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Institutional Research and Planning Professional Development Needs Assessment Findings and Recommendations Institutional Research and Planning 2/29/2016
Institutional Research and Planning
Professional Development Needs Assessment
Findings and Recommendations
Institutional Research and Planning
2/29/2016
1
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 2
Format.......................................................................................................................................... 2
Topics .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Overall Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 2
Background ........................................................................................................................... 3
Demographics & Previous Attendance ......................................................................................... 3
Results .................................................................................................................................. 6
Professional Development Preferences........................................................................................ 6
Potential Workshop Offerings ..................................................................................................... 10
Technology Related Topics ........................................................................................................ 12
Pedagogy Related Topics .......................................................................................................... 14
Leadership Related Topics ......................................................................................................... 14
Additional Professional Development Activities .......................................................................... 15
Collaborative Trainings ............................................................................................................... 16
Additional & Open-ended Questions .......................................................................................... 17
Implications & Recommendations ....................................................................................... 19
2
Executive Summary
The following section serves as an executive summary for the 2016 Professional Development Needs Assessment. The executive summary is divided into three parts for ease of reference and convenience: format, topics, and overall recommendations. Please refer to the results section for extended results and employee comments. Format Employees had some flexibility within their preferred professional development formats. Employees noted preferring workshops (75.0%), professional meetings and conferences (60.9%), and speakers (54.7%). Additionally, nearly all employees noted a preference for having professional development events and activities at Cypress College (97.0%), while a large amount of employees also noted that they would attend trainings and workshops online (78.3%). Employees’ comments also indicated an openness to attend professional development events at local hotels, businesses, and surroundings. Most employees displayed an interest in attending professional development activities before the start of a semester or during summer. For professional development activities during the semester, most preferred having workshops and events in the afternoons as opposed to the mornings. Moreover, having workshops on Fridays during the semester would allow for the most attendance, when taking into account employee availability. Topics
Overall, employees noted their top professional development needs as those pertaining to
specialized topics in leadership training and pedagogy related practices. More specifically, 84.5% of employees noted interest in trainings on habits of good leaders, and 80.7% of employees reported interest in having a training on teaching excellence and best practices. Additionally, in relation to leadership training, employees reported having interest for trainings on crisis intervention (76.9%) and conflict resolution (76.7%). Most importantly, 92.5% of employees noted the importance of having ongoing professional development for their careers; thus, employees understand the importance of professional development. With most employees noting the importance of professional development, most (79.1%) also noted the importance of having a dedicated, on-campus, space for professional development activities and trainings.
Employees left an ample amount of comments regarding additional professional
development activities, trainings, and workshops of interest. Within these comments, specific convergent themes emerged related to working with specific technologies and special populations of students. More specifically, employees reported interest in workshops and trainings related best practices for teaching and helping with DSS, veteran, and ESL students alongside working with angry or troubled students. Additionally, employees noted technology related trainings of interest including student learning outcome (SLO) and assessment processes, Canvas, and mentorship. Overall Recommendations The most commonly noted suggestions for professional development included increasing accessibility, salary advancement options, and the amount of events and activities related to specialized topics. Employees recommended having an increased number of professional development events and workshops that would qualify for salary advancement options. However, comments emphasized the inclusion of staff or faculty at the top of their step sequences to allow them to have additional advancement opportunities. Additionally, adjunct faculty who left comments within the survey noted that professional development activities could be more adjunct-friendly to make adjuncts feel more welcome and part of the campus community. Most employees supported having a dedicated, centralized, space for professional development events and activities to allow for increased visibility of events and increased attendance.
