Preparing a Professional Development Plan

Office of Academic AffairsMay 2010

A tool for organizing a faculty member’s efforts over a 3- or 6-year period to reach expected levels of performance◦ Described in Section 11.2 A-E of collective

bargaining agreement and in guidelines document posted with the agreement

◦ Requirement for initial and follow up plans -- recognizes that professionals become more expert as they progress through their careers

◦ Requires every tenured and tenure-track faculty member to file an approved PDP

The Concept

Mission and goal statements for University and College

Standards document for faculty performance requirements by rank and professional behaviors

Responsibilities for teaching and advising; research, scholarship, or creative activity; and service as described on most recent contract

Annual Appendix F evaluation / comments from immediate supervisor

Workload worksheet documents from 1st year

Starting Point

Appendix F addresses accomplishments for previous year and goals/objectives for next year◦ Appendix F format has been revised to include

references to PDP ◦ Describe accomplishments relative to previous

year’s Appendix F goals and relative to PDP outcomes (What was accomplished in previous year?)

◦ Indicate need for revision of PDP PDP becomes part of personnel file, as does App. F Approval of plan does not limit evaluation by

immediate supervisor

Relationship to Appendix F

PDP addresses plans for 3- or 6-year period◦ Provides roadmap for moving faculty member

from assistant professor to full professor Available to P&T Committee as part of personnel

file P&T Committee considers progress toward PDP

outcomes as part of performance decision Approval of plan does not limit evaluation by P&T

Committee

Relationship to Promotion and Tenure

Timely submission is the responsibility of the faculty member

Approval of the plan is the responsibility of immediate supervisor

Split appointments must involve all supervisors In-depth discussion between faculty member

and supervisors is essential prior to and during plan development

Approval does not constitute institutional commitment to provide resources not otherwise available to faculty

Submission and Approval

Based on status relative to FY09 contract: September 1, 2009 (last year)

Faculty with 0-2 years of credited service Faculty tenured between July 1, 2004 and July 1,

2008 August 31, 2010

Faculty with 3 years of credited service Faculty tenured between July 1, 1994 and June 30,

2004 August 30, 2011

Faculty with 4-5 years of credited service Faculty tenured prior to July 1, 1994

Timeline for Submission

Status per FY09 Contract

Sept. 1, 2009

Aug. 31,2010

Aug. 30, 2011

Tenure-Track, 0-2 yrs service

X3-yr plan

Tenure-Track,3 yrs service

X6-yr plan

Tenure-Track,4-5 yrs service

X6-yr plan

Tenured, 7/1/04 to 6/30/08

X6-yr plan

Tenured, 7/1/94 to 6/30/04

X6-yr plan

Tenured, priorto 7/1/94

X6-yr plan

Timeline for Submission and Type of Plan Submitted

Faculty hired after January 2009: PDPs due no later than the first class day of the third semester of employment (excluding summer)

Second and later rounds of the PDP’s: due on first class day of the last semester of the existing plan

Non-tenured faculty prepare 3-year plans Tenured faculty prepare 6-year plans

Timeline in the Future

Concise (maximum 1,000 words) Outcomes-oriented, based on:

◦ mission / strategic initiatives of university and college

◦ professional behaviors listed in standards document

◦ Appendix F comments and workload worksheets Template provided in Examples document

and general directions in guidelines document

Format

Immediate supervisor has 20 class days to approve or return with suggested changes

If returned for changes, faculty member has 20 class days to revise and resubmit

Negotiation process laid out in guidelines document, if faculty member and immediate supervisor do not reach agreement

Approval Process

Plans reviewed / revised at request of faculty member or immediate supervisor◦ Material change in institutional standards or◦ Material change in academic programs or ◦ Material change in individual assignments, goals

If revised, addendum added to original PDP and signed by the faculty member and immediate supervisor

Plans also reviewed as part of annual evaluation and requests to update noted on Appendix F

Either faculty or dean can indicate need for revision on Appendix F

Revision of Approved Plans

1. Name:  2. Department(s) and College(s):  3. Rank and date appointed to current rank:  4. Tenure Status:  5. Anticipated date(s) of future tenure and/or promotion applications:

A. Anticipated date of next promotion, if applicable: B. Anticipated date of tenure application, if applicable:

Format for PDP

6. Dates for this Professional Development Plan 7. Any unique factors affecting this proposed plan 

8. Anticipated distribution of effort over the life of the plan. (Since these percentages reflect the period of the plan, the distribution of effort stated in the annual Appendix F document may be different. ) A. _____ % Teaching and Advising B. _____ % Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity C. _____ % Service (including administrative appointments) 

Format for PDP

9. Proposed Plan including goals in each area: Teaching and advising:

Narrative / ContextGoal Plan

  Outcomes  Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity:

Narrative / ContextGoal

  PlanOutcomes

  Service (including administrative appointments):  Narrative / Context

Goal PlanOutcomes

  

Format for PDP

Faculty signature and date

Immediate Supervisor’s Response: ____I approve this professional development plan.  Comments: ____This plan requires revision prior to approval.  Comments:

Immediate Supervisor signature and date

VPAA signature and date

  

Format for PDP

Action verbs in Goals, Plans and Outcomes(Learn, discover, identify, collaborate, write)

Goals: what you want to accomplish/change Plans: list of individual objectives or steps

so that goals can be accomplished Outcomes: restatement of goals, but with

changes that are measurable (has to include numbers!)

Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to learn more about action verbs / higher-level skills

Writing PDP Plans

Context: Courses taught, etc. Goal: Reduce the DWF rate in my freshman-level

courses Plan: Over the next 3 years, I will:

◦ Identify reasons for student failure◦ Use campus resources designed to enhance student success

(early alert systems, etc.)◦ Add supplemental instruction activities in each course,

particularly in the first half of the semester◦ Collaborate with other instructors to share strategies◦ Identify external resources (teaching / learning conferences,

newsletters, etc.) Outcome: Reduce DWF rates by 5% each year (15%

overall)

PDP Example: Teaching

Guidelines document -- last document in Collective Bargaining Agreement link on SDBOR website◦ http://www.sdbor.edu/administration/policy_planning/agreeme

nts/COHE_Agree/agreement.htm OR

◦ www.SDBOR.edu > Board of Regents > Policy and Agreements > University Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement (see Section 11.2 A-E and guidelines document)

Sample plan – file named PDP Example DSU 0809.docx, posted on Academic home page under the Faculty Expectations link

For help writing behavioral outcomes:◦ http://www.nwlink.com/~Donclark/hrd/bloom.html◦ http://edtech.tennessee.edu/~bobannon/writing_objectives.ht

ml

Other Resources

CAREFULLY read Standards Document, including Attachment B, and follow the advice provided there!

http://www.dsu.edu/hr/policies/02-45-00.aspx Attachment B lists the documentation that

MUST accompany portfolio (letters of recommendation, lists of students, etc.)

“I didn’t know you wanted that” is not acceptable justification!

Portfolio for P&T

Organize your portfolio: introductory letter from you, other documents, sections on T,R,S (follow order listed in Attachment B)

Documentation must be complete but don’t need to include truck-loads;

should be well-organized; don’t make them search!

Do not need to include Appendix F (part of personnel file)

Applying for Promotion / Tenure

Spell out accomplishments relative to the professional behaviors for the higher performance standard (move from basic to high in activities, not in performance standard noted in Appendix F #5)

Use language from standards document Carefully explain any anomalies in your

personnel file

Applying for Promotion /Tenure

Tenure: senior faculty member’s contractual right to re-employment from year to year, until such time as the faculty member resigns, retires, is discharged for cause or is terminated because of a reduction in personnel (RIF)

Sec. 15 establishes code of conduct and steps of discipline for just cause

Sec. 16 establishes procedures for reduction in personnel

Applying for Tenure

Tenure applications: assistant professors in tenure-track contracts must meet requirements for tenure as well as minimum requirements for associate professor

Essentially, providing a summary of your accomplishments throughout your professional career (with some judicious pruning!)

Applying for Tenure

Promotion: Faculty members must meet institutional performance standards for persons holding the rank sought

Table 1 lists performance standards by rank (basic or high performance standards)

Standards Document narrative provides lists of professional behaviors that must be accomplished for promotion to higher rank

Summary of accomplishments since last promotion

Applying for Promotion

To prove performance appropriate for next rank, P&T Committee expects that:

professional behaviors appropriate for higher rank (accompanied by documentation)

ratings of 2-3 on App. F, especially in areas of high performance for rank sought

Description of impact, benefit and effort expended in T,R, S activities (impact and benefit to you, students, college, institution)

#13c – dean includes “you’re doing great” language

Applying for Promotion

Expectation of high performance for everyone except new assistant professors (< 2 year)

IDEA surveys (quantitative and qualitative; only quantitative in personnel file) and advising survey results

Discussion of impact, benefit and effort expended in teaching activities

Teaching

Demonstrate attitudes and activities that convey an excitement for course materials; inspire learners to excel; relate abstract ideas clearly; actively involve students in learning process◦ Initiate, develop and evaluate programs, courses

and teaching materials; develop new ways of conveying information / knowledge; share knowledge and train others; integrate new knowledge and research into learning process

Teaching and Advising

Demonstrate professional skills in use of technology as appropriate to discipline (Tablet PC, D2L, etc.)

Participate in faculty development efforts and application of this knowledge to own classes

Present information to colleagues with goal of improved teaching

Teaching

Three layers of service: To the university (everyone’s obligation) To the discipline To the community at large

P&T Committee are made up of colleagues from across campus. Service activities are one way to get to know those colleagues.

Service

Best advice: carefully consider service options and choose wisely (value to yourself, college, university)

Try to protect assistant professors, but do need to provide service to university. ◦ If you're engaged and committed, you learn

things about how the university works." ◦ “Service is its own reward. I like being a

participant and member of my community.“

Service

From Standards Document: Development of knowledge within

professional community Development of professional skills and

standing within professional community Cannot be only for the classroom or take

place only in classroom

Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity

Must involve presentation of one’s ideas and works to professional peers or learned public

Results in new knowledge; improved teaching; leads to publication and presentations, performances or exhibits;

Faculty member’s responsibility to fully describe impact, benefit and effort expended in these activities

Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity

Promotion to associate professor or higher:

High performance: significant research -- exceptional in scope, prestige of venue, impact on audience, profession or institution

External recognition of scholarship, research and creative activity

Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity

To be promoted to full professor, must provide evidence of discipline-specific scholarly publications or creative works in significant venues; research in teaching / learning is not sufficient unless discipline is education or faculty member teaches instructional methods courses in discipline

Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity