Faculty Handbook | Northland Community & Technical College

Faculty Handbook

Developed: 11.22.16

Updated: May 2023

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Table of Contents 
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 
Non-Discrimination Statement ..................................................................................................................... 4 
FACULTY RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................................................... 6 
TEACHING CLASSES AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS .................................................................................. 7 
Academic Honesty .................................................................................................................................... 7 
Adopting Textbooks .................................................................................................................................. 7 
Class Attendance ....................................................................................................................................... 8 
Class Rosters / No Shows / Withdrawals .................................................................................................. 9 
Classroom Procedures / Day-to-day Operations .................................................................................... 11 
Classroom Assignment / Meeting Times ............................................................................................ 11 
Hybrid Courses .................................................................................................................................... 11 
First Day of Class ................................................................................................................................. 11 
Code of Conduct.................................................................................................................................. 11 
Early Alert Process .............................................................................................................................. 12 
Student Evaluation of Courses ............................................................................................................ 12 
Confidentiality ..................................................................................................................................... 12 
Closed Captioning ................................................................................................................................... 13 
Common Course Outline ......................................................................................................................... 14 
Course Syllabus ....................................................................................................................................... 14 
Final Exams .............................................................................................................................................. 16 
Grading .................................................................................................................................................... 16 
Academic Grading Scale ...................................................................................................................... 16 
FN/FW /F/W/Dropped/Withdrawal/60%R2T4/80% – what does it all mean?! ................................. 18 
Grade of "Incomplete" ........................................................................................................................ 19 
Submission of Final Grades ................................................................................................................. 19 
Grade Changes .................................................................................................................................... 21 
Grade Appeals ..................................................................................................................................... 21 
Grade Books ........................................................................................................................................ 21 
Instruction ............................................................................................................................................... 22 
Office Hours ............................................................................................................................................ 22 
SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ................................................................ 23 
Committees ............................................................................................................................................. 23 

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Faculty Union (MSCF) .............................................................................................................................. 23 
Professional Development Funds ........................................................................................................... 23 
Professional Development Plan .............................................................................................................. 23 
EMPLOYEE RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 24 
Absence ................................................................................................................................................... 24 
Business Cards & Name tags ................................................................................................................... 24 
Cost Center Code .................................................................................................................................... 24 
Expense Reimbursement ........................................................................................................................ 25 
Faculty Workload Management ............................................................................................................. 25 
Important Dates ...................................................................................................................................... 25 
Incident Reports ...................................................................................................................................... 26 
Requesting approval for travel or reassignment .................................................................................... 26 
Supplies and Equipment ......................................................................................................................... 27 
Viewing Your Budget ............................................................................................................................... 27 
STUDENT SERVICES ..................................................................................................................................... 28 
Academic Success Center ........................................................................................................................ 28 
Counseling Services ................................................................................................................................. 28 
Students with Disabilities ........................................................................................................................ 28 
COLLEGE POLICIES AND SERVICES .............................................................................................................. 29 
Campus Safety & Security ....................................................................................................................... 29 
Safety and Annual Employee Trainings ............................................................................................... 29 
Campus Security .................................................................................................................................. 29 
Lockdown ............................................................................................................................................ 29 
Children on Campus ................................................................................................................................ 30 
Emergency Closing/Cancellation Information ........................................................................................ 30 
Campus Closing due to Weather or Other Emergency ....................................................................... 30 
Notification of Cancellation or Closing ............................................................................................... 30 
Information Technology - Employee Technology Reference Guide ....................................................... 30 
Technology Services .................................................................................................................................... 30 
Contact Information - Full Directory Online ............................................................................................... 36 
Library ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 
Personal Property on Campus ................................................................................................................ 37 
Star Alert ................................................................................................................................................. 37 
Smoking ................................................................................................................................................... 38 

Use of College Property .......................................................................................................................... 38

Introduction

This NCTC Faculty Handbook was created to provide answers to commonly asked questions and issues

faced by faculty. In addition to providing information about selected college policies and procedures,

this handbook also provides a brief overview of some of the usual expectations of faculty (i.e., how and

where to submit grades, etc.).

College Mission Statement

Northland transforms the lives of students and our communities through a welcoming, supportive, and

integrated learning environment.

College Vision Statement

Northland will be the premier choice for providing exceptional education that transforms lives and

strengthens the communities we serve.

Information published in this handbook was current as of March 2023. Please be aware that college

policies and processes are subject to change. Check the college web site for the most current information

related to college policy and organization.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Northland Community and Technical College is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in

employment and education opportunity. No person shall be discriminated against in the terms and

conditions of employment, personnel practices, or access to and participation in, programs, services,

and activities with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital

status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or

membership or activity in a local commission as defined by law.

This document is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities, consumers with hearing

or speech disabilities may contact us via their preferred Telecommunications Relay Service.

Complaints should be directed to:

Michelle Benitt, Interim Director of Human Resources

Room 461D, TRF or Room 126, EGF (218) 683-8632

Michelle.benitt@northlandcollege.edu

If you require an accommodation for disability, please contact:

Employees:

Michelle Benitt, Interim Director of Human Resources

Room 461D, TRF or Room 126, EGF (218) 683-8632

Michelle.benitt@northlandcollege.edu

Students:

Sara Johnson, Director of Academic Success Center

Room 205A, TRF or Room 580, EGF (218) 683-8560

sara.johnson@northlandcollege.edu

FACULTY RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The employment contract for faculty in the Minnesota State system who are employed at two-year

colleges is the Master Agreement Between the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of

Trustees and the Minnesota State College Faculty (MSCF). This is generally referred to as the faculty

"contract". It is negotiated every two years, with faculty being represented by MSCF. This contract

applies to all faculty, whether they are members of the MSCF union or not. Among other things, it

provides information about faculty rights and responsibilities, summarized here:

It is recognized that full-time faculty members normally average forty (40) or more hours per

week in carrying out their professional responsibilities. The reference to forty (40) hours is a

generalization intended for recognition of the many non-assignable duties that faculty members

perform. It does not establish a threshold of maximum assignable hours. It is further recognized

that a state college faculty member’s work assignment includes a number of diverse professional

responsibilities. Classroom teaching and other contacts with students form the core of the faculty

work assignment. Additionally, professional development and service to the college are the other

core components of a faculty member’s work assignment. A faculty member will plan to engage

in such activities as student advising, course evaluation, classroom preparation, the evaluation of

student performance, committee assignments, classroom research and community service as

part of the overall work assignment. Some of these activities may be completed off campus.

Faculty members, regardless of online or onsite assignment(s), are expected to meet the

professional obligations described in this article (See joint MSCF/Minnesota State letter –

Appendix B). It is also recognized that the work assignments of part-time faculty include similar

duties performed on a prorated basis. (from MSCF contract 2021-23, Article 11)

Your campus chapter of MSCF President and Grievance Representative work with members of the

college administration to ensure that the contract is enforced and interpreted fairly for everyone.

Faculty members serving those roles are good resources for any questions you have about the contract.

Current and past versions of the MSCF contract are available at https://www.mscfmn.org/contract

TEACHING CLASSES AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS

Note: Topics are presented in alphabetical order, not order of importance.

Academic Honesty

The Academic Dishonesty Policy (Policy 3072) describes academic dishonesty as

"…misconduct related to academic assignments or examinations, plagiarizing or other misconduct

directly related to the academic learning experience."

Your course syllabus should refer to the policy on academic honesty and should be reviewed with

students during the first meeting of the class. Providing students with examples of academic dishonesty

and the penalties as applied to your course is helpful. For example:

• Does a student fail the course or only the assignment if an entire paper is plagiarized?

• Is there a difference between plagiarizing a 2-page paper and a 15-page paper when it comes to

determining if a student passes or fails the course?

• What about inadvertent or minor cases of plagiarism? All instances of academic

dishonesty/integrity misconduct are to be reported to the campus Academic Administrator via a

group link ticket.

Adopting Textbooks

Course materials are an essential part of any course that you teach. The textbook and other materials

you choose may be one of the primary ways that your students will interact with the course resources

outside of your class. You will want to ensure that the material you choose covers your course

objectives. Once you have identified your textbook you will need to utilize the following process to

adopt your textbooks each semester:

• This process must be completed each semester, even if you do not use a textbook or if you are

using the same textbook from the previous semester.

