COMPLIANCE AUDIT REPORTS

Section 3: Comprehensive Standard 3.7.3
The institution provides ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.

Statement of Compliance: Dyersburg State Community College is in compliance with Comprehensive Standard 3.7.3.

Rationale for Judgment of Compliance:

Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) provides ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners.

The President, the Vice President for the College, and the Faculty and Staff Development Committee share responsibility for faculty development [Ref 1]. Funds are budgeted on an annual basis to the Faculty and Staff Development Committee [Ref 2]. The Faculty and Staff Development Committee is made up of faculty and staff members. The President, the Vice President for the College, and the Vice President for Finance and Administration serve as ex officio members of the committee. The committee reviews request forms for development funds in accordance with established criteria for eligibility of development funds. All recipients of professional development funds are required to provide the committee with a follow-up report on their professional development activity [Ref 3]. The President may designate funds from the committee to support professional development opportunities such as conferences and workshops of special interest to the College. For example, funds may be made available to enable a faculty member or faculty members to attend and participate in a conference or workshop dealing with best practices in assessment, learning-centered strategies or the use of instructional technology to improve learning [Ref 4].  Similarly, funds may be used to bring in an outside expert to work with faculty members to build pedagogical skills [Ref 5]. 

Each semester, DSCC holds an in-service day which includes professional developmental activities for all faculty and staff. These activities are appropriate to the College’s goals and objectives as reflected in the DSCC Strategic Plan [Ref 6]. The activities for faculty include sessions on learning styles, classroom management, learning theory, using instructional technology to improve learning, and information literacy. This past semester, Dr. Barbara Bonham, faculty member at the Kellogg Institute of Developmental Education in North Carolina, was the keynote speaker during in-service activities [Ref 7].

At the beginning of each semester, a workshop is held for adjunct faculty members. Activities for adjunct faculty are similar to those provided for full-time faculty [Ref 8].

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) serves as another professional development resource for faculty. The LRC is staffed by two full-time instructional and media specialists. The Distance Education Coordinator/Instructional Design Specialist provides one-on-one and group training and support for faculty using WebCT and developing on-line classes.  The Instructional Technology Specialist provides training and support for faculty for computer presentations including video and digital images [Ref 9]. Since fall 2005, the Distance Education Coordinator/Instructional Design Specialist and the Dean of the Learning Resource Center offer a schedule of workshops for faculty that integrate instructional technology and pedagogy [Ref 10]. Three workshops are offered in the fall and four in the spring semesters.

As a benefit to all full-time employees, a fee waiver is available for one course each semester and one during each summer session [Ref 11]. On occasion, the College may assist an individual faculty member who is working on an advanced degree, provided it is in an area important to the College [Ref 12] [Ref 13].

Authored by Dr. Mary Ann Sellars in coordination with the SACS Leadership Team

Documentation: