TDF Faculty Handbook

Department of Theatre, Dance, & Film
TDF Faculty Handbook
1/22/2025 printable pdf here

1. Teaching Expectations and Releases
2. Faculty Involvement in the TDF Season
3. Off-Campus Contracts
4. Instructor-Student Dynamics
5. TDF Grievance Policy

1. Teaching Expectations and Releases
   
   In accordance with the Faculty Handbook, full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty in Theatre, Dance, and Film have a teaching load of 9 credit hours per semester.
   
   As per the faculty handbook (4.3.2-4 Faculty Workload), each faculty member’s teaching assignments will be determined by the chair in consultation with the faculty member. When determining workload and teaching assignments, it is the chair’s duty to ensure equitable workload assignments are given in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the faculty handbook 4.3.4 Faculty Workload. Other factors for the chair to consider are:
   
   – the faculty member’s specialization based on their terminal degree
   – the faculty member’s specialization based on their professional experience
   – the departmental expectations as outlined in hiring documents, such as the original job posting
   
   Whenever possible, the hiring documents will be considered to be the primary teaching responsibilities of the faculty member.
   
   Due to the large number of service courses offered by the department, each full-time faculty member of the department is expected to teach 100-level courses as needed to fulfill contractual and departmental obligations as well as departmental needs. Whenever possible and in consultation with the chair, upper-level courses should be taught by a faculty member (full-time or part-time) with a terminal degree in that specialty.
   
   Class releases are offered in relation to each faculty member’s administrative service to TDF and/or their role in the production season.
   
   – Chair=1 course release per semester
   – Managing Director (when held by a Faculty Member)=1 course release per semester
   – Directing, Designing, or Choreographing a TDF mainstage production=1 release in the semester the show is performed (or the semester of choice for the middle show)
   – Vocal coaching=1 release per year (coaching responsibilities are spread out over the three mainstage theatre productions)
   – Directing/Producing the TDF Dance Concerts=1 release per year
   
2. Faculty Involvement in the TDF Season
   
   TDF’s production season includes three mainstage shows, the PC Dance Company Dance Concerts, and the Film Festival.
   
   The goal of this policy is to establish good faith expectations of faculty involvement in the production season, as well as successfully prepare junior faculty for tenure and promotion teaching expectations.
   
   Because our production season is a continuation of our work in the classroom and a vital part of our students’ education, it is imperative that full-time TDF faculty be actively involved in our productions. Faculty involvement in the production season reaffirms the educational importance of these productions; their work in film productions, dance concerts, and theatre productions is no less important than their work in the classroom. Faculty involvement also gives students a strong sense of continuity between the classroom and departmental productions. Since the department views our production season as a continuation of the classroom, involvement in the production season counts towards faculty members’ teaching responsibilities in their tenure and promotion dossiers. As per the faculty handbook:
   
   4.2.2 Teaching Responsibilities
   
   a. Priority of Good Teaching. Providence College is primarily an undergraduate institution in which the major responsibility of faculty members is to do effective teaching and to give priority at all times to the academic development of their students. Since teaching and productive scholarship are interrelated, it is expected that members of the faculty shall engage in scholarship with a view to improving their teaching as well as their professional competence.
   
   As stated in full-time faculty searches over the past decade, faculty involvement in TDF’s production season is an explicitly stated part of our teaching load. For example:
   – The teaching load includes choreographing one departmental musical per year, plus directing one dance concert per year. Teaching responsibility of three classes one semester and two the other semester with one course release for both choreographing the musical and directing one dance concert annually. (Dance job search ad)
   – The candidate will teach a 3/2 course load of general theatre courses which may include Technology for the Stage, Introduction to Theatrical Design, Multicultural Theatre in America or Theatre Appreciation with a course release for design work within the departments’ production season. (Theatre Design and Tech job search ad)
   -This position’s teaching load also includes directing departmental productions within the faculty rotation (Acting job search ad)
   -We seek a qualified candidate to teach public speaking, oral interpretation, and voice & diction courses, and to provide vocal coaching for three mainstage theatre productions per year. (Voice & Diction job search ad)
   -This technically knowledgeable person will oversee the running of two theatres within the Smith Center for the Arts, as well as teach within his or her area of expertise. (Managing Director job search ad)
   
   While each position’s involvement in the season will vary based on expertise and the demands of the season, it is expected that each TDF faculty member will be directly involved with the production season. This may include design, choreography, voice coaching, directing, intimacy coaching, production of festivals (such as the film festival or creative writing festival), dramaturgy, managing director, or other roles.
   
   Professional work outside of PC is an important part of our faculty members’ careers. Working in the field helps keep our knowledge and skills up-to-date, creates important contacts and professional opportunities for our students, and is a vital component of our tenure and promotion dossiers. Professional work outside of PC must always be subordinate to the production needs of the department and only pursued with consultation of the provost and department chair. As per the faculty handbook:
   
   3.2 Contract Policy
   3.2.1
   …Full-time members of the faculty shall not engage in work for compensation outside the College during the academic year without the specific written permission of the provost. All such work, if authorized, shall be of a professional character and shall not interfere with the faculty member’s responsibilities at Providence College.
   
   TDF Faculty must receive approval of the Chair before committing to or taking off-campus roles (see “Off Campus Contracts.”) If Faculty is denied a request by the Chair, they may bring their request to the Provost. Before doing so, however, the Faculty member must alert both Chair and MD as to their intent, so that arrangements can be initiated, which would include additional budgeting for guest artists.
   
