Faculty Handbook Policies

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/23/2025

Welcome to the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) faculty community. We are delighted to have you join our team of dedicated and experienced educators. Please reach out to your colleagues, department chair, or associate dean, and/or dean whenever you need assistance. Your commitment to CEI’s continued growth and excellence is deeply appreciated.

The College of Eastern Idaho Faculty Handbook provides policies, procedures, and guidance relevant to all academic divisions of the college. This handbook is updated annually. Please carefully review all sections of the Employee Handbook Policies and HR’s Employee Information and Instructions booklet. For additional details specific to your discipline, please refer to your division’s handbook. Faculty are also encouraged to review the College of Eastern Idaho Student Handbook.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

CEI faculty play an essential role in advancing the college’s mission: “To provide open access to affordable, quality education that meets the needs of students, regional employers, and community.” Your expertise and commitment directly support students’ success and helps ensure that all learners achieve our Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs) in Communication, Critical Thinking, and Civic and Global Learning. Faculty also contribute to CEI’s core themes of Learning for Work and Life, Student-Centered Education, and Community Engagement.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

The college’s academic structure consists of two divisions with deans and/or associate deans:

• Health Sciences & Trades
• Division of Arts, STEM, and Transfer

Academics is overseen by the deans with various subdivisions (i.e., Faculty → Chair → Associate Dean/Dean → VP). The Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs leads all divisions. Please see the most up to date Organizational Chart for detailed organization. Please see your division’s handbook, if applicable, for more information on its organizational structure.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

College of Eastern Idaho is accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and/or the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 200
Redmond, Washington 98052-3981

Please follow this link to read what more about the requirements set forth by the NWCCU, how CEI meets those requirements, as well as steps the College is taking to strengthen its standing. Please see CEI’s accreditation webpage for more information: https://www.cei.edu/accreditation.

Please note that various programs may hold specialized accreditations (e.g., Nursing, Automotive, Cybersecurity). Faculty in these areas should consult with their leadership regarding specific compliance requirements.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Faculty are expected to abide by the Employee Handbook Policies and any applicable department or division handbooks. In addition, faculty are subject to the following professional expectations:

Office hours: Full-time faculty members, including online instructors, are expected to schedule a minimum of five office hours per week to meet the needs of students. For online and adjunct faculty, specific details like modality and quantity are determined with Department Chair consultation. On-campus faculty members should post their schedules near their offices.

Email: Faculty should make every effort to respond to emails within one to two business days (24 to 48 hours) during the work week (Monday through Friday). Responses may take longer during weekends, holidays, or institutional breaks. If an extended delay is expected (e.g., due to travel or leave), faculty should consider setting up an out-of-office autoreply to inform senders of anticipated response times.

Technical Assistance: Requests for technical assistance should be sent via an IT Help Desk Ticket through the My Apps page.  If the need is critical, please call the Help Desk (208.535.5444).

Faculty Absence: Faculty members are expected to fulfill all scheduled teaching and professional responsibilities. In the event of an anticipated or unplanned absence, faculty should notify their chair or immediate supervisor as soon as possible. Ideally, a written contingency plan will be in place in advance, filed with the Department Chair. Whenever feasible, advanced absence notice should be provided, along with information regarding the duration of the absence and any arrangements made for coverage of classes or essential duties.

For short-term absences, faculty are responsible for informing students and ensuring appropriate instructional continuity, such as alternative assignments, substitute coverage, or online engagement if applicable. For extended absences, additional coordination with the direct supervisor and Human Resources is required to ensure ongoing instructional quality and student support.

Faculty should follow all established college protocols for reporting absences, obtaining prior approval when needed (e.g., for conferences or professional development), and submitting required documentation (such as sick leave or medical certification). Please see Policy 200 for additional information.