• If you are not using any textbooks or bookstore sourced materials, please submit a “No Text

Required” Adoption.

• To make the adoptions process as easy as possible, there are multiple options available to

submit your adoptions.

o Online- As you may have done in the past, access the NCTC Bookstore's website at

http://bookstore.northlandcollege.edu, select the Faculty Textbook Adoptions tab,

select the icon for the campus you are adopting for, and either use your previously

created login credentials or register for new users.

o Via Email- If you prefer, you may submit your adoption via email at

adoptions@northlandcollege.edu. Please note that it is critical for you to indicate the

campus (TRF, EGF, or Distance) to ensure the bookstore knows what your intention is

regarding your class. Also, to expedite your adoption, please indicate the specific

author, title, and ISBNs for textbooks you wish to utilize.

• Please indicate if you have any supplies or kits required for your course. If you have student

manuals that need to be copied for the semester, please check them for copyright compliance

before submitting them.

• Feel free to contact Bookstore Course Materials Buyer, Amber Carlson with any questions. She

can be reached through the adoptions email or through her email at

amber.carlson@minneapolis.edu. You can also call her at (612) 659-6858.

• Faculty can also choose Open Educational Resources (OER). If you chose to use OER for your

course, please contact your division chair so the appropriate note can be added to the course

schedule. Additionally, you need to complete the “No Text Required” adoption for the

bookstore.

• Faculty have the right to select the textbooks and educational materials required for their

courses. However, please do not use late edition textbooks unless the Bookstore Course

Materials Buyer has confirmed they can be provided through the bookstore. While it is

tempting to send students to Amazon, Half.com, or other sites to buy these editions (often at a

reduced price), students who depend on financial aid or who do not have credit cards are at a

disadvantage, sometimes delaying purchasing texts until they receive their financial aid overage.

• Federal Textbook legislation requires that students know at the time of registration the full cost

of the course, including all required textbooks and materials. Therefore, sourcing your texts and

materials through the bookstore ensures compliance with this legislation.

• Students can charge against their account regardless of financial aid. Northland permits every

registered student to charge their books; most schools do not allow open charging. We do this

to promote equal access to required textbooks and materials.

• Regarding required versus recommended textbooks and materials: only those materials that you

have indicated as required can be charged to a student’s account. If materials are indicated as

recommended, the student must purchase using own funds.

• For Online College in the High School (OCHS) textbook adoption, please contact the Bookstore

Course Materials Buyer.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend class(es). You may determine your own attendance policy and how it

will affect grades, but state it in your syllabus and communicate it at the first-class meeting. Keep

attendance records (this is also crucial for Last Date of Attendance (LDA) reporting) and if a student's

attendance is poor, send an "Early Alert" form (form available from the Student Services Department) to

alert the student and others to the problem even if you do not make attendance a factor in grading.

Whether or not to have a class attendance policy is up to the individual instructor but, if attendance has

a bearing on the final grade, attendance should be regularly taken and the policy/ grading standard for

attendance must be provided as part of the syllabus. A policy for make-up exams should also be

announced at the beginning of the course (or ideally be included in the syllabus.) It is also beneficial if

you familiarize yourself with the Leave Policy.

Class Rosters / No Shows / Withdrawals

A class roster lists all of the students who have registered for a course. Class rosters are available online

at any time throughout the semester (see login instructions below). Instructors are expected to review

the rosters for accuracy, to report NO SHOWS, to contact the Registrar's office to make any other

necessary changes, and to submit final grades. This page includes information about the following

topics.

1. Go to www.northlandcollege.edu

2. Click on Employees and go to eServices link from homepage.

3. Sign in.

4. Enter your StarID.

5. Enter your password.

6. Once logged in, click on Faculty dropdown on the left hand side of the page.

7. Once logged in, click on Class Management on the left hand side of the page.

8. Then click on Class List.

First-Day Attendance Rosters

The first-day attendance roster is available in eServices under class list. The instructor should call roll

from this roster and any students not appearing on the roster should be reminded to register for the

class (unless it is full). It is important that accurate attendance be taken, especially for the first five days

of the semester, as all NO SHOW students must be correctly reported in eServices after the fifth day has

passed. (The Registrar’s Office will follow-up with directions on this each semester.)

Class Adds and Drops

During the first five days of a semester, the class rosters are not official. During this time period,

students can add and drop classes without penalty (without it being recorded on their permanent

record). Students must secure instructor permission to add a course that has no open seats

remaining. Instructors can, at their discretion and space permitting, allow up to two students into the

class beyond the published course capacity. Courses dropped after the first 5 days and before the 60%

point of the semester will be recorded on the transcript as a "Withdrawal" (see the "Withdrawal from a

Class" section for further information). Courses cannot be dropped after the 80% point of the semester.

Fifth Day Attendance Roster

Official class rosters can be printed by the instructor if desired or viewed online through eServices. The

roster is to be verified for student attendance. Attendance in an online course may include a simple

assignment. Examples include posting a self-introduction or completion of an orientation quiz during

the first 4 days of the course. Only students who have not attended a class session or participated in the

course as directed during the first 5 days of the course are entered as a NO SHOW in eServices. Any

student(s) present in class who are not on this roster should be sent to the Registrar's office to

Validation of this roster with any NO SHOWS to the Registrar's Office is particularly important for

determining financial aid awards. The 5

Day Attendance Roster MUST be accurate!

Official Class Roster

Faculty can access their class roster through eServices. This list will reflect those students who are

officially enrolled in the course. Students who are not on this list may not attend class per college

policy.

Current class lists (Official Roster) can be found at any time on the Web. Logging into this site requires

your StarID and password. From this site, faculty members can access class lists, enter Last Date of

Attendance Information, and enter Final Grades. This site can be accessed from the Northland College

Employee homepage (go down to Academics section) or by using the following links:

• Faculty Web Services for Registration (EGF)

• Faculty Web Services for Registration (TRF)

Last Date of Attendance Reporting

At the 60% point of the semester, faculty are notified via email to post the Last Date of Attendance for

students that are no longer attending class. The Last Date of Attendance should be entered for any

student that has not attended class from the midterm date through this 60% point of the

semester. Faculty are asked to enter the Last Date of Attendance on the ISRS Grade Entry screen (ISRS

Web Services).

• Faculty Web Services for Registration (EGF)

• Faculty Web Services for Registration (TRF)

NOTE: This request from the Registrar is federally driven and required to be in compliance with Federal

policies governing Title IV Financial Aid regulations. At the 60% time-period of the semester, a student's

financial aid is re-calculated and adjusted accordingly based on their attendance.

Withdrawal from a Class

When a student drops a class during the first five days of a semester, it's as if the student was never

registered for the class (it does not show up on a transcript and the student is not financially liable for

the class).

After the 5

day, a student may withdraw from a class through their student eServices. A student who

withdraws from a class after the 5

day but prior to the 80% point of the semester (known on the

calendar as the Last Day to Withdraw), is financially liable for the class and the class will appear on the

official transcript. A grade of "W" will appear on the transcript for classes a student has withdrawn

from.

Final Class Roster

Faculty can access their class roster through eServices. Final grades should be reported on these rosters,

and the completed, signed rosters should be returned to the Registrar's Office. Grades for courses

should be recorded as A, B, C, D, F or I (Incomplete). Students who have stopped coming to class but

have not officially withdrawn from the course are given the grade earned (which is usually a grade of F).

Please proofread your roster carefully before you turn it in. You may want to make a copy of the roster

for your records prior to submission. Submitting the roster by the requested deadline is very important

since all grades for each campus must be reported before time-sensitive reports related to student

probation/ suspension can be processed.

Additional information about grading is included in this handbook section titled Final Grades.

Classroom Procedures / Day-to-day Operations

Classroom Assignment / Meeting Times

Class meeting times and classroom assignments are listed on the Semester Schedule. The time and

location of each class is also listed on the class roster. This information can also be found on the Web

under NCTC Class Schedules.

