Teaching Tips
Course Interrupted:
Coping With Instructor Absence
By Retta A. Poe
Western Kentucky University
A routine trip to see a doctor reveals the need to have surgery the next day.
A letter in the mail includes a summons to a month of jury duty.
A paper acceptance for an international conference means a two-week absence.
A family member is hospitalized with a serious illness.
These normal events of daily life happen even to college professors, but higher education institutions generally make no provisions for replacements for those on sick or personal leave, nor are there "substitute teachers" who can be called in. When college instructors must be absent for some period of time, they or their department chairs are faced with arranging class coverage, but there are limited options for successfully accomplishing this task. Because the choice of options depends in large part on situational factors, a review of those will be followed by some suggestions for dealing with the various issues that arise due to instructor absence.
REASONS FOR INSTRUCTOR ABSENCE
Instructors can be unable to teach their classes for a variety of reasons, some planned and some - perhaps most - unplanned. Planned reasons include travel, usually for professional reasons but sometimes for significant personal events (e.g., the birth of a grandchild), and surgery or maternity leave. However, most instructor absences are probably unplanned: illness, injury, surgery, family illness or injury, death in the family, jury duty, job interviewing, instructor arrest (and possibly resignation), and instructor death. Sometimes the absence is only a few days, but more serious problems arise when the absence is expected to be a long one, or is permanent.
Some of the issues that affect decisions about class coverage include:
- How long will the instructor be gone? Will the absence be through the end of the semester or permanent?
- At what point in the term has the absence occurred?
- Is the assigned instructor available to consult with and/or write exams and grade papers?
- Are the assigned instructor's syllabus, and records on assignments and grades available?
- What is the reason for the instructor's absence? Will there be a need to deal with students' emotional reactions to the instructor's being gone?
TIPS FOR THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR
he most important advice for the forward-thinking department chair is to arrange a system to deal with instructor absences in advance of need and thus avoid a crisis when an unplanned absence occurs. As part of this effort you should encourage the development of a departmental norm that canceling classes be avoided if at all possible and emphasize the faculty's ethical obligation to deliver the courses that have been promised. When an instructor is unable to teach his or her classes, it is the department faculty's shared responsibility to pitch in and cover classes for one another, not only out of ethical obligation to the students but also because "what goes around, comes around."
Substitutes. In planning for instructor absences, identify and explore the resources available for arranging class coverage, especially for an extended absence. When the assigned instructor's absence is expected to be lengthy or permanent, options may include hiring adjuncts or graduate students, assigning graduate teaching assistants, and paying overloads to other faculty. If the department does not have the resources to pay for substitutes, then imposing on existing faculty members may be the only option. However, you may be able to negotiate a reduction in the other duties of those assigned to fill in. Sometimes it is preferable to have a team of faculty members take turns teaching various topics in the instructor-less course; when this arrangement is utilized, it is probably best to identify one person to be the coordinator. Also, students will need to know whom to contact with questions and concerns, and whose office hours schedule to request.
Grades. Having substitutes covering classes may lead to other complications. One of the most significant concerns the grade records of the absent instructor. If these are available, problems are minimal; ideally all instructors would keep organized records in an accessible place. As part of departmental "norm-setting" you can impress on the faculty the value of keeping grade records current and accessible. However, you should probably anticipate that some faculty may object to having their grades records be available, especially if they perceive the request to be a means of monitoring their activities. To counter this, point out the need to be prepared for contingencies, including unexpected absences, and involve the faculty in identifying other potential solutions. Each faculty member could provide information about where and how to locate grade records (e.g., where the grade book is usually kept, or the file name and location of records stored on one's computer, or the name of a colleague or other person who knows where records are kept), with the understanding that this information would only be accessed under certain circumstances.
If grades are not available, then you may have to help the substitute work out a plan. One possibility would be to develop a formula for combining students' estimates of their grades at the point of instructor-change with the grades they earn after the substitute takes over (J. O'Connor, personal communication, February 5, 2001). For instance, the new instructor could ask students to estimate their grades on already-completed assignments and exams and then assign weights, both to those estimates as well as to grades earned on the remaining part of the course (depending on how much of the course has been completed, perhaps 25% and 75%, respectively). In following such a procedure the substitute may want to qualify the arrangement by stipulating that no student's final grade can be higher than the highest grade earned in the second part of the course, or higher than the grade earned on the final exam, or some other contingency. The purposes for such a caveat would be to minimize the impact if students were to inflate their estimates of grades already earned, and to insure that students continue to have an incentive to learn. One might also tell students that grades have not yet been found but may eventually be located, thus encouraging more "accurate" estimates. In developing the grading plan, it would be important to enlist students' support for working out a fair and responsible solution in a difficult situation, and the chair's role in seeking consensus between students and the substitute would be essential.
