The institution provides ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.

JUDGMENT: Compliant

STATEMENT OF RATIONALE FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Southwest Texas Junior College employs a full-time Professional Development Officer who plans, manages, and evaluates ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.

On-site Professional development trainings are regularly available at Fall and Spring faculty convocation meetings. These meetings, which occur during the week before classes begin, include breakout sessions specifically designed to meet ongoing professional development needs for the institution. Convocation trainings involve a variety of topics, including technical training, systems training, educational methodologies, safety, and best practices. Topics for convocation breakout trainings are chosen based on requests by faculty and administration regarding broadly applicable Professional Development needs.

Faculty members participate in an annual cycle of professional development as outlined in their Professional Development Plan. The Professional Development Plan, detailed in the SWTJC Faculty Handbook and submitted on May 31st each year, is based on self-evaluation, student evaluation of faculty, and supervisor evaluation of faculty. Evaluations (self, student, and supervisor) address the role of faculty as teachers, scholars, and as practitioners. To complete the Professional Development Plan, faculty must use self, student, and supervisor evaluations to identify personal areas of strength, opportunities for improvement, and related goals. The Professional Development Officer assists in identifying and arranging for faculty attendance at goal-specific conferences, trainings, and seminars. The Professional Development “Resources” web site provides the capacity for faculty to search for discipline-specific educational opportunities.

To aid faculty members in accomplishing professional development goals, each faculty member has access to $400 of professional development funds. These funds are managed by the Professional Development Officer and “may be used for attending graduate classes, professional conventions, or other activities contributing to the professional development of the individual” (SWTJC Faculty Handbook p. 103). The Professional Development Officer may award additional funds to faculty for unique professional development opportunities.

Adjunct Faculty, including Dual Credit and Distance Education instructors, are required to attend a professional development event each Fall and Spring semester at an SWTJC site. During these sessions, the Adjunct faculty are presented with SWTJC policy and procedure information, including syllabi updates, Learning Management System tutorials, and Enterprise Resource Plan (ERP) usage. The faculty also meet with their Division Chairs for discussion of specific issues regarding student, curricula, and textbooks. In addition, SWTJC provides funds for Adjunct Faculty to join the Texas Community College Teachers’ Association (TCCTA) in order for them to access resources available via the TCCTA we

Evidence

SWTJC Professional Development Activities
SWTJC Website Screenshot Professional Development Resources
SWTJC Additional Funds Request