Unless agreed upon/ approved by the Dean, your contract runs for the entire semester. The semester

system anticipates that a 3-credit lecture class will meet 150 minutes per week for fifteen weeks PLUS

the final exam week. Class periods are typically 50 minutes in length (e.g. 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM, 12:30 PM

– 1:20 PM). It is suggested that classes begin and end promptly since often another class is scheduled in

the same room immediately following your class time.

Hybrid Courses

A hybrid course at Northland is a course which combines online and synchronous classroom delivery. To

be designated as a hybrid course the online component will constitute at least 25% and no more than

50% of the course for Liberal Arts and 75% for Career and Technical program classes. Proctored

examinations are NOT considered part of the minimum 25% synchronous classroom times. As with any

course design, the specific structure and delivery mode should promote student successes and

achievement of course learning outcomes.

Prior to initial hybrid course offering, individuals must consult with their supervisor regarding pedagogy

and how course design supports course outcomes, as well as professional development opportunities to

prepare for teaching online.

First Day of Class

The Academic Calendar provides important information including the dates for first day of class,

withdrawal dates, and final exams. The first class meeting sets the pace and tone for the semester. The

atmosphere should be friendly and caring, yet show the value of student responsibility. It is extremely

important to get a very accurate accounting of who is present and who is absent. This accounting is the

basis for the NO SHOW reporting discussed in the CLASS ROSTERS section.

Code of Conduct

All students attending Northland Community and Technical College must abide by the Student Code of

Conduct (Policy 2110). The Student Code of Conduct is published in the Student Handbook that is made

available to all students upon enrollment and again each semester. Students violating the Code of

Conduct are subject to sanctions, including being suspended. Faculty members witnessing a student

violating the Code of Conduct should report the incident immediately to the Academic Dean or the Dean

of Student Affairs.

Early Alert Process

If you have a student who is acquiring a large number of absences or who seems to be having some

other difficulties that are interfering with his or her academic performance, you may want to direct that

student to a campus counsellor. An "Early Alert Referral Form" is available from the Student Services

Department and also attached here. Please complete the form and return to the counseling or advising

department as soon as possible. The Early Alert form is located here.

Student Evaluation of Courses

Students are asked to evaluate all courses for all adjunct and non-tenured faculty each semester

(Tenured faculty have one course/semester evaluated). The results of the evaluations are shared with

you and the Academic Dean. Your assistance is requested in administering the course

evaluations. Course evaluations are currently being provided to students via online delivery using

Brightspace by D2L Learning Management System. These evaluations are typically administered at

about mid-semester in order that feedback obtained can be used to make course adjustments if

necessary.

Instructions regarding the process for administration of the Course Evaluations are provided at the

appropriate time in the semester via email.

Confidentiality

Student records are subject to the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). Before sharing

information pertaining to individual students, faculty members should review the Policy 2015- Data

Privacy. FERPA sets forth specific requirements regarding the privacy of student records, governs the

release of records maintained by an educational institution and who has access to those records.

In compliance with FERPA, the college may release information classified as "Directory Information" to

the general public without the written consent of the student. Directory Information includes:

Student Name

College Assigned Email Address

Hometown

Dates of Attendance

Enrollment Status (enrolled,

graduated, withdrawn, part-time,

full-time)

Program of Study

Honors and Awards Received

Participation in Recognized Campus

Activities/ Sports

Height and Weight of Athletic Team

Members

Photographs and Computerized or

Videotaped Images

Directory Information is public data unless the student has filed a request that any of the data be

treated as private. This request must be on file with the Registrar's office and must be completed

annually.

No transcript of academic record is released without written consent from the student, except as

specified by law. No one outside of the college may obtain data regarding a student's performance or

attendance unless the student provides authorization in writing. (This means that grades cannot be

discussed with parents and/or significant others unless authorization is on file in the Registrar’s office!)

You are trusted to keep in confidence sensitive personal information, as well as reports and

correspondence which are not for general circulation. Do not have conversations about private student

or personnel matters on cellular phones in hallways, restaurants or other places where you are likely to

be overheard. Information should not be shared with anyone (including other faculty members) unless

there is a bona fide need to know. Questions concerning the confidentiality of any information or if the

person requesting information really has a "need to know", should be directed to your supervisor or the

Dean of Student Services.

Closed Captioning

Federal Law requires the closed captioning of videos used in educational courses. The following

information is an excerpt from the Minnesota State information on closed captioning. Click here for the

complete packet of information.

Q1: I know that the law requires us to make a reasonable accommodation when requested by a

qualified individual. What is the difference between a reasonable accommodation and accessible

design?

The difference between a reasonable accommodation and accessible design centers on when accessible

content must be provided. The reasonable accommodation paradigm requires the student to self-

identify as a person with a disability and to request the accommodation. The U.S. Dept. of Education

takes the position that accessible design requires educational institutions to provide accessible content

for all users without regard to whether any user is identified as having a disability or requests an

accommodation.

Accommodation is the backup plan when accessible design is inadequate for a particular student.

Accommodation remedies are usually more expensive and time-consuming than creating accessible

course content.

Q2: I don't have any students with disabilities in my courses. Am I still required to provide closed

captioning of course videos?

Yes. The requirement of accessible design applies to the technology used in the course, not the

individuals who will use the technology. Closed captioning of course videos assists viewers who access

course videos in rooms with poor acoustics, viewers who a learning English as a second language, and

viewers with audio processing disabilities. Studies show that learners process information more

effectively if it is presented in more than one sensory mode.

If you have an educational video that needs to be closed captioned, please contact:

Chris Fossum

Northland Academic Success Center

Chris.fossum@northlandcollege.edu

218-683-8564

*Please note Northland has prioritized any new or frequently used videos to be captioned. Faculty can

close caption their own videos. For more information on how to do this, please contact your campus

faculty development coordinator or Chris Fossum.

Common Course Outline

The Common Course Outline is the document approved by the College's Academic Affairs and Standards

Council and includes the:

• course title

• course description

• prerequisites

• total credits

• lecture/lab breakdown

• student learner outcomes

The common course outline is an official college document and cannot be changed by a faculty member

without review by the Academic Affairs and Standards Council.

The Common Course Outline forms the basis for developing the Course Syllabus. Each faculty member

prepares their own course syllabus to provide to the students. The syllabus should include the elements

of the common course outline along with the standards for evaluation of student learning and any

additional course information.

The Syllabus and Common Course Outline Policy (Policy 3060) requires that students be given a copy of

the course syllabus on the first day of class. This can be provided either as a paper copy or

electronically. In addition to giving students a copy of the syllabus, faculty members are asked to

provide an electronic copy of the syllabus to the Academic Dean via the Brightspace D2L Dean’s Desk

Dropbox where it will be maintained in a master file.

An electronic copy of all approved Common Course Outlines can be found via the following link: NCTC

common course outlines

Search for the appropriate course using the course prefix and number (i.e. BIOL1004)

Course Syllabus

What is a Course Syllabus

• A Syllabus is a Contract

o It allows you to spell out course expectations and assignments early in the semester. As

a written document, a syllabus presents fewer ambiguities than a spoken presentation

would (and you can refer students who missed early classes to the syllabus). A carefully

planned, clearly written, comprehensive syllabus is one of the most important resources

you can provide your students. A well-designed syllabus performs many functions for

the instructor and for the student: it outlines course expectations, organizes

information, sets the tone for class interactions, and guides student learning. A carefully

constructed syllabus helps prevent misunderstandings as to course goals and objectives,

assessment and evaluation standards, grading policies, and student or faculty behavior.

• A Syllabus is a Central Reference for Students

o Students like to refer to a central document containing detailed tasks, readings, and

schedules throughout a semester to keep themselves on track.

• A Syllabus is an Effective Planning Document

o A detailed syllabus stating course learner outcomes can help instructors better plan the

most effective presentation of course content.

Creating Your Course Syllabus

It is suggested that the syllabus include, at a minimum, the following information:

• Instructor's name, email address, office phone number, and office hours

• Course title, number, and section

• Course description and learner objectives from Common Course Outline.

• Time and place of class meetings

• Required and optional texts, materials, and/or software

• Special materials, if required

• Technology Requirements

• Course Policies

• The approaches or strategies to be used in the course (will the course be delivered via lecture,

hands-on labs, outside lecturers, field trips, etc.)