Another potentially problematic situation concerns administration of student course evaluations. If these are required at your institution, be prepared to make special arrangements in cases where significant teaching was provided by more than one instructor. For example, if the course were begun by one person and finished by another, perhaps it would be possible to arrange to have students complete an evaluation form for each instructor. If not, students will need very clear instructions about whom to evaluate as they complete the forms.
TIPS FOR THE ORIGINAL INSTRUCTOR
Deciding when to be gone. If you have any control over the timing of an absence (such as elective surgery or consulting), think carefully about the best time to be gone. As a rule, in most courses the beginning and the end of a term are the worst times to be absent. The best time to be gone is when you can plan course topics for which you have colleagues already prepared and willing to fill in. Asking colleagues to teach material that is similar to what they teach in their own courses requires them to spend less time preparing for your course and thereby reduces the size of the favor you are asking.
Syllabus planning. Not knowing what may happen during any semester, all instructors should consider taking some steps that would make dealing with unplanned absences easier. Because syllabi are regarded as contracts between students and the institution (Keith-Spiegel, Wittig, Perkins, Balogh, & Whitley, 1993, p. 23), it is wise to leave open the option of making adjustments, should they be necessary to deal with instructor absence. Altman (1989, p. 2) recommends that instructors add to the end of their syllabi a caveat such as, "The above schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances." Also, if you know before the term begins that you will be absent for a significant period, you should take that possibility into consideration when deciding on course requirements. If possible, avoid requirements, such as required class participation, that would be difficult for someone else to implement in your absence.
Record-keeping. Keep good records and organized files so someone else can locate your materials if needed. Make sure your grade book is accessible, or make a secretary, graduate assistant, or colleague aware of how to find a grade file on your computer (name of the file and where it is located, password for accessing it, etc.). The location of your lecture notes also would be helpful.
Planned absences. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent, some of the options for class coverage include:
- Selecting films or videos relevant to course topics.
- Arranging for colleague guest lecturers, perhaps in a "trade-off" arrangement with you.
- Developing a class activity project that can be directed with minimal preparation by a graduate student or colleague.
- Preparing lecture(s) for a graduate student or colleague to deliver for you.
Of course, it may be necessary to rearrange course topics from your original schedule if the selected method of coverage works better for some topics than for others.
Hiring a substitute. From an ethical standpoint, arranging class coverage so that you can do consulting work may obligate you to pay your substitute. Suppose that you make plans to do some consulting during a summer term when you are being paid an extra teaching stipend, and you ask a graduate student or colleague to teach your course for a week. In this case, paying the substitute a pro-rated amount of your stipend seems only fair. Or perhaps during the regular academic year you persuade a graduate student to cover some classes outside of his or her duties as part of a graduate assistantship. In such a situation it is important to be sensitive to the power inequities between professors and graduate students and to avoid taking advantage of a graduate student. One way to calculate a fair rate of compensation might be to find out how much adjunct faculty members at your institution earn per course and then pay the student a pro-rated amount, based on how many classes the student teaches (J. O'Connor, personal communication, February 5, 2001). Of course, it is important to clear all the details of such an arrangement with appropriate administrators.
Sharing the load with a substitute. If you can do some of the instructional work from home during your absence (such as during maternity leave or recovery from surgery), you will need a good system of communication. For example, if several colleagues are covering different topics for your course, it would be good to have one person designated to coordinate the whole set-up and facilitate communication among you, the various substitutes, your students, and your secretary. Determine how much of the instruction you can manage from home using technological resources such as e-mail and posting materials on your web site. Decide whether you can do some or all of the exam writing and grading of exams and papers, and if you cannot, designate someone to be responsible for this and for keeping you informed.
Returning to class. If you will be returning to the class after your absence, be prepared to be flexible in dealing with students and in evaluating their work, especially if they have had to cope with taking exams written by, and having their work graded by, different people. This is clearly a situation in which giving students "the benefit of the doubt" seems appropriate. Expect some students to be angry with you for having been gone, and upon returning, express your appreciation and gratitude to the students for their patience and tolerance in a difficult situation, and to your colleagues for their help.
TIPS FOR THE SUBSTITUTE INSTRUCTOR
The major situational variable is whether this assignment is temporary or permanent. Are you teaching a class or two for someone who is out of town, covering a class for 6-8 weeks while a colleague recovers from surgery, or permanently taking responsibility for a course already in progress? Regardless of the situation, there are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind.
You will need to find out from the department chair or original instructor exactly what is expected of you. Are you just to give a couple of lectures, or will you write exams, read students' papers, evaluate class presentations, assign grades, etc.? Be sure to let the students know what you will be doing, too. Especially if you will be taking responsibility for more than one class, keep good notes about what material you cover, and be prepared to develop exam questions on the material you present.
To reduce students' anxiety, communicate as much and as clearly as you can about the nature and duration of the instructor's absence, the changes in the course (if any) that may result, what impact there may be on their grades, etc. Begin the first class by introducing yourself and telling the students what to expect. If you will be on the scene for a few weeks, don't forget to let the students know your office hours and office location, just as you would your own students. At least for a while, these are your own students.
