Duty Hours and Absences Policy : 5:10:01:00

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Responsible Officer: Executive Director of Human Resources 

Responsible Executive: Executive Vice President for Business and Finance 

I. GENERAL

Motlow State Community College follows a 37.5 hour work week with a 7.5 hour workday, and a 5 day work week as stated in Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Guideline P-020. Exceptions to the established work week may be made by the appropriate Executive Vice President on college needs.

II. ADMINISTRATIVE & CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL

  1. Business and administrative offices are regularly open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., or other hours agreed upon by the appropriate unit head.
  2. Appropriate offices are open extended hours periodically each semester. Contact the appropriate campus for specific information. Administrative and classified personnel should file the appropriate forms to request annual leave as far in advance as possible.
  3. In case of absence due to sickness or other emergency situations, the immediate supervisor should be notified as soon as possible. Sick Leave documentation should be completed the first work day after absence.

III. FACULTY

  1. Faculty (9/10 Month) members are employed on an academic year basis without obligation for or guarantee of summer school employment. 
  2. An appointment to a regular teaching position obligates all appointees for service of no less than 37.5 hours per week on behalf of Motlow State.   
  3. Of the required 37.5 hours per week, faculty personnel are expected to expend a minimum of thirty (30) hours per week, in class, office hours or other approved college activity excluding travel time. 
    1. Of the minimum thirty (30) hours per week, fifteen (15) hours shall be scheduled for teaching on campus and/or online courses, and fifteen (15) hours shall be scheduled for conducting on campus and/or online non instructional time.  Non-instructional time: time spent on college business but not in a virtual or campus classroom. This time will include student office hours, divisional meetings, committee meetings, advising, tutoring, professional development, and other college services. 
    2. Of the15 total hours for on campus and/or online non-instructional time, a minimum of five (5) hours per week must be spent on campus. 
    3. A faculty member may schedule a maximum of ten (10) hours per week for online non-instructional time.  
    4. On campus, non-instructional time is expected to be scheduled and conducted at the same location as the faculty member is teaching an on-campus class.  
    5. Online non-instructional time shall be scheduled and conducted at any location for the convenience of the students. 
  4. Faculty personnel will conduct faculty work time for the remaining 7.5 hours of the required 37.5 hours per week minimum. Faculty work time consists of time allocated for faculty duties such as but not limited to course planning, evaluation of student work, and other related academic responsibilities 
  5. Faculty traveling between two teaching locations during the same work day will coordinate their non-instructional time with the appropriate Dean(s).  
    1. Each faculty member’s schedule is to be posted in his/her syllabus/course outline, and on a faculty member’s LMS where appropriate 
    2. The faculty member is expected to be available to students during all hours noted as non-instructional time; however, a faculty member may deny access to their office to any salesperson. 
    3. If a faculty member has to be away from the office during a time noted as on campus office hours, the faculty member shall leave a message posted to explain the absence. 
    4. Faculty shall make every attempt to respond to student emails and/or other such related means of correspondence within two (2) business days excluding weekends. 
    5. If for some reason an online instructor will not be available to interact with students within that time period, students will be so notified and will be provided information as to when the instructor will be available. 
  6. Faculty members are expected to meet all classes promptly as scheduled.  Unless covered under Section F of this policy, instructors absent from the campus during assigned classes must request in advance, through the appropriate Dean’s office, approval of the absence.  Provision for course content and for class coverage during an absence should be worked out with the appropriate Dean. 
  7. For emergency sick leave and other emergency situations that prevent a faculty member from conducting class or holding office hours, the Dean must be notified by the faculty member or a member of the family prior to the scheduled time or as soon as possible concerning the anticipated absence. 
    1. If the Dean or their designee in that department is unavailable, then the office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA) should be notified. 
    2. The faculty member must also complete the Faculty Absence Form found in MyMotlow. 
    3. Failure to give notice of an impending class absence is a serious breach of duty. 
      1. Moreover, if the situation continues, the Dean should be given periodic reports as to the expected return, so that provision can be made for classes on a day-to-day basis. 
      2. At their discretion, the Dean will notify the EVPAA r or VPAA whenever faculty members are not in attendance according to their teaching and office schedules. 
    4. The home base of a faculty member will be determined each semester. 
      1. The home base will be the Motlow location where the faculty member spends the majority of their  time in support of college activities such as instructional time, non-instructional time.  
      2. In cases where this is unclear, the final determination will be the province of the EVPAA after consultation with the faculty member. 
      3. The faculty member will be paid for travel from the home base to an assigned Motlow State teaching site.  Faculty members will be reimbursed for round trip mileage if they are required to return to a Motlow State campus for a teaching assignment on the same day. 
      4. In all cases faculty assignments are to be based on student and college needs.

Sources

Corresponding Policy

TBR Guideline P-020

TBR Policy 4:03:03:00 

History

Revised: November 24, 2015; September 2, 2016; October 28, 2024, TBD 

Institutional Oversight Committee Approved: June 24, 2026 

President’s Cabinet Approved: July 14, 2026 

Faculty Council Approved:  

Effective Date: July 14, 2026