Full-time Faculty should expect to receive a PD & Vacation Planning Form from their academic department this week. This form asks Full-time Faculty to indicate their expected vacation days and professional development (PD) plans for the 2020/2021 academic year.
The Collective Agreement stipulates that Full-time Faculty shall have ten days allotted for professional development activities:
11.01 H 1 The College shall allow each teacher at least ten working days of professional development in each academic year.
11.01 H 2 Unless otherwise agreed between the teacher and the supervisor, the allowance of ten days shall include one period of at least five consecutive working days for professional development.
11.01 H 3 The arrangements for such professional development shall be made following discussion between the supervisor and the teacher subject to agreement between the supervisor and the teacher, and such agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld.
Typically, PD is done during the spring semester when teaching loads are lighter for many (but not all) faculty. Whether or not a Full-time Faculty member teaches in the spring or has a non-traditional vacation schedule, they are still entitled to ten days of PD, including five days of consecutive PD.
PD is not a part of assigned workload. It is the faculty member’s responsibility to request scheduling of PD days. If PD time is not used, it cannot be carried over to the next academic year unless the manager agrees.
What counts as professional development? Just about anything, including workshops, conferences, courses, training sessions, and yes, even reading books, journal articles, trade magazines, and so on, connected to your field or to teaching.
There is nothing in the Collective Agreement that says there should be any deliverable attached to PD such as delivering a workshop or providing a report. If PD approval is attached to a deliverable, then that work should be recognized on the faculty member’s Standard Workload Form. If a PD plan is denied because the faculty member does not agree to provide a deliverable, then that decision is grievable.