Course Information

Bookstore - Faculty Enlight

Textbooks and classroom resources are available to students through the bookstore.  Faculty can submit textbook orders through Barnes and Noble’s textbook ordering system facultyenlight.com. Each semester, administration communicates dates by which textbook orders need to be submitted. 

Canvas

Canvas For Instructors

EICC uses the Canvas LMS (learning management system) to store and communicate course information to students.

At the minimum, instructors in all delivery modalities are required to post the class syllabus, keep an up-to-date Gradebook within their course site (shell), and publish final grades via Canvas.  Additionally, instructors are expected to stay current with their Canvas Inbox for student communications.

Instructors are encouraged to utilize the expanded features in Canvas. There are a number of tools available that will support student success, enhance participation, and support efficient access and communication.  In addition, tools such as Lockdown Browser, Respondus Monitor, and Turnitin provide protection from potential cheating and plagiarism situations.  Finally, Canvas supports access to online resources, eTextbooks, and a plethora of online research information. 

Canvas Assistance

There are a number of excellent resources to help you with your Canvas and other eLearning needs:

1. Mentor Trainers - High-end faculty Canvas users are identified each year to support the efforts of their colleagues in resolving technical issues, navigating Canvas, and exploring best practices in eLearning design.  Whether you have a question about posting a document, publishing grades, embedding material, or implementing a new tool, odds are pretty good that your Mentor Trainer has the experience to get you pointed in the right direction.  Learn more about these individuals in the Mentor Trainers tab.
    
2. EICC eLearning Team - You can reach  EICC eLearning team at canvashelp@eicc.edu or 563-328-7693.  Your inquiry will be triaged as quickly as possible and the appropriate individual will address your needs.
    
3. Canvas Help - Within your Canvas shell, you have access to a Help icon, located at the bottom of your left sidebar.  Clicking the Help button reveals a number of free supports that are available to you 24/7.  You may elect to engage a Canvas support person in a live chat or even speak with a representative on the phone.  There is also an option available to report when Canvas is not acting as you expected. 
    
4. EICC Help Desk - If you are experiencing technical issues on campus, such as a computer error or perhaps camera or speaker issues in a streaming class, you may call the EICC help desk at x3456 or email them at helpdesk@eicc.edu for assistance.  

Canvas App for Instructors and Students

A mobile app is available to instructors and students who wish to install it on their device. Instructions and details are posted in the document below.

• Canvas Mobile App Flyer.pdf

Class Cancellation Procedures

Each campus has a procedure for cancelling your class due to instructor illness or other reason. Please follow the procedure for your campus. 

• Cancelling a Class

Class cancellations are posted on the home page of EICC ConnectLinks to an external site., for easy access by students.

If an instructor is going to require an extended absence, they should contact their department coordinator to make arrangements for a classroom substitute.

• Finding Classroom Substitutes

Course Development Models (CDMs)

To establish common outcomes within its courses, EICC has established a Course Development Model (CDM) for every credit course offered. The CDM is a statement of the minimum goals and competencies that are taught in that course. The CDM states the course description, credit and contact hours, pre-requisite and co-requisite courses (also found in the college catalog), entry-level skills, overall course goals, a topic outline, specific student learning outcomes, suggested methods of instruction, and suggested evaluation methods. CDMs and any modification to CDMs are reviewed and approved through the EICC Curriculum approval process, which requires approval by:

• Counterpart faculty
• Department coordinator
• Instructional dean
• Campus curriculum committee
• Educational Programs Policies and Curriculum Council (EPC)

A CDM is the result of the course development process and must be used by all faculty teaching the course, regardless of modality or location. Using the CDM, individual instructors develop a syllabus for each course section, detailing dates, assignments, and course policies; ensuring students are informed and clear about course expectations.

While CDMs may be revised and resubmitted for approval at any time, at a minimum they are reviewed, updated, and reapproved every four years as integral part of the program review process.

The top five reasons CDMs are returned for corrections:

• Topical Outline and Course Objectives are not aligned
• Course Objectives do not utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Frequent misspellings
• Acronyms not written out or explained
• Course Description is too long or is unclear

Course Scheduling Information

Assignment of Credit Hours and Course Contact Time

The assignment and awarding of credits are governed and regulated by the U.S. Department of Education through the awarding of Title IV federal financial aid under 34CFR 600.2 and Iowa Code 281.Chapter 21.2(12) Credit Hours. The Higher Learning Commission monitors institutional compliance with commonly accepted practices for the assignment of the credit hour.

