Do you have an ongoing writing project or plans to initiate a new one? This fall we offer two opportunities for ALL INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY to participate in the 9^th Annual Writers Retreat:

December: 12-13 and 16-18. Applications due COB NOON Monday, November 25 (applications available in late October)

 Writers Retreats provide:

• a private room in Addlestone Library (or Education Center during construction) for one’s exclusive use away from the distractions of one’s office.
• a key for your private room for the duration of the retreat.
• snacks and beverages in a common room throughout the retreat.
• group lunch at noon on each day of the retreat.
• available reference staff for assistance.
• a supportive collegial environment to focus exclusively on one’s writing.

In return, each selected participant agrees to write, but not grade, check email or social media, or leave the retreat for other meetings. As past participants have concurred, arriving at the retreat with very specific writing tasks, whether conceptualizing and drafting a new manuscript or completing final revisions to a long-standing work, will allow one to maximize this opportunity.

Selected participants must bring all materials needed for the writing project, to include one’s laptop as no computers are provided.  Participants sign in by 8:30am to begin their work. If one has a collaborator on campus, both may apply separately, or one may apply and invite their collaborator to join them for a portion of the retreat. Each participant is expected to focus only on writing for at least 6 hours daily.

Interested in the Writer’s Retreat?
Apply online. Applicants will be notified in advance in order to plan accordingly. Past participants are welcome to apply again.  Preference will be given to faculty preparing for a major review (tenure or promotion), new faculty establishing a writing program, and faculty in transition.

Please let Mark Del Mastro know if you have related questions.

Academic Affairs welcomes applications for the Faculty Coordinator for Distance Education.

As many of you are aware, Douglas Ferguson of the Department of Communication was appointed the College’s first Faculty Coordinator for eLearning and Distance Education on January 1, 2014, and since that time he has helped facilitate the notable expansion of both DE certified faculty and online curricular offerings, among other related achievements. Because Doug will complete his second and final term as Coordinator on June 30, 2020, the College needs to prepare for a successor who would begin transitioning into this role in January 2020 with Doug’s able mentorship.  Our sincere thanks to Doug for his extensive work in this inaugural position as we prepare for the next phases in distance learning at the College of Charleston.

Below is the position description and application details for the renamed “Faculty Coordinator for Distance Education.”  A selection committee will review the applications, interview the top candidates, then submit a recommendation for hire to Interim Provost Fran Welch by early December.  Confirmation of appointment is planned before the conclusion of 2019.  Applications that include a CV and letter of interest, as specified in the attached description, must be submitted by COB November 1, 2019 to delmastromp@cofc.edu.

Position Announcement: Faculty Coordinator for Distance Education

The position of Faculty Coordinator for Distance Education is responsible for coordinating academic activities related to the Distance Education (DE) program at the College in collaboration with Academic Affairs, IT, and academic schools and departments. This position provides leadership for the development and implementation of policies, procedures, standards, and criteria which support the effective delivery of online instruction and student services. The position is responsible for ensuring that the College of Charleston’s Distance Education activities are in compliance with local, state, and federal standards, and supporting the objectives of the Distance Education Strategic Plan that was approved in November 2018.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities
● Acts as a liaison with academic and administrative units at the College (i.e. Academic Affairs, administrative/departmental units, and appropriate faculty committees) to define and develop policies, procedures and adequate support for efficient operation of DE efforts at the College of Charleston;
● Advises faculty and staff on and ensures compliance with applicable institutional guidelines, policies, and local, state, and federal requirements (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), Commission of Higher Education (CHE) and Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)) related to Distance Education (i.e. intellectual property, copyright laws, training requirements, etc.);
● Acts as point of contact for all DE-related questions, and proactively communicates related information and announcements to the campus;
● Coordinates with the Director of the Teaching and Learning Team (TLT) to schedule regular faculty development opportunities in support of Distance Education;
● Collaborates with IT to identify, integrate, and assess technical requirements for effective DE delivery;
● Develops and manages the annual DE budget in collaboration with the Provost’s office;
● Ensures robust student support services are coordinated and available for online students;
● Works with the campus community to develop new DE courses, and where faculty and institutional support exists, to develop online programs.
● Chairs and defines membership of the DE Steering Committee;
● Assesses and evaluates the progress, improvement, and value of the DE program and related services.

Qualifications/Experience
Tenured full-time faculty member or Senior Instructor with a minimum of two years of experience in an academic administrative role or significant campus leadership experience; online teaching or experience working in a distance learning program required; knowledge of curriculum development and assessment preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Detail-oriented with the ability to multi-task and work under tight deadlines; familiarity with best practices in distance education; ability to communicate effectively and establish working relationships with various campus constituencies; understanding of technology as well as the pedagogies associated with effective use of online technologies; and the ability to be creative in solving problems.

Open Education Resources (OER) Incentive Program: Grants 

Open educational resources (OER) are classroom materials without copyright restrictions, are available in the public domain, licensed through the Creative Commons (or similar intellectual property licenses) or library-licensed, and accessible to student at little or no cost. With the rising prices of textbooks and the resulting financial burden for students, OER can help mitigate such expenses for students and provide instructors with pedagogical advantages. To encourage faculty to integrate OER materials in their courses, the OER Faculty Incentive Program will award grants of $1000 to instructors selected by the campus OER Committee. Faculty who are awarded OER incentive grants will integrate OER into the upcoming academic year’s course(s). Ineligible are previous awardees who wish to use OER for courses that already were supported with an OER grant. Priority will be given to first-time applicants.

Faculty who are teaching in the 2020-2021 academic year (fall and spring semesters) are invited to apply for the 2^nd annual Open Educational Resources (OER) Incentive Grant Program to support College of Charleston faculty in creating high-quality instructional resources at little or no expense to our students.

GO TO: OER program website and the online application form.

Many thanks to Dr. Jason Coy, Professor of History and Faculty Administrative Fellow in the Office of the Provost, who facilitated the initiation of this program and currently chairs the OER Committee. Please direct all program-related questions to Dr. Coy at coyj@cofc.edu.