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Professional Development

24.  APPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM

MSC   Dougherty, Jensen

RESOLUTION 01-20694

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Governing Board hereby approves the Administrative

Association Professional Development Program for Vice Presidents, Deans, Educational

Administrators, Classified Administrators, and Supervisory Members as follows:

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
FOR VICE-PRESIDENTS, DEANS, EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS,CLASSIFIED ADMINISTRATORS, AND SUPERVISORY MEMBERS

SUMMARY

The Administrative Association Professional Development Program provides Administrative Association members opportunities to enhance and remain current in professional leadership, workplace skills, and knowledge; to increase workplace efficiency and effectiveness; and to contribute to student learning outcomes.

The Administrative Association Professional Development Program includes the following component: Paid professional development leave for Administrative Association members including vice presidents and deans (paid professional development leave is not available to Confidential employees).

I. PAID PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAVE

A. Purpose

  1. 1.      Paid professional development leave provides administrators with an opportunity to enhance their professional skills, knowledge, and effectiveness while engaging in professional or technical activities away from their daily job demands.

B. Description

  1. 1.      Administrative Association members may be eligible for a maximum of three (3) months leave, within a six (6) year period.
  2. 2.      The eligibility for leave and the utilization of such leave will occur on a six year cycle, i.e., within a six year period. Administrative Association members may apply for a maximum of three (3) months leave. The minimum length of a paid professional development leave is two weeks.
  3. 3.      An employee may take only one Administrative Association Professional Development Program leave in any one year.
  4. 4.      When approved, the leave may be taken either as consecutive months full-time leave or as a reduction in normal workday and/or load for a period not to exceed one year.
  5. 5.      The administrator may apply for an off-campus (external) internship with his/her supervisor’s approval. An administrator may not earn or receive pay from another organization or individual for the same work or activity for which this leave is granted, unless authorized under the terms of the approved leave request.
  6. 6.      By accepting a paid professional development leave, the administrator is obligated to return for a period equal to twice the length of the leave period.
  7. 7.      The number of eligible Administrative Association members on paid professional development leave in any one year shall not exceed five percent of the eligible contract staff as of July 1 of the fiscal year in which application is made, unless a greater percentage is approved by the Executive Administration and the Governing Board.
  8. 8.      No more than one Administrative Association member may be on leave simultaneously from the same work unit unless a greater number is approved by the Executive Administrators and Governing Board.
  9. 9.      Vacation taken within sixty calendar days of the beginning or ending date of the leave must be reviewed and approved in advance by the appropriate executive administrator.
  10. 10.  Revisions must be submitted and approved by the Administrative Association Professional Development Committee prior to implementation of the revised activity.
  11. 11.  Information provided must include the nature of the revised plan and the reason for the revision request.
  12. 12.  Revision requests must be processed through the office of the executive administrator appropriate to the applicant’s assignment.
  13. 13.  Failure to complete professional development leave activities or a portion thereof, or failure to deliver an acceptable report by the deadline, or failure to request and be granted the appropriate extension, may result in:

    a)      A letter of reprimand from the Administrative Association Professional Development Committee placed in the employee’s personnel file;

    b)      A letter of unprofessional conduct placed in the personnel file; and/or

    c)      Full or partial payback of salary.

  14. 14.  A report and other acceptable evidence of the completion of commitments will be submitted to the Administrative Association Professional Development Committee within 60 days of the last day of the leave. The Administrative Association Professional Development Committee shall be the final judge of successful completion.
  15. 15.  During the leave, eligible staff members shall be paid their regular monthly salary, including all benefits, and position on the salary schedule shall accrue. The District shall allocate funding support for all such leaves in the annual amount of $25,000.
  16. 16.  The District reserves the right to cancel all paid professional development leaves should the District’s fiscal condition warrant such action. The District shall provide written notice to the Administrative Association stating the reasons for canceling the Program.

C. Qualifications.

  1. 1.      Administrative Association members on 50 percent or more regular contract are eligible for professional development leave after six consecutive years of administrative service or after six years of service has lapsed since a paid professional development leave.

    a)      Credit for service is counted from the first day of administrative employment or from the last day of any prior paid professional development or sabbatical leave. Employment on an hourly basis or at less than 50% regular contact shall not be credited toward eligibility for a paid leave.

  2. 2.      Administrative Association members who serve on less than a twelve-month contract are eligible after serving 72 months of paid service.
  3. 3.      Paid professional development leave shall be recommended only for proposals which enhance the administrator’s effectiveness and which benefit the District.

