NOCE Professional Development (ProD) promotes the professional growth of all employees at NOCE by offering workshops and training opportunities related to emerging technology, equity and diversity, as well as programmatic content areas

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What is the Professional Development Committee?

The North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE) Professional Development Committee (ProD) is a shared governance committee that oversees and directs the professional development activities of the school as well as approves applications for individual funding requests to support professional development for Classified employees and faculty. The ProD committee is a sub-committee of the NOCE President’s Cabinet. 

  • The function of the ProD Committee is to:  
    1. Plan and organize professional development opportunities for faculty and Classified staff, including but not limited to:  
      • Mandatory Flex Days 
      • Workshops and trainings for all NOCE employee groups 
    2. Collaborate with NOCE constituents in determining specific and school-wide professional development needs, sharing and braiding resources 
    3. Establish and maintain annual goals that focus on collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation, and that include the following: 
      • Administer a school-wide annual professional development interest survey and evaluate feedback 
      • Align annual efforts with the NOCE Strategic Plan 
      • Stay abreast of changes to educational best practices and initiatives for the purpose of planning relevant professional development activities 
    4. Promote external professional development opportunities to all NOCE employees 
    5. Administer the individual funding application process:  
      • Establish guidelines and procedures for the process of applying for professional development funds  
      • Review and update guidelines, procedures and the application as needed 
      • Review and vote on individual funding applications 
    6. Maintain records of flexible calendar requirements for CCC compliance 

ProD Committee Information:

  • Committee Composition

    The NOCE ProD Committee has the following membership: 

    1. Faculty chair (non-voting)
    2. Four faculty members
    3. Two management members: one VP and one management appointee
    4. Four Classified members 

    Members of the ProD Committee are selected by their respective representative groups (faculty members are selected by the Academic Senate, management members are selected by the management team, and Classified members are selected by CSEA.) The Academic Senate will make every effort to ensure that adjunct faculty are represented on the NOCE ProD Committee. 

    Membership to the committee for all members is a two-year appointment.  

    In the event that the respective representative groups so choose, all committee members can be reappointed for another term. In the event of a vacancy of any member of the committee, the replacement will be chosen by the respective representative group. 

    The ProD Committee Chair will be selected among current ProD faculty membership through a ProD Committee nomination and vote, which will then be communicated to the NOCE Academic Senate. If no current faculty member(s) of the committee chooses to take on the role of Chair, the sitting Chair will bring the upcoming vacancy to the Academic Senate for nominations and a vote.

  • Member Responsibilities

    ProD Chair Responsibilities: 

    1. Facilitate the committee’s monthly meetings, including preparing and sending out agendas and meeting minutes.
    2. Represent the ProD Committee at professional development activities.  
    3. Attend related meetings, including the District Professional Development Committee. 
    4. Communicate with other professional development leaders in the District.
    5. Communicate with NOCE leadership.
    6. Communicate professional development opportunities to all of NOCE. 
    7. Submit committee reports to the President’s Cabinet and Academic Senate either in writing or in person. 
    8. Communicate relevant information to NOCE ProD Committee members. 
    9. Maintain records related to 
      • NOCE professional development activities, including Flex activities 
      • Applications for funding through the ProD committee approval and District reimbursement processes 
      • Full-time faculty flexible calendar obligation
    10. Manage ProD budget 
      • Maintain records of expenditures. 
      • Communicate budget information with members of the ProD Committee. 
      • Work with NOCE CFO to maintain accurate records of budget 
    11. Maintain a committee SharePoint site

    ProD Committee Member Responsibilities: 

    1. Attend monthly meetings and stay abreast of current and relevant topics and communications 
    2. Participate in the planning and execution of professional development activities and events, including but not limited to: 
      • Identifying and recommending professional development topics 
      • Identifying and recommending presenters and speakers 
      • Event set-up and clean-up 
    3. Communication 
      • Communicate ProD committee information to constituents, where appropriate 
      • Communicate professional development needs and ideas from constituents to the ProD committee 
  • Member List
    Harpreet Uppal
    Adam Gottdank
    Martha Gutierrez
    Patricia Giron
    Megan Reeves
    Candace Lynch
    Matt Van Gelder
    Jennifer Carey – Co-chair
    Erin Sherard – Co-chair
     
    *2 CSEA vacancies 

Meeting Information:

The NOCE ProD Committee will meet monthly during the regular academic year (August through May). Meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

  • Agendas

    The NOCE ProD Chair will prepare and send out the meeting agenda with input from committee members. The Chair or a committee member who agrees to the responsibility will also take and send out meeting notes. 