• Course requirements, including specific assignments, due dates, etc. (Including a weekly

calendar is helpful for most students)

• Type and frequency of tests

• Last day to withdraw (check college calendar to find date)

• Criteria to be used in grading

• Class attendance policy (if there is one)

• The inclusion of a statement related to equity and inclusion is strongly suggested. The following

example may be copied: Northland Community & Technical College Diversity statement:

“It is an integral part of Northland Community and Technical College’s mission to acknowledge,

understand, value, and celebrate the diverse heritage, cultures, and individuals within our

learning environment and community’s. The college views diversity as an essential component

of the education experience of our students.”

• The inclusion of a statement related to disability services is mandatory. The following example

may be copied:

“Northland Community and Technical College is committed to providing equitable access to

learning opportunities for all students. The Academic Success Center (ASC) collaborates with

students who have short-term or long-term disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable

accommodations.

If you have, or think you may have, a disability please contact the ASC at 218-683-8560 (V), or

email sara.johnson@northlandcollege.edu to arrange a confidential meeting. Students must

first register a documented disability to establish an accommodation plan. Additional

information is available on the ASC website: http://www.northlandcollege.edu/support-

services/academic-success-center/disability-services/

If you are a registered student with the ASC and have a current accommodation letter, please

schedule an appointment to visit with me, during my office hours, to discuss implementation of

your accommodations.”

Final Exams

Four days are set aside for final examinations at the end of the fall and spring semesters. While you not

required to give a final examination, consider using the final exam period that has been set aside for

presentations, course evaluations, returning course papers/ projects/ etc, even if you are not giving a

final. During finals week, regular class times are not used. The final exam schedule is on the Final Exam

Schedule page. This schedule should be adhered to if possible.

• Final exams are scheduled according to the first meeting of the class during a full week of

classes.

• Classes will have their final exams in their regularly scheduled rooms unless otherwise notified.

• All one and two credit courses will have their final exams scheduled on the last regularly

scheduled class meeting before finals week.

• Any student scheduled for three or more finals in one day can petition advisors to discuss a

rescheduling of a final with an instructor.

• Exam times for classes not covered on this final exam schedule will be announced by the

instructor.

• Evening courses will give their final exam on the last regularly scheduled meeting date during

finals week.

• Finals for evening classes will begin at the same time and on the same day as the regular course.

Grading

This section includes information about assigning student grades and how those grades are then

submitted within the college grading system. The below information is taken directly from college

policy 3090-Grading.

Academic Grading Scale

The college grading system recognizes grades A, B, C, D, F; it does not recognize pluses or minuses. For

tests and assignments, faculty members may use pluses or minuses; they just cannot be entered for a

final grade. Check with other faculty in your department to determine if the department uses a

standard range for letter grades (for example, 90 – 100 = A; 80 – 89 = B; etc.) It is suggested that you

include your grading scale on your syllabus.

3090 Grading Policy

Northland Community and Technical College uses letter grades to document student academic

achievement.

Letter grades to document student academic achievement are as follows:

A = Excellent

B = Above Average

C = Average

D = Below Average

F = Failing

FN = Failure for Non Attendance

FW = Unofficial Withdraw

P = Pass

NC = No Credit

CR = Credit by Exam

AU = Audit

I = Incomplete

Z = In Progress

W = Withdraw

R = Repeat

Grade Point Average Calculation

Academic progress will be evaluated in terms of grade point average. The following system will be used

to establish a student’s grade point average and will be the only grades included in the GPA calculation:

A = 4 grade points per credit

B = 3 grade points per credit

C = 2 grade points per credit

D = 1 grade point per credit

F, FN, FW = 0 grade points per credit

A grade point average (GPA) is determined by the sum of all grade points divided by total credits

attempted, except those credits that carry grades other than the usual A - F grades.

When repeating a course, the highest grade will be used to compute the student’s GPA. Repeated

courses may not qualify for financial aid. The student may submit a request to the registrar for a GPA

recalculation.

Pass/No Credit (P/NC)

Students may enroll in select courses on a “Pass/No Credit” basis. Arrangements to take a course on this

basis must be made by the end of the fifth day of the term (check with course faculty to determine

availability of this grading option). Once a student has registered to take a course on the “P/NC” basis, a

student cannot switch back to the regular grading system. The “P/NC” registrant is obligated to

complete all course requirements.

• Student may take no more than one class per semester on a P/NC basis unless specific programs

require.

• Students who are on Academic Probation will not be allowed to register for any courses on a

P/NC basis unless specific programs require.

• No class taken initially for a letter grade may be repeated on a P/NC basis. A grade of “P”

indicates that the student did at least “C” level work in the course. The grade of “P” is not

computed in a student’s grade point average, but it is computed in earned credits.

• P/NC grades may or may not be accepted by other institutions and/or academic programs.

• Circumstances which may exempt students from all or a portion of the P/NC grading policy may

include customized training, continuing education or management education.

Auditing Courses

Students intending to audit a course (earn no credit) are required to register for the course indicating

audit. Auditing students may not need to meet regular course requirements and must confer with the

instructor as to their privileges and responsibilities in the course. A student who first registers for credit

may change to audit status any time during the first five (5) days of the semester. A student who first

enrolls for audit status may change to credit status during the first five (5) days of the semester. Courses

audited are not included in determining the total credits earned toward a major or the cumulative grade

point average. However, the credit value of any course audited is computed in the assessment of

tuition. Audited courses are not eligible for financial aid. Upon registration of the course, an entry is

made on the student’s permanent record along with other classes. "AU" equals audit.

FN/FW /F/W/Dropped/Withdrawal/60%R2T4/80% – what does it all mean?!

FN – This grade is given to students who do not attend a class during the grace period (the first five days

of the Fall, Spring, and Summer semester is the grace period). The FN will appear on their transcript and

the student is charged 100% tuition. It is very important for faculty to post the FN during the 2

week

of the semester so financial aid is not paid on ineligible credits. Financial aid will not pay loans/grants

for courses with an FN grade. However, a student could register on the last day of the drop/add grace

period and, if you use D2L, won’t have access until the day after. We encourage you to check class lists

multiple times during the first week of the term to identify those students. You can always check with

the Registrar’s Office before reporting an FN grade if you are unsure. Even though a student has an FN

on your class list, this does count as a seat in your course.

FW – This grade is given to students who you stop attending after the first week of class and you

determine it has been for a time period significant enough that the student will be unable to return to

the course. Post the FW with the last day of attendance. For example, it is March 16

but the last time

you show activity for this student was February 26

. You should post the “Partially Attended” and enter

the 2/16/2015 date. After posting an FW grade, students will lose access to D2L.

If the student shows up and wants back into the course, and you allow it, you can send an email to the

Registrar’s Office to remove the FW grade. D2L will be accessible the next day.

If the student cannot catch up in the course, and we are still within the withdraw period (80% of the

course), the student can go to the Registrar’s Office to officially change the grade to from a FW to a W.

F – This is an earned grade. The student attended the class and failed because of performance.

Dropped – use this terminology only to apply during the drop/add grace period (the first five days of the

term). With the exception of Cancellation for Non-Payment (not having fin aid on file or a down

payment), NCTC does not drop students; it is the student’s responsibility to take action by the posted

deadlines to ensure not being a student of record and owe tuition.

Withdrawal –the student can choose to take a “W” for a class by the 80% point in the semester.

However, even though a withdrawal does not affect the GPA, it does affect the completion percentage.

This could cause a student to go on warning/suspension. There is no tuition refund for withdrawing

from courses unless it is a total withdraw of all courses within the first 4 weeks of the fall or spring

semester (this could generate a partial refund). We recommend a student discuss the withdrawal with

an advisor to fully understand any consequence.

Things to consider when advising or visiting with students about withdrawing from a class:

• Effect of date- if student is not completing 60% of the semester, return of Title IV Funds need to

be calculated. For example, if the 60% date for Fall 2015 was 11/01/2015 and the student

withdrew on 10/31/15 and had received $4800 in federal aid, the possible payback could be as

much as $1968 ($4800 x .41 (41% of semester left)). Problems with this is the student may end

up in collection and if not paid off, student will not be able to enroll for classes until it is paid off.

