3.11 Contents
3.11.0 Purpose
The Virginia Community College
System and Virginia Highlands Community
College believe that faculty and staff
members should continually improve their
professional skills as a means of
encouraging institutional improvement.
Therefore, provisions have been made for
developing programs of educational aid and
professional development.
3.11.1 VCCS Policy on Educational Aid
See
VCCS Policy Manual Section - 3.10
Educational Assistance Guidelines
3.11.2 Goals of Professional
Development (Faculty) (VHCC) Plan for
Educational Aid and Professional Development
The College encourages professional
growth and development by annual
evaluations, self-assessment, and the
development of individual professional
development plans. Virginia Highlands
Community College ensures that all employed
constituent elements of the College,
including staff, adjunct, administrative,
and teaching faculty have access to regular
and continuing professional growth and
development efforts.
Virginia Highlands Community College
promotes in a variety of ways, such as:
special funding (as recommended by our
Professional Growth and Development
Committee); appropriate technologies and
technical support; recognition and
expectation of professional development (as
noted on annual evaluations); special
programs (leave with pay, sabbaticals,
faculty in residence, etc.)
In consultation with their supervisor(s)
employees develop a plan for their own
professional growth. The objective of
VHCC's professional development is to
maintain and nurture committed and vital
faculty, staff, and administrators who are
skilled in various areas of expertise and
focused on providing quality education and
services to the students in our service
region.
Assumptions
- Faculty, administration, and staff
assume the responsibility for their
individual growth and development. This
effort is self-directed to enhance
teaching/learning and the other services
provided for students.
- Colleges and the VCCS invest in
faculty and staff professional
development by supporting visible
opportunities for faculty,
administration, and staff throughout
their career for the purpose of
enhancing institutional effectiveness in
each community college.
- Faculty, administration, and staff
professional development efforts are
intended to maintain professional
competence in disciplines and services
to maintain institutional vitality, to
foster organizational development, to
improve morale and performance, to
provide innovative instruction, to
address individual professional needs,
and to achieve institutional objectives.
- Allocation of funding by the VCCS augments the commitment of
resources by the College and the
individual.
3.11.2.0 Categories of Educational Aid
and Professional Development
The following categories of educational
aid and professional development may be
provided at the College, subject to the
availability of funds and inclusion in the
College's annual operating budget:
- Pre Service and In Service
Activities:
This includes all educational activities
for employees conducted on campus.
- Educational Assistance:
This
provides funds to employees for
reimbursement of tuition for courses
taken at various schools and colleges.
Types of educational assistance are:
after hours study, during hours study,
leave of absence with pay for resident
study, and leave without pay with
tuition assistance included.
- Instructional Development:
This
provides faculty with released time with
pay and/or financial resources for
developing course materials.
- Workshops, Seminars, Conferences,
and other Professional Meetings:
This
includes funds for employees to
participate in workshops, seminars,
conferences, etc., in order to obtain
personal and/or College goals.
3.11.2.1 Responsibilities of the Human
Resources Committee
A standing committee, the
Human Resources
Committee, is charged with the
responsibility of offering recommendations
to the Vice President of Instruction and
Student Services concerning the College's
program of professional growth and
development. Among the responsibilities of
the Committee are:
- To recommend priorities for the
allocation of funds for the various
categories of educational aid and
professional development and the
relative proportion of funds to be
designated for each category;
- To recommend guidelines, criteria,
and procedures for administering funds
for educational aid and professional
development; and
- To assist in planning pre service
and in service activities.
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