Common use of STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Clause in Contracts

STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 25.1 Definition 25.1.1 Staff professional development includes in-service activities, conferences, professional growth, individual projects, group projects, seminars and workshops. 25.1.2 The District shall provide District funds for staff professional development for classified personnel. 25.1.3 District policies and regulations shall direct the attendance, reimbursement procedures and reporting requirements for employees who are approved for staff professional development activities outside the District. 25.2 Staff Professional Development Day / Staff Professional Development Committee There shall be a staff professional development day each fiscal year for classified employees. The schedule and content shall be developed by the District Staff professional development Committee. LBCCE shall appoint four (4) representatives to the Classified Staff professional development Committee. 25.3 Notice of Staff Professional Development Opportunities Notice of staff professional development opportunities, including workshops and local seminars, shall be circulated in writing or by email to all classified employees by the District on a timely basis to facilitate employee participation. Such notice will be made sufficiently in advance of the staff professional development opportunity in order to provide employees with an opportunity to request attendance. The list will be updated as information becomes available. 25.4 Individual Staff Professional Development Opportunities 25.4.1 Classified employees may also attend appropriate staff professional development activities. These shall include but not be limited to safety procedures, equipment operation training, activities relating to their work areas, stress management, time management, team building, computer training, and customer relations. 25.4.2 Requests requiring release time to attend the staff professional development activity and payment of fees must have the supervisor’s approval. Funds must be available to pay the costs of the staff professional development activity and the office or area must be adequately covered. If the staff professional development activity occurs off-campus on multiple dates and locations, the manager of the area may select the location and date that has the least impact on the area operation. 25.5 Professional Growth Staff Professional Development The District will encourage professional growth staff professional development educational activities. Courses must be part of an “Educational Plan” that is developed by an employee in consultation with a LBCC or another community college counselor or academic advisor at a four- year college or university. The plan must be submitted at least one month prior to class registration for approval by the immediate supervisor. 25.5.1 The intention of this program is to provide permanent employees new skills and broaden their opportunity for promotion as well as assisting in the development of their knowledge, skills, and abilities through course work taken at an accredited community college, college or university, or adult school. 25.5.2 To this end, any permanent employee who wishes to take courses at Long Beach City College or another accredited community college may, at the discretion of the District, be given time to attend one class per semester, not in excess of six (6) hours per week. Arrangements to attend classes should be worked out with the immediate supervisor. When the supervisor and employee agree the course is in accordance with the approved Educational Plan, the District shall pay enrollment fees (as part of the limitations described in Section 25.5.3) for the employee for courses taken at Long Beach City College or another accredited community college. If necessary to complete the workload of the position, the employee may be required to work overtime. 25.5.3 Employees who wish to take upper division or graduate classes at an accredited college or university may, at the discretion of the District, be given paid release time to attend one class per semester, not to exceed five (5) hours per week.