Professional Development
Welcome to the Midland College Workforce Continuing Education Professional Development web site.
IntroductionProfessional development is an important and essential component of institutional effectiveness at Midland College. All full-time employees are expected to annually upgrade their professional skills. This may be done in a variety of methods, formats, and locations. Part-time employees are also encouraged to engage in professional development and will be supported by Midland College in this endeavor to the extent possible. The College will annually provide a variety of on-campus opportunities for professional development. There is a clear expectation that all full-time employees will engage in documentable professional development each year which will become a part of the employees' annual evaluation assessment. A record of professional development should be maintained and provided to their supervisor each year. Professional development experiences provided by the College have approval in advance for all appropriate groups. All other professional development experiences must be directly related to the employee's duties and receive prior supervisor approval. These may be held on campus, in town, or out of town if funds are available. |
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OrganizationProfessional development efforts at Midland College will be coordinated by the Human Resources Office. While some types of professional development may be applicable for all employees, specific programs will be offered for both faculty and staff groups. Other College offices have been specifically designated to provide professional development programs for each of the two groups, along with the assistance of the Human Resources Office. Possible Examples of Professional Development
Professional Development Form (adobe .PDF) |
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Q: How is Professional Development defined at MC?
A: Professional Development is the continuous process of acquiring new knowledge and skills that relate to one's profession, job
responsibilities, or work environment, and plays a key role in maintaining trained, informed and motivated employees regardless of job classification.
Q: How is it measured?
A: Professional Development activities are measured in hours, the actual time spent receiving instruction, excluding time for breaks and meals.
Q: What types of activities count toward the professional development requirement?
A: Professional development activities may include, but are not limited to, credit and non-credit courses, workshops, seminars,
teleconferences, audio-visual materials, grant writing projects, and reading or publishing in journals, as long as the activity is approved by the individual's supervisor.
Q: Who is responsible for determining what counts?
A: The employee and his or her supervisor determine appropriate professional development activities. The supervisor has final approval authority.
Q: If our department has an idea for a professional development activity, must we have the topic approved by the Human Resources Department?
A: No, HR need not approve the activity since it is up to each supervisor to determine which activities count toward each individual's professional development requirement.
Q: How is the completion of professional development activities recorded?
A: Prior to completing an activity, the employee should receive pre-approval from his or her supervisor. After the activity has been completed, the employee should submit to the supervisor documentation of completion which the supervisor deems appropriate.
Q. As a staff member, how do I receive professional development credit for activities I participate in outside of MC? For example, what if I attend a conference or read books related to my position?
A. You may submit those activities to your supervisor for approval. Be sure to include how much time was spent doing each activity.
Q: Is the completion of the requirement tied to salary?
A: Completion of the professional development requirement is not tied to step increases or stipends; rather, it is tied to evaluation.
Q: Is the completion of the requirement tied to my annual performance evaluation?
A: Yes, completion is tied to annual performance evaluations. However, under no circumstances should an employee be penalized for not following his or her initial professional development plan. The purpose of the professional development plan is for the employee and supervisor to identify areas needing improvement or growth. New opportunities may present themselves, the scheduling of workshops may change, and other events may arise which result in the original plan no longer being the best course of action. Whether or not the professional development plan changes, an individual must still complete the requisite number of hours of professional development activities.
Q: What are the deadlines for completion?
A: The required hours must be completed between September 1 and August 31 of each year. All hours for the previous fiscal year must be recorded by September 15.
Q. I completed a credit course this year. How does that apply to my professional development?
A. Your supervisor may choose what portion of that amount is relevant to the professional development needs of your position.
Resources / Links
Faculty
The Midland College Teaching and Learning Professional Development Program Center is a faculty-driven resource center, designed to promote teaching excellence as well as collaborative initiatives to enhance student learning.
For more information, visit the TLPDC web page at
www.midland.edu/tlpdc/
Also, the following courses are available through the Workforce Continuing Education Department and meet the necessary Professional Development activity hours required. Please note that you must receive approval from your supervisor prior to taking courses if you wish to receive credit.
Staff
The following courses are available and meet the necessary Professional Development activity hours required. Please note that you must receive approval from your supervisor prior to taking these courses if you wish to receive credit.
On-line Courses Available through Ed-2-Go
Upcoming Events
- Excel 2010: Basic
- Tue, Jun 12 - 1:00 pm
- iPad for Business *** Just Added ***
- Mon, Jun 18 - 6:30 pm
- License Update Course: Electrical Installations in Hazardous Locations
- Sat, Jun 23 - 8:30 am
- PowerPoint 2010: Basic
- Mon, Jun 25 - 1:00 pm
- Quickbooks Pro 2011: Comprehensive
- Mon, Jun 25 - 6:30 pm
- Access 2010: Basic
- Tue, Jun 26 - 1:00 pm
- Access 2010: Basic - Extended
- Mon, Jul 9 - 6:30 pm
All Workforce Continuing Education Courses