EICC provides for a minimum of 800 minutes (or 16 contact hours) of classroom or direct faculty instruction per one semester hour of credit over the course of a 16-week semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. A minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week over 16 weeks for one semester hour of credit is expected of the students, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. No registration or orientation hours may be included when determining credit hours.

EICC contact time is calculated in this manner:

The Course Development Model (CDM) provides information about the curriculum that must be taught in an EICC course regardless of length of term, location, modality, or format of instruction. The CDM presents the course descriptions, student learning outcomes, and a detailed outline of required instructional topics. The CDM is the standard by which alternative formats of instruction are measured. Instruction offered using alternative formats must adhere to the CDM for the given courses and students shall be expected to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge, competencies, and outcomes at the same level as those obtained in traditional classroom settings, in the time frames set by the institution.

EICC alternative formats of instruction may include accelerated courses, synchronous distance education, asynchronous distance education, hybrid courses, self-paced instruction, arranged study, and multi-format instruction.

Review Process

Credit hours are assigned during the course development process as the supervising dean, the department coordinator and faculty, the Dean of Curriculum and Institutional Research staff work together to ensure that state and federal regulations are met.

The assignment of credit hours is reviewed by the discipline faculty for appropriateness during Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Arts and Science Program Reviews. The credit hours for all courses, CTE and Arts and Sciences, are also reviewed during course updates and or modifications.

Methods of Delivery and Instruction

EICC offers classes in a variety of delivery and instructional methods. All classes are taught by qualified college instructors and provide comparable content and rigor, regardless of delivery or instructional method. Each course at EICC utilizes the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) to support teaching and learning, including course materials, grading, and tools that support student success. EICC’s eLearning and instructional technology department provides guidance and support to students, faculty, and staff regarding the use of the Canvas LMS and distance technologies.

Classroom Plus (Campus-based)

All classroom-based courses (also known as face-to-face or F2F) use the college’s Canvas LMS. These courses are supplemented with tools that provide online access to grading, assignment submission, testing, and other options and provide a common location for the storage of supporting materials and the ability to engage in electronic communication outside of the classroom.

Live Online (Zoom)

Courses delivered in a Live Online format use Zoom videoconferencing tools to offer live instruction. These courses have regular class meeting times scheduled each week. Attendance is expected. Students may access Live Online classes from one of the colleges across EICC and their homes or surrounding communities. Using Zoom, the instructor and students engage in classroom activities in real-time regardless of location. Streaming classes can be combined with the hybrid format, offering the ultimate flexible teaching and learning options.

Online (Canvas)

Online courses are delivered entirely remotely using the Canvas LMS and web technologies. Students and faculty can access and participate in these courses regardless of location or time of day. There is no classroom attendance requirement. However, the courses are not self-paced, require regular weekly engagement, and adhere to term start and end dates.

Hybrid (Blended)

Hybrid courses are delivered with a combination of online and classroom-based instruction. Time in the classroom is reduced and is supplanted by instruction using the Canvas LMS. The balance of on-campus and online instruction creates a flexible alternative for individuals who need to balance work or other priorities.

Diversity-Rich Courses

Diversity rich courses encourage our students to examine their own views (age, ethnicity, socio-economic class, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, education and culture) while opening their eyes to other views different from their own with the goal of building diverse bridges that allow and encourage all to cross with equity and inclusion.

If you are interested in turning your course into a diversity-rich course, please complete the Diversity Designation Application and submit it to either John Dabeet or Susan Hess.

Honors Program

Information about the Honors Program is located on the EICC website.

Students interested in participating in the Honors Program or those who have specific questions are invited to contact the Honors Coordinator.

