Professional Development Committee Charter
| Group Name | Professional Development Committee |
| Type of Group | Shared Governance Committee |
| Description/Purpose/Charge | The Professional Development Committee (PD) provides all Cypress College employees opportunities for professional growth. Employees include full-time and part-time classified staff, full-time and adjunct faculty, and administrators/ managers/coordinators/directors. Professional development opportunities include but are not limited to: conference attendance funding; diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility events and training; technology training; health and wellness events; quality-of-work enhancement activities; current issues-focused activities; new employee orientations; online teaching/ Learning skills development courses; and course development and redesign seminars such as “CoRe.” PD works toward enhancing the learning and teaching environment for all – students, staff, faculty and administrators. Its overriding purpose is to align with the Cypress College and NOCCCD Mission Statements, Strategic Directions, and related college and California Community College (CCC) initiatives. These initiatives include but are not limited to: Guided Pathways, Title V, DEIAA, SEA, and the CCC Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) “Vision 2030.” PD coordinates FLEX activities at the beginning of each semester. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office defines FLEX as “activities (CCR, Title 5, Division 6, Chapter 6, Subchapter 8, Article 2, Section 55724, Item a-4) … not limited to…training programs, group retreats, field experiences, and workshops in activities such as course and program development and revision, staff development activities, development of new instructional materials, and other instruction-related activities.” PD is charged with coordinating the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTX) and providing encouragement and practical support to faculty, staff and administrators in offering unique and timely workshops contributing to the general welfare and benefit of the college community. |
| Reporting Relationships | PD makes regular reports to the Academic Senate, to the Vice President Office of Instruction, and to the President’s Staff. These reports include FLEX activities, staffing and funding updates, the semester calendar of events, and related teaching/learning/conference events and activities. PD also makes regular reports to the Planning and Budget Committee (PBC), the President’s Advisory Committee (PAC), the President, the NOCCCD PD Committee, and to the NOCCCD Board of Trustees. PD works in tandem with the following committees but does not report to them: Student Equity & Achievement (SEA); Diversity Equity Inclusion Anti-racism & Accessibility (DEIAA); Title V and Guided Pathways; and Distance Education (DE). |
| Decision-Making Authority | PD has the authority to: – make decisions regarding the coordination and budgeting of events such as the End-of-the-Year Luncheon event – make decisions regarding its own professional development activities, such as attendance at 4CPD (California Community College Council for Professional Development) and involvement with NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) – approve proposals submitted for campus events (including but not limited to FLEX Day, etc.) – select and/or approve guest speakers for campus presentations coordinated by PD – make decisions related to reports submitted to outside agencies (including but not limited to CCCCO and related state agencies) – make decisions related to new employee orientations, i.e., their structure and funding – make decisions in coordination with the NOCCCD District PD Office and with corresponding North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE) and Fullerton College (FC) – approve or reject conference/travel proposals submitted for funding and/or support within their allotted budget with oversight from the President’s Staff For inclusiveness, PD intentionally works toward a tri-leadership model of classified/faculty/coordinator decision-making authority. Structurally, it is currently comprised of a “Coordinator,” two “Content Creators,” and a “Resource/Support” staff member, who share authority in the decision-making processes alongside the Committee as a whole. The Coordinator takes the greater authority for FLEX coordination (i.e., selecting/organizing presentations), but in collaboration with the Committee. The Content Creators take the greater authority for CTX coordination (i.e., planning, promoting, managing workshops) but in collaboration with the Committee. The Resource/Support staff member takes the greater authority for coordination and initial vetting of conference/travel applications but in collaboration with the Committee. With intentional efforts toward inclusiveness as well as efficiency, a sub-committee, comprised of one faculty, one classified, and one manager, reviews vetted conference/travel funding applications, so as to free up the larger Committee for other organizational tasks. Toward an enhanced learning and teaching environment, Conference/travel funding requests are carefully reviewed to determine their alignment with: College and District Mission Statements; Strategic Directions; and related College and CCCCO initiatives as mentioned above. Conference/travel funding requests should be intentional efforts: to update and/or improve upon disciplinary subject knowledge of faculty; for currency and maintenance of state and federal certifications as related to teaching Faculty Service Agreements; for classified staff development in skills training, upward mobility and job enhancement; for enhanced managerial processes; for the betterment of the entire college community. |
| Membership Composition | Coordinator Content Creators (2) Resource/Support Member Management Representatives Full-Time Faculty Representatives Adjunct Faculty Representatives Classified Staff Representatives Student Representative |
