Faculty Development

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges endorse the position paper entitled Faculty Development Policy Guidelines.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm its support for faculty and staff development and urge the Governor and the Legislature to maintain the funding level for staff development at the $5 million supported by AB 1725 in the last three years.

Whereas some have interpreted the requirement in law that "Evaluations shall include...a peer review process" is met if a faculty member is permitted to choose to be evaluated by peers, and

Whereas evaluation by faculty in the same discipline or a closely related discipline is an essential element of evaluation,

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge the legislature to state that the evaluation of each faculty member must include evaluation by another faculty member in the same or a closely related discipline, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges recommend to the legislature that, for the purpose of tenure, "peer" be defined as a tenured faculty member.

Whereas many local senates now realize the importance of orienting new faculty, and

Whereas local senates are also seeking guidance about ways to develop and monitor faculty development programs,

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges develop recommendations for local senates to consider as they make plans for orienting, mentoring, and training new faculty.

Whereas the flexible calendar is specifically designed to promote professional faculty development as an integral part of the responsibilities of community college faculty, and

Whereas professional development is critical in keeping up in our changing fields, and

Whereas maintaining currency is crucial to the viability of our instruction, and

Whereas professional development is more successful when individuals are allowed to design their own programs, and

Whereas the regulations for the flex calendar are interpreted in a variety of ways,

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge local senates to send participants to the 1992 July Senate Leadership Institute.

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges commend 1990-91 Senate Faculty Development Committee Chair Irene Menegas and the 1990-91 Faculty Development Committee, including Pam Johnson, conference director, and Mike McHargue, conference facilitator, for their outstanding work in making the first annual Senate Leadership Institute held in July, 1991, at Granlibakken, Lake Tahoe, a successful, meaningful event for all participants.

Whereas the geography of California restricts the interaction of local faculty senate leaders, and

Whereas there is an increasing need for networking among local faculty senate leaders, and

Whereas there is a need for training faculty in leadership skills and the basic processes of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, and

Whereas the cost of the Summer Leadership Institute might be prohibitive for some colleges to send representatives, and

Whereas the participation of the Summer Leadership Institute is limited,

Whereas faculty now have expanded professional duties such as evaluation, budget planning, chairing hiring committees, etc., and

Whereas faculty often assume these expanded professional duties without any background in such work,

Resolved that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges direct the Executive Committee to investigate ways in which faculty can receive preparation for expanded professional activities they might undertake while retaining their faculty status.