Honors is open to current College students who meet the requirement

• 12 credits of college level classes with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5

Honors is open to incoming high school students who meet one of these requirements

• Minimum cumulative high school GPA 3.5 or
• Minimum ACT score of 35
• Minimum SAT score of 1000

Students who complete the SCC Honors Program are eligible to articulate to honors programs at:

• Iowa State University
• University of Iowa
• University of Northern Iowa
• Ambrose University
• Western Illinois University
• Other articulation agreements are currently pending

Students complete 4 specially designed Honors courses to graduate from the SCC Honors Program

• HUM 924: Honors Service Learning Project is a 1-credit course in which the student performs 33-34 hours of community service for a not-for-profit organization that ties to the student’s major.  
• HUM 926: Honors Seminar is a 3-credit humanities course designed to develop critical and creative thinking processes. The instructor, topic, and format changes each semester. Instructors from all disciplines are encouraged to develop a proposal for offering an Honors Seminar.
• HUM 927: Honors Independent Study is a 1-credit course in which the student designs a project in an area of personal interest. The study is mentored by a faculty mentor with expertise in that subject matter.
• The fourth course is student’s choice of another Honors Seminar or Honors Independent Study.

Benefits of participation include:

• Opportunities to work with faculty who are dedicated to enriching student experiences
• Recognition
• Enhanced scholarship opportunities
• Activities that promote leadership, networking and community involvement
• Access to the Honors Academic Center
• Articulation to area colleges Honors Programs
• Travel to conferences
• Strengthen resumes

Outcomes Assessment

Faculty and staff are expected to participant in activities and events related to outcomes assessment. These include, but are not limited to, Art & Sciences (A&S) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program Review, Assessment Days each semester, professional development during Welcome Back Days and Staff Development Days, and trainings delivered through the Canvas LMS.

Over the next few years, EICC will be completing a Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Assessment Academy project. The objectives of the HLC Assessment Academy is to test, document, and share effective assessment practices; develop assessment leaders on campus; and establish sustainable processes that lead to a strong commitment to assessment. The EICC HLC Assessment Academy Team is responsible for implementing assessment activities that reflect the goals of the Academy Project. The HLC Assessment Academy Team is chaired by the Associate Dean of Curriculum and has representation from across the district. The Team provides guidance to the Outcomes Assessment Committee (OAC).

Outcomes Assessment Committee (OAC)

The OAC facilitates the development, implementation, and evaluation of faculty-led assessment processes of EICC’s student learning outcomes (SLOs), program learning outcomes (PLOs), and general education goals. The committee reviews EICC assessment plans and reports and promotes discussion and reflection on assessment and assessment results across the colleges. The committee works with faculty and staff to promote best practices in curricular and co-curricular assessment in all locations and modalities. The OAC is co-chaired by the Associate Dean of Curriculum and a faculty member from the HLC Assessment Academy Team. The OAC is comprised of faculty representing all campuses from the A&S and CTE areas. The committee also includes co-curricular and eLearning representatives. The OAC makes assessment-related recommendations to the Educational Programming, Policies, and Curriculum (EPC) Council and the HLC Assessment Academy Team. The full charges for the HLC Assessment Team and the Outcomes Assessment Committee can be found on EICConnect (EICConnect > Faculty/Staff Services > District Work Groups).

Specific information about assessment and EICC’s general education goals can be found in the Outcomes Assessment Resources page of the EICC Center for Teaching and Learning.

If you would like to know more about outcomes assessment or are interested in joining the Outcomes Assessment Committee, please contact a member of the Curriculum Department.

Outside Speakers

Outside Speakers are addressed in the Administrative Procedures Manual (C9).

In-Class Guest Speaker

Faculty members may have unpaid guest speakers contribute to regular scheduled classes. The topic(s) of the guest speaker should relate to the goals and objectives of the course which are found in the CDM. Administrative approval is not required for this type of guest speaker.

Faculty members who wish to invite students not enrolled in the course, other faculty members, staff and/or public to an event should use Section 2 - Public Forum Guest Speaker of this procedure.

An in-class guest speaker who requires compensation requires prior approval by Instructional Deal and must use EICC’s requisition/payment process which requires prior approval for payment.

Public Forum Guest Speakers

It is the policy of the district to foster a spirit of free inquiry and to encourage the timely discussion of a broad range of issues, provided that the views expressed are stated openly and are subject to critical evaluation. Within our prevailing standards of decency and honesty, this procedure will be construed to mean that no topic is too controversial for intelligent discussion on the campus. Restraints on free inquiry should be held to that minimum which is consistent with preserving an organized society in which change is accomplished by peaceful democratic means.

