Become an Instructor
Overview
Thank you for your interest in teaching for the Santa Fe College Community Education program! We are actively seeking to broaden and enrich our current class offerings to better serve the wants and needs of our community. There are a few conditions regarding instruction within our program that you should know before you make the decision on whether to pursue your application.
We would like you to read the Faculty Handbook and be aware of the important dates for Community Education. Most of our classes come from submitted course proposals, so if you have an idea for a class, and the desire to teach, please submit your proposal.
Enrollment Requirements: Teachers who propose new classes should be aware that courses approved for publication are not income generating for teachers until the class actually opens with adequate enrollment.
Compensation: Teachers of fee-based classes are paid a starting salary of $20 per hour for regular classes if the course meets the minimum enrollment requirement and are paid for instructional time only (a few exceptions do exist based on the type of class if you run a private business). The variation in starting hourly pay is due to individuals who specialize in computer, art, and fitness courses and will typically be paid $25 per hour.
You are also welcome to volunteer as an instructor. We love volunteers! Employment with Santa Fe College is on a session-by-session, short-term basis.
Teacher Credentials: Courses that are offered on a fee basis to the community require related instructor experience, but no formal teacher credentials (depending on type of class). However, all teachers are required by law to be fingerprinted and cleared by HR before the course commences.
If you continue to have interest in working with us, please complete a course proposal form below and return it with your resume so we have an idea of your class time requirement, target audience, and major focus. This will enable us to determine whether it will mesh with our present schedule of classes. Following a review of your course proposal, we will contact you to discuss the possibility of offering your course.
Thank you for your interest in our program.
Please submit your Course Proposal.
Background Information: Santa Fe College Community Education program serves approximately 10,000 lifelong learners each year at its three campuses in Gainesville and outlying areas in Alachua/Bradford Counties. We offer a diverse array of classes each term, from art to foreign language, personal and professional development to health and fitness. The program is self-supporting and funded entirely by class fees. A portion of enrollment fees is returned to the school where the class is taught, enabling the Community Education program to benefit the schools by funding improvements and acquisitions.
Our instructors frequently comment that we have delightful, interesting students, reflective of Alachua/Bradford County’s population. Class compositions can vary from session to session, and may be diverse in age, abilities, and interests. Most students are actively engaged in their pursuits and are motivated by a desire to discover, making them ideal learners.
Community Education does not require its instructors to have credentials. The most important qualities for success as a lifelong learning instructor are passion for your subject, a desire to share your knowledge, and excellent presentation skills.
We operate a year-round program; all terms are six weeks in length. Our winter term runs from January to early March; spring from late March to May; summer from early June to the mid-July, Fall A from early September to mid-October and Fall B to from late October to early December. Classes held at our local high school and middle school campuses meet Monday – Thursday, Santa Fe College’s campus classes meet afternoons and evenings, in addition to some Saturdays. Several off-campus businesses hold classes with varying time/day offerings.
Guidelines for Designing Classes: Our classes are designed to appeal to the diverse interests and needs of the seven segments of lifelong learners that our program addresses:
- Senior adults
- Baby boomers
- Gen X-ers/Gen Y-ers
- Bilingual learners
- High school students (homeschool and CFK programs)
- Middle school students (homeschool and CFK programs)
While there is no predictable formula for success, there are some general guidelines we use to create new classes. The following points are suggestions. Please review for answers to our most commonly asked questions regarding new class proposals. Final decisions on all courses are made by the Program Director.
Description and Title - Try to describe your class in a way that is appealing to your target segment, and clearly describe what your potential students will take away from your course. Titles should be succinct, simple, positive, and catchy.
Hours and Days - Since a majority of SF Community Education students are working adults, most of our classes begin after 6pm Exceptions are classes aimed at our senior adult classes; however, many facilities at our high school and middle school sites are not available until after 4pm Most classes are held Monday through Thursday, with exceptions made for Saturday workshops.
Duration - The content of your class will determine how long it will run each meeting, and for how many sessions. Unless the class is physically active, such as dance or exercise, we generally recommend that it not meet for more than two hours an evening. Classes may be as brief as one evening, or run for the entire six-week session. Bear in mind that a six-week commitment may be difficult for most adults, and attendance may fade around the sixth week.
Cost - Classes are priced according to a preset fee structure. We work to keep the cost low, competitive, and consistent. We are a fee-based program, with our fees covering the instructor’s salary, district overhead expenses, and the production and distribution of 75,000 quarterly catalogues to Alachua & Bradford County residents.
Location - In addition to our six Santa Fe College campuses, Westwood Middle School and Gainesville High School, we offer courses at several offsite locations/businesses throughout Alachua and Bradford County.
Planning - We work months in advance in order to schedule more than 165 classes per term. Our deadlines are a full six weeks in advance of scheduled publication of our brochure.
Benefits of Teaching for SF Community Education
If you have a talent, gift, unique skillset, or business that you would like to share, teaching a course for Santa Fe Community Education is a great way to earn extra money while performing a valuable service to the community! If your class proposal is accepted, you’ll become our partner and a member of the Santa Fe College family.
Experience as a Community Education instructor gives individuals visibility in Alachua County. Your name and course information will be published in our printed catalog, which is mailed to approx. 20,000 households in Alachua and Bradford counties five times per year. Additionally, all of the information in our printed catalog will be showcased on our website at sfcollege.edu/communityed.
As a fee-based non-profit, we start most of our new instructors at $15- $20 per hour. Exceptions exist for independent contractors and type of class.
The first step is to fill out a proposal at sfcollege.edu/communityed. Click on the “Instructors” link on the menu to the left of the screen, then click “submit course proposal.” This will provide you the form that asks most of the questions we require in order to consider your class. Upon acceptance you will be sent an employee packet with instructions on being fingerprinted and where to send the completed packet.
Thanks for your interest. We look forward to working with you to offer a successful class!
Helpful Links
Pay stub information is available through the Payroll or Human Resources Offices.
Please contact Human Resources at 352-395-5185 or Payroll at 352-395-5927.