3. Off-Campus Contracts
   Professional work outside of PC is an important part of our faculty members’ careers. Working in the field helps keep our knowledge and skills up-to-date, creates important contacts and professional opportunities for our students, and is a vital component of our tenure and promotion dossiers. Professional work outside of PC must always be subordinate to the academic and production needs of the department and only pursued with the approval of the provost and department chair. As per the faculty handbook:
   
   3.2 Contract Policy
   3.2.1
   …
   Full-time members of the faculty shall not engage in work for compensation outside the College during the academic year without the specific written permission of the provost. All such work, if authorized, shall be of a professional character and shall not interfere with the faculty member’s responsibilities at Providence College.
   When offered an off-campus contract, the faculty member must first meet with the chair to discuss potential conflicts with departmental responsibilities. When considering whether an off-campus contract will interfere with the faculty member’s responsibilities at Providence College, the faculty member, in conjunction with the chair and managing director, should consider how the contract might affect the following primary (but not only) responsibilities of the faculty member:
   1. The class load the faculty member is contractually obligated to fulfill
   2. The faculty member’s involvement in the production season
   3. The faculty member’s ability to hold regular office hours
   4. The faculty member’s ability to serve as academic advisor and/or capstone advisor as needed.
   
   The faculty member must notify the managing director about potential conflicts before they contact the provost so arrangements can be made and additional budget for guest artists can be approved if needed.
   
   Once the faculty member has obtained permission from the chair and the managing director has been notified, the faculty member will write to the provost for permission to accept the off-campus contract. The faculty member must cc the Dean of Arts and Sciences on this email.
   
   It is important to note that this policy applies to individual gigs such as directing, acting, designing, vocal coaching, or choreographing an off-campus show. Long-term contracts, such as teaching or accepting an administrative position at another institution require more detailed consultation with both the department chair and provost.
   
4. Instructor-Student Dynamics
   
   In a small, close-knit department, especially one in a collaborative field like the arts, faculty and students work collegially and collaboratively. However, it is important that faculty members maintain professional boundaries while maintaining friendly relationships with students. These boundaries include, but are not limited to, protecting the confidentiality of student information, protecting the confidentiality of colleague’s private lives, and avoiding involving students in internal departmental dynamics.
   
   As such, faculty will not discuss with students, current or former, any information that is internal to the department, including discussions taken in faculty/department meetings, personal information about any faculty member(s), what other faculty member(s) may have said or done, interdepartmental conflict or disagreement, or any other communications or dynamics that are internal to the department. Department members must err on the side of non-disclosure, and any question about what information may be disseminated to students under this policy should be brought to the Chair before disclosure.
   
   In our age of ever-growing digital socializing, faculty will not connect with current students via social media. Post-graduation, however, social media can be an effective way to engage with our alumni.
   Finally, faculty must be mindful of our duty as mandatory reporters under Title IX; nothing in this policy impacts our duty under Title IX. If a student wants to disclose personal information, it can be helpful to remind them of our responsibilities, especially if a student asks for confidentiality.
   
5. TDF Grievance Policy
   
   The arts of theatre, dance, and film are all inherently collaborative. To this end, honesty and open communication should be the leading elements of conflict resolution within the department.
   
   Whenever possible, conflicts or potential conflicts should be addressed openly and honestly before the situation escalates. Miscommunications, misunderstandings, and differences in interpretation of policy can often be resolved through open dialogue with the involved parties.
   
   In the event that the grievant wishes to speak with a third party, they may choose to contact the PC Office of the Faculty Ombuds, a “safe and confidential resource available to you, as a member of faculty, when you wish to discuss issues or concerns that may negatively impact your job satisfaction or quality of life.”
   
   If a situation arises that cannot be resolved interpersonally, the TDF Grievance Policy mirrors that of the College, as stated in the Faculty Handbook Appendix G. In the case of “minor grievances,” the Handbook states:
   
   1. Procedure for Handling a Minor Grievance
   
   a. The grievant must present the grievance in writing to the department chair. If the grievance involves the department chair, then the grievant must present the grievance in writing to the provost. The grievance must be filed within twenty-five (25) business days of the date on which the grievant knew or should have known of the action or condition which occasioned the grievance. The department chair or the provost, upon receiving written notice of the grievance, shall investigate the matter as deemed appropriate and respond to the grievant in writing within twenty (20) business days of the date the grievance was filed with the department chair or the provost.
   
   b. If the grievance is not resolved (6.a.) and the grievant desires to pursue the matter, the grievant shall file it in writing with the provost within ten (10) business days of the part 6.a. decision. The written submission shall state the specific policy, regulation, or procedure alleged to have been misinterpreted, misapplied, or violated, and the relief requested. The provost (if he or she is not the subject of the grievance) shall investigate the grievance as deemed appropriate and respond to the grievant in writing to the grievant’ s residential address within ten (10) business days from the date the written grievance was filed. The provost (if he or she is not the subject of the grievance) may investigate the grievance on his/ her own, may assign a designee to investigate and to make a recommendation and/or may request an investigation and recommendation from the Appeals Committee of the Faculty Senate. In the event the provost is the subject of the grievance, the president of the College shall appoint a member of the administration to investigate and hear the grievance in accordance with procedures established in this appendix. At any time prior to the issuance of a decision, the provost shall hold an informal conference with the grievant in an attempt to effect a settlement. If no settlement is reached at that meeting, the provost shall proceed to issue a decision. The provost shall, within thirty (30) business days after the grievance was filed with his/her office, notify the grievant of his/her decision. The decision shall include a statement of the findings and conclusions supporting the decision and shall be in writing to the grievant’s residential address. The decision of the provost shall be final.