WDT 4.01pr - Continuing Education : Procedure

Non-credit courses: Submitted course proposals are reviewed by the CE Program Coordinator and/or Industry Experts to ensure course objectives meet the needs of the community and/or industry standards. Courses are reviewed at Curriculum Committee on a yearly basis.

1. Instructor Interview: Instructors teaching non-credit courses are existing faculty members teaching in academic programs or professionals in their field. All new instructors are interviewed by the Director of the Continuing Education unit or the CE Program Coordinator and in some cases are also vetted by an employer who is requesting specific training. As with all college employees, background checks are required and normal HR hiring processes are followed.

2. Course Pricing: Continuing education courses are self-supporting. All courses are run through a funding matrix to ensure the appropriate price is listed to ensure all expenses are covered.

3. Non-Credit Instructor Pay: In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement - APPENDIX C: By mutual agreement between the employee and the college, compensation for instructing community service classes will be as follows: (1) no less than $35 per hour or (2) be compensated with 50% of the actual student fees collected instead of the normal hourly rate. The decision as to which method will be used must be agreed to prior to the first class session. Special training courses customized for outside contractors will be paid according to the terms of that contract provided that the compensation is no less than $35.00 per hour or whatever minimum exists for a comparable course.  

4. Course Enrollment Minimum: The funding matrix also identifies the minimum number of attendees needed to break even, and classes are canceled when enrollment is too low.

5. Course Instruction: Courses are taught by approved instructors. Most classes are planned and taught on a quarterly basis, although some classes meet only a few times, and occasionally a class will meet only once. Customized training is designed to be taught on demand and does not follow a quarterly schedule.

6. Course Evaluation: All courses/instructors are evaluated the last day of class by the students in the class. Evaluations are reviewed by a CE Program Coordinator. If successful, instructors may be asked to continue and/or submit a new course proposal to teach again. Unsuccessful courses are reviewed separately by the Director or Program Coordinator and are either improved or removed from list of courses. Instructors also receive a periodic review from one of the Continuing Education staff to ensure quality of instruction.

7. Non-Credit Bearing Courses: All non-credit bearing courses offered in Continuing Education are reviewed annually by the Curriculum Committee.

8. Enrolling Continuing Education (CE) Students: CE students enroll through a secure web-based enrollment system. If students do not have access to the Internet, they are encouraged to visit the Continuing Education Office to enroll in person.

9. Refunds: Refunds are given if a notice of withdrawal is received at least two business days prior to the first day of a class. There will be a processing fee for each class that is refunded. The student’s receipt lists department phone numbers for questions and refunds. If a class is cancelled for any reason, students will receive a 100% refund.

Record Keeping: Enrollment records are kept in an enrollment database that dates back five years. Students’ course evaluations are kept in paper form, also for five years. Instructor evaluations are also kept in the cloud and kept for five years.

Privacy Policy: Continuing Education’s privacy policy is the same as the college.

General Complaints: Students are encouraged to call or visit the Continuing Education Office to discuss any general complaint. If the complaint is elevated, the Continuing Education department will defer to the complaint policy used by the college.

RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
WDT 4.0 Continuing Education

Privacy Policy

Student Complaint Procedure

SOURCE INFORMATION
Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement

RCW 28B.50.020 Purpose

CONTENT OWNER. The primary responsibility for this policy belongs to:
Vice President of Workforce Development and Training

PRIMARY CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR (Director/Dean)
Director of Continuing Education

REVIEW PERIOD
Three years.

REVIEW HISTORY
2017-Apr 10  Approved by President’s Cabinet