General Information for Teaching Merced College Community Services Offerings

Through its Community Services program, Merced College offers fee-funded classes designed to meet the personal interest and professional development needs of members of the community.  These classes are not eligible to be offered as credit or non-credit classes supported by state funding.  Although Community Services instructors do not need to meet the academic criteria required to teach credit or non-credit classes, evidence of competence in the subject of a proposed offering is required and teaching experience is preferred.  Following are guidelines for the Community Services Program.

Email Chris Vitelli at christopher.vitelli@mccd.edu to receive a spring course proposal form.

1. CLASS/WORKSHOP
All costs of the class must be covered by participant fees that may include the terms listed under this heading. 

Salaries
Instructors are currently paid at the rate of $20-30 per class hour. Persons who teach College for Kids classes must pass fingerprint clearance and TB testing.  Please contact our office for more information on the process and cost reimbursement.

For Professional Development classes and in some cases for personal interest classes, a fee split is arranged rather than an hourly rate.

Classroom rental expense, if any

Cost of any materials for use by the instructor or provided to the students

These expenses must be established prior to the scheduling of the class.  The Community Services Office will NOT reimburse any costs incurred by the instructor unless the expenditure has been built into the class fee and invoices from suppliers are provided.  If students are to provide their own materials, this information must be included in the course description and a materials list provided by the instructor.

Cost of insurance for activity classes and College for Kids classes

Administrative cost including mailing, printing, advertising, staff time, etc.

Any other  expenses of the class

2.  ENROLLMENT
ALL PERSONS attending a class must be registered and must have paid the class fee.  No Exceptions!

3.  ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
If the number of students required to cover all expenses has not been met, the class is subject to cancellation.  If the required minimum has been met, additional registrations will be accepted up to and at the first class as long as space is available.

4.  REGISTERING FOR CLASSES
Interested persons may register in person, by mail, online or fax.  Our mailing address is Merced College Community Services, 3600 ‘M’ St, Merced, CA 95348.  The office  fax number is 384-6379.  Online at Merced College Community Services Registration.

5.  GETTING THE WORD OUT
It is always helpful for the potential instructor to identify interested students to help meet the minimum enrollment requirements.

6.  COURSE OUTLINE
Potential instructors are asked to submit an outline of their proposal indicating the objectives and instructional procedure to be followed.  A form is provided by the Community Services Office for this purpose.  If the Community Services staff determines the class is appropriate for the program, a meeting will be scheduled with the potential instructor to discuss the proposal.

7.  MATERIAL FEES
If the instructor is charging a material fee for textbook, DVD, CD or handouts an office copy of that material will need to be provided to the Community Services program coordinator before the class occurs.

8.  COURSE EVALUATION FORMS
These forms are distributed to registered students.  Community Services then reviews evaluations and shares results with instructors regarding suggestions, class ratings and class grade.

9.  PROMOTION OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISES (BUSINESSES)
Community Services programs cannot be used as a forum for the selling of services or products of the instructor.  Materials directly related to the content of the program may be sold at the conclusion of your program, only IF prior approval from the Community Services Office was obtained.  All references to the instructor’s personal business must be removed from any handouts used in the workshop.  Likewise free promotional flyers, materials etc., must be approved for distribution by the Community Services Office.

10.  UNABLE TO TEACH YOUR CLASS / SUBSTITUTES
If an instructor must be absent from class due to illness or emergency, the Community Services Office should be notified as soon as possible.  DO NOT MAKE YOUR OWN SUBSTITUTE  ARRANGEMENTS OR ADJUST YOUR CLASS SCHEDULE.  Substitutes must meet  Community Services requirements and be approved by the HR department.   

11.  PARKING PERMIT
A parking permit must be purchased by the instructor at Merced College Student Services.