Release time granted during the academic year should be granted only for activities that benefit the College. All release time requests must be approved by the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.

The purposes for release time are:

a. administrative assistance
b. curriculum development
c. grant administration
d. special project

Guidelines in the utilization of release time:

a. developing program (one-to two-year limit)
b. individualized special program
c. laboratory responsibilities equated to credit
d. practicums involving high travel time and community coordination
e. single faculty in special program

Release time must be documented using Tidewater Community College form Release Time Request for Faculty (accessible after logging in to InsideTCC). Release time activities must be clearly stated with method and frequency of evaluation explained. Furthermore, benefits to the College derived from release time activities are to be described.

Assuming that ten office hours, at minimum, are maintained by faculty, release time should be granted based on a ratio of thirty clock hours per credit per semester.

At the end of the release time period, the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs is to receive a summary of activities performed during the release time period, along with a final evaluation by the immediate supervisor. The final evaluation should be retained in Vice President’s Office for a period of one year following the end of the release time period.

Release time may be granted as often as deemed necessary to meet and further the college goals and objectives.

Release time for a single faculty member for a period of one semester, not exceeding three semester hours, may be granted by the Vice President without presidential approval.

When it is anticipated that a faculty member will be granted release time exceeding six semester hours per academic year, approval by the president may be granted with the submission of one request. For example, if a faculty member receives five semester hours release time every semester to coordinate the scheduling and offering of music classes, one request for ten semester hours release time may be submitted rather than two requests on a semester basis for five semester hours each semester.

If you are unable to access the Release Time Request for Faculty form on InsideTCC, contact the TCC HelpDesk@tcc.edu