Professional Development Initiative

SPC instructor Larry Spicer This initiative concentrates on offering professional development opportunities to faculty and staff at the College in order to impact students’ critical thinking skills. The College will systematically train a small core of faculty members using a “train-the-trainer” approach, and then build on that existing base of knowledge and expertise.

The initiative also will include seminars led by outside experts, development of in-house and online training, travel to conferences to learn new techniques, and using Academic Roundtables (ARTs) on the campus sites to explore and implement strategies. Faculty and staff will have access to a variety of professional development opportunities.

Professional Development Activities

professional development initiative

Process Measures

Objectives Project Expected Outcomes Indicators 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

1. Provide yearly training opportunities.

1. Annual Critical Thinking Institutes, including introductory workshops for ARTs and in-depth workshops for faculty champions
2. Online seminars
3. RLO, Assessment, and instructional portfolio checklists

1. Number of full-time and adjunct faculty (and staff) participating
492
333
503
410
200
2. Number of registrations or downloads of online seminars
265
2. Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty champions) through the “train-the-trainer” program.

1. Face-to-face and online training seminars provided by the QEP team
2. RLO, assessment, and portfolio checklists developed by the QEP team

1. Number of faculty champions
7
7
16
16
8
2. Number of face-to-face and online training seminars developed
16
28
37
13
13
(2b. Number of training seminars delivered by QEP team)
5
18
28
13
13
(2c. Number of training seminars delivered by others)
6
8
9
22
8
3. Number of RLOs, assessments, and checklists developed
3
13
12
6

3. Establish ARTs.

1. Discipline/program specific ARTs
2. Cross-sectional ARTs including faculty,  non-academic staff, students, advisory committee members

1. Number of ART’s established
4
5
11
9
5
2. Number of full-time and adjunct faculty participants
26
43
43
45
39
3. Number of non-academic staff participants
1
1
4

Assessments

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Goals

Pilot Program Expected Outcomes

Year 5 Expected Outcomes

Assessments

2-1.

Provide professional development opportunities to assist faculty in developing class activities to support “teaching for critical thinking.”

1. By 2009, the Critical Thinking Institute will have had two completed sessions with external trainers, including introductory workshops for Academic Roundtables and in-depth workshops for faculty champions.
Y

1. By 2012, SPC will have developed advanced critical thinking seminars with a discipline-specific focus for identified disciplines.

1. Critical thinking workshop evaluations
2. By 2009, the QEP staff and faculty champions will have provided the face-to-face and online seminars or related activities on basic teaching for critical thinking.
Y
 2. In 2012, at least 75% of full-time faculty and the majority of adjuncts will have participated in seminars on “teaching for critical thinking.”
3. By 2009, faculty champions, in coordination with the QEC and QEP staff, will have developed RLO, assessment, and portfolio checklists to assist faculty in evaluating their critical thinking activities.
Y
 3. By 2012, the majority of surveys and other forms of feedback on critical thinking seminars will be positive.

2-2.

Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty champions) using a “train-the-trainer” approach.

1. By 2009, faculty champions and the QEP staff will have offered a variety of presentations, seminars, and online classes to other faculty.

Y

1. By 2012, SPC will have institutionalized the “train-the-trainer” program in order to continue developing expertise.

1. Feedback from faculty champions on the “Train-the-trainer” program

2. By 2009, SPC will have instituted the “train-the-trainer” program and will have trained an initial cadre of faculty champions.
Y

2-3.

Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs) to investigate general and discipline-specific strategies for “teaching for critical thinking.”

1. By 2009, ARTs identified in the first two pilot years will have completed development and fielded critical thinking activities for their instructional portfolios.
Y

1. By 2012, SPC will have fielded ARTs for the majority of General Education, A.S., and Baccalaureate programs/faculty.

1. Feedback from ART participants
2. By 2012, the majority of faculty participating in ARTs will affirm the value of ARTs to research strategies.