University Policy
The University expects employees to be at work as scheduled and to avoid unscheduled absences whenever possible. Faculty should refer to the university’s IPPM for information regarding absenteeism, sick leave, and other types of employee leave. Part-time faculty should also refer to their respective CBA for more information.
Policy Application at the College of Performing Arts
Any circumstance in which a faculty member will miss a class session without arrangements being made as a part of the course planning process shall be considered an instructor absence. Instructor absences may be either planned or unplanned. In either case, faculty are responsible for developing an Absence Plan to indicate whether the class should be conducted as scheduled with a substitute or rescheduled and conducted by said Faculty member.
Absence Plan Options
Faculty may choose one of the following three options for an Absence Plan:
- Make-up Session
Faculty may schedule a make-up class session to cover an absence for a scheduled class session. Make-up classes must occur within the same semester in which the course is scheduled. For the Spring 2024 semester, the designated university make-up days are Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15. Faculty are encouraged to schedule make-up sessions on these University-designated make-up days, or may propose an alternative day that is mutually agreed upon by the instructor and the students in the class. All requests for reserving a make-up class must be placed according to the below procedure.
The procedure for Absence Plans involving a Make-up Session is as follows:
1. Absent faculty member notifies the students in their class via Canvas or email that they will be absent for the class, as well as the tentative plan to schedule a make-up session.
2. Absent faculty member submits the CoPA Faculty Absence Form to communicate their Absence Plan to the Administration, including the proposed date, time, and location for the make-up class. Room Scheduling requires a minimum of five (5) business days to process requests for make-up room reservations.
3. Room Scheduling reviews the make-up request and notifies the absent faculty member once the reservation for the make-up class has been confirmed.
4. Absent faculty member notifies the students in their class via Canvas or email with the time and location of the make-up class.
Substitute Instructor
Faculty may arrange for a substitute instructor to teach a scheduled class session in place of the absent faculty member. Substitute Instructors cannot teach make-up sessions. Faculty are solely responsible for identifying and confirming the availability of a substitute instructor.
For Courses in the School of Drama, Mannes School of Music, or Cross-College programs (MM, Performer-Composer, MA, Arts Management and Entrepreneurship, CoPA Core courses):
All substitutes must be employees of The New School as Full-Time Faculty or UAW Local 7902 Part-Time Faculty as of the date of the substitute service. Faculty who seek to engage a substitute who is not a current faculty member must receive explicit approval from Stephen Brown-Fried, Vice Dean of Curriculum and Learning. In such cases, the absent faculty member must propose the substitute via email to Stephen Brown-Fried at least four weeks prior to the class meeting date. In cases where there are fewer than four weeks prior to an absence, Faculty must make every effort to identify a qualified current faculty member. The rate of pay for substitute instructors is equivalent to their respective UAW 7902 teaching rate based on the category of the course (e.g. Lecture/Seminar, Studio, Major Lessons, Non-Major Lessons). Substitute payment is generated via the absent faculty member’s submission of the College of Performing Arts Faculty Absence Form.
For Courses in the School of Jazz & Contemporary Music only:
All substitutes must be employees of The New School as Full-Time Faculty, Local 802 Part-Time Faculty, or Part-Time Teaching Staff as of the date of the substitute service. Faculty who seek to engage a substitute who is not a current faculty member or teaching staff must communicate this plan at least three weeks in advance via a submission of the College of Performing Arts Faculty Absence Form, to allow for payroll onboarding and determination of work eligibility. In the event that the substitute is determined to be ineligible, Faculty will need to identify an alternative substitute instructor. In cases where there are fewer than three weeks prior to an absence, Faculty must make every effort to identify a qualified current faculty member or teaching staff. The rate of pay for substitutes is $120 for out-of-unit Teaching Staff and is equivalent to the substitute instructor’s classroom teaching rate for in-unit Faculty. Substitute payment is generated via the absent faculty member’s submission of the College of Performing Arts Faculty Absence Form.
The procedure for Absence Plans involving a Substitute Instructor is as follows:
1. Absent faculty member notifies the students in their class via Canvas or email that they will be absent for the class, as well as the tentative plan to hold class as scheduled with a substitute instructor.
2. Absent faculty member identifies a prospective substitute instructor for the course and confirms their availability.
3. Absent faculty member submits the CoPA Faculty Absence Form to communicate their absence plan to the administration.
4. If applicable, Part-Time Faculty only*: Absent faculty member submits the Benefits SSL and Emergency Instance Request Form to request the usage of a Safe/Sick Leave balance or an Emergency Instance.
*Visit the University’s PTF Contract Implementation Hub for information about the University’s Safe and Sick Leave and Emergency Instance Procedure
Change of Modality
Aside from absences due to university-recognized religious observance, Faculty may not change the modality of a course unless they receive written approval from their program/dean’s office representative. To explore an Absence Plan involving a Change of Modality, email your program/dean’s office representative as well as the Vice Dean of Curriculum & Learning, Stephen Brown-Fried.
Classes Missed Due To Religious Observance
Faculty who intend to observe a religious holiday that conflicts with a scheduled class session are encouraged to utilize the University-designated make-up days to reschedule missed classes. Any alternate class sessions should be outlined in the course syllabus. Alternatively, Faculty may use Canvas to deliver course content asynchronously if a class cannot meet because of religious observance. Plans for asynchronous delivery under these circumstances should be communicated to the appropriate program/dean’s office representative. In all cases, faculty must submit the CoPA Faculty Absence Form to communicate their Absence Plan to the Administration.
Multiple Subsequent Absences
Should a faculty member anticipate multiple subsequent absences, they should contact their program/dean’s office as soon as possible so that longer-range contingency planning can occur in collaboration with the appropriate program/dean’s office representative.