Institutional Self Evaluation Report

Standard IIIA.5

The institution provides all personnel with appropriate opportunities for continued professional development, consistent with the institution's mission and based on identified teaching and learning needs.

Standard IIIA.5.a

The institution plans professional development activities to meet the needs of its personnel.

Descriptive Summary

To meet its mission “to support students along their pathways to reach transfer and career goals in an environment of academic excellence,” and in accordance with BP 7160, West Valley College and the District offer opportunities to all employees for continued professional growth. (3A.5.1)

Contractual professional development leaves (sabbaticals, professional growth and development (PG&D) award for faculty and the Classified Growth Incentive Program provide opportunities for renewal and salary incentives. The district HR Department provides various workshops and information sessions on multiple topics relevant to the betterment of district employees’ well-being and professional improvement. The district is committed to providing appropriate opportunities for meaningful personal and professional development for all members of the district community.

Co-sponsored by Human Resources and Information Systems and in partnership with People-on-the-GO, beginning May 1, 2011, district employees are able to access technology and efficiency training via webinar. This training is readily available at no cost to them or their department right at their desktop. The program provides staff with classes to learn and enhance skills with tools such as Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.  In addition, classes are available on topics such as Business Writing, Effective Meetings, and Accomplishing More with Less.  Classes range in length from 90 minutes to two hours, and staff may take as many as they would like with approval of a supervisor. (3A.5.2)

Effective spring 2013, HR staff began presentations on topics of interest at quarterly All Managers/Supervisors meetings. The purpose of such focused presentations is to increase awareness of the work-relevant topics and resource information for the managers so as to increase efficiencies, effectiveness, and support in their respective positions. (3A.5.3)

Professional Growth and Development of faculty is addressed in ACE contract article 47. (3A.5.4) The purpose of this article is to encourage the continued professional growth of members through on-going updating of knowledge and ability, development of new skills and continuous analysis and improvement of professional expertise, by allowing for additional step advancement on the Salary Schedule. Basic information and forms are available on the Professional Growth and Development website. (3A.5.5)

The Classified Growth Incentive Program facilitates continued growth, professionally and personally, of each individual worker and ultimately enhances the District's institutional mission to effectively promote higher education.

The central feature of this program will be to provide work related opportunities to upgrade individual worker skills through a variety of credit and non-credit coursework, projects, workshops, or other related activities and/or complete college level certificates or degrees. (3a.5.6)

District Human Resources encourages employees to attend training sessions complying with state and federal employment laws, education code, and board policies. Training schedules are announced periodically. These training sessions comply with the applicable law or governing agency as listed.

District Staff Development Training sessions complying with State and Federal Employment Laws, Education Code, and Board Policies
Training Subject	Audience	Frequency Required	Requiring Agency
Illness and Injury Prevention Plan (IIPP)	All employees	Yearly	Board Policy 3410 OSHA Requirement (Federal: 66:5916-6135 State: T8 CCR §3203)
Cultural Competency/Diversity	All employees	All employees during their first year of employment. Updates when policy changes are made. Supervisors - yearly	Board Policy 7100 CA Ed Code 1.1.1.201f
Violence in the Workplace for Supervisors	Managers and Supervisors	Once during employment with WVMCCD and upon promotion to supervisory position	Board Policy 3510 OSHA requirement Federal §5 (a)(1) CA Ed Code 1.1.1.233.a.3-7
Violence in the Workplace	Employees (all faculty and staff)	Once during employment with WVMCCD	Board Policy 3510 OSHA requirement Federal §5(a)(1) CA Ed Code 1.1.1.233.a.3-7
Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training	All employees who have contact with anyone under the age of 18 during the course of their work	Once during employment with WVMCCD	Board Policy 3518 Penal Code 11166
Sexual Harassment Prevention for Supervisors (Preventing Discriminatory Harassment for Supervisors)	All employees with supervisory duties	Within 6 months of hire or promotion, every 2 years thereafter	Board Policy 3430 California Law AB1825 Government Code section 12950.1
Sexual Harassment Prevention (What Everyone Needs to Know about Discriminatory Harassment – online version)	Employees without supervisory duties	Every two years	Board Policy 3430
Screening Committee Training	Employees serving on hiring committees	Before serving on a committee	Administrative Procedure 7100 Title 5, section 53003 (C)(4) Academic Senate screening committee procedures
FERPA (Student Confidentiality) Federal Education Records Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act	Anyone in contact with student records	One time during employment with WVMCCD	Board Policy 5040 Applies to colleges and universities receiving federal funds under any program administered by the U.S. Dept. of Education 34 C.F.R. 99.1(a), 99.3
Emergency Management/HAZMAT Training	Not coordinated by Staff Development	Central Services has this information	Board Policy 3505 Federal and State Laws

