ARTICLE VII: PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Mission, Role and Principles: The Employer and the Federation recognize the need to strive for academic excellence in the field of education, including professional growth for its academic employees.

1. In accordance with applicable state regulations, a joint committee composed of three (3) representatives of the Employer selected by the College and three (3) academic employees chosen by the Federation will develop, coordinate and widely communicate fair and reasonable guidelines surrounding the use and distribution of professional development pool funds, hear appeals when professional development pool fund limitations become an issue and receive an annual report of pool fund expenditures.

To help defray the expense of professional improvement (including journals and professional membership dues) the Employer agrees to:

A. In each academic year during the duration of the contract, budget $450 per annually contracted full-time academic employee to a professional growth and travel fund that is administered divisionally in accordance with applicable state regulations. Every annually contracted full-time academic employee, including those on sabbatical, shall have the first option to use the Professional Growth Funds budgeted for him/her.

Beginning Fall Quarter 2005, each academic employee shall have the option of carrying forward all or part of the unspent $450 from the first year of the biennium for use in the second year of the biennium. Options not declared by the end of Winter Quarter in the second year of the biennium shall result in release of the funds for the use of other academic employees’ professional development.

B. In each academic year during the duration of the contract, budget $5,000 each year to be used solely for expenses incurred in obtaining and keeping valid vocational certification. These funds will be coordinated, in accordance with applicable state regulations, by a joint committee composed of three (3) representatives of the Employer selected by the College and three (3) vocationally certified instructors selected by the Federation.

C. In each academic year during the duration of the contract, budget $19,500 for professional growth opportunities for associate academic employees not otherwise employed as full-time employees. These funds will be coordinated, in accordance with applicable state regulations, by a joint committee composed of three (3) representatives of the Employer selected by the College and three (3) academic employees selected by the Federation.

D. In each academic year during the contract, the College will budget $8,000 annually into a contracted full-time academic employee Professional Development pool. This pool will be coordinated, in accordance with applicable state regulations, by a joint committee composed of three (3) representatives of the Employer selected by the College and three (3) academic employees chosen by the Federation.

Nothing in this Article shall preclude the reallocation of unused Professional Development funds to any of the above-mentioned Professional Development pools. Unused professional development funds shall be rolled from the first year of a biennium into the second year for professional development use by academic employees and unused funds shall be liquidated at the close of each biennium.