Sample Workshop Syllabus for the Houston Community College Adjunct Academy

1. If necessary, changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester.
If so, students in the course will be notified and a revised version of the syllabus will be provided via email. Updated 22 Sept. 2016.
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Welcome to the Adjunct Academy at Houston Community College!
Friday Northwest Cohort: FNC
Term: Fall 2016-Spring 2017
Spring Branch Campus, Rm. 709
Day/Time: Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
4 Credit Hours | 16 Per Semester
Workshop
Facilitator: Jennifer R. Vacca, English Faculty (Katy Campus)
Contact Information: Jennifer.vacca@hccs.edu | 713.718.5787 (email is strongly preferred)
E-Learning Site: http://special.league.org/gettingresults/web/index.html
(National Science Foundation | “Getting Results”)
Office Hours: While I do not have a physical office, I am available to you before or after workshop
and/or via my virtual office—MW, 3:00-5:00 p.m. (or by appointment)
Please feel free to contact me at any point during the course if you have questions or are having problems in
the course. You are welcome to email me at any time. I also encourage you to utilize …
About Your Course
General Core Objectives:
Critical Thinking Skills—to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation
and synthesis of information
Communication Skills—to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas
through written, oral and visual communication
Personal Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to
ethical decision-making
Teamwork (Comp I, Comp II, and TW)—to include the ability to consider different points of view
and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
Social Responsibility—to include intercultural competency, knowledge of civic responsibility, and
the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities

2. If necessary, changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester.
If so, students in the course will be notified and a revised version of the syllabus will be provided via email. Updated 22 Sept. 2016.
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Adjunct Academy Course Goal
The workshop series trains instructors to become more effective in the classroom such that their
students are more engaged in learning, less likely to drop from classes, and more likely to become
life-long learners.
Adjunct Academy Course Description
The HCC Adjunct Academy consists of eight workshops; each workshop targets a specific area of
pedagogy or personal professional development. The aim is that ‘students’ will become stronger
and more confident instructors as well as further invested in life-long learning for themselves—
thereby increasing overall personal enjoyment and student success.
Adjunct Academy Course Prerequisite(s)
“HCC part-time staff/faculty dedicated to students and ready to expand teaching strategies”
Adjunct Academy Student Learning Objectives
As a participant of the Adjunct Academy, you will learn how to—
Ø Identify strategies to create classroom community;
Ø Determine how your course relates to students’ experiences;
Ø Recognize and differentiate between instructor-centered vs. student-centered syllabi and
lesson plan language and pedagogy;
Ø Explore varying teaching methods;
Ø Develop “learning extensions” of your course beyond the “classroom”;
Ø Consider technology application in courses;
Ø Compare and contrast effective assessment strategies for student and personal
performance; and
Ø Determine key components of a successful “interview kit.”

3. If necessary, changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester.
If so, students in the course will be notified and a revised version of the syllabus will be provided via email. Updated 22 Sept. 2016.
3
Adjunct Academy Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Adjunct faculty will learn to enhance their teaching skills and sharpen their own acumen.
By the end of the course, they will know how to:
Ø Create a community of learners where students can achieve ownership of course material;
Ø Develop syllabi and pedagogy based on learning outcomes where students clearly
comprehend course requirements;
Ø Engage students in learning through multiple techniques where all students will feel “seen”
by instructor and subject matter becomes more tangible in a variety of learning styles;
Ø Connect the classroom to the outside world where students can identify how course
material applies to further personal, academic, and/or professional use;
Ø Implement technology in the classroom where students interact with course content and
communicate in multiple electronic formats;
Ø Assess the success of assignments and classes and effectively reflect, augment and employ
necessary revisions to courses and teaching style whereby your students will receive the
best, most thoughtful instruction and assessment within your training and natural abilities;
and
Ø Design professional development (interview) materials should you seek full-time academic
employment (including the teaching demonstration and teaching philosophy) where
students—in any place you will instruct—benefit from your education and succeed in their
academic endeavors.
Adjunct Academy Participant Outcomes
Ø Engage in best practices in learning and teaching;
Ø Gain valuable mentoring relationships with senior faculty;
Ø Receive first-hand experience in using technology, which will encourage its incorporation
in pedagogy and awareness of hybrid/HCC Online courses;
Ø Complete the program within two semesters;
Ø Receive a certificate verifying completion of the course and all its requirements; and
Ø Attend a graduation ceremony celebrating your success and completion of the Adjunct
Academy.