    The group will use the following voting methods: 

    • Individual funding applications will be sent to all committee members prior to the meeting date. During the meeting, applications will be approved through consensus unless members raise objections to all or part of the application. The committee reserves the right to partially approve a funding application by reducing approved amounts or eliminating requested funding amounts. 
    • Requests for an email vote on funding applications can occur if a faculty member or Classified staff member putting forward the application expresses an urgent need. The decision to go ahead with an email vote will be determined via email by a consensus of committee members. If any committee member rejects the request, the vote will occur at the next committee meeting. If the email vote request is accepted, an application will be approved if 50% + 1 committee member email a “yes” vote.
    • Voting on other items (other than funding applications) will occur by consensus of committee members present at the respective meeting. 
  • Communications

    To ensure that all employees can access information on the issues under consideration and can provide input or participation in meeting discussions, the ProD committee will maintain a SharePoint group. At a minimum, the following will be posted: 

    • ProD Committee Charter 
    • ProD Funding Application 
    • Faculty Flex Form 
    • Meeting schedule and information, including Zoom links when appropriate 
    • Meeting minutes 
    • Relevant links 

    The chair of the ProD Committee will communicate to committee members via email.

    Amendment or Changes to the NOCE Pro D bylaws and/or procedures 

    Changes to the NOCE Pro D bylaws shall be initiated by ProD committee members. 

    Amendments to the NOCE ProD Committee Bylaws shall be voted on by the NOCE Pro D committee. A simple majority of membership present at meetings shall prevail. 

    Information regarding amendments shall be communicated to all involved constituents.  

How to Apply for Professional Development Training Funds

1. Complete funding application →

NOCE Application for Professional Development Funding

Applicants must:

  • Submit a completed application
  • Submit all relevant documentation associated with request (conference/workshop information, travel information, hotel information, etc.)
  • Obtain the signatures of the Immediate Management Supervisor (IMS)
  • Please review NOCCCD Procedures: Transportation and Travel

2. Send completed app via email →

Send as a PDF to Erin Sherard’s email, esherard@noce.edu. Include all relevant documentation.

3. Wait for approval letter →

Pro D Committee meets the 4th Tuesday of the month throughout the academic year (August-May). Processing takes at least a week for funding approval. Expect an email in this time frame. *Please do not contact Pro D committee members for status.

4. Applicants must register by the deadline with/without funding approval →

If the event deadline is before notice of approved funding – applicants will need to decide if they want to register, secure travel, and lodging, etc. – without a guarantee of funds.

Note – Keep original receipts

5. After the event→

After the conference/training has taken place, ProD applicants that were given funding approval must:

  • Complete the District Travel Expense Report (MyGateway/Employee Tab/F&F/Scroll down)
  • Acquire a signature of manager
  • Attach original receipts
  • Submit this packet to the NOCE Budget Office for reimbursement

*Note – The Budget Office or District may require additional documents.

6. Wait for reimbursement check →

If an employee had to make personal expenses ahead of the conference/training, the District will reimburse the employee with a check upon final approval of the post-conference packet. Checks will be sent to the applicant’s office mail receptacle. Or to the employee’s address on file (if they do not have a permanent office within the District).

NOCE FLEX Program

The NOCE ProD Committee collaborates with the District to plan and implement the FLEX Program for full-time faculty.  

The FLEX obligation for full-time faculty each academic year is 20 total hours: 

  • 10 hours of mandatory FLEX activities (five in the fall semester and five in the spring semester)  
  • 10 hours of non-student duty hours (five in the fall semester and five in the spring semester)  

NOCE’s ProD Chair will provide each full-time faculty member with a FLEX Submission Form for each academic year. Completed forms will be due at the beginning of May to each academic year.