Most topics related to faculty concerns and questions are covered in the Faculty Handbook and department chairs are asked to be familiar with it and to make suggestions, to the Director of Distance Education, for additions, correction, and clarification. Some common topics that typically require clarification are addressed here:

Compensation Issues:

Faculty often ask distance education personnel about discrepancies in their rate of pay, their checks, compensation for development and their distance education teaching stipends. In most cases, we simply refer them back to their (or the program's primary) academic department and college office as the contract amounts and any special provisions are arranged there.

Inclement Weather Policy:

Please review the Inclement Weather Closures and Class Cancellation policy and procedures. In general, the assumption in Distance Education is that if conditions are so bad that faculty cannot drive to campus and it is closed—that the faculty should not be expected to drive to an off-campus location. Our policy states that if ASU is closed—that extension classes are canceled as well, but any faculty members who wish to hold their classes anyway should contact the site and make arrangements to do so. They are also responsible for notifying their students. All of this being said, we still like to get the official phone or email notice from individual faculty members that their specific class is canceled so we can post those in addition to the site closures. The complete Inclement Weather Closures Closures and Class Cancellation policy/procedures is spelled out in the Faculty Handbook, and faculty are reminded at the beginning of each semester to review the policy in preparation for the advent of inclement weather.

Site Selection:

We ask that faculty be discouraged from discussing possible program delivery, at specific locations, with institutions, schools, or other agencies. Because SACS approval, student and technical support, and financial issues are part of site determination and faculty are sometimes not aware of the impact of these issues, decisions and agreements to offer a program at a particular site should be delayed until the Director of Distance Education has been asked to address these issues and has agreed that the program can be offered at the site.