In 2010, the District began offering an employee assistance program through Claremont EAP, which provides training opportunities in addition to assistance and programs for all employees. (3A.5.7)

The West Valley College Office of Instruction provides regularly scheduled retreats each semester for Division Chairs. Each Division chair receives 50% of their assignment to perform administrative duties per the ACE contract. (3A.5.8) For this reason, it is critically important that each retreat serves as an orientation and training ground for the Division Chairs. The Vice President of Instruction, in consultation with the Division Chairs, conducts retreats with topics ranging from Effective Enrollment Management, Budget planning, Student Success, Title 5 regulation changes, Curriculum, and Accreditation. (3A.5.9)

New faculty members participate in a new faculty orientation program provided both by the district’s HR department and Office of Instruction at the college prior to the beginning of their first semester. By participating in both sessions, new faculty members acquire information about district-wide matters, as well as college-specific matters. The college’s new faculty orientation usually takes place ongoing throughout the faculty member's first academic year. The purpose of this orientation program is to help facilitate a new faculty member's transition into full-time teaching at the college, introducing them to the mission, core values, and college priorities, and provide an array of support and resources to support their first year at the college. Topics covered in this orientation include a general overview of the college, participatory governance process of the college, role of the faculty union, role of the Academic Senate, classroom management techniques, and the use of technology in the classroom. (3A.5.10) With the recent budget reductions and increased state and legislative mandates, the new faculty orientation has not been as consistently ongoing as the college would have liked. There is a plan to ensure that meaningful and innovative new faculty orientation to be reinstated in spring 2014.

Beginning in June 2013, the Classified Senate provides online training to staff through Lynda.com. (3A.5.11) Lynda offers more than 2000 courses including many that are applicable to leadership skills. This service is paid for by the Senate using fundraising monies. Since instituting the program, all seats have been filled each time a new session begins demonstrating the need of classified employee training that is flexible with work assignments.

Student and Administration Support Staff (SASS) is a peer-support training program sponsored by the Classified Senate, with the support of President Davis. The goal is to improve classified training, create an interactive forum for suggestions, changes, and problem solving, and to develop more consistency in common processes throughout the college. Many classified staff members have to learn new jobs or take on more responsibility, and the college wants to support colleagues during this difficult transition.

SASS is in its infancy. It met twice in spring 2013, and then began regular monthly meetings in October 2013. A survey was conducted to determine the training needs of staff. (3A.5.12) The first session offered was to introduce staff to Lynda.com after the Classified Senate purchased five licenses for staff to use on a rotating basis. (3A.5.13) Since then SASS presented trainings in the student and financial applications of Cognos and Microsoft Outlook. The trainers are classified staff who have expertise in a particular area and attendees are encouraged to share tips they might have.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this standard. The college and district offer a variety of professional development opportunities for its faculty, staff, and administrators all of which have at their core the goal of positively impacting student learning and success.

Loss of funding due to budget reductions continues to impact the ability to offer ongoing professional development activities. However, both the college and the district managed to adapt its programming for alignment with institutional goals and trends and needs of faculty and staff.

Actionable Improvement Plans

• 
  ^{Explore opportunities to maximize staff development, utilizing data-driven decision on focused-topics, during times of constrained budget.}
  
• 
  ^{Conduct streamlined and strategic leadership training for the Division chairs and Department chairs.}
  
• 
  ^{Continue to offer an ongoing new faculty orientation in spring 2014.}
  

Evidence

3A.5.1	Administrative Procedure 7160	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/AP_7160.pdf
3A.5.2	WVMCCD Staff Training Webpage	http://wvm.edu/group.aspx?id=2473
3A.5.3	Supervisor/Manager Meeting Agendas	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/All_Managers_Team_Meetings/
3A.5.4	Association of College Educators Article 47	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/ace_article_47.pdf
3A.5.5	Faculty Professional Development webpage	http://wvm.edu/content.aspx?id=2148
3A.5.6	Article 23 - Classified Professional Growth Incentive Program	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/wvmcea_contract_2012_15_final_web_article23.pdf
3A.5.7	Claremont Employee Assistance Program	http://www.claremonteap.com
3A.5.8	ACE Contract Appendix D	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/ace_contract_ext_2011_page189.pdf
3A.5.9	Division Chair Retreat	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/Division_Chair_Retreats/
3A.5.10	Faculty Handbook	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/faculty_handbook_complete_2010-2011.pdf
3A.5.11	Lynda Training	http://westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/Lynda_Training/
3A.5.12	SASS Survey	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3c/sass_training_survey_2013.xlsx
3A.5.13	SASS Training	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/sass_agenda.pdf http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/2013_Lynda.com_Licenses_Purchase.pdf