The Informer Page 6

October 11, 1988

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

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The new, college-wide Faculty Development
Committee has now met for the first time. Its
members are Hilary Clark and Margot Rawsthorne
of the Career/Vocational Division, Dennis Wright
and Judy Inouye of the Student and Instructional
Support Division, and Nigel Amon and Chris Watkiss
of the Academic Studies Division. These Divisional
representatives are happy to meet with any faculty in
their respective Divisions to hear their views and
suggestions regarding Professional Development,
instructional skills development, faculty exchange
and related matters. Ruth D’Hollander, who is the
College’s representative on Provincial committees
dealing with items of faculty development, is also
attending meetings as a resource person; she is an
excellent source of information on developments at a
system-wise level and would also be happy to answer
any questions faculty may have. The Committee
reports to Robert Turner, Dean of Student and
Instructional Services, who may also be approached
with suggestions or comments. We want to hear from
as many faculty as possible so that our committee
truly represents a majority, faculty view.

REID

At the first meeting, the Committee began the
rather difficult task of defining what PD is in this
College, and what areas of faculty development are
important to us here. The Committee struck a
preliminary budget with which it hopes to translate
these ideas into reality.

The Committee also discussed what role it should
have in the political and labour/management matters
which pertain to professional development. It is clear
that faculty development in this College depends on
adequate and fairly distributed money and the
assumption of professional support as a right of
employment. Paid Educational Leave was seen as an
area in which this Committee should have advice for
both Union and Management.

Minutes of the meeting and the preliminary
budget can be had of Reid Gilbert, if anyone wants to
see them. The Committee next meets on October 20,
1988.

The Committee agreed that it would fund the
attendance of one or more faculty members at one or
more conferences this fall, to a limit of $1000.
Additional monies will be available for conference
going in the spring. If you are interested in applying
for money to attend a conference and if your own
Programme or Department cannot fund you, please
write a brief memo of application to Reid Gilbert in

GILBERT

Humanities, requesting funds. The memo should
briefly:

¢ name the conference and provide its
location and dates

¢ indicate the specific values attendance
will bring to you as a professional, and,
therefore, as a teacher. (You might also
point out benefits which will accrue to your
teaching area),

¢ outline a budget: cost of registration,
travel costs, lodging costs, food costs (based
on the College’s travel and conference
policies),

¢ include a note from your Programme/
Department/Division Coordinator/
Chairperson stating that funds are not
available through your own area budgets,

* provide any information which will help
the Committee adjudicate your request
against others and the very limited funds
available.

Faculty who wish to attend that October 21
Canadian Studies Conference can apply to the
Committee for the $15 registration fee. For more
information regarding this conference, please call
Dorothy Jantzen (2421) or John Potts (2988). To
obtain funds, memo Reid Gilbert, simply stating that
you wish to attend.

Applications for fall conference money should
be received by Reid Gilbert before October 20,
1988. Time is short, but fall conferences are already
taking place.

The Committee has also begun to discuss a model
for Instructional Workshops. We are aiming to create
a pilot series of workshops in the spring term. These
workshops will begin with discussions of educational
theory and practise in order to lay a theoretical
foundation; then a series of practical sessions will
arise from the theoretical base. Members of the
Committee were enthusiastic about this approach
which follows an established academic methodology
with which we are all familiar.

One of the most significant comments which arose
during the meeting was the suggestion that, as we are
all employed in an educational institution, we are all
engaged in “academic” work and we all, therefore,