The first of the eight priorities of the 2012-15 Strategic Plan Shaping Our Future focuses on professional development and organizational health. As part of this priority, the plan indicates that WCC will “Sustain and enrich organizational culture and health with an emphasis on building and leveraging a learning community.” In particular, the large, cross-campus team that developed the priority hoped to build a “strong culture of professional development for all faculty and staff.”
Why a priority on professional development and organizational health? Much of the feedback gathered during the first year of strategic planning process indicated that internally, faculty and staff were very proud of WCC and the college’s work to ensure student success, but felt that the institution could improve in recognizing faculty and staff accomplishments, better encourage a culture of learning and growth across all employee groups, and do more to promote the WCC vision statement of commitment to student, staff, and community success.
As with the other priorities, in 2012-13 a priority team of faculty and staff co-chaired by Cristy Lindemann and Marla Stuck began coordinating the implementation of this priority by developing specific goals and action steps related to this priority for 2013-15. For 2013-15, the primary goal for the priority was to “consolidate all professional development for the college under one umbrella.” Here are some specific updates on action steps and outcomes as we head into the next academic year.
Action step for 2013-14: Establish an internal advisory board representing multiple area of the college including each employee group, the Faculty Professional development Committee, Human Resources, and IT to provide input into identifying professional development requirement and activities that best meet the needs of the college. Update: This advisory committee has been active for the last year, and has forwarded many recommendations for implementation.
Action step for 2013-14: Establish a professional development process, procedures, and requirements for completion by faculty and staff each year, as well as a tracking system to ensure completion and recognition. Update: A pilot process for providing and tracking professional development events was put in place in 2013, with programs starting in January 2014.
Action step for 2013-14: Establish a web presence for college-wise professional development activities. Update: A trial run of web presence was run in November 2013, and the team is working with Web Services for a full website to be available later in 2014.
Action step for 2013-14: Support and emphasize the use of existing systems committees, and educational support, focusing above all on student learning and service. Update: The advisory team launched sessions at November in-service on “Show me the Money” and “Enrollment Trends,”online Sexual Harassment training in 2013-14, and plans higher learning sessions in late 2014.
In addition to the action steps coordinated by the priority team, faculty and staff have played a significant role in moving other college goals forward that aligned with this strategic priority. These include the pilot leadership academy development program for emerging leaders on campus, supervisor training sessions on relevant issues in the workplace, and a pilot employee-to-employee mentoring program planned for later in 2014.
While many individuals across campus have participated in this effort, special thanks go to advisory team co-chairs Cristy Lindemann and Marla Stuck and members Susan Dentel, Pete Leshkevich, Nichole Marbury, Mary Mulloland, Liz Orbits, Sally Schmall, Debbie Shillington, Martin Thomas, Linda Williams, and Kristine Williman.