3.02.20 - Faculty Professional Development

Policy Title: Faculty Professional Development

Impact: Faculty

Responsibility: Office of Instruction

Effective Date: 08/25/04

Last Update: 02/22/17

Relates to Procedure: 3.02.20

Legal Citation(s):

I. Policy Narrative

It is the policy of the college to support and reward faculty professional development, which contributes to achieving the mission of the college, sharing knowledge and skills among colleagues, and enhancing effectiveness in teaching and student learning.

North Idaho College and its faculty are committed to professional growth and development. Faculty utilize a Professional Development Plan (PDP) to establish professional goals and activities. Professional Development Units (PDU) are awarded for approved professional development activities.

Procedure Title: Faculty Professional Development

Impact: Faculty

Responsibility: Office of Instruction

Effective Date: 03/08/04

Last Update: 03/15/22

Relates to Policy: 3.02.20

Legal Citation(s):

I. Professional Development Plan Guidelines

1. The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is designed to encourage the systematic planning of professional goals by each faculty member.
2. Full-time faculty and part-time faculty employed for 60% or more of a full-time equivalent (FTE) are eligible to submit a PDP after 30 days of employmen
3. PDPs are submitted to the Office of Instruction for approval through the division chair and dean using the official PDP form. PDPs must be updated at least every three years and must be current to be eligible for PDP funds during a three-year cycle. The faculty member and appropriate division chair meet and agree on the goals and expected effort required to fulfill the PDP.  PDPs may be updated annually to reflect a faculty member’s professional goals, if deemed necessary by the faculty member or division cha
4. A current copy of the approved PDP will be provided to the applicant, division chair, and dean. A copy will be maintained in the Office of Instruction and in the faculty member’s

II. Financial Assistance for Professional Development

1. The college is committed to support the professional development of faculty with the provision of professional development fun To be eligible for professional development funds, an approved PDP must be on file with the Office of Instruction. The funds are available to individuals on a 3-year cycle.
2. Eligible participants may receive up to $1200 in PDP funds for each three-year cycle. Funds may be used in part at any time during that cycle with a maximum of $750 per yea Each cycle will begin on September 1 and end August 31, three years later.
3. The PDP funds are not part of the salary of a participant nor does any participant have any claims on the funds except through an approved professional development plan.
4. Professional development plan funds may be used for approved activities, such as credit classes, workshops, seminars, research, conferences, related materials such as books, work expected within an applicant’s discipline, and other approved activities.
5. Funding requests are made to the division chair and submitted to the Office of Instruction using the approved funding request form. Early submission of funding requests is encoura Receipts for related expenses must be submitted consistent with the published Office of Finance and Business expenditure guidelines for that year and will only apply to the current fiscal year. Related expenses incurred in one fiscal year will not be carried over into the following fiscal year.
6. Any discoveries or products that result from activities funded by Professional Development funds will be governed by current intellectual property and copyright standards.

III. College Provision of Professional Development Funds

1. The college will allocate at least $15,000 per year to the Professional Development (PDP) program. The Office of Instruction will evaluate the base allocation every three yea
2. Funds will be available for approved plans until the college allocation is exhau Early submission of funding requests is encouraged.
3. Should the college allocation during any given year not be used, the Chief Academic Officer may:
   1. Elect to use and/or encumber those funds for projects deemed appropriate for faculty development.
   2. Grant additional funds to individual faculty who apply within the published Office of Finance and Business expenditure timeline for that year.
4. Funding for Professional Development Plans is not intended to supplant normal division professional development funds, but may be used in conjunction with other institutional professional development funds.

IV. PDP Reports Administered by Chief Academic Officer

1. The Office of Instruction will maintain a current spreadsheet of activities, including account balances for individual participan The spreadsheet can be accessed by division chairs and deans at any time during the academic year. A faculty member can request an update on program participation from their division chair.
2. Faculty may request updated information about individual PDP and PDU status from the Office of Instruction.