• By not completing classes, will the student be suspended either academically or financially?

• Must deal with students on one to one basis.

• Remember it is not what you say at times, but how it is said.

• If in question, please contact the financial aid office.

60%/R2T4 - Important date regarding financial aid. If the student has F, FW or W in all classes by the

60% point into the semester, recalculation is done on their account and Title IV funds may have to be

returned. If an LDA (last date of attendance) cannot be determined, the 50% date must be used.

80% - The last day a student can withdraw from the course and have a grade of W. The exact date for

the 80% of the course is posted on each student’s schedule in eServices.

Posting of Grades

The public posting of grades by social security number (partial or full) or by their NCTC student ID

violates the students' rights to privacy. In general student grades should not be posted in a public

location such as on your office door or classroom bulletin board. Using the Gradebook feature in D2L is

one suggested method for posting student grades on exams and assignments and for keeping the

students aware of their overall course grade.

Grade of "Incomplete"

It is possible to assign a grade of Incomplete ("I") under certain narrowly-defined circumstances. The

following is the college policy on incompletes:

Students may request of the instructor that they be assigned a grade of incomplete (I). A grade of "I"

may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor in exceptional circumstances and is a temporary

grade. It is to be given only to students who cannot complete the coursework on schedule because of

illness or other circumstances beyond their control. An incomplete grade will automatically become an

"F" grade at the end of the next semester if requirements have not been satisfactorily met. Instructors

have the option of setting an earlier completion date. NCTC Policy 3090 Grading Policy is located at:

Policy 3090 Grading

The form for requesting a grade of Incomplete can be found at:

Incomplete Form

Submission of Final Grades

Northland College Email: The official means of communication is Northland College email via Outlook,

with many committees using Teams, an officially recognized Microsoft product of Office 365 for various

committee work, document sharing, and discussions. All information is sent to faculty using the

firstname.lastname@northlandcollege.edu account. Please check your email for messages from the

college.

Drop Dates:

• Courses that begin on the first day of the term can be dropped through the fifth day of the term

at no charge, to the student that drops within this timeframe.

• Any course beginning after the first day of the term, students have one day to drop.

Withdraw Dates:

• The last day for a student to withdraw from a class is at the 80% point of the course (the date

will vary depending upon the start and end dates of the course).

• The last day for a student to withdraw from all classes and receive 75% refund of tuition is

through the tenth class day.

• The last day for a student to withdraw from all classes and receive 50% refund of tuition is

through the fifteenth class day.

• The last day for a student to withdraw from all classes and receive a 25% refund of tuition is

through the twentieth class day.

Desire2Learn (D2L Brightspace): For questions and assistance with D2L, go to the D2L website for help.

Grade Entry: All grades are due at 10:00pm, the final faculty workday of the term.

You are able to enter a No Show grade after the 5

day of the term. You are able to enter a Last Date of

Attendance at any time after the first week of the semester. The grading window will open for you to

enter final grades 5 days prior to the end date of the course (as listed on the term schedule). Once

grades have posted, a grade change form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office to be updated.

You are not able to change a posted grade.

The steps to enter a grade is:

1) Go to Northland website (www.northlandcollege.edu) and click on eServices. You can access

eServices multiple ways (in the upper right-hand corner of the front page of the website, click on

“MyNCTC” and then on “eServices.” Or click on “Employees” on the front page of the website

and scroll down to “Faculty Web Services for Registration.”) Login using your StarID.

2) Click on the campus you want and the semester needed.

3) On the left-hand menu, click on “Class Management” and then on “Grade and

1. LDA Entry.” Or, on the right-hand side of the page, click on “Grade Entry.”

4) Choose the course you need to access and click “Go.” (If you mistakenly click on the class title

instead of the “Go” button, click on “View or Enter Grades” and it will bring you back to the

grading page.)

5) Click on “View/Enter Grades”

6) By clicking on the box next to the student, you can enter a grade for that specific student or you

can choose “Select All” and enter grades for any/all students. Please note: This is very

Important:

“Attended” Button – use this when entering final grades. You can enter the grade for each student by

choosing the grade in the drop-down field. If you are entering an “F” grade, it will ask you for a last

date of attendance. If the student completed the course but earned an “F,” enter the last date of the

course as the last date of attendance.

“Partially Attended” Button – use this when entering an LDA only. If a student stopped attending prior

to the last day of the term, enter the last date you can verify the student attended (date of a test, date

of an assignment was submitted, etc).

“Never Attended” Button – use this when entering a “No Show” only. This is used only for entering

information on any student that did not attend during the first week of the class and should have been

reported no later than the end of the second week of the term.

7) Click on “Save Draft.” You can print a PDF of the document if you want a copy. A copy does not

have to be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

8) Enter your password and click on “Post Final Grades.” This will post the grade to the system.

You must enter your password to finalize the process.

The registrar sends faculty members information about the final grade submission process near the end

of each semester. Grades for the semester have specific due dates that are included with this

information.

Grades are to be entered directly to the Web. Remember to print a copy for your files as you will not be

able to access the grade screen once you have submitted the grades. Do not give an "Incomplete"

grade without submitting the appropriate form to the Registrar's office.

Grade Changes

On those rare occasions when a grade must be changed (e.g. changing a grade of "I" to the letter grade

earned), the instructor must complete a Grade Change form that can be found at

http://www.northlandcollege.edu/students/student-forms/.

Grade Appeals

The Grade Appeals Policy (Policy 3430) provides further information related to how a student files a

grade appeal.

http://www.northlandcollege.edu/about/policies/_docs/3430.pdf

Grade Books

Faculty are expected to keep a written record of how students are progressing through a course.

If you want to use a computer based program, you have several choices. You may use the gradebook

feature within the online course delivery system (D2L Brightspace). It already has your student's names

listed and can securely store this information. The gradebook within D2L is part of a secure system that

is backed up regularly at the state level. Another option is to create an electronic gradebook using an

Excel spreadsheet or one of the many gradebook programs that are available commercially.

Instructor grade books need to be kept for five years, if you separate from Northland, please give your

grade book files to the Registrar’s office.

Instruction

Each instructor is responsible for management of their course(s.) This includes course preparation prior

to the start of the class, day-to-day class management, and submitting grades for academic transcripts.

Course preparation includes developing a syllabus, selecting texts and references; developing course

management items: Grading process, evaluation tools, daily schedule, course content; developing

course delivery materials like power point presentations and handouts; and preparing web-based course

management systems.

The day-to-day management of the course includes, but is not limited to, ongoing communication, and

review of course expectations with students, presenting course content, managing the course time line,

adjusting presentations as needed, correcting and returning assignments in a timely manner,

encouraging students to seek tutor assistance if needed, and keeping students’ advisors apprised of

student difficulties/issues. Instructors are responsible for checking email daily except for weekends and

Holidays.

Office Hours

Regardless of your teaching assignment (online, face-to-face, or hybrid), all faculty are expected to keep

office hours. Office hours are a valuable way for students to reach out to you with questions or issues

they may be having.

Please view the MSCF contract for specific details related to the amount of hours each faculty must post

and maintain each week.

SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Committees

Faculty are expected to participate in college committee work in addition to regular teaching duties.

There are several standing committees like the Academic Affairs and Standards Council and the Shared

Governance Council, but there are also work groups, task forces, hiring committees, and other types of

groups that fall into the broad category of committee work. The faculty president (MSCF chapter

president) appoints faculty members to committees, since participation by faculty in committees is

representing the faculty as a whole. The faculty president keeps track of who is on which committees,

which committees need more members, etc., so contact them for information about the committees

themselves or about your participation in them.

Faculty Union (MSCF)

Faculty at Northland Community & Technical College are represented by the Minnesota State College

Faculty (MSCF) union (http://www.mscfmn.org/). Each campus has a chapter president and various

elected officers. You will be contacted by the Membership chair upon hire and provided with detailed

information about benefits of membership, union dues, etc.

Professional Development Funds

Faculty are expected to continue their own education by exploring advancements in their field, going to

conferences or workshops, maintaining memberships in associations of their field, etc. Funds are

available for professional development activities, such as reimbursement for travel to conferences,

conference registration, purchasing books or equipment needed, and so on. The local chapter of MSCF

(faculty union) has a professional development coordinator who distributes these funds. If you are

unsure of the name of the professional development coordinator on your campus contact the faculty

president who will be able to assist you.