3
Background
The Institutional Research and Planning office, in collaboration with the Professional Development Committee (PDC), developed a survey to help determine the needs of Cypress College employees in relation to their preferences for professional development. The survey was distributed to all employees in February 2016 and remained open for a three-week period to allow for ample responses. The survey was divided into nine sections: 1) demographics and previous attendance, 2) preferences, 3) potential workshops, 4) technology, 5) pedagogy, 6) leadership, 7) additional activities, 8) collaborative trainings, and 9) additional and open-ended questions. Demographics & Previous Attendance
Overall, 136 employees responded to the survey; all employee groups had adequate representation within the sample. Additionally, employees were split regarding their workshop and presentation attendance, where half noted that they attended workshops and presentations aside from opening day. Most employees cited inconvenient times, disinterest in topics, and other reasons as the main reasons why they did not participate in professional development activities (see Figures 1-4).
Figure 1. Employee group of survey respondents.
Figure 2. Professional development committee event attendance excluding opening day.
31.6%
20.6%
36.8%
11.0%
Adjunct Faculty (n = 43) Classified & Confidential Employees (n = 28)
Full-time Faculty (n = 50) Managers (n = 15)
51.9%
48.1%
Yes (n = 70) No (n = 65)
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Figure 3. Average hours spent participating in PDC sponsored on campus professional development activities and events.
Figure 4. Reasons for non-participation in the college’s professional development activities. Employees who reported non-participation due to “other” reasons elaborated on their specific reasons for non-attendance. More specifically, employees mainly noted having other obligations and lack of time as primary reasons for non-attendance. Additionally, some adjunct employees noted that their full-time positions kept them from attending sessions. Verbatim comments are located below.
childcare issues
conflict with other appointments
Don't have the time to attend.
I am full time High School French Teacher, I was in class.
32.4%
17.6%
24.3%
11.0%
4.4% 2.9%7.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0 hours (n =44)
1-2 hours (n =24)
3-4 hours (n =33)
5-6 hours (n =15)
7-8 hours (n =6)
9-10 hours (n =4)
> 10 hours (n =10)
24.3%
13.2% 11.8%8.1% 7.4% 6.6% 6.6% 5.1% 5.1% 2.9% 0.7%
0%
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5
I am new here this spring
Information provided is very basic and at a introductory level.
just started working here
Lack of time
My full-time position is 54 miles away and as such, does not allow for my participation
New on a job so cannot afford to take time off away from ongoing projects
Not necessarily inconvenient times; I just have other obligations.
Nothing offered that I needed.
Out of the office
The topics did not develop me or my skills in a professional manner, and some were very political.
Too busy
working at 2 other schools
Employees also noted if they attended conferences as a form of professional development. Most employees reported that they attend local conferences for professional development (55.9%, n = 76). Additionally, most employees noted attending one to two conferences per year, on average (see Figures 5-6).
Figure 5. Employees’ reported conference attendance habits.
Figure 6. Employees’ reported average frequency of conference attendance per year.
27.9%
55.9%
39.7%
21.3%
2.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
No (n = 38) Yes, localconferences (n = 76)
Yes, regionalconferences (n = 54)
Yes, nationalconferences (n = 29)
Yes, internationalconferences (n = 4)
27.9%
52.9%
14.7%
4.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0 (n = 38) 1-2 (n = 72) 3-4 (n = 20) 5+ (n = 6)
6
Results
Results are divided into the following survey sections below: 1) preferences, 2) potential
workshops, 3) technology, 4) pedagogy, 5) leadership, 6) additional activities, 7) collaborative trainings, and 8) additional and open-ended questions. Overall implications and recommendations are presented at the close of the report. Additionally, differences by employee group are presented where applicable. Professional Development Preferences Employees responded to a series of questions regarding their most preferred professional development formats (see Figure 7). Most employees noted that workshops, professional meetings and conferences, and speakers were the most effective delivery methods for professional development. In contrast, employees identified Faculty Interest Groups (FIGs), Discussions, and Email as the least effective delivery formats for professional development. Additionally, most employees noted that they would be either very likely or likely to attend professional development events at either Cypress College, online, or at the District (see Figure 8).
Figure 7. Most effective professional development delivery formats.
Figure 8. Employees’ likeliness to attend professional development events.
