Online Program Faculty Information

Faculty Requirements

The Halo

• The Halo login is the same as the username and password for your email account and Canvas account.
• The Halo is the main access point for faculty and student information. 

Textbooks Information

• Please check for your current textbook at:
  limestone.edu/bookstore
  Click on the order textbook tab and look up what course you are teaching.  Contact the publisher to send the textbook to your home address.  If your employment with Limestone needs to be verified, please have the publisher contact Lori Downey ldowney@limestone.edu.
• Please order from the publisher (see  Publishers List ) and have it sent to your home address. If the publisher needs verification of your employment with us, please have them contact Lori Downey.
• If you have any questions about your text, email pmccraw@limestone.edu

Direct Deposit

• Complete the following form:  Limestone Direct Deposit Authorization or Change Form
• Attach a voided check and email it to Patti Lankford.
• You only have to submit this form ONCE unless you need to make a change in your bank account information.
• The Federal Reserve requires a pre-note period to verify the accuracy of the account information. This verification process takes one full pay cycle. Compensation earned during this verification process will be sent by check.

Master Course and Canvas Usage

• Course Coordinators will copy the content into the live course.
• Use of the Master Course syllabus is mandatory and you are required to make the following four changes listed below. No other changes are allowed without approval by the Course Coordinator or Department Chair.  
  • Be sure to update the syllabus with your contact information
  • Add your contact information to the homepage
  • Check that all web links are active
  • Update the due dates within the course. 
  • The course needs to be published by 5pm on the Friday before the term begins.
• Canvas offers a 24/7 support.  Any student or faculty needing assistance with the use of Canvas can contact them at support@instructure.com. Please make sure you reach out to Canvas first and if they cannot assist they will then route you to Limestone’s Help Desk.

Entering Grades

• Finals grades must be entered in The Halo within 48 hours of the last class. You do not have to enter grades for the entire class at one time.
• Contact the Registrar's office immediately should you have any difficulty in submitting grades. 
• It is imperative that grades are entered by the deadline stated in your contract because it impacts other tasks, such as probation, suspension and scholarship awards, which must be completed.
• Failure to enter grades by the required deadline may impact future contract offers.
• Terms 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 grades will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday after the term ends.  For Term 4, grades will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday after the term ends.

Last Date of Academic Activity Form

• Must be completed for students who have received a Failing grade in a course.
• The form is located at the top right-hand side of the faculty page in The Halo.
• Once a final grade has been entered, if the form is needed, the students’ name will appear.  Instructors will need to choose that student's name and complete the form.

"I" or Incomplete 

• A mark of "I" is requested by the student and approved by the instructor and the Dean, when due to extenuating circumstances such as illness, a student is unable to complete the work assigned in a course.
• It is understood that to receive a mark of "I", all completed work (minimum of 75%) in the course must collectively be at the passing level or above.
• The mark of “I” must be removed within 30 days from the end of term.
• Failure to complete required work will result in a grade of “F”.
• An incomplete must be requested at least one week before the class end date.
• Students cannot withdraw from a class after an "I" has been issued.
• In determining the Grade Point Average the mark of “I” (Incomplete) will not be considered.

Withdrawal From Class

• Students must initiate the withdrawal process by completing the “ Withdrawal From Class” form. 
• This form is located in The Halo under “Student Forms." 
• Online Program Students will be allowed to withdraw through the 5th week of class at 5:00 pm, EST. with a grade of "W", which will have no impact on their grade point average (GPA). 
• After the 5th week, students can withdraw with a grade of "WP" or "WF", which could impact their grade point average (GPA). 
• Under no circumstances is a professor allowed to award a withdrawal grade without using the appropriate form.  If a student emails you regarding withdrawing from your class, please instruct them that they must complete the form.  
• After completion of the form, a copy will be emailed to the professor for a grade of “W”, “WP” or “WF” to be awarded. 
• If a student does not complete any of their assignments or withdraw from the course, then they will be awarded an “F” for the class.
• The last date of academic activity will be the first day of class. The last date of academic activity must be entered for all withdrawals as well as any student who earns an “F”.  This date must fall within the course enrollment dates.

Information from the Equity and Inclusion Office

The Equity and Inclusion Office is committed to assisting all students with removing barriers that could impede their personal development and academic success. Through services such as those provided by Accessible Education, the Learning Enrichment and Achievement Program (LEAP), SaintsFIRST, and International Student Support, Equity and Inclusion team members strive to empower and position students for an optimal collegiate experience. Students in need of assistance as a result of a disability (physical, mental, or learning) or being an international or first-generation, or any other circumstance that may impact their academic performance are encouraged to contact the Equity and Inclusion Office to discuss their needs.