Especially if the class you enter is small, it is a good idea to be sensitive to the "cultural milieu" of the class. There may be a well-developed sense of community, such that you become a major source of disruption. If so, acknowledge your awareness of the situation, and, if appropriate, facilitate a discussion of their reactions to the absence of the original instructor and your presence.
In general, although having a substitute instructor requires some adjustment on the part of students, you should expect to do most of the adjusting. Strive as much as possible to accommodate to the class you are visiting or have inherited, rather than expect the students to adjust to you. If the assigned instructor will return, try in advance to get an agreement with that person as to your role in assigning grades, and also how much freedom you have to indulge your personal teaching style and decide about how to cover course material.
If "filling in" will require a substantial commitment of time and effort (e.g., if you will be teaching virtually the whole course, or if the course is a new preparation for you), negotiate up front with the department chair about issues like compensation for teaching an overload, reductions in other responsibilities, and special consideration of your efforts on evaluation occasions (salary adjustments, tenure and promotion decisions).
When you are taking over a course permanently, ethically (and perhaps legally) you should consider yourself bound to follow the syllabus developed by the original instructor. As noted above, Altman (1989) and others have suggested that the syllabus is generally regarded as a contract between the institution and the students, so this means that you should not expect students to buy a different textbook, and you should make an effort to abide by the course expectations and requirements already in place. If alterations are unavoidable, explain why and apologize. Next, try to arrange with the chair and/or other administrators for students to withdraw from the course without penalty if substantial modifications of the course are necessary and are perceived to be unacceptable to some class members.
Some difficult decisions may be required if you should inherit a class for which there is no syllabus and the previous instructor is not available for consultation. You might begin by asking students to write summaries of what they understood the course requirements and expectations to be; then use the areas of agreement in their accounts as a starting point for developing a working syllabus of your own. Without a syllabus you may also have little idea as to what has been covered in the course so far; again, your only recourse is to survey the students.
TIPS FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Instructor death. A substitute who must fill in for someone who dies suddenly has to deal with all the problems mentioned above as well as emotional issues. Students may need help in coping with their grief; the best advice is to seek the assistance of your institution's counseling center. Counseling center personnel are trained to serve as consultants to faculty in helping students, and in some cases a counselor may be available to conduct a group grief counseling session.
Jury duty. The requirements of jury duty vary widely; in most cases, however, what makes jury duty so difficult for an instructor to manage is that jurors may not know even one day in advance whether they will be selected for a particular case. Thus, during the time of jury service faculty members often have to develop elaborate contingency plans for covering their classes. In some jurisdictions faculty may be able to arrange with court officials to postpone jury duty to a time when they are not teaching. If not, the court administrator may be able to identify days when the court will not be in session, and sometimes members of the jury pool can indicate certain dates on which they cannot be available to serve. Thus, with planning, it may be possible to reduce the uncertainty of one's schedule. To cover classes during the term of jury service options include arranging for a colleague to be on "stand-by" to teach a class if necessary, supplementing regular instruction with web-based instruction, and developing homework assignments and projects for students. Scheduling make-up classes may be a workable idea at institutions that are largely residential; however, if the student body includes a large number of commuter students (traditional or non-traditional), make-up classes should be optional.
Absence of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). GTAs occasionally have to miss classes, usually for the same reasons as other instructors. The usual practice for dealing with short-term absences is for other GTAs to fill in. Buskist notes that getting GTAs to volunteer to pitch in is seldom a problem because "they want all the (teaching) experience they can get!" (B. Buskist, personal communication, February 6, 2001). When the absence is permanent or long-term, however, a better practice is to recruit a new GTA, perhaps from the pool of applicants for assistantships. Problems with excessive or inappropriate GTA absences can usually be prevented; as Davis notes, "the best measure to prevent such absences is to give the GTAs thorough and continuous training that emphasizes professionalism" (S. Davis, personal communication, February 7, 2001).
CONCLUSION
The focus on prevention is probably the best overall advice for dealing with instructor absence. Although some amount of hassle is probably unavoidable in working out a remedy for the instructor-less course, instructors and department chairs can reduce the frustration of all concerned with some advance preparation.
| RETTA E. POE is a Professor of Psychology at Western Kentucky University, where she has had experience both "filling in" and needing a substitute. She earned her MA and PhD degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She wishes to thank Dr. John O'Connor, Psychology Department Head at Western Kentucky University, for his assistance and comments on an earlier draft of this column. |
Altman, H.B. (1989). Syllabus shares 'what the teacher wants.' The Teaching Professor, 3 (5), 1-2.
Keith-Spiegel, P., Wittig, A.F., Perkins, D.V., Balogh, D.W., & Whitley, B.E., Jr. (1993). The Ethics of
Teaching: A casebook. Muncie, IN: Ball State University.
Note: This article first appeared in the April 2002 (Vol. 15, No. 4) issue of the APS Observer.