DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Philosophy |  Professional Development Requests
Important Notes Regarding Professional Development Requests
Professional Development Executive Summaries
Student Life Monthly Professional Development Meetings 

Philosophy

As stated in ACPA’s Statement of Ethical Standards, student affairs professionals have a responsibility to themselves, their universities and their students.  High levels of competence are expected in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.  To this end, student affairs professionals should:

1. Adopt a professional lifestyle characterized by use of sound theoretical principles and a personal value system congruent with the basic tenets of the profession;

2. Contribute to the development of the profession (e.g. recruiting students to the profession, serving professional organizations, educating new professionals, improving professional practices, and conducting and reporting research);

3. Maintain and enhance professional effectiveness by improving skills and acquiring new knowledge and;

4. Monitor their personal and professional functioning and effectiveness and seek assistance from appropriate professionals as needed (ACPA Statement of Ethical Standards, 1992).

The Division of Student Affairs at John Carroll University supports the professional development of its staff members and has created a divisional professional plan for staff members to both request approval for professional development opportunities in which university funds will be used and to collect executive summaries that can be shared with others for possible implementation of new ideas or practices.  National, regional and local conferences, web-based and audio conferences, workshops, educational institutes, certification programs and trainings are some examples of professional development opportunities in which staff participate throughout the year. 

The following practices for professional development requests and submission of executive summaries apply only to opportunities in which university funds will be used.  It is also important to note that individual professional development plans should be done in conversation with and the approval of one’s supervisor.  It is this relationship between staff and supervisors that is critical to developing a well-balanced plan that incorporates the employee’s professional development goals with the needs of the university.

BACK TO TOP

Professional Development Requests

Staff members must receive permission first from their immediate supervisor and then ultimately from either the Vice President for Student Affairs or the Dean of Students to participate in a professional development opportunity before any sort of registration or financial commitment has been made.  Requests will be granted based on three main criteria:

1. Supervisory approval

2. Connection to university, divisional and/or departmental strategic priorities and goals

3. Budget availabilities

Staff members need to submit the Professional Development Request form which is available on the web at http://www.jcu.edu/campuslife/vpsa/profdev.  Click on the Request Form link to the left to whomever your immediate supervisor reports to – either the Vice President or the Dean.  With submission of the on-line form, staff members agree that their supervisor has approved of their request.  Staff members and their supervisor will be notified via e-mail within three business days regarding the request.  In rare cases, staff members and their supervisors may be called for clarification or more information.  Staff members may begin the registration process after they have received approval.

Realizing that there may be some exceptions to this policy, staff members or immediate supervisors should contact the Dean or the Vice President to discuss these situations before an on-line request is submitted.

BACK TO TOP

Important Notes Regarding Professional Development Requests

The allocation of funding for professional development has shifted from the individual staff member to the departmental and divisional level.  The availability and amounts of professional development funds cannot be assumed, nor can they be guaranteed on an ongoing basis.  However, most staff members can be assured that the institution will invest funds toward their professional development, but it will no longer be a set amount for each individual as in years past. 

Additionally, dollars for professional development will not necessarily be distributed equally amongst staff members.  Some professional development activities are more costly than others and some staff members may need to attend more conferences, by virtue of their work.  Lastly, some staff members may be required to go to a particular conference and forego the conference of their choice.  This will likely be a rare instance, but it is important to note that it sometimes may be necessary if it is linked to a departmental, Divisional and/or University priority. 

In summary, professional staff members will receive financial assistance from the Division to use toward professional development opportunities.  However, we will look to combine the goals of the individual with those of the institution in a way that is beneficial for both.  Through the pooling of funds and more intentional conference attendance, we will create a better connection between an individual’s professional development goals with those of the institution.

BACK TO TOP

Professional Development Executive Summaries

It is critical for our division to apply our learning and to share our information with appropriate staff members both within and outside of the Division.  Executive summaries will be used to educate and to inform others about our professional development experiences while providing evidence of our efforts to stay current with the contemporary issues in higher education and our areas of expertise.  To assist with this process, a specific format has been created for staff members to use in writing these summaries.  Please use the exact format of the sample summary (see attached).   The outline for summaries should include:

• Heading/title

• Overview

• Main ideas

• Possible applications and implementation plans

These summaries should be no more than 1-3 pages, depending on the topic and content.  Staff members are responsible for submitting executive summaries as an attached Microsoft Word document via the VPSAO website within two weeks of the professional development event at http://www.jcu.edu/campuslife/vpsa/profdev/exec_summaries.htm.

BACK TO TOP

Student Life Monthly Professional Development Meetings

These meetings will be held monthly with student life staff members (Dean of Students, Campus Ministry, Developmental Programming, Residence Life, Student Activities, Student Health Center, and University Counseling Center) and will be facilitated by the Vice President for Student Affairs throughout the academic year.  Topics will range from current issues facing higher education nationally as well as timely subjects facing us at John Carroll University.

BACK TO TOP