75.0%
60.9%54.7%
34.6% 34.1% 33.6%25.6% 25.0%
18.7%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
97.0%
78.3%
67.5%
55.7% 55.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Cypress College (n =129)
Online (n = 90) The District (n = 79) Fullerton College (n= 63)
Other (n = 30)
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When asked about other locations that employees would attend for professional development, 30 employees provided responses. Most employees that responded to this question commented that they would attend professional development events at local hotels or venues. Verbatim comments are located below.
After 40 years of teaching English at Cypress College, I am retiring in May, so it is highly unlikely that I will participate in any presentations/workshops.
Any location within the area
Anywhere in the Southland
Banquet Halls that include families, Hotels, and the like.
Events offered by other organizations off campus
Honestly, if the workshop is interesting and worthwhile my time, I'll make allowances in my schedule unless I am teaching. My preference is to go to professional conferences that pertain to my discipline.
Hotels
Local business
Local hotels are recreational places
Local or national conferences
Local surroundings
Local venues - hotel conferences, etc.
Locally presented of special interest or to update knowledge and skills
Locally presented workshops and conferences, drive to locations if I have the time.
Los Angeles
near my home
Off site workshops hosted by known and reliable organizations.
open
Parking is too difficult at the district.
TESOL related ones
The District
The District office is too hard to park at. I can't even find parking to go in to ask a question. Everyone is ticket-happy there!
Additionally, employees noted when they would be most likely to attend professional
development events. Most employees reported that they would want to attend events before the start of the semester, while over half of all employees also noted that they would attend professional development events during the semester (see Figure 8). Moreover, a small amount of employees reported that they would attend events at other times. These employees mostly noted that summer and in-between fall and spring were the best times for professional development activities. Verbatim comments are located below.
During afternoon, or the weekend because I am teaching full time
During longer breaks
During the first quarter of the semester -- before things get too busy
Fridays
I attend when I am able - mostly weekends
Later in spring semester; intersession; June
Not during week 15 or 16
Please not the first or last week of any semester. Not during stading meetings.
Summer
Summer
Summer and winter intersessions
Summer, right after the Spring semester is over
Too hectic during the semester and we take time from students. Summer or winter break is best.
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Figure 8. Employees’ likeliness to attend professional development events at different times. Employees noted their interest levels for professional development delivery methods, potential days and times for activities, and their reasons for non-participation in spring 2016 (see Figures 9-11). Most employees reported that they would prefer to attend a professional development series with multiple sessions over time. Additionally, employees reported preferring afternoon sessions instead of morning sessions. Friday remained the day in which the most employees noted that they had availability to attend professional development presentations and workshops. Most employees noted that they would not attend professional development sessions in spring 2016 if the times were inconvenient and the topics were not interesting.
Figure 9. Employees level of interest for various professional development delivery methods.
58.1%52.9%
47.1%
11.0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Pre-semester (n = 79) During the semester (n =72)
Post-semester (n = 64) Other (n = 15)
72.5%
57.3%53.7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Multiple shorter sessions over time(n = 92)
Day-long sessions (n = 71) Online (n = 59)
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Figure 10. Professional development session day and time preferences for fall 2016.
Figure 11. Potential reasons for non-attendance in professional development activities in spring 2016. Employees who noted that they may not attend professional development events in spring 2016 for other reasons elaborated on their answers. Some employees reported being too busy to attend while others noted that the content was not relevant to their positions. Verbatim comments are reported below.
Childcare
Do adjunct really count? We make the college look good. We don't get acknowledgment.
Doing too much already.
13.2% 11.8%
18.4%14.0%
52.2%
27.2% 29.4% 29.4%32.4%
40.4%
0%
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20%
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40%
50%
60%
70%
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100%
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Morning Afternoon
68.4%
39.7%
21.3% 20.6% 20.6%16.9%
13.2% 11.8% 11.0%8.1%
1.5%
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40%
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10
Don't have the time to be away from the office
i live over 50 miles from campus. So im willing to attend on days I am already on campus.
I'm too busy
Invested in discipline specific workshops and events in Los Angeles.
