequisites, role in curriculum, i.e., program, liberal arts or unrestricted elective, minimum completed credits, GPA, or other requirements may be established by individual programs/disciplines.
c. The student consults with a faculty member in the semester before the independent study. If the faculty member agrees to supervise the study, a proposal/learning contract is prepared.
d. The learning contract should include a title, description of the project, credits to be awarded, learning objectives, content (topics, learning and research activities, etc.), required student/instructor meetings, bibliography/reading list, outcomes (presentation(s), paper(s), journal, etc.), and grading criteria.
e. The learning contract must be signed by the student and the instructor, and then submitted for review and approval by the Provost or his designee. Independent studies supervised by an adjunct faculty member must be approved by the program/department chair.

Aaron Tolbert
Provost
AT109@tompkinscortland.edu
607-844-8222, ext. 4373

Anndrea Mathers
Associate Provost
AME015@tompkinscortland.edu
607-844-8222, ext. 4214

Merryn Clay
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
ClayM@tompkinscortland.edu 
607-844-8222, ext. 4293

Sierra Brock
Administrative Assistant
SHS006@tompkinscortland.edu
607-844-8222, ext. 4349

Chrissie Askew
Faculty Suite Secretary, Room 220
askewbc@tompkinscortland.edu
607-844-8222, ext. 4250

Debra Meeker
Faculty Suite Secretary, Room 241
DAM020@tompkinscortland.edu
607-844-8222, ext. 4251