Mentor and observe CIS instructors by visiting their classrooms to ensure the U of M course content is being taught in this section, observe university pedagogies, student rapport and discourse, and if appropriate for the visit, to connect students with the discipline.
C3 NACEP Standard: Faculty liaisons conduct site visits to observe course content and delivery, student discourse and rapport to ensure the courses offered through the concurrent enrollment program are equivalent to the courses offered on campus.
Visit at least once every three years.
Visit instructors new to your cohort during the instructor's first term or year of teaching with CIS.
Schedule and request the self-assessment in advance.
Following each class observation: complete the site visit form and submit your letter or Faculty Site Visit/Observation Report
Host a discussion to debrief the visit and observations with the CIS instructor.
Submit mileage requests in Chrome River
A CIS site visit is another opportunity for collegial interaction and to ensure that the U of M course taught in the high school is the same as, or comparable to, the course taught on the U of M campus. Site visits are required as a NACEP-accredited program.
CIS site visits include: a class observation, an opportunity to see the CIS instructor present and observe course delivery, and to hear and/or see evidence of student discourse, rapport and course artifacts. It is an opportunity for faculty to connect with instructors regarding course content, collegiate pedagogy, and student learning.
Site visits may include demonstrations, lectures and other faculty contributions in addition to the faculty site visit purposes. Additional site visits may be made for a variety of reasons including observation of multiple types of pedagogy, student performance, mentoring, and to provide lectures and/or lessons directly to students.
To maximize the value of the site visit, CIS is asking the faculty coordinator to contact the instructor with the following questions in advance of a site visit. The intent is to provide the instructor with time to reflect and write responses and return these to the faculty coordinator 2-3 days before they meet.
What is your greatest pedagogical challenge in teaching this class?
What are the logistical or administrative issues you are dealing with this term?
Describe the dynamics of this class. Are there any classroom management issues?
What else would you like the faculty coordinator to know before s/he makes a site visit to your class?
Provide site visit feedback to the instructor in discussion and in writing.
Written feedback may follow a departmental feedback form or process, peer review forms from the department, letters, a “transcript” describing the observation with added feedback, and other styles. It is a collegial report that provides balanced critical feedback as appropriate and gives the instructor valuable discipline specific understandings.
CIS Liaisons are available to discuss the observation if consultation is desired.
Schedule a time to discuss and debrief the observation. Additional topics of interest or concern regarding the course may be agreed upon and addressed.
Where there are concerns regarding the observation, a plan for follow-up is documented. As the issue is resolved, please make note in MyCIS.
Instructors may share their U of M site visit feedback reports with high school administrators and department chairs.
Ask the CIS instructor you are visiting if it would be useful or advisable to meet the principal or assistant principal before or after doing the class site visit. This meeting, even if short, reinforces the fact that the University pays attention to what happens in the CIS sections of its courses. This meeting need not be the occasion for providing feedback about the CIS instructor’s teaching but can be simply an opportunity to “put a face with a name” and to express appreciation for the school’s partnership in CIS.
CIS faculty coordinators and faculty coordinator assistants will be asked to include, at a minimum, the information requested on the faculty site visit/observation report
CIS requires a copy of the site visit report or letter. You may share a copy with the CIS instructor as well.
The faculty site visit is a valued opportunity for CIS instructors to share discipline-specific feedback and serves as documentation for meeting NACEP standards when applying for reaccreditation.
Note: If the classroom observation raises serious concerns about the effectiveness and/or competency of the instructor, discuss the situation with your CIS course liaison or contact CIS associate director as well. A plan of action to address the concern must be recorded on the Faculty Site Visit/Observation Report form.
Submit reimbursement requests through Chrome River.
Your college or department has staff members who can help you move through the Chrome River process.
If you have questions specific to your CIS reimbursements, please contact our office.
Introduction: U Travel Chrome River (YouTube video)
Chrome River at the University of Minnesota (U of M Training)
Request reimbursement for mileage incurred when visiting CIS instructors. Mileage reimbursements can be requested using Chrome River.
Submit your reimbursement requests within 60 days from when the visit was made. If reconciliations for all cards are not done within the time requirement, the amounts may be reported as taxable income to the cardholder. Submit all mileage reimbursement requests for the school year by June 30.
You do not need to create a Pre-Approval in Chrome River for mileage reimbursement
If you will make multiple site visits in a 60-day period, you can save them in draft status until you have a substantive amount for reimbursement
Account Numbers
For travel in the 7-county metro area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington), use the Travel Local (720609) account number.
For travel outside the 7-county metro area, use the Travel Minnesota (720601) account number.
Use the College in the Schools ChartField string 1026-10918-20031 (CCAPS College in the Schools Credit Instruction). When you use that ChartField string it will trigger an email to the CIS office to approve the expense.
Per the University's Business Expense policy, meals purchased while traveling for a CIS faculty site visit are not reimbursable unless you are in travel status (defined as a trip that requires an overnight stay) or if the travel requires your work day to extend beyond 12 hours.
Contact Emily Hanson, Program Director, in advance if you expect to conduct a faculty site visit to a CIS partner school that will require an overnight stay or you expect that travel will extend your work day beyond 12 hours.
Account Numbers
Use account number 720103
Use the College in the Schools ChartField string 1026-10918-20031 (CCAPS College in the Schools Credit Instruction). When you use that ChartField string it will trigger an email to the CIS office to approve the expense.