It is normal for me to have to respond last minute to maintenance emergencies.
Just too busy :(
No childcare opportunities offered on campus. No advancement in salary for those already at class F.
Not enough time.
Not relevant.
Professional Development offered does not apply to my profession.
Retirement pending
The content is very basic. Also if it is not related to my current position is it very difficult to
Too many other things that need to be done: SLOs, service on committees, etc.
Topics were not germane to my assignment or position Potential Workshop Offerings Employees noted which of the potential workshop offerings would be important to their professional development needs. More specifically, employees ranked the workshops on differences in learning and teaching styles, critical thinking in the classroom, and working with angry or troubled students as the top three workshops that are most important to their professional development needs. In contrast, employees ranked workshops on grade management systems, section 508 accessibility issues, and accessibility in the classroom as the least important to their professional development needs (see Figure 12).
Figure 12. Employee rankings of potential workshop opportunities.
53.7%50.7%
47.1%46.3%44.1%42.6%41.2%
34.6%33.8%33.1%27.2%25.0%
14.0%13.2%12.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
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100%
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Employees also noted other workshop offerings that would be beneficial to their professional development. Employee comments centered on a variety of topics. The most commonly noted topics included working with veteran students, SLO assessment, and CANVAS. Other commonly reported topics included best practices in the classroom and working with advanced technology platforms. Verbatim comments are located below.
A critical thinking discussion on whether the methods used by Cypress and Fullerton College to assess SLOs are statistically valid. This should be led by a Ph.D. in Statistics who has no connection of any kind with CC, FC, SCE, and the NOCCCD.
Activities use in class
Best practices among colleagues.
Blended classroom activities
Bring back the methodological approach to teacher training that used to be taught in courses for the community college credential. Professional development means that we should develop our profession, as professionals: help make us better teachers, not just mindless automatons or auxiliary service workers.
Fostering a sense of community Student Support Services
Growth Mindset
How to create PDF forms with drop-down menus/editable fields, etc.
How to teach and evaluate students, how to test and grade in a fair and appropriate manner for all students, how to deal with difficult people,
How to use Turnitin.com. How to use develop websites (the Cypress College instructor website is inadequate). How to create keyword search optimization to compete with proprietary schools.
How to work with veteran students and LGBT students
I would like Thich Nhat Hanh to come to campus and give a talk and meditation session. I realize this may not be "professional development" by strict definitions, but I think it would help us develop in many ways which supplement professional growth.
It is very frustrating that all staff in a higher education setting do not possess at least a beginners level in software that has been utilized in business offices for 20 years. I would like to see workshops offered where all staff could test and assess their knowledge of Word, Excel and Outlook. I think all staff should be evaluated on their computer skills to ensure they remain current with standard business office software.
Mine are specific to advancing my literacy and advancing skills in my discipline and developing professional collaborations that provide advancement fir my students' professional and educational goals.
Need a hands-on help with some of our current materials. Always get a presentation, but left to figure out how to fix a Word accessibility problem. Where do we go for help?
Pedagogical approaches.
Respecting each other's roles in a professional environment.
SLOs SHOLD NOT be on the list. This time-consuming task for which faculty are not compensated was foisted upon our profession by the ACCJC. Moreover, the data collected is completely invalid. No one wanted to hear colleagues sing about SLOs on Opening Day several years ago, and no one wants to hear our over-paid SLO coordinator preach about their virtues today.
Technology
Understanding the contract and faculty rights. Understanding the procedures involved in scheduling and understanding what drives decisions made by deans and other administrators regarding faculty scheduling, curriculum, SLO, one time funding, supply budget funding.
We need a workshop on teaching online classes. Currently, the only way to do this is through a half-semester online class mandated to teach online classes. But this has proven to be inconvenient for many because it is only offered in the second half of the semester
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when faculty are busy with midterms, papers, etc. A workshop to supplement this would be beneficial to many faculty.
When are CANVAS classes going to be offered?
When are we getting workshops on Canvas?