• If a student in your class indicates they have a disability and requests an accommodation, these steps must be followed:
  • Ask the student if they have been in communication with the Equity and Inclusion Office
  • If the student has NOT communicated with Equity and Inclusion, you should provide the student with the contact information below so that the student may contact the office.
    • Selena Blair, Director of Equity and Inclusion, 864-488-4394, ssblair@limestone.edu
      Susan Baxter-Ferguson, LEAP Coordinator, 864-488-8377, sbaxter@limestone.edu
  • You are NEVER to offer any accommodations to a student if you do not have the official accommodation letter from the Equity and Inclusion Office.
• If the student has completed the intake process with Equity and Inclusion, you will receive an email from Equity and Inclusion detailing the approved accessible education services for that semester.
• You can only provide the accessible education services allowed on the letter sent to you by Equity and Inclusion
• Should the student request additional accessible education services, you cannot provide them unless you receive a revised letter from Equity and Inclusion.

Online Program Teaching Requirements

Online Program Test Proctoring

Limestone University’s online program uses Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor as a more efficient and convenient way to maintain academic integrity in online and hybrid courses. Although there is not a human watching you take your exam, the software will record audio and video during the exam, so make sure you’re following the guidelines set by your instructor while testing. The service is fully integrated within Canvas and available 24/7. 

Online Program Course Faculty Expectations

Please carefully review the list of expectations below for all faculty teaching online courses. The expectations were written and approved by Limestone University faculty and are intended to ensure that our online courses provide students with a high-quality learning experience.  You will find these expectations referenced in your contract for teaching Limestone Online courses. 

Please ensure that each course you teach is in compliance with the expectations below.  Should you have any questions about how to adjust your course to meet these standards, contact your department chair or the course coordinator for assistance.  Any other questions, please contact Lori Downey. 

• All Adjunct Faculty newly hired on or after 09.01.2021 are required to complete Limestone’s Instructor Training Course (self-paced in Canvas) prior to and/or by end of week 1 for the term hired. Instructors will receive a one-time stipend of $75 upon successful completion of the training course and a digital badge.
• The course needs to be published in Canvas by 5pm on the Friday before the term begins.  Instructors must engage actively and frequently with students throughout the course. Instructors are required to make available multiple modes of communication for students—at a minimum Limestone email, and discussion boards. 
• Online Faculty must provide a minimum of one hour of virtual live office hours per week.
• Faculty members are expected to respond to all student communications within 48 hours. 
• Faculty are expected to provide meaningful, detailed, and timely feedback to students.  Clear criteria should be included in the course regarding the basis of evaluation of all graded assignments, discussion, wiki, blog, etc. such as a rubric and/or a list of criteria with associated point values.  Feedback should include the use of the rubric/criteria in the explanation.  All assignments are to be graded within one week of due date. 
• Faculty should post regular announcements providing general feedback on assignments, areas for improvement, tips for success, etc.  
• The faculty’s policy on accepting late submissions must be clearly stated in the course and/or syllabus. 
• Each course must include at least two proctored exams by Respondus, typically a midterm in the 4th week, and a final exam in the last week. 
• The Canvas grade book or the grade book provided by department approved software (e.g., Hawkes, SAM, etc.) must be used in recording and posting all student grades. 
• Faculty members are required to submit the Last Date of Academic Activity for every student receiving a W or an F in an online course. 
• Final grades must be posted in the Halo no later than 48 hours following the end of the course.

Library Resources

With Canvas, a librarian can provide library instruction services for the online program. In addition to Library Course Guides and face-to-face instruction, the library also offers the following:

• Online Instruction for Your Class: The librarian will remotely connect to your course synchronously (via MS Teams, Canvas Conference, or Zoom) or offer asynchronous webinar options for students to attend on their own time. To request library instruction, please complete this form:
  Library Instruction Request Form or email library@limestone.edu. 
   
• Online Embedded Librarian: Add a librarian as a teaching assistant to your Canvas course by emailing the request to the library at ( library@limestone.edu). The librarian can add links to library resources, host discussions on scholarly research and how to find information, email students about specific library resources relating to course assignments, answer questions, and more.
   
• Customized Instruction Videos or Tutorials: Request a specific tutorial video or series of videos for your class. The librarian will provide a link that can be uploaded in Canvas for students to view as required. See the Library’s  YouTube page for examples and to view our current tutorials and webinars. Contact the library for more information at ( library@limestone.edu).
   

Additional library services are detailed in the  Library Services for Faculty page. Please contact the Library Director,  Lizah Ismail, if you have further questions about library services.