If you anticipate a prolonged absence, please consult with your supervisor to develop a plan that minimizes disruption to student learning and departmental operations.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

All faculty members are expected to:

• Plan and implement student learning activities that align with course objectives.
• Clearly communicate expectations for teaching and learning to students.
• Post all course syllabi on Canvas by 8:00 AM on the first day of each semester.
• Regularly assess student learning through appropriate methods including outcome rubrics.
• Demonstrate mastery of course material and present content in engaging and creative ways.
• Foster a welcoming, responsive, supportive learning environment for all students.
• Collaboratively select and review Open Educational Resources (OER), textbooks, and other instructional resources to support learning.
• Revise and update course content as necessary to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness.
• Provide timely feedback on student assignments, typically within two weeks.
• Participate in course evaluation processes and implement adjustments based on feedback.
• Utilize office hours and advising sessions to support student persistence and academic success.
• Support students through remediation or tutoring as needed.
• Make appropriate referrals for students experiencing academic or personal difficulties.
• Submit reports through the “Report a Concern” system when aware of, or concerned about, a student’s well-being or suspected academic infraction, in accordance with college procedures.
• Maintain accurate records of class attendance.
• Submit Drop for Non-Attendance, Midterm, Final reports, and grades on time.
• Maintain the security and privacy of student Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) accounting for exceptions such as directory information.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

All faculty members are required to fulfill these professional tasks outside of teaching:

• Complete any mandatory training courses from institutional offices including Human Resources (HR) and The Office of Online Learning.

All full-time faculty are required to fulfill these professional tasks outside of teaching:

• Attend college-wide meetings (i.e., In-Service and Assessment Tuesdays). If you must be absent, you must obtain approval by filling and submitting the College-Wide Meeting Absence Request.
• Participating in commencement ceremonies (graduation).
• Attending faculty meetings.
• Actively share resources and collaborate with colleagues to enhance instructional quality.
• Establish and pursue a plan for continuous professional development.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Full-time faculty members are required to actively participate in at least three service activities each year in the following categories:

• Institutional Service
  • Faculty mentorship
  • Serving on committees or task forces or Faculty Senate
  • Leading or organizing programs (e.g., internships, seminars)
  • Participating in hiring committees
  • Teaching and Learning Center service
  • Advising student clubs
  • Coordinating grant applications
  • Serving as early college liaisons

• Professional Service
  • Chairing or presenting at conferences
  • Serving as officers in professional organizations
  • Reviewing or publishing scholarly work
  • Mentoring undergraduate research

• First-year Faculty Only
  • Teaching and Learning Center New Faculty Institute
    (default only service activity, included in first performance evaluation, chair may grant exceptions)

Faculty should use the Journal component of NeoEd to document service to the college, providing documentation such as agendas when available. Work with the Department Chair for recommendations.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Faculty members are evaluated by five core-competencies on an annual basis by their direct supervisor in the following categories:

• Course instruction & Performance: Provides course curriculum that is clearly written and appropriate to course level, establishes clear learning outcomes with assessment, uses best practices for instruction, and focuses on whether students are learning what is being taught. (Student Centered)
• Student/Teacher Interactions: Communicates expectations, grading policies, and outcomes clearly; assigns grades fairly and impartially; encourages the free pursuit of learning and protects students' academic freedom; begins and ends class on time; utilizes class time well; holds regular office hours; and utilizes a variety of teaching methods and materials. (Student Centered)     
• Professional Knowledge and Expertise: Possesses sufficient knowledge and understanding of discipline; continues to grow professionally to expand knowledge, skills, and abilities; understands and supports the role and mission of the college; and understands, follows, and enforces policies. (Learning for Work and Life, Student Centered)
• Professionalism: Demonstrates the ability to take initiative and exercises good judgement and ethical behavior. Communicates clearly in written and oral form. Expresses concerns when warranted and is able to work toward resolution with tact and professionalism. Demonstrates the ability to organize, delegate, and fulfill responsibilities of the position. Demonstrates ability to gain support for ideas and proposals. (Learning for Work and Life)
• Campus support and Service: Serves on committees, assumes equitable share of departmental/divisional responsibilities; attends graduation exercises; supports officially sanctioned student activities; collaborates and cooperates with other campus personnel; participates in recruiting efforts, and utilizes professional network to enhance student job placement. (Community Engagement, Student Centered)

• All new faculty will be observed during the first two semesters of their employment, then once a year for the next two years, and subsequently once every three years unless issues arise.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Course Instruction and Performance (Student Centered)

• Provides course curriculum that is appropriate to course level.
• Assesses course level learning outcomes (CLLOs) using a variety of appropriate tools.
• Uses instructional best practices, such as utilizing a variety of teaching methods and materials (e.g. chunking, guided inquiry, collaboration, experiential learning, etc.)
• Begins and ends class on time. (For online, Regular substantive interactions, should be same time each week) Utilizes class time well (Class time/LMS organization, clear definitions for time required for online)
• Exhibits self-motivation in course development and implementation.