Working with Student Leaders, Providing professional development workshops for Student Leaders, Addressing Fear-based Management, Collaborative Outreach Discussion Groups
Working with veteran students
Employees also noted their professional development needs in relation to non-academic trainings and workshops. Half of all employees surveyed noted having an interest in retirement planning and wellness workshops. In contrast, employees did not express interest in having workshops on office procedures and elder care (see Figure 13). Other non-academic trainings and workshops that employees noted included “budget and management,” “financial planning, technology apps,” “how to rise up the ladder of promotion in this organization,” and having a “leadership institute.”
Figure 13. Employees’ ranking of non-academic potential trainings and workshop offerings. Technology Related Topics
Cypress College employees noted their level of interest in various technological trainings. Most employees reported that they were either very interested or interested in creating instructional videos, utilizing videos in class, and utilizing cell phone applications in class. Additionally, employees also reported interest in additional trainings for Blackboard, Office 365, and creating podcasts, alongside trainings for homepage development. In contrast, employees noted that they were least interested in technological professional development workshops on instructional blogging, technology round table discussions, and ARGOS (see Figures 14-15).
51.5% 50.0%
41.9% 39.7%
25.0%
12.5%
3.7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Retirementplanning (n =
70)
Wellness (n =68)
Effectivecommunication
(n = 57)
Careeradvancement
(n = 54)
Officeprocedures (n
= 34)
Elder care (n =17)
Other (n = 5)
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Figure 14. Highest ranked preferred technology related trainings.
Figure 15. Lowest ranked preferred technology related trainings.
Employees also commented on additional technology related trainings that they had interest in. Overall, most employees noted that they were interested in CANVAS trainings, alongside trainings on smart phone and tablet applications. Verbatim comments are located below.
animation technology
AutoCAD REVIT
Canvas
Community building with technology
DegreeWorks and OnBase
How to protect ourselves from invasive hacking by students and/or administrators
I am not a faculty member but I would like to be more technology savvy with the apps available to students on campus like electronic ed plans, twitter, etc. This would be more for my personal growth and knowledge.
67.9%63.1% 61.0% 60.4% 60.4% 60.4% 59.6% 59.2% 57.5% 54.1%
0%
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20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
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50.0% 50.0% 50.0% 48.4% 48.4%44.0% 43.7% 43.3% 40.9% 40.6%
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40%
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Is there an ability to turn off wifi access in the classroom to disable phones/laptop surfing?
Manufacturer specific and curriculum development courses
We need a workshop on teaching online classes. Currently, the only way to do this is through a half-semester online class mandated to teach online classes. But this has proven to be inconvenient for many because it is only offered in the second half of the semester when faculty are busy with midterms, papers, etc. A workshop to supplement this would be beneficial to many faculty.
It is very frustrating that all staff in a higher education setting do not possess at least a beginners level in software that has been utilized in business offices for 20 years. I would like to see workshops offered where all staff could test and assess their knowledge of Word, Excel and Outlook. I think all staff should be evaluated on their computer skills to ensure they remain current with standard business office software.
The various Financial screens in Banner in depth.
When are we getting workshops on this mandatory Canvas we need to start knowing about?????
Wordpress
Work related smart phone/tablet apps for non-academic. Pedagogy Related Topics Employees had a high level of interest in all pedagogy related trainings (see Figure 16). More specifically, employees had the most interest in learning about teaching excellence and best practices. Other comments that employees had for pedagogy related topics are reported below.
Again, my investments are specific to my discipline and involve commuting to Los Angeles.
Best practices for ESL, Vets
Field-dependent methodology
Figure 16. Employee interest in pedagogy related trainings. Leadership Related Topics Employees noted their level of interest regarding various leadership related training topics. Most employees reported being very interested or interested in workshops regarding habits of good leaders, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution. In contrast, employees reported having the least amount of interest for workshops regarding purchasing campus and district procedures and forms along with purchasing procedures (see Figure 17).