 

D. Application Process

  1. 1.      The Assistant Superintendent/Vice President for Human Resource Services and Affirmative Action shall review the proposals and send the recommendation to the executive administration in time to facilitate final approval by the President and the Governing Board.
  2. a)      The recommendation may include alternates in case those approved for leave are unable to take their leave.
  3. 2.      The Administrative Association Professional Development Committee shall:
  4. a)      Decide whether applicant proposals are acceptable; and
  5. b)      Shall prioritize the acceptable proposals according to objective criteria.
  6. 3.      The granting of a paid professional development leave is not automatic.
  7. 4.      Approval for a paid professional development leave depends upon the timely submission of an acceptable professional development leave application and plan, the arrangement for acceptable coverage of the position during the administrator’s absence, and the resources available for supporting professional development leaves in a given year.
  8. 5.      Administrative Association members with the most recent paid professional development leave will be given the lowest priority among those applying for leaves in a given year.
  9. 6.      In reviewing requests by individual Administrative Association members for paid professional development leave, the following criteria and guidelines are suggested to evaluate proposals and establish priorities:
  10. a)      The proposal outlines the benefits to the institution and how the leave activity will address institutional needs.
  11. b)      The overall merit of the proposed project is evident and strongly reinforces the purpose of professional development.
  12. c)      The proposed project is appropriate to the administrator’s field of professional activity or it is clearly related to career enhancement and advancement in educational employment for the applicant.
  13. d)      The activity is academically or educationally sound.
  14. e)      Seniority of the administrator applicants is considered only if proposals are equally sound.
  15. 7.      The Administrative Association Professional Development Committee will recommend the order of priority with final determination made by the executive administrators (except those executive administrators applying for leaves).
  16. 8.      Applications must be submitted by November 1st for the following fiscal year.

9. The steps for obtaining an approved leave are:

  1. a)      The application shall be processed and approved by the office of the executive administrator appropriate to the applicant’s assignment and must be approved by the applicant’s immediate supervisor and the appropriate senior administrator.

10. The application for professional leave shall include:

  1. a)      Name and title of the applicant.
  2. b)      Start date of the applicant’s initial employment as an Administrative Association member with the District and inclusive dates of the professional development leave.
  3. c)      The inclusive dates of the last previous paid professional development leave or sabbatical leave.
  4. d)      A three-page (maximum) plan describing the professional activities, the professional benefits to the administrator, and the benefits to the District.
  5. e)      An acceptable method for determining whether the plan has been successfully completed. The Administrative Association Professional Development Committee shall be the final judge of successful completion.
  6. f)        A description of how the position will be filled or handled in the employee’s absence.
  7. 11.  The Administrative Association Professional Development Committee shall notify the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President for Human Resource Services and Affirmative Action, no later than three weeks before the last Governing Board meeting prior to July 1 and/or January 1, of its recommendations and the proposed arrangements for covering the duties of the administrator(s) during the period of leave.
  8. 12.  Revisions to the approved plan proposed by the applicant must be approved by the appropriate executive administrator and the Administrative Association Professional Development Committee, reviewed by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President for Human Resource Services and Affirmative Action, approved by the President, and approved by the Governing Board.
  9. 13.  A written certification of completion of commitment according to the plan (as may be amended) shall be given to the appropriate executive administrator within 60 days of the last date of the leave and forwarded to the Administrative Association Professional Development Committee for approval.

II. ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

  1. A.      The Administrative Professional Development Committee shall have four (4) members: A Dean (appointed by the President), the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President for Human Resource Services and Affirmative Action, and two members of the Administrative Association.
  2. B.     The applicant’s supervisor and an Administrative Association executive officer may attend and comment at the meeting at which the committee reviews the applicant’s petition.
  3. C.     The Administrative Professional Development Committee shall elect a chairperson and shall meet at least four times a year and such other times as the chair deems necessary.
  4. D.     Committee members will serve for a term of three (3) years, except that the original members will have staggered terms as determined by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President for Human Resource Services and Affirmative Action after consultation with the Chairperson.
  5. E.     The clerical support to the committee will be provided by Human Resource Services.

III. PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET

  1. A.      The District shall provide $25,000 annually to cover the costs of all paid Administrative Association Professional Development Program leaves. The parties understand that the District has the right to suspend this funding should the District’s fiscal condition warrant.

The Vote was unanimous.

Student Trustee Advisory Vote: Aye