Professional Development Plan

Faculty are expected to write and maintain an annual professional development plan. Your Academic

Supervisor or the Chief Academic Officer will email out notifications for how to do this and when it is to

be done.

The college supports two Faculty Development Coordinators that can assist you with your plan. In East

Grand Forks, the coordinator is Angie Brekken 218-793-2484. In Thief River Falls, the coordinator is

Caleb Curfman 218-793-2621.

EMPLOYEE RESOURCES

Absence

When absent from a contract day(s), faculty need to communicate that absence to their supervising

Dean. This includes duty days (administrative directed in-service, work days) classroom instruction days,

clinical days, etc.

In the event of an absence, faculty are expected to communicate the absence prior to the absence.

The notification can occur via one of the following methods:

• Email

• Phone (a voice message is acceptable).

In the event of illness or unforeseen emergencies the faculty member shall communicate the absence as

soon as possible (preferably within 48 hours of the absence).

Prior to the absence, the faculty member needs to complete an online leave request (the eTimesheet

link can be found on the employee central page, as well as: eTimesheet)

In case of illness or unforeseen emergencies, the faculty member shall complete the online leave

request upon return from the absence. This form should be submitted within one week of the absence.

If you must miss a class on short notice because of illness or emergency, notify the switchboard or

receptionist who will post a notice for the students and will post a class cancellation notice on the

college web site.

Business Cards & Name tags

Employees can order their own business cards from Printing Plus! of Thief River Falls. Simply complete

and e-mail the form below to Printing Plus! to receive a proof. Once you've approved the proof Printing

Plus! will mail your business cards along with the invoice directly to you.

You can contact Printing Plus! to pay for your business cards using a credit card. If you want to pay with

a purchase order, please remember that your purchase order will need to be processed to encumber

the funds prior to the purchase to avoid a 16A violation.

Business Card Order Form

To order a name tag, complete and e-mail the form below to Michelle Benitt

(michelle.benitt@northlandcollege.edu) the cost is $15.00.

Name Tag Order Form

Cost Center Code

Each college department and program is assigned a cost center code for budgeting and purchasing. This

code is used to:

• send mail (code is written on the envelope near the return address)

• charge supplies in the bookstore (code is given to the bookstore staff)

• order equipment/ supplies from an outside vendor (code is entered on the purchase order)

• Cost centers should be reviewed each semester and used to determine the budgetary needs of

your department.

Your supervisor will provide you with the appropriate cost center(s) for your use. Your Division Chair

also gets a copy of the cost centers and is a support person for you.

Expense Reimbursement

The employee expense report is used to obtain reimbursement for expenses while traveling or training

on approved travel. Expenses may include mileage (if appropriate), lodging, meals, and miscellaneous

expenses as described in your collective bargaining agreement. Original receipts are required for

expenses. Receipts are to be attached to the expense form and signed by both the employee and

supervisor. Copies of approved travel requests (including Conference Agendas) must be attached to the

expense form when submitted for reimbursement. The employee and/or supervisor must indicate the

cost center to which the expenses are to be charged. All information regarding expense reimbursement

(links to policy and procedure, forms, reimbursement deadlines, etc.) are found on Northland’s

Employee webpage via Employee Forms. Contact the Payroll Department for more information.

Faculty Support

Limited faculty support is available for assistance with various office duties. There are faculty support

personnel on each campus who can assist you with some of these duties.

Faculty Workload Management

To access information about work assignments and salary, go to the Minnesota State Faculty Workload

Management page. This can be found through this direct link:

https://eservices.minnstate.edu/fwm/secure/main/

Or to find it through the NCTC website do the following:

• Go to Employees

• Then eTimesheet

• Sign in with Star ID and password

• This defaults to the page for leave requests, so click Home in the top banner of the page

• Then go to FWM – Faculty Workload Management

For help understanding the details of the Faculty Workload Management page, talk to Human Resources

and/or your MSCF Grievance Representative.

Important Dates

Calendars

There are several calendars/schedules of which the instructor should be aware of and will find helpful.

Master Calendar

The Master Calendar is designed yearly by the faculty, staff, and

administration of the college. It is the template for scheduling beginning

and end of semesters, days on, days off, faculty & staff meeting days, etc.

You may access the Master Calendar by clicking on the current year’s

calendar below the “Academic Master Calendar” heading on NCTC

Employees webpage: http://www.northlandcollege.edu/employees/

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar is created by the Registrar’s Office. It determines

the dates for advising, registration, grade submission, drop/add periods,

etc. It includes tuition payment due dates, final exam week information,

and other valuable information. You may access the current Academic

Calendar by clicking on the “Academic Calendar” heading on NCTC

Employees webpage, or just follow this link:

http://www.northlandcollege.edu/academics/calendar/

Course Schedules

Each department decides what courses will be offered during each

semester. This decision is made several months before the semester

begins. The scheduled hours for the course, the faculty instructing the

course, and the room that will be used is tentatively decided. The schedule

is submitted for final approval and placement on Web Registration and in

printed registration materials provided by the college to the public.

Course Schedule

Incident Reports

The State of Minnesota requires that any incident that happens on campus or off campus that could

result in litigation against the State of Minnesota or any of its employees or agents be reported. The

incident report should be filled out immediately or as soon as possible after the incident occurs and

turned in to the Business Office on either campus. The report should be filled out by the person(s)

witnessing the event or the person to whom it was first reported.

Incident Report

Requesting approval for travel or reassignment

• Advanced written approval for in-state travel must be obtained prior to the travel date.

Northland utilizes an online approval process for travel requests. Travel-In State documentation

is not required for inter-campus travel.

• Verbal approval may be obtained in emergency situations.

• All Out-of-State travel requires advanced written approval by the President. Northland utilizes

an online approval process for travel-out of state requests. (Must attach Conference Agenda to

Out-of-State Travel requests to assist in approval decision.) Travel to Grand Forks or Fargo does

not require Out-of-State approval; In-State travel request can be used.

• All requests for travel require attachment of Conference Agenda.

• In-state travel request formOut-of-state travel request form

Supplies and Equipment

General office supplies, such as pens, notepads, stapler, etc. can be obtained from either campus

bookstore. You may not order supplies directly from a store or vendor without following NCTC

purchasing guidelines. Assistance with purchasing supplies/ equipment can be obtained from the

faculty support personnel on each campus.

Viewing Your Budget

You can view your program's current budget in the accounting on the web system. You can access this

via the employee web page or the following link: Accounting on the Web .You log into this utilizing your

StarID and password, once into the system you can enter your programs cost center(s) to view your

current budget balance.

STUDENT SERVICES

Academic Success Center

The Academic Success Center (ASC), formerly known as Learning Services, offers free professional and

peer tutoring as well as disability services for every student. The ASC has quiet testing space for students

with accommodation plans registered with a documented disability. The ASC is committed to providing

equitable access across campus and online.

• East Grand Forks, Rm. 580D: (218) 793-2382

• Thief River Falls, Rm. 205: (218) 683-8560

Counseling Services

Licensed counselors are available on each campus to assist students with career, academic, and personal

concerns. Faculty should always refer students to the appropriate college personnel for assistance in

these areas. Counseling and advising students are not within the professional scope of faculty duties.

Students with Disabilities

Northland Community and Technical College, in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)

and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), provides reasonable accommodations to qualified

students with disabilities. According to the Students with Disabilities Policy (Policy 2035), students with

disabilities must register in the ASC prior to receiving accommodations.

If a student requests any type of accommodation (i.e. extended test time, test reader, note taker,

alternate test format, testing out of the room), they should immediately be referred to the Academic

Success Center. The ASC works with students to develop appropriate accommodation plan based on

documentation. Once a student has been provided an accommodation plan, it is the student's

responsibility to provide the information to each faculty member.

In order to receive accommodations, the student must present their instructors with a letter from the

Academic Success Center that describes the accommodations that are to be provided for that particular

student. Students requesting accommodations from an instructor without this letter need to be

referred to the Academic Success Center to begin the intake for requesting accommodations. See the

Director of Student Success for additional information.