80.7%
64.9% 63.0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Teaching excellence & bestpractices (n = 96)
Mentoring (n = 74) Learning Communities (n = 70)
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Figure 17. Employee interest in leadership related topics. Employees also reported additional leadership related trainings that they had interest in. More specifically, employees addressed various other leadership related trainings including identifying and referring mentally ill students to resources, the shared-governance process, and funding processes. Verbatim comments are located below.
Addressing and dealing with fear-based management styles
Division and department specific information regarding scheduling. Department specific information regarding funding.
How to ensure that shared governance is taken seriously by administration.
How to identify, refer for help, and deal with mentally ill students and staff. What to report and how to get them help.
Respecting each other's roles as professionals Additional Professional Development Activities Employees noted their level of interest in various additional activities and trainings related to cultural activities, health and wellness activities, and other academic related trainings. Employees reported being either very interested or interested the most in trainings on effective communication techniques, safety and self-defense, and events which promote collegiality. Additionally, employees also expressed high levels of interest in health and wellness workshops and field trips to local historical, cultural, or natural sites (see Figure 18).
84.5%
76.9% 76.7%
63.2% 63.1%58.4% 57.3%
48.0%44.4%
39.8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
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Figure 18. Employees level of interest in various additional trainings and activities. Additionally, employees also commented on additional trainings that they had interested in. Some employees noted that they had interest in faculty sharing best practices within their areas of expertise. Additionally, one employee commented that while field trips and guest speakers would be a way to obtain professional development, the current process makes it difficult to organize these activities. Human resource trainings and safety trainings were also mentioned. Verbatim comments are located below.
All workshops and trainings should be lead by experts in the fields, e.g., anything connected with Statistics should be taught only by faculty who teach Statistics, anything in Ethics should only be taught by faculty who teach Ethics, anything in critical thinking should only be taught by faculty who teach logic.
Field trip and guest speaker process at Cypress discourages these activities.
Getting disciplines to communicate and share best practices, needs, issues
I strongly feel that an open forum needs to be organized to discuss how Cypress College can increase the safety for both faculty and students.
More on human resources issues Collaborative Trainings Employees expressed high levels of interest for all proposed collaborative trainings (see Figure 19). More specifically, employees expressed the most interest in a training on sharing best practices for instruction. However, employees also expressed similar high levels of interest for opportunities to meet District peers and colleagues from high schools, colleges, and universities. Two employees also specified other collaborative trainings or workshops that they wanted to see offered. One employee commented that he or she wanted a training on “how to maintain isolated autonomy in an ivory tower setting” while another noted wanted a workshop on “sharing best practices for office staff.”
70.9% 69.4% 68.8%65.7% 63.3%
53.0% 51.5% 50.0% 49.0%45.2% 43.7%
0%
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Figure 19. Employees’ level of interest in collaborative trainings. Additional & Open-ended Questions Employees responded to two scaled questions regarding their feelings about the importance of professional development on an ongoing basis and having a dedicated professional development space on campus. Overall, 92.5% (n = 123) of employees either strongly agreed or agreed that professional development on an ongoing basis is important (see Figure 20). Additionally, most employees believed that having a dedicated professional development space on campus was either very important or somewhat important (79.1%, n = 106; see Figure 21).
Figure 20. Professional development on an ongoing basis is important.
71.7% 70.4% 68.3%
0%
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40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Sharing best practices forinstruction (n = 86)
Opportunities to meet peers withinthe District (n = 81)
Meeting with colleagues from highschools, colleges, and universities
(n = 82)
73.7%
18.8%
5.3%0.0% 2.3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Strongly agree (n =98)
Somewhat agree (n= 25)
Neutral (n = 7) Somewhat disagree(n = 0)
Strongly disagree (n= 3)
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Figure 21. Do you think it is important to have a dedicated professional development space on campus? Employees reported any additional comments and recommendations they had regarding professional development. Most employees commented on having a dedicated professional development space, and comments were mixed. Otherwise, other employees commented that because employees haven’t felt a strong professional development presence in the previous years, during harder economic times, employees must get used to having professional development activities again before participation grows. One employee also commented on adjuncts not receiving advancement or recognition for professional development participation. Many employees also commented that they would like to see additional salary advancement opportunities within the offered professional development sessions. One comment indicated confusion on whether the Teaching Learning Center (TLC) was a dedicated space for professional development activities. Verbatim comments are located below.
