For Faculty, TAs, and other Instructors of FHL Courses and Training Workshops

Upon hire, FHL instructors receive an offer letter that includes the following summary of expectations and policies.  See Course Planning & Procedures for further details.

CONDUCT POLICIES & STUDENT WELL BEING

Familiarize yourself with and follow UW & FHL policies on conduct, including Title IX Policies on Sexual Harassment and Non-Discrimination and FHL Standards of Conduct.  For practices designed to support the well-being of your students, see the University of Washington’s Guidebook for Advancing Student Well-Being at the UW.

CLASS HOURS (for credited courses)

If your course alone is a full-time load for your students (e.g. apprenticeships and summer courses), the hours available for class are generally 8:30 am – 5:30 pm on weekdays. For summer courses, class hours also include 8:30 am to noon on Saturdays. If your course is a part-time load (one of a number of courses your students are taking), you will be assigned specific days and times for lectures and labs. Faculty may schedule class time beyond regular hours for excellent low tides or extended field trips and reduce other class hours to compensate.

SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES TO PLAN FOR

STUDENT ARRIVAL DAY. FHL will need folks to help with transporting students from town to campus. UW faculty, staff, and students are eligible to use the FHL vans for this, but must first become authorized UW drivers; see our page on Use of Class Vans for details.

CREDITED COURSES: FHL expects course TAs to be present on campus by 2 pm on the day students arrive, and to work that afternoon/evening assisting with logistics: driving vans for pickups and helping students get checked in. The FHL Academic Services Manager (Maia) will be in touch with TAs to coordinate these logistics.

WORKSHOPS: Instructors are expected to work with the FHL Academic Services Manager (Maia) to coordinate pickup of their students at the ferry terminal on arrival day. If you are a UW faculty, staff, or student, we strongly encourage you to become an authorized driver (see Use of Class Vans) so you can not only assist with arrival day pickups but also drive the FHL vans for workshop field trips.

FIRST DAY AFTER STUDENT ARRIVALS. All course and workshop instructors are expected to attend a brief session on lab and field safety procedures at FHL – time TBA.

CREDITED COURSES: FHL orientation and community building activities occupy most of this day for students; do not plan on class lectures or labs.

WORKSHOPS: Orientations are required in order to use the FHL Stockroom or rowboats. Please schedule times in advance for you and your students to attend an overview of Stockroom procedures with Stockroom Manager Peggy Combs (peggysc@uw.edu) and for a rowboat training with Boating Safety Officer Kristy Kull (kjkull@uw.edu).

TUESDAYS OR WEDNESDAYS (TBD) @ 5 PM. Classes should end before 5:00 pm to allow attendance of FHL seminars, which present research in a variety of fields and are aimed toward students as well as scientists. Encourage students to attend, whether or not they are registered for seminar credit.

FRIDAYS @ 4:30 PM (SUMMER TERMS ONLY). Classes should end by 4:30 pm to allow attendance of TGIFHL gatherings, which provide opportunities for students to connect with researchers and faculty at FHL. It is tradition for the summer course instructors to take turns organizing these functions on the Dining Hall deck.

MEAL TIMES. Plan your class activities around Dining Hall meal times, releasing students before meal service begins. When students arrive late for meals, it can create problems for staffing schedules.

END OF TERM LAB AND CAMPUS CLEANUP. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that at the end of the term, all FHL spaces (including labs, outdoor tanks, refrigerators) and equipment used by their course participants are returned to the state and location in which they were found. Schedule a class time BEFORE departure day for lab clean up, as departure day is reserved for students to clean their rooms and pack up.

DEPARTURE DAY (Friday for summer courses, Saturday for spring and autumn courses). Departure day is reserved for students to clean their rooms and pack up (they are required to move out before lunch)! DO NOT plan discussions of grades/assignments, lab clean up, or any other class activities on this day.

INSTRUCTOR PRESENCE DURING THE TERM

Instructors are expected to be at FHL for the duration of the course unless absences have been approved by the Director. The instructional team may determine which hours each faculty and TA is present in the lab, at lectures, and on field trips. Instructors are not expected to be in class beyond regular class hours. There has been a tradition of instructors being available to on some evenings and weekends, especially near the end of the term; this is generous and appreciated, but not required.

TEACHING ASSISTANT HOURS (for FHL Courses assigned a TA)

For courses with a TA, faculty are encouraged to meet with them before the course begins to establish expectations. UW TAs receive a 50% appointment over three months and are expected to work a total of 220 hours during the term. In the spring and autumn, this translates to 20 hours/week over 11 weeks (10 weeks of class plus additional days before and after for preparation and clean up). For a summer course, the 220 work hours are compressed into the five weeks (= 44 hours/week), leaving TAs the rest of the summer for their own research.

If faculty request a TA to work additional hours one week, they should compensate by reducing their hours in other weeks. If there is a good reason to schedule a TA after dinner, hours should be decreased on other days. A TA’s hours may include a Saturday or Sunday field trip, depending on agreement with the faculty. When TAs participate in field trips, their time driving and supervising class should be counted as work; time spent cooking, camping, or hiking, should not count. The TA should keep a written account of their time.

LAB & FIELD PROCEDURES

The FHL Research Policies & Procedures apply to all FHL visitors, including course/workshop instructors and students. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that procedures are followed not only by themselves but also by their students. See Course Planning & Procedures for expectations and guidelines regarding safety in the field and lab.

COURSE ALLOWANCE & EXPENSES

Each course has a limited allowance for incidental expenses, the funds for which are generated from fees paid by your students. Your offer letter states the amount per student that your course will have available to spend. The funds may be spent on supplies, chemicals, photocopies, and van/vessel time; they may not be used for instructor travel, guest lecturers, food, beverages, or items considered personal.

Instructors should not themselves purchase course supplies or services (with personal cash/card/check or UW procard) with the expectation that the course budget will cover costs. Instead, place requests with the FHL Stockroom Manager, who will order the items on your course allowance. See our page on Course Planning & Procedures for more details.