4. If necessary, changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester.
If so, students in the course will be notified and a revised version of the syllabus will be provided via email. Updated 22 Sept. 2016.
4
Learning Resources
National Science Foundation | “Getting Results”
http://special.league.org/gettingresults/web/index.html
Assessment & Grading
Grading—Pass/Fail
To “pass” the Adjunct Academy, a student (participant) must attend at least seven of eight
workshops (at a minimum).
If a student (participant) cannot attend a workshop, he or she should immediately contact his/her
facilitator and/or Jennifer Vacca and/or Michael Ronan to seek out an alternate “make-up” date.
If a “make-up” workshop is not viable, the miss will be counted as an absence.
Participants must attend—at a minimum—seven of the eight, four-hour workshops.
General Requirements
Ø Attend all eight face-to-face workshops; attend seven of eight to earn a Certificate.
Ø Attend sessions on time and leave when they are finished (there will be workshop breaks);
Ø Keep “reflective notebook” showing active participation in workshops;
Ø Demonstrate through discussions and actions the teaching skills learned in each of the
course modules;
Ø Complete all surveys and other evaluative exercises as requested;
Ø Please keep cell phones off or on vibrate and leave the room to answer an important call
without disturbing participants; and
Ø Please limit laptop and/or tablet use during workshop unless requested.

5. If necessary, changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester.
If so, students in the course will be notified and a revised version of the syllabus will be provided via email. Updated 22 Sept. 2016.
5
Assignments
Ø The reflective notebook will document each participant’s active engagement in the exercises,
discussion of strategies and assessment, and his or her reflections on the activities and ideas
presented in the course.
Ø Individual teaching demonstrations (Workshop 8) will be ten minutes in length, tied to a course
you currently teach, and illustrate a technique(s) learned in the program. Your cohort peers will
serve as students and actively learn while providing critical feedback to the presenter.
Ø Projects will be assigned between workshops often involving group work outside of the
classroom. They may involve presentations to the class at the next workshop.
Workshop Schedule: Fall 2016 – Spring 2017
Spring Branch Campus, Rm. 709, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
1: Creating a Community of Learners (Sept. 23)
2: Planning for Outcomes (Oct. 7)
3: Active Teaching and Learning (Oct. 21)
4: Moving Beyond the Classroom (Nov. 4)
5: Assessing Teaching and Learning (Feb. 3)
6: Teaching with Technology (Feb. 17)
7: Teaching Philosophy and Interview Skills (March 24)
8: Teaching Demonstration and Graduation (April 7)
Additional Leadership
Adjunct Academy Program Director, Michael Ronan
713-718-5784 | michael.ronan@hccs.edu
Adjunct Academy Lead Facilitator & Trainer, Jennifer Vacca
713-718-5785 | Jennifer.vacca@hccs.edu

6. If necessary, changes may be made to the syllabus during the semester.
If so, students in the course will be notified and a revised version of the syllabus will be provided via email. Updated 22 Sept. 2016.
6
SYLLABUS/CONTRACT AGREEMENT:
Print this page, sign below and turn it into your instructor to confirm
you have read through the syllabus and agree to abide by its contents.
Instructor Requirements
As your Instructor, it is my responsibility to:
• Provide the grading scale and detailed grading formula explaining how student grades are to be
derived (i.e. Pass/Fail)
• Facilitate an effective learning environment through class activities, discussions, and lectures
• Provide detailed description of any special projects or assignments
• Provide the course outline and class calendar which will include a description of any special
projects or assignments
• Listen and consider all student comments regarding both course content and design
To be successful in this class, it is the student’s responsibility to:
• Attend class and participate in class discussions and activities
• Take substantial lecture and reading notes (not simply what is written on the board)
• Read and comprehend module and course content
• Complete the required assignments and “exams”: Teaching Demonstration & Presentations
o Turn in all out-of-class work on time and in the proper formats (hardcopy or electronic)
o Present any material to the class in a professional capacity
o Students also rarely pass if plagiarism is identified in one of their projects due to the zero-
tolerance policy (i.e. plagiarism = zero on project)
• Ask for help when there is a question or problem (this includes if you are not certain about
assignment instructions—if something is not clear, please do not hesitate to email me, ask questions
in class or arrange for a meeting)
• Keep copies of and/or maintain electronic access to all paperwork, including this syllabus, handouts
and all assignments
• Attend seven of eight workshops to earn a Certificate.
DATE: NAME (PRINT): NAME (SIG.)
________________ ____________________________ ____________________________