A prof. development space? Does this mean more bureaucracy?
Adjuncts aren't as important it seems sometimes. We fill seats but get no advancement or recognition. What's the use?
Get some interest and participation first, then look for a dedicated space to do something. You do not know if the campus will come yet. No activities for several years made people not expect/value professional development. It would have been good to have in bad times to support each other...We have talent and good practices information to share. Experts not always needed
I do believe that a center for Professional development would be helpful. I also believe that activities should be voluntary. While I do support local professional development, I think there needs to be serious consideration for funding outside professional activities without the "scrutiny" that is in place right now. That is, the process of approval and reimbursement is antiquated as compared to other colleges.
I suggest increasing interest and providing useful content first and getting established as dependable professional development. Develop it and they will come. A space to do this is secondary. Until you get us back up and running with prof. dev. how will you know what kind of space is needed? the closest we have come to developing community for faculty and staff on campus was when we could eat together at Café Cypress (before it moved to DEC) A staff lounge fell flat.
I think our professional development committee has done extraordinarily well!
48.5%
30.6%
11.9%
3.8% 5.2%
0%
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30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Very important (n =65)
Somewhat important(n = 41)
Neutral (n = 16) Somewhatunimportant (n = 41)
Very unimportant (n= 7)
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I think professional development activities should mirror job description responsibilities to ensure staff are able to adequately perform their job duties in a cost-efficient and effective manner.
I would like Thich Nhat Hanh to come to campus and give a talk and meditation session. I realize this may not be "professional development" by strict definitions, but I think it would help us develop in many ways which supplement professional growth.
I'm confused by item 12 above since I thought the TLC was Professional Development's dedicated space.
It would be nice to receive pay and/or advancement credit.
move back to teaching us how to teach, not just to follow the rules
Not at this time. New to the campus, but willing to participate.
Not everyone on campus is an educator but still play important roles in supporting students... total focus on educational instruction is a bummer
Salary advancement or reimbursement opportunities for class F employees.
Since different types of trainings/activities--as well as number of participants--may require different types of rooms/areas, I don't see an advantage to a dedicated space. Unless creating a dedicated space will make it easier to bring in participants(?)
The current direction of professional development to assist new instructors seems useful.
The space listed in I2 needs to be conveniently located in centralized area on campus.
This would be a complete waste of money and space!!
Implications & Recommendations From the data, the following recommendations are made based upon convergent themes of employee comments and survey results. First, employees reported having the most interest in collaborative, leadership, pedagogy, and technology related trainings. Thus, it is recommended that the committee develops and implements professional development workshops and activities which had the highest amount of interest within these areas. More specifically, trainings which had the most interest from these areas included leadership training on the habits of good leaders and pedagogy training on teaching excellence and best practices; these sessions each had over 80% interest from the sample. Additionally, sessions which had over 75% interest from the sample included leadership training on crisis intervention and leadership training on conflict resolution. Lastly, sessions which had over 70% interest from the sample included collaborative trainings on best practices for instruction, training on effective communication techniques, and collaborative activities with peers within the District. Additionally, an overall recommendation based on survey results is to make professional development more accessible for adjunct faculty and classified or confidential staff. This relates to professional development having a centrally located space on campus, having additional events and activities with the potential for salary advancement whenever possible, and balancing sessions of faculty interest with those which may interest non-faculty members. Additionally, throughout the comments within the survey, various comments addressed that professional development was not as accessible for adjunct instructors and classified or confidential employees. Thus, it’s recommended to have sessions that are pedagogical and instructional in nature balanced with additional trainings in other areas including technology, leadership, and collaborative activities to make professional development more accessible for all employees.