Student/Faculty Interactions (Student Centered)

• Interactions are supportive and respectful
• Provides class syllabus by 8:00 am first day of semester. Communicates expectations, grading policies, and outcomes clearly
• Assigns grades fairly and impartially
• Encourages the free pursuit of learning and protects students' academic freedom
• Holds regular office hours (checks email every working day,)

Professional Knowledge and Expertise (Learning for Work and Life, Student Centered)

• Possesses sufficient knowledge and understanding of discipline
• Continues to grow professionally to expand knowledge, skills, and abilities;
• Supports the role and mission of the college; To provide… Open access to quality affordable education that meets the needs of students reginal employees and community.
• Follows and enforces course and institutional policies.
• Cares about teaching and learning.

Professionalism (Learning for Work and Life)

• Exercises good judgement and ethical behavior and self-motivation (Professional development, seeking opportunities for self improvement)
• Communicates, clearly and promptly (within one business day) in written and oral form.
• Expresses concerns when warranted and works toward resolution with tact and professionalism.
• Demonstrates the ability to prioritize duties and work with others to accomplish personal, departmental, and institutional goals. (delegating where appropriate)
• Uses appropriate processes to propose, gain support, and execute ideas for the betterment of the college.

Campus Support and Service (Community Engagement, Student Centered)

• Fulfills faculty service obligations. (taskforces, committees, recruitment/retention efforts, community engagement, etc.)
• Engages in cross-campus collaboration in interdepartmental and/or campus-wide initiatives.
• Utilizes professional network to enhance student advancement. (Letter of recommendation, internship, help with transfer, mentor)
• Attends in-service, end-of-semester assessment, and graduation exercises.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Changes to Course/Curriculum:

All significant changes to courses/curriculum must be approved by the department and presented to Academic Standards Committee, such as the following:

• Course outcome revisions
• Course description changes
• GEM stamping courses
• Changing course fees
• New course proposals

Record Retention Policy:

The College of Eastern Idaho adheres to all institution, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations that apply to student records. See Policy 124 for additional information.

Grading Scale:

Grade Scale

A grade below 70% is not a passing grade in any CEI course. Rounding up grades is at the instructor’s discretion. Individual programs may have higher standards for passing, so please be aware of a student’s program when discussing academic plans with students.

Testing Policy:

If faculty require students to use the Testing Center, they must contact them at testing.center@cei.edu or 208.535.5438 with test information and requirements. Faculty requiring the use of any online proctoring services, such as HonorLock, must have identified the course as such and included the requirement in their syllabus.

Note: fully asynchronous courses cannot require in-person testing.

Meeting Minutes:

Divisions, departments, and committees should aim to provide agendas and meeting minutes for all scheduled meetings. Agendas and minutes should be shared with relevant people and stored in a secure and shared space (e.g., Teams or OneDrive).

Confidentiality:

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and gives parents and eligible students the right to access and control the disclosure of that information. CEI faculty must follow guidelines established under FERPA, which is about maintaining student privacy. To avoid violations of FERPA, the faculty should not: 

• Use student social security numbers 
• Provide information or materials for students that allows them to see the work of other students.
• Circulate a printed class list with student names and social security numbers 
• Discuss the progress of any student with anyone other than the student without the express consent of the student through a FERPA release, including parents and/or spouse.
• Provide student schedules except as required by an internship or practicum site.
• Share student email addresses, phone numbers, or home addresses.
• Do not put student PII in email subject lines.

Important Note: Faculty should not discuss any student with a third party unless they verify the third party is identified on a student-signed Release of Information document filed with the Registrar.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Human Resources:

All new faculty must complete New Hire Orientation through HR before they are able to receive access to CEI’s network and email services. Once the orientation is complete, the new faculty member’s chair will be informed and they will proceed to go through the process of requesting access to all necessary services, an email, office keys/access, etc.

Teaching and Learning Center:

The TLC organizes and conducts the New Faculty Experience which is a year-long committee made up of new faculty members. The TLC introduces its members to a wide variety of topics and processes that all faculty will need to understand and have knowledge of. The committee meets weekly for a year at which point the new faculty are considered fully onboarded.