| Terms of Membership | The Coordinator serves for a three-year term or as assigned. The Content Creator positions are part of a pilot project for 2023-2024. The Resource/Support member serves for the duration of their assigned employment area. Management Representatives serve for a three-year term. Full-time Faculty Representatives serve for a three-year term. Adjunct Faculty Representatives serve for a one-year term. Classified Staff Representatives serve for a three-year term. Student Representatives serve for a one-year term. |
| Membership Process | The Coordinator (non-voting except in ties) position is currently at 40% reassigned faculty time. This assignment is temporary and will be reviewed at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. In the past, two co-coordinators were each at 40% reassigned time. The Content Creator (voting) positions are part of a pilot project for 2023-2024 and are each currently at 20% reassigned time. These positions were designed as an alternative to one of the above-referenced “two co-coordinators” assignment. These assignments will also be reviewed at the end of this 2023-2024 academic year. The Resource/Support (non-voting) member is currently 50% of the established work time for the Vice President Office of Instruction. Management Representatives (voting) are selected by appointment or voluntary. Full-time Faculty Representatives (voting) are Academic Senate-assigned. Adjunct Faculty Representatives (voting) are Academic Senate-assigned. Classified Staff Representatives (voting) for are CSEA-assigned. Student Representatives (voting) are Associate Students-assigned. |
| Meeting Dates/Times | PD meets the second and fourth Monday of each month during the fall and spring semesters, when classes are in session. Meetings are held virtually via Zoom and/or in person, 2:30 – 4 p.m., and as required for additional events on a voluntary basis. Voluntary events include Opening Day and End-of-the-Year Luncheon. |
| Meeting Procedures | Members of PD adhere to shared governance best practices as follows: – Meeting agendas are issued in advance of meeting times – Meeting agendas are organized to prioritize approvals, actions pending/required, share reports, and for general decision making (within specified time parameters) – Quorum is required Meetings are collaborative opportunities to plan and organize professional growth events for the entire campus community – Meetings are opportunities for other college committees to share information and collaborate on special projects (within specified time parameters) – Meetings are also opportunities for the NOCCCD district PD to share information and collaborate on joint projects Conference/travel funding decisions are made by a sub-committee made up of classified, faculty and management representatives utilizing an evaluation rubric, and then presented to the Committee in a timely manner |
| Consensus Process, Decision-Making, and Documentation | Clear agreements and public indications of understanding and support are critical to maintain forward progress for the work of the group. On occasion, and after extensive dialogue, members will be asked to indicate their agreement to pursue a specific direction or to conclude discussion of a specific topic or action. This agreement will seek to be based on “consensus” which is a general state of agreement rather than a “majority opinion.” Consensus-based decision-making processes attempt to resolve each member’s concerns before asking for agreement and closing discussion regarding a recommendation. The consensus-taking process will proceed according to the following steps: 1. Any Committee member or the Coordinator may ask for an indication of agreement. 2. Members will indicate their degree of support for the selected recommendation as follows: a) agreement with the recommendation, b) support for the good of the whole without necessarily completely embracing the recommendation, c) disagreement with the recommendation. A simple method for indicating degrees of support can be used such as “Thumb’s Up” to signify agreement, “Thumb’s to the Side” to indicate support for the good of the whole, and “Thumb’s Down” to indicate disagreement. 3. If there is no opposition indicated, the agreement will be recorded within the meeting record/notes and discussion will conclude. To sustain the forward progress of the work of the group it may be necessary to record participant agreement related to a specific item without full member consensus. If certain participants have persistent concerns that prevent them from agreeing to the item, then a majority opinion is recorded, and the minority opinion is also captured in the meeting record/notes. |
| Communication and Distribution of Materials | PD will provide timely and accessible documentation (i.e., agendas and minutes) of its activity and outputs that reflect key discussion points and action items. The group will distribute this documentation to their constituency via email and posting to the group’s SharePoint or on the Cypress College website. Primary communication tools include Cypress College’s email and PD website for college use, the NOCCCD’s EdVantage calendar for college and district use, and the CCCCO’s Vision Resource Center for CCC-system use. |
| Charter Established/Revised Dates | Charter established on: November 30, 2023 Charter last reviewed on: November 30, 2023 Charter last revised/approved on: March 15, 2024 |
| Website | www.cypresscollege.edu/professional-development/professional-development-committee/ |
| Current Roster | Regina Russell – Classified, Professional Development Administrative Assistant Melisa Chteoui – Classified, Science, Engineering, Mathematics Cari Jorgensen – Classified, Office of Campus Communications Summer Justice – Classified, Disability Support Services Elli Constantine – Management, Distance Education Marla McBride – Management, Health Center Kellori Dower – Management, Visual & Performing Arts Abigail Awad – Faculty, Accounting Nancy Corrales – Faculty, Diagnostic Medical Sonography Clinton Rusich – Faculty, Music Angela deDios – Faculty, Professional Development Content Creator Stephanie Tran – Faculty, Professional Development Content Creator Jane Jepson – Faculty, Professional Development Coordinator |
| Brown Act | No |