COLLEGE POLICIES AND SERVICES

Campus Safety & Security

Safety and Annual Employee Trainings

It is the goal of Northland Community and Technical College to provide the employees and students with

a safe and healthy work environment. Contact the college's Safety Officer for concerns about physical

hazards, electrical hazards, fires and explosions, means of exit from buildings and use of Personal

Protective Equipment (PPE). Northland Community and Technical College also has a Safety Committee

on each campus with a purpose to promote awareness of safety on campus.

All employees have mandatory online safety trainings they must complete upon hire and annually

thereafter. Your supervisor will initially inform you of what trainings you must complete and you will

then receive monthly email reminders when you have trainings due.

Campus Safety & Security website

Campus Security

Northland Community and Technical College has made every effort to provide a safe and secure work

and learning environment by illuminating its parking lots at night. When you leave the building in the

evening, for your personal safety, we recommend you walk to your car in pairs or in a group. If no one

else is available, you may ask the on-duty building attendants to escort you. Building attendants are

available on each campus Monday through Thursday evenings when classes are in session from 5:00

p.m. – 10:00 p.m. in TRF and 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm in EGF.

The telephone number for the building attendants is as follows: East Grand Forks218-791-0469

Thief River Falls218-684-5915 and 218-684-5916

Lockdown

Any employee may initiate a lockdown if they observe an individual displaying a weapon, threatening an

individual with death or serious injury, or if individuals within the building are in danger (i.e. someone

enters the building pointing a rifle at individuals or someone enters the building and takes individuals

hostage). All employees may initiate a lockdown by accessing the public address system and announcing

the lockdown. After making the announcement, the employee is to call law enforcement via 911 or 6-

911 to inform them of the building status and request assistance. Law Enforcement may remain on the

line to ascertain details regarding the incident.

Employees are to follow “lockdown” procedures as soon as announced.

Lockdown Procedures:

1) Direct all individuals into the nearest rooms. If possible, check bathrooms and hallways for

individuals who may need assistance.

2) Close and Lock doors. Once the door is locked, do not allow individuals to leave or open the

door.

3) Pull shades on windows and move away from windows.

4) Crouch down behind furniture, out of sight.

5) Silence cell phones and other electronic devices.

6) Do not leave your locked room until the “All Clear” message has been made on the public

address system, unless told to do so by law enforcement.

Children on Campus

Children are welcome on campus for appropriate events and must be supervised. The following is an

excerpt from Children on Campus (policy 1075): Due to disruption and possible risk of harm, employees

and students may not provide care for children or have another person provide care for children on the

College campus. Employees and students may not bring children to scheduled work assignments, class,

computer labs, or the library.

Emergency Closing/Cancellation Information

Campus Closing due to Weather or Other Emergency

Emergency Closing/Cancellations Procedure

The authority to close the college campus when weather or other emergency exists resides with the

president or the president's designee. The closure of state agencies by the Commissioner of the

Department of Employee Relations does not apply to Minnesota State institutions.

When a college closing is declared, all employees except weather essential employees are excused from

work with pay. A college closure applies to all employees, without regard to labor contracts. However,

the essential emergency employees who are not excused from work will be paid at their regular rate of

pay. A declaration of a college closure will clearly identify the time frame when employees are excused

from work. Employees are instructed to listen to radio and television stations when storms or

emergency situations might carry over from one day into two or more days.

Notification of Cancellation or Closing

The president or designee will notify radio and television stations of events such as a campus closure.

The message given to these stations will indicate whether it is a cancellation or closure. Additionally, a

message will be sent out via Star Alert (see more information below). Employees then must follow the

state policies regarding cancellation or closure. Whenever possible, decisions to cancel day classes will

be made by approximately 6:00 a.m., and decisions to cancel night classes or activities will be made by 3

p.m. In certain emergencies, an effort will be made to announce closures or cancellations prior to the 10

p.m. television newscasts.

Information Technology - Employee Technology Reference Guide

Technology Services

Information Technology: How To

StarID

StarID is a username that replaces many login IDs with one

ID, one password, everywhere. Once activated, you can use

Information Technology: How To

the same StarID across Minnesota State to log into many

services like the ones below.

StarID is used to log into:

E-Services E-mail

Campus Computers Wireless

Printers (D2L) Brightspace

Change your password in one place @ starid.minnstate.edu

and it changes everywhere!

***Note! You must activate your star ID before you can

begin using it! Activate Your StarID:

1. Go to: The college homepage www.northlandcollege.edu

2. Click on the “Employees” link.

3. Under “Frequently Visited” click Activate Your StarID!

Campus Internet

Wireless Internet is available on all campuses.

Connecting to Wireless:

1. Select NCTC from your list of available networks.

2. Click Connect.

3. When prompted, log in with your StarID and password.

4. Click connect.

Employee Central

How do I get there?

1. Go to the college homepage at:

http://www.northlandcollege.edu

2. Click on the Employees Link on the top of the page.

Here you will find…

-Vehicle and Room Scheduler -E-services

-E-Timesheet Sign-in -Forms

-Star Alert System -Grouplink Helpdesk

And Much, Much, More!

Multifactor Authentication

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is a method of

authentication that requires the use of more than one

verification method and adds a second layer of security to

user sign-in and transactions. It works by requiring one of

the following verification methods:

• Random generated pass code or use of an authenticator

app

• A phone call and press of the # key needed to

verify***Texting rates may apply***

How do I get set up for MFA?

From Employee Central click on Technology and then MFA

and follow the instructions to setup and activate Multifactor

Authentication for yourself.

Tools for Remote Work

How do I get there?

1. Go to the college homepage at:

http://www.northlandcollege.edu

2. Click on the Employees Link on the top of the page.

3. Scroll down to the Technology Services section.

4. Click on the Employee Resources for Working

Remotely link.

Employee Home

Employee Home can be found in Employee Central under

Information Technology: How To

the Frequently Visited section.

Here you will find: -eTimesheet -Tuition Waiver-

Faculty (FWM) -Student Timesheet

1. When prompted, log in with your StarID and password.

2. Click connect.

Logging into College Network

Username= StarID

Password= Your StarID password

Accessing your Network User Folder

All NCTC employees have a personal network folder. Save

important files to the network. Files saved to the network

will be backed up. Files saved to your computer will be your

responsibility to back up.

How to Save to the Network:

1. From within the program, save as you normally would.

2. When prompted “where” to save, select drive letter (P).

This is your personal folder.

Note! The N-drive is a shared drive available to employees

fromall campuses to access shared files.

Microsoft One Drive

Microsoft OneDrive offers a simple and secure way to store,

sync and share all kinds of files, with other people and

devices on the web.

*Saving files to your OneDrive also makes file transfer easy

if you ever experience computer trouble.

Accessing Microsoft OneDrive:

There are 2 ways you can access your OneDrive storage:

1. Log in to your Office 365 account from the web and then

click OneDrive .

2. Click on the cloud in the bottom right side of your screen

that is grey in color when you are not logged into it and

blue when you are.

Outlook and Cell Phone Set Up

All employees receive an Outlook email account when hired.

Username= StarID@minnstate.edu

Password= StarID password

Your Northland College email address is:

firstname.lastname@northlandcollege.edu

*Email is the Official form of College

Communication!*

O365 Web Application

Used for Off-Campus access to email or when you

do not have access to the Outlook Client.

To access your O365 Web Application:

1. Go to Employee Central.

2. Under Technology, click on the Office 365 Portal link.

3. Sign-In using [email protected] and StarID

password.

Email is Available for your Phone too!

**Download the Outlook App for Android or iOS from the

Google Play store or the Apple store for easy install of email

to your mobile device.

Information Technology: How To

Additional useful Information for Setting up e-Mail on Your

Phone:

• Use the Microsoft Exchange Account type

Email Address - [email protected]

• Username - [email protected]

• Server - outlook.office365.com

Group Link

Grouplink is Northlands helpdesk ticket system. Submit

Grouplink tickets when you need assistance with

campus technology and facility maintenance or

purchase orders.