Faculty Senate

CEI Faculty Senate is a voluntary, collegial association of the faculty of CEI that is recognized as the voice of faculty by the college. Serving as a liaison between faculty and other college entities promotes academic freedom, professional ethics, meaningful participation in policy development, and thoughtful, inclusive dialogue. The Faculty Senate also serves as key resources and support structures for the broader faculty body. 

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Faculty are expected to be available Monday-Friday or five days a week if working Saturdays. Faculty may work with their supervisor and leadership chain to adjust this work schedule. Please see Policy 206,  CEI’s telecommuting policy, which must be adhered to if altering the expected work schedule. Faculty, chairs, associate deans, and deans will work cooperatively to understand the service needs of the college and leverage faculty expertise and experience to best serve CEI. Service work could include, but is not limited to, serving on committees, accreditation, assessment, professional development, advisor to student clubs, curriculum development, and working with external businesses, industry, professional organizations, or collaboration with colleagues from other colleges. Commitment to and performance of service will be part of faculty annual evaluations. On average, faculty are expected to be available for 5 hours of service per week.

Faculty will display a schedule of availability outside their office door including class times and office hours. Faculty will hold a minimum of 5 office hours per week. Faculty are expected to adhere to their posted times and be available to students during these times. All availability for office hours must be clearly designated on the syllabus. Students must know how to contact their instructor whether it be a full-time instructor or an adjunct instructor, and that instructor must be responsive to the student's needs in a timely manner. It is expected that communications from students will be returned within 24-48 hours, excluding weekends, holidays, and semester breaks.

Faculty workloads may vary within specialized programs. These programs can establish workload guidelines that will apply only to faculty within the specified program. The appropriate dean must approve these guidelines.

A suggested division of time spent on campus for a full-time faculty member is as follows:

• Contact Hours - 15 / per Week - Lecture / Lab
• Office Hours - Minimum 5 / per week –Mentoring, student conferencing, grading, class preparation, etc.
• Work Hours - Minimum 15-20 hours per week - Flexible campus hours that allow time to engage in committee assignments, service, department/division meetings, office work, grading, and professional development.

Minimum 30/week Teaching Load:

Full-time faculty on a 9-month contract are expected to teach no more than 30 credits total for fall and spring. Faculty on 11-month contracts are expected to teach no more than 30 credits in the fall and spring and no more than 6 credits in the summer.

Credit/contact hours exceeding the prescribed course load will be considered overload and the faculty member will incur overload pay (see Policy 223 Compensation for more information). A maximum of three credits of overload may be carried each term. Chairs may collaborate with their associate dean and/or dean to allow faculty to teach more than the three-credit maximum overload. The appropriate supervisor must approve all overload in advance. Faculty who are requested to teach overload course assignments have the right to refuse such assignments.

Service:

Full-time faculty are expected to spend part of their contracted 30-hour work week fulfilling service to the college. This can be accomplished in many ways which can include committee work, advising clubs, participating in service-oriented groups on campus, etc. Faculty must consult with their chair if they need clarification as to what constitutes service at CEI. Service is expected as part of a faculty member's yearly goals and is captured in their annual evaluation.

Advising/Faculty Mentoring:

Certain programs have designated faculty advisors, while other programs have the opportunity for faculty to take on the role of faculty mentor and to work closely with the Advising Office in developing academic plans for students. Good advising/mentoring relies on faculty concern for the questions students have about their studies, their intellectual and personal development in and out of the classroom, student persistence, and their goals after graduation. Well-planned advising/mentoring sessions are one way to help students reflect on their education, improve persistence, and plan for their future.

Providing accurate information for students is a crucial element of this process. Every faculty advisor or mentor is expected to know the graduation requirements, academic regulations, and policies of the college. Faculty must familiarize themselves with pertinent information in the CEI catalog and student handbook.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

All faculty are required to create, publish, and maintain course syllabi using the Concourse Syllabus tool within Canvas. Concourse is the official and sole repository for all course syllabi at the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI). Syllabi may not be maintained, distributed, or updated outside of Concourse (e.g., uploaded PDFs, Word documents, or external links). 

Posting Deadline 

Faculty must ensure that the syllabus for each course section is fully published in Concourse no later than 8AM on the first day of the term. This requirement applies to all instructional modalities, including face-to-face, hybrid, online, and accelerated courses. 

