Quality Faculty Plan

Philosophy and Guiding Principles for Hiring and Developing Quality Faculty

Design and implementation of this Quality Faculty Plan is consistent with the Iowa Lakes Community College core values and college-wide goals adopted by the Board of Trustees in October 2001. Specifically, the plan supports the following college-wide goals:

• Value the individual differences of learners, staff and communities by providing appropriate resources and opportunities for growth.
• Support excellence in teaching with a focus on learning in an intellectually stimulating environment.

By definition, “policy” is intended to prescribe a “method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decision” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). This document establishes a statement of policy intended to act as a blueprint for designing and implementing operational procedures.

This Plan was designed to provide for maximum flexibility for designing and implementing procedures that readily and appropriately respond to the dynamic nature of a 21st Century institution of higher education and its faculty. A guiding principle for Plan development has been that supporting excellence in teaching requires procedural elements to be evolutionary in nature if continuous quality improvement is to be achieved. Furthermore, the process must be nurtured in an environment that embraces change for the common good and supports lifelong learning.

The “quality” of Quality Faculty Plans is reviewed during accreditation visits. Accordingly, when creating your Quality Faculty Plan (QFP), please ensure that the listed activities, both individually and holistically, constitute “professional development.” At the very least, professional development should constitute activities that expand your knowledge of education and the subjects within your field of instruction so that the college can fulfill its mission to provide “quality lifelong learning opportunities.”

It is required to have one professional development activity in each of the three categories listed below. Additional activities can be added on additional forms. There is no limit on the number of professional development activities a faculty member can include on the professional development plan.

1. Teaching and Learning
2. Personal and Professional Development
3. College and Community Service

A plan for professional development for the next academic year must be provided to the Supervisor no later than May 1st of the current academic year and agreed upon by the faculty member and supervisor.

The completed Quality Faculty Plan (QFP) must be submitted to the Supervisor no later than May 1st of the academic year the plan is intended for. It is suggested that you complete the form as you complete each activity.

Examples of activities for each category:

Teaching and Learning

1. Learning Management System (LMS) workshops (Canvas Training/ICCOC Conference)
2. Completing credit or non-credit courses, including continuing education and MOOC courses
3. Pursuing certification, recertification, licensure, or credentialing
4. Professional development that emphasizes teaching/assessment strategies
5. Content/Course development specific to a teaching assignment
6. Professional experiences for the purpose of continuous improvement
7. Attending technology training sessions or events, whether internal or external
8. Conducting, or actively contributing to, scientific or scholarly research
9. Participating in Monday Morning Mentoring, ACUE Commons, or Crucial Learning webinars throughout the academic year
10. Skills based (industry) training
11. Cooperatives and exchange programs
12. Additional activities may be appropriate

Personal and Professional Development

1. ILCC Quality Service workshops (Inservice)
2. Actively participating in Professional Organizational memberships
3. Conferences
4. Presenting at a conference
5. Lakers Lead Program
6. Higher-education coursework
7. Wellness
8. Professional certification/courses toward an additional degree or certification
9. ILCC mandatory trainings (i.e., Vector LMS, Higher Education online training)
10. Additional activities may be appropriate

College and Community Service

1. Actively serving on ILCC college committees
2. Actively serving on community organization committees
3. Actively serving on regional, state, or national committees, advisory boards, or commissions
4. Community/Organization volunteering
5. Publications/Presentations
6. Mentoring
7. Community/Organization memberships
8. Leadership for student clubs
9. Additional activities may be appropriate