How to submit a request to the helpdesk ticketing system

called Group Link:

• From your Desktop click the Group Link logo OR

• From the homepage click Employees and go to

Technology Services and Group link

• Login with your StarID and Password

• Click Create New Ticket

• Select your Location, department, and all other

criteria needed to complete the ticket

• Include as much information as possible

• Click Save Changes to submit

Printing

Installing Employee Printers PC

• Click Windows Start App Launcher

• Select All Programs

• Click Employee Printers Thief River TRF or

East Grand EGF

• Locate the printer you want on the

webpage and then right click to select

• Click Connect and the printer will begin

installing

Employee printing costs are 5 cents per side for

single sided and 4 cents per side for double sided

for black and white. Color printing is 25 cents per

side. All printing is charged to your department

cost center.

Paper Cut Print Solution and Copiers

The copiers on campus are access using your

employee ID badge keycard or by login with your

StarID and StarID Password. If you need to set up

multiple cost centers to print contact IT helpdesk.

Scanning to Email

• Scan your employee keycard/FOB

• Press the Scan/Fax option on the menu

• Insert document and Press the Me

button and the document will arrive in

your email inbox.

Information Technology: How To

D2L Brightspace Learning Management System

D2L Brightspace is used for online courses and

employee training.

From employee Home page Click MyNCTC and

Select Brightspace or from Employee home on

the website click Brightspace

Faculty should request via Grouplink access to:

• Assessment and Program Review (annual

assessment plan, ILO assessment

(institutional learning outcomes) and

Program Review

• Dean’s Desk (upload syllabi)

Zoom Web Conferencing Tool

Free web conferencing tool available to all staff

and faculty. Embedded in Outlook for creating

appointments. Sign in with StarID.

Click the Zoom icon on desktop or

https://minnstate.zoom.us/signin

Teams Web Conferencing, File Storage, and Chat

Teams is an Office 365 Microsoft web

conferencing, file storage, and chat tool. From

the Microsoft office app launcher select Teams

and pin to your task bar.

Northland Mobile App

The MyNCTC mobile app gives you access to D2L,

news, events, directories, services and online

courses. Stay connected to classes and know

what’s happening on your mobile devices. The

MyNCTC mobile app is available for Android and

Apple Devices.

From within Employee Central on the website,

scroll to the Technology Services section.

Download and Install the MNNCTC Mobile app

from the App store for your devices or click on

the link under Technology in Employee Central.

Office Phones

Setting Voice Mail for the First Time:

• From your phone, press the message

button to access your voicemail

• The voicemail box will walk you through a

brief enrollment

• Enter your temporary pin of 112233

• Press # to accept

You may then record your name in the directory

• After the tone record your first and last

name

• Press #

Information Technology: How To

• Record your personal greeting and create

a new 6 digit pin

To access Voice Mail from your Phone:

• Press Message key

• Enter your password

• Press #

Required Employee Training

Mandatory HR and Safety training is required by

all employees at NCTC

account. See HR on Website for link

Keys

Keys are issued by the Facilities Department

Clinton Castle Ext 8600

Policies and Procedures

All college faculty, staff, and students are

expected to be familiar with and abide by college

policies and procedures. These may be found in

the Employee Center and Polices and Procedures.

Quick Contacts

TRF ITS 218-683-8581

EGF ITS 218-793-2433

Contact Information - Full Directory Online

EGF Campus Number: (218)793-2800 or 800-959-6282

TRF Campus Number: (218)683-8800 or 800-959-6282

TRF Aerospace Site (218)683-8825 or 800-959-6282

Email anyone using this format: firstname.lastnam[email protected]

Department

East Grand

Forks

Telephone

Thief River

Falls

Telephone

Academic Dean of

Academic Affairs

218-793-2539

Jeff Pool

218-683-8829

Associate Dean of

Aerospace and

Agriculture

Curtis Zoller

218-683-8829

Curtis Zoller

218-683-8829

Academic Dean of

Liberal Arts

TBD

See Stephanie

LeDuc

218-683-8614

Academic Dean of

Health, Public

Services, and

Technical

Programs

Stephanie LeDuc

218-793-2609

Stephanie LeDuc

218-793-2609

Dean of Student

Affairs

Jeff Pool

218-793-2460

Jeff Pool

218-793-2460

Business Office

EGF Business

Office

218-793-2421

TRF Business

Office

218-683-8572

D2L Brightspace

Site Admin/

Support

Karleen Delorme

218-793-2429

Karleen Delorme

218-793-2429

Facilities

Supervisor

Clinton Castle

218-793-2450

Clinton Castle

218-683-8600

Department

East Grand

Forks

Telephone

Thief River

Falls

Telephone

Faculty

Development

Coordinators

Angie Brekken

218-793-2484

Caleb Curfman

218-793-2621

Open Education

Resource (OER)

Brent Braga

793-2581

Stephen Nelson

218-683-8691

Human Resources

Rachel Larsen

793-

Michelle Benitt

218-683-8631

Information

Technology

Services

Main Desk

Stacey Hron,

Director

793-2433

Main Desk

Stacey Hron,

Director

218-683-8583

Department

East Grand

Forks

Telephone

Thief River

Falls

Telephone

Library &

Proctoring

EGF Library

Librarian Cynthia

Jorstad

Library Technician

Amanda Johnson

(Proctoring)

793-2434

TRF Library

Cynthia Jorstad

Library Technician

Amanda

218-683-8757

Academic Success

Center

Accessibility and

Assistive Tech for

Students

Sara Johnson

218-793-2382

Sara Johnson

218-683-8560

Payroll

Kari Beito

218-683-8632

Kari Beito

218-683-8632

Receptionist

Karen Meine

218-793-2800

218-683-8800

Registrar's Office

Registrar TBD

Contact Jeff Pool,

Dean Student

Services

218-793-2460

Registrar TBD

Contact Jeff Pool,

Dean Student

Services

218-793-2460

Distance

Minnesota

Located at Alex

Tech

Mary Lenz,

Director

800-657-3930

Mary Lenz,

Director

800-657-3930

Library

Northland Community and Technical College libraries support the curriculum, students and employees

of the college. The NCTC libraries offer print, media and electronic database collections to fulfill your

research and information needs. Information about the library hours and services can be found on the

Northland College Library page.

Personal Property on Campus

Northland College is not responsible for your personal property brought onto campus. The College's

insurance does not cover such items; however, as a general rule, the individual's homeowner's or

renter's insurance usually covers such items (less your deductible). Check with your agent as to your

individual situation. The college cannot assume reimbursement for the loss or damage of personal

items, including autos, for any cause.

Star Alert

Star Alert Website

Star Alert makes it possible for students and employees to receive notice – by cell phone and/or e-mail –

of campus-related emergencies that threaten life safety or severely impact campus operations. There is

no need to register. Students and employees are automatically registered using information they have

previously provided to the college.

In an emergency, Star Alert will send a text message to the cell number(s) and/or e-mail address(es) you

provide. Notifications identified as “Star Alert” messages will note the nature of the emergency, what

action, if any, you are to take, and where to find more information. Star Alert also will let you know if

campus is closed or if classes are delayed or cancelled.

Star Alert notifications are in addition to any messages Northland Community and Technical College

sends to all NCTC e-mail addresses when there is an emergency. Depending on the nature and severity

of the emergency, other mechanisms may include alerts on the Northland Community and Technical

College Web site and voicemail messages on campus phones. In emergency situations, an important

resource for information is always the Northland Community and Technical College emergency Web site

at www.northlandcollege.edu/emergency

Smoking

All of the vehicles, buildings, offices, restrooms and most entrances to any of the college buildings are

non-smoking areas. Persons who smoke are to do so outdoors and not within 50 feet of the building,

except for those entrances designated as smoking entrances. It is the intent of the college to provide a

smoke-free environment for all faculty members, staff, students and guests.

Use of College Property

College property is provided and maintained to complete assigned tasks. Property should be treated

with care and used according to standard procedures. You should take appropriate security measures

when leaving a work area unattended. Employees are prohibited from using State time, supplies or

equipment for their private use or other non-state business uses. Misuse of the State telephone service,

computer communications, or State equipment and/or property can result in disciplinary action,

including termination, as well as repayment for unauthorized usages. In addition, employees who violate

this statute may be subject to criminal prosecution.