Required Syllabus Content 

All syllabi will be reviewed for completeness and accuracy. Every required section in Concourse must be completed. No section may be left blank or marked 'not applicable' unless explicitly permitted by the system. 

At a minimum, each syllabus must include the following sections with clear, section-specific information: 

• Meeting Times 
• Contact Information and related timelines (e.g. 24 - 48 hours, except for weekends and holidays)
• Course Description 
• Textbook & Materials 
• Institutional Student Learning Outcomes 
• Program Outcomes 
• Course Outcomes 
• Course Policies 
• Grading & Assignments 
• Institutional Policies 
• Course Schedule 

Schedule Expectations 

The Schedule section must include a weekly schedule that outlines course topics for each week (or module, for non-weekly formats) and associated assignments, assessments, and major due dates. The schedule should provide students with a clear roadmap of instructional content and expectations for the entire term. 

Review and Compliance 

Syllabi published in Concourse are subject to institutional review to ensure consistency, completeness, alignment with approved curriculum, and compliance with accreditation and college standards. Faculty are responsible for keeping syllabi accurate and up to date throughout the term within the Concourse system. Failure to comply with syllabus requirements may result in follow-up by the appropriate academic leadership. 

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Academic Integrity Code:

The College’s Academic Integrity Code, which includes procedures for and definitions of academic integrity, can be reviewed here. Please contact your chair, associate dean, and/or dean for any guidance you may feel you need in navigating this procedure. Policy 304 Academic Integrity Code

If you have evidence of a student breaking this code, please utilize Report a Concern to document the infraction as well as to initiate remediation steps if needed. Please also consider utilizing the upcoming minor code violation procedures (not implemented yet).

Purchasing:

Faculty who would like to make a purchase, either for their class or for the department as a whole, must follow the Purchasing and Procurement policy and procedure available here: Policy 214: Purchasing and Procurement. Please reach out to your chair, associate dean, and/or dean prior to initiating purchases, committing funds, and for any related questions.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Intellectual Property (Temporary Statement)

Until CEI adopts a formal Intellectual Property Policy, faculty retain authorship of their original academic materials, recordings, transformations, or other creative works while granting the College a non‑exclusive license to use them for educational purposes. This statement is provisional and may be replaced by future CEI policy.

The College supports the creation and protection of intellectual property, balancing individual ownership rights with institutional investment. The guiding principle is respect for intellectual property rights consistent with U.S. copyright law, which requires understanding and compliance with complex legal and technological environments. Ownership of creative works is primarily determined by three factors: the nature of the work, the relationship of the creator to the College, and the extent of institutional resources used.

Generally, creators retain the copyright for "Individually Supported" and "Scholarly Works," while the universities and colleges retain rights to "Works for Hire" and projects resulting from specific grants or contracts. The type of work is defined by the level of employer resources used in the creation of the work, with creators retaining ownership of nominal or incidental use works.

Students’ own work produced on their initiative or with only nominal use of resources. CEI retains rights to student work that is commissioned, within the scope of employment, or created with substantial use of college resources.

Copyright Compliance and Fair Use

Faculty are responsible for ensuring that all instructional materials used in their courses comply with U.S. Copyright law, including the principles of Fair Use. Faculty must:

• Adhere to the limitations of institutional library licenses.
• Obtain permission or use legally licensed materials when appropriate.
• Consult the Library or leadership for guidance on complex Fair Use questions.

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

Link to Online Learning Handbook

Policy Category: Faculty Handbook
Approved: 11/11/2025

The College requires all third-party programs to be vetted by IT. The Technology Request Form begins the vetting process can be found below the list of approved applications on in the Enterprise Project Management Office Technology Request page of my.cei.edu here. Please also consider software due dates and procedures outlined in Procedure 918. IT's list of already-vetted technologies is at the top of the page. Please check the list to make sure the technology you are requesting has not already been vetted, or that there is not a similar technology that could perform the same functions. This is essential for the college’s budgets.

The College relies heavily on all employees utilizing the calendar and email functions to keep the institution running smoothly. Please keep your calendar updated and check your email often.

All faculty are required to use the College’s LMS, Canvas, as well as the syllabus template therein, Concourse. The syllabus must contain a calendar with assignment due dates. Work with your Department Chair or the Online Learning department if you have questions regarding Concourse syllabi or Canvas.