To this end, the EICC employee or a registered student organization may invite guest speakers to the campus, subject to the following provisions:

1. Gain approval from a campus dean or president.
2. Proper arrangements for the use of college facilities must be made.
3. It must be clear that the student organization or employee, not the college, is extending the invitation and that any views the speaker may express are their own and not those of EICC.
4. The student organization or employee must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the meeting is conducted in an orderly manner.
5. The student organization or employee must provide means for critical evaluation of the speaker’s view, which must include as a minimum, an open question period following the speaker’s presentation.
6. The student organization or employee must comply with any and all conditions for the orderly and scholarly conduct of the meeting.
7. Guest speakers who require compensation must be approved by a college dean or president and use EICC’s requisition/payment process which requires prior approval for payment.

A guest speaker must not advocate action or urge the audience to take action which is illegal under the laws of the United States, the state of Iowa, or which is prohibited by the rules of the college or the Student Code of Conduct. It is the responsibility of the student organization or employee to inform speakers in writing of this prohibition.

Please see Board Policy 618 Educational Program and Instruction - Outside Speakers and Board Policy 823: Freedom of Speech and Expression for additional information.

Substitute Teachers

When in need of a substitute, a request must be made in advance to your dean of instruction.

Syllabus Templates

For syllabus information and syllabus templates for each campus, log into EICConnect (EICConnect > Faculty/Staff Services > Syllabi > Select Location). A standard and consistent syllabus template will be used across all teaching platforms (face-to-face, online, zoom, hybrid, and concurrent courses).

Simple Syllabus Information

Click this link to go to the Simple Syllabus Orientation for Instructors Course developed by the ICCOC.

If you have any questions about Simple Syllabus and its implementation, please contact Tracy Sleep at tsleep@myiccoc.org. 

• Watch Simple Syllabus Tips video
• Simple Syllabus Infographic - Maroon Version 

Weather-Related Instructional Guidelines

In the event of weather-related disruptions to our typical face-to-face teaching and learning, EICC will move to remote instruction when possible.  Classes may be operational when physical campus buildings are closed. Face-to-face classes should revert to Live (Zoom) sessions during regularly scheduled times, as possible. Online classes will continue without change. Concurrent classes held in the high schools will follow the high school schedule. 

When Zoom sessions are not possible or appropriate for specific instructional content or hands-on learning, the use of other technologies and means to assist students in accessing instructional content during weather-related events are recommended, as appropriate.  Working with your instructional dean, some options include:

• Accommodate missed instructional time within the remaining class times with alternative assignments and simulations.
• Find acceptable time(s) to extend scheduled class(es) for students.
• Use additional hour(s) of synchronous or asynchronous online instruction. Instruction may be recorded and posted, as needed.
• Evenings during the week may be available for make-up time dependent on your college’s schedule. Check with your instructional dean for specifics.
• Record and post instructional content for students who may have access issues due to electrical blackouts or other internet issues.
• Create prepared instructional activities in advance that may be ready for use in the event of an unexpected situation. 
• Combinations of any of the above. 

Communicate with Students

In preparation, students should be given advance directives about how to access instruction in your classes when weather-related disruptions occur.  EICC will post a general notice to students in Canvas about remote delivery in the event of weather emergencies.  In addition, it is recommended that all faculty give students clear and specific instructions in advance about how to access instruction, course materials and assignments in the event of weather-related disruptions.  

For example, add a personalized version of the below statement to the syllabus and/or post in Canvas to your students.  

In the event of severe weather conditions, face-to-face classes may revert to Live (Zoom) sessions held during regularly scheduled class times.  Students will be responsible for missed academic work. Students should check Canvas for posted assignments and directions. Reasonable timeframes will be identified for students to complete assignments or exams due to such disruptions, as appropriate. The instructor has the discretion to determine how course content and assessments will be accommodated due to weather-related disruptions. 

The eLearning staff may be consulted for assistance in utilizing technologies to extend instructional options. Please contact canvashelp@eicc.edu or call 563-328-7693 (internal ext. 7693) for assistance.