V. Professional Development Unit (PDU) Guidelines

1. Professional Development Units are awarded for activities that promote professional growth of the faculty member, address a professional need of the department, or provide other benefits to students, the College, department, discipline or community. PDUs are evaluated on the basis of their relevance to these priorities and to the advancement of life-long learning, scholarly achievement, and leadership on a national, state, regional, or local level.
2. Faculty who are employed under a full-time or part-time contract at 60% FTE or more may apply for Professional Development Units (PDUs). Faculty members are required to have an approved Professional Development Plan on file before earning PDUs.
3. Faculty members are responsible for tracking their earned PDUs. Faculty members must use the approved form to submit PDUs to their division chair and dean for approval prior to the activity with final approval by the Office of Instruction.  Faculty must submit a PDU request at least two weeks prior to the activity commencing to guarantee all approvals. Requests submitted after that time will be considered if time allows.  If a request has been submitted well in advance of the activity, the approval from the division chair, dean, and Office of Instruction will occur within 30 days.
4. Evidence of completion of the activity should be submitted within two months of the completion date. Completion documentation submitted after that deadline will be subject to review by the Chief Academic Officer.
5. Graduate credits earned toward a degree program at an accredited public or private institution do not require prior PDU form approval if an approved PDP identifying the graduate program plan is on file with the Office of Instruction.

VI. Salary Implications of PDU

1. Professional development units are equivalent to academic credits within the faculty salary structure.
2. If a salary increase based on the current college salary schedule is anticipated for additional earned credits, faculty must inform the Chief Academic Officer and appropriate dean by April and must complete the PDU activity and provide any necessary documentation of completion by September 1 of the next contract year.
3. To achieve a salary increase, at least three of the professional development units must be in the form of academic credits from an accredited public or private institu The total number of credits must exceed what is required for column movement, 15.1 credits or PDUs.

VII. Activities Eligible for PDU Credit

1. Graduate credits and CTE college credits earned in the teaching discipline or related field at an accredited public or private institution of higher education are allowed as professional development activities without limit. One PDU will be granted for each semester credit or each 1.5 quarter credits as documented by an official transcript.
2. Evidence of completion of graduate courses will be documented with an official transcript provided annually to the Office of Instruction through the division chair and dean.
3. Other courses, including academic workshops and NIC PDUs provided by North Idaho College entities, undergraduate courses and courses outside the teaching area may be awarded PDUs. Prior PDU form approval must be obtained from the division chair, dean, and Office of Instruction.
4. Other Activities: Fractional PDUs are calculated based on the number of hours documented.

No more than five PDUs will be allowed for any one of the activities below in any one reporting year. These activities are eligible for PDU credit with the approval of the division chair and dean, after submitting the appropriate form, which includes a written explanation of the activity and how it supports the faculty member’s PDP.

Repetition of the same activity will not be allowed within a three-year cycle. For example, a person will not be allowed to repeat the same course, engage in a second year of identical work activity, attend an identical workshop, or travel to the same destination for the same purpose more than once within three years unless approved in advance by the Chief Academic Officer.

1. 1. Paid Field Work or Clinical Experience: 1 PDU/ 80 hours
      One PDU may be granted for 80 hours paid fieldwork or clinical experience. Supporting documentation must be presented, such as check stubs, a letter from an employer, and/or a work schedule and log showing the hours and activities.
   2. Conferences, Workshops and Seminars: 1 PDU/40 hours
      One PDU may be granted for 40 hours of attendance and participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars appropriate to the teaching Discipline. North Idaho College sponsored workshops (other than the NIC academic workshop provision above), workshops earning Continuing Education Units, or other approved activities appropriate to teaching discipline are all acceptable, regardless of whether the faculty member is reimbursed for costs of the activity. Time spent traveling to and from destinations is not included. Supporting documentation must be presented, such as agendas, programs, certificates, logs, and/or other papers indicating the activities and time involved.
   3. Travel: 1 PDU/ 120 hours
      One PDU may be granted for 120 hours of domestic or foreign travel that results in experiences directly related to the teaching discipline. Time spent traveling to and from destinations is not included. After completion of the activity, supporting documentation must be presented, such as an itinerary and a log indicating the educational activities pursued.
   4. Independent Research and Activities Related to Teaching: 1 PDU/60 hours
      One PDU may be granted for 60 hours of independent activities in the teaching discipline or in instructional methodology, beyond normal contractual obligations, which result in professional development, such as curriculum development, internships, and unpaid work experience or fieldwork. Supporting documentation must be presented.
   5. NIC PDU: 1 NIC PDU/15 hours
      NIC PDUs are allowed as professional development activities without limit. One PDU may be granted for each 15 hours of participation as documented by an official transcript.

 VIII. PDU Appeals

Unresolved differences between faculty and administration related to the acceptance of professional development units, appropriateness of a proposed activity, and/or the appropriate value of that activity shall be submitted, in writing, to an ad-hoc review committee of faculty and administration, that is appointed by the Office of Instruction, in agreement with the Faculty Assembly Chair, to resolve the issue in a fair and consistent manner. The decision of this committee shall be binding.