The Senate and Faculty Development: One of the Ten Plus One

September
2005

Do any of you remember when you received faculty development funds from the state? Yes, it seems like it was only a few years ago that we lost the state funding. what has happened at your college since the budget cuts? Is your local senate abiding by its role in faculty development? In the next few months expect a survey to come to your local campus senate office asking about how your college is dealing with faculty development. The rumor is that many of you are doing great things with very little to no money. We are seeking ideas on how you are doing this and specifics on how you are fulfilling faculty development needs.

Meanwhile faculty development is still one of the ten plus one academic and professional matters that faculty are responsible for under Title 5 regulations and that duty ought not to be ignored due to lack of funds.

The role of the local senate in faculty development comes in many forms: the development of a needs survey, the design and preparation of professional development activities, the overseeing of faculty development and its relationship to technology, and the allocation of any faculty development funds your college may have. when the state funding for faculty development was lost, many college local senates "let go" of their responsibilities or worse yet did not offer any faculty development activities. The time has come to see what colleges are doing and how they are doing it. The survey will help us obtain that information and best help you to figure out what you can do on your campus for faculty development.

The Academic Senate helps support colleges by offering opportunities for faculty development. We currently offer our plenary sessions, vocational and local senate's leadership training institutes, and the curriculum institute. Our goal is to offer a teaching institute in Spring 2007. Watch for more information on this in the near future. Ideas for sessions and faculty development needs are welcomed. Please send comments and ideas to the Senate Faculty Development Committee Chair Shaaron Vogel at vogelsh [at] butte.edu. Meanwhile remember you have the power as a local senate over faculty development, make sure that you know what is happening on your campus. What better opportunity is there to really affect student success than through improved teaching techniques that help learning? Faculty development is how we do that and it provides us the opportunity to share that knowledge with others. Faculty development -truly one of the ten plus one!