Procedures for REquesting Staff Development Funds
What is Flex?
The purpose of the flexible calendar program is to provide time for faculty (full-time and part-time) to participate in development activities that are related to “staff, student, and instructional improvement” (Title 5, section 55720). The AFT agreement designates five professional development days for which instructors are paid, but for which no actual classroom instruction takes place. Therefore, by participating in professional development (flex) activities, “the instructor will perform in lieu of classroom instruction” (Title 5, section 55726).
CLICK HERE to view the California Community Colleges 2012-13 Flexible Calendar Activity Submission Form for LASC
LACCD Professional Development (Flex)
per Memorandum of Understanding (AFT Agreeement p. 252)
“In order to clarify and standardize practice among the colleges in implementation of professional development days (also known as flex days or staff development days) which appear in the calendar,” a memorandum was established between the union and district.
1. “Mandatory professional development day will require the attendance of all full-time classroom faculty at the planned college activities on that day; hourly faculty are welcome to attend such activities but may meet their professional development obligation as well by the methods indicated below.”
2. "Full-time teaching faculty flex obligation for an academic year is 33.5 hours of professional development activity. For persons with hourly teaching assignments, the hourly teaching professional development obligation for an academic year equals half the sum of the standard hours value of the fall assignment and the standard hours value of the spring assignment. (The standard hours value of a course is the number of hours per week it would have met if taught in full semester mode in a traditional uncompressed semester.)”
Examples of professional development (flex) obligation:
a. FT instructor has no hourly assignment, just regular load:
33.5 hours or 6 hours 42 minutes per day (5 days per AFT agreement, Appendix M)
b. FT instructor has also an hourly assignment of let’s say 3 hours in fall and 3 hours in spring:33.5 hours for regular assignment plus 3 hours for hourly professional development (flex) obligation (3 fall + 3 spring ÷ 2)36.5 hours total obligation for the year
c. PT instructor teaches one semester only, either fall or spring, 3 hours:
3 hours ÷ 2 = 1.5 hours of professional development obligation
d. PT instructor teaches both semesters, 3 hours in fall and 3 hours in spring:
3 hours + 3 hours ÷ 2 = 3 hours of professional development obligation
3. “Hourly professional development obligation is not related to the days a class meets or the dates of the assignment, applying equally to all whose assignments have the same standard hours. Professional development obligation applies to nontraditional instruction such as PACE, TBA, online, and noncredit, and regardless of whether the class is full semester or short term.”
Every instructor now has a professional development (flex) obligation regardless of what day of the week that one teaches.
4. “The professional development schedule will run from July 1 to June 30 each year, reporting once a year. Reports on professional development activity are due from faculty the day after the last professional development day of the spring, and final reporting will be completed by June 30.” Professional Development Activity Reports are due on June 11, 2010. If Professional Development Activity Reports are not received by the due date, a reduction of pay will result. Due dates will be strictly adhered to, so please submit your agreements on time. You may submit them throughout the semester. Please submit only the Activity Report form and keep your activity documents in your own file for 5 years in case of audit.
5. “The professional development obligation remains even though the designated professional development days shown on the calendar may occur outside of the payroll assignment. The faculty member is paid for the obligation as part of the total level pay issued over the term of the assignment for the class.”
Hour Allowed for Professional Development (Flex) Credit
Committee Participation
The AFT agreement stipulates that “every full-time monthly rate faculty member shall serve on at least one departmental, college, or District-wide committee or equivalent”. This is mandatory. Participation in each committee beyond the mandatory committee earns 7 hours.
- Only committees that meet monthly each semester can qualify for this category.
- Maximum allowable for additional committee participation: 14 hours
Conferences/Workshops/Seminars
Credit may be earned by attending a conference, workshop or seminar that provides training for the purpose of improving methods of instruction, upgrading course content, or developing strategies for improving student retention. Credit can be earned for activities not scheduled during regular assigned hours. Other conferences unrelated to the activities above will not be accepted for credit.
Maximum allowable: 14 hours
Courses Taken
Credit may be earned for courses taken that are directly related to courses taught or to faculty service area at LASC.
Maximum allowable: 14 hours
Special Campus and District Events
Credit may be earned for attending special programs, retreats, and workshops that are approved by the campus or district offices. The number of professional development hours to be earned will be established by each activity.
Individual Faculty Projects Individual faculty projects are those that will enhance the institutional program at LASC. Project proposals must be submitted in detail to the Staff Development Faculty Subcommittee for approval.
Maximum allowable: 14 hours per project
Presentations for Professional Development
Any faculty member wishing to present a workshop and to share his/her area(s) of expertise with colleagues may request to do so by completing the “Flex Presentation Form” and submitting it to the Staff Development Faculty Subcommittee at least four weeks prior to the activity date.
3 hours of credit will be earned for each hour of presentation time.
Matriculation
Credit may be earned for advising and counseling students during organized matriculation activities outside an instructor’s regular assigned duties.
Maximum allowable: 7 hours
Professional Networking Credit may be earned for campus, district, regional, state, and national meetings that are directly related to the instructor’s teaching discipline or faculty service area.
Maximum allowable: 14 hours
Professional Enrichment
Credit may be earned for attendance to live performances, museums, films, and productions when directly related to the instructor’s discipline or faculty service area.
Maximum allowable: 6 hours
Personal Enrichment Credit may be earned for activities that have educational value or which assist individuals to be physically, socially, and mentally better able to perform their jobs; e.g. stress reduction, self-defense, nutrition, wellness.
Maximum allowable: 4 hours
Academic Senate officers, curriculum chairperson, and program review coordinator each will earn 24 hours.
Please keep activity documents in your own file for 5 years in case of audit.
- Last Updated: 2/26/13