College of the Redwoods
STAFF-DEVELOPMENT (FLEX) CONTRACT OBLIGATION
FAQ
www.inside.redwoods.edu/flexcalendarcommittee
The flexible calendar program was established by the Chancellor’s office to allow community colleges to provide noninstructional days in an academic year to allow faculty time to work individually or with groups to achieve improvement in
three distinct areas: staff improvement, student improvement, and instructional improvement. The college receives
apportionment for these non-teaching days, and attendance is mandatory.
Staff-Development credit is the state’s way of ensuring faculty engages in professional-development activities equivalent
to the amount of time they would have spent in class were there no Staff-Development program.
The “Guidelines for the Implementation of the Flexible Calendar Program”, allow credit for both faculty presentations
and/or participation in trainings, workshops, conferences, seminars, individual, or institutionally planned activities intended
for staff, student and/or instructional improvement.
“Staff-Development” activities: The college offers activities twice each year during Institutional Days (August and
January). Faculty are required to attend these institutional (flex) days activities. Participation in all the institutional days
sessions will complete the required number of flex hours (following the January activities). Those not completing their flex
obligation through institutional days activities for any reason (other than sabbatical) will be required to complete additional
hours of professional development or possibly be subject to a reduction in pay.
All activities should be linked to the comprehensive plan for staff development and to the goals and objectives of the
flexible calendar program. In addition, the flexible calendar program should be linked to the goals and mission of the
college. Some examples of activity categories (go to inside.redwoods.edu/flex for more details):
 Activities that increase knowledge in the discipline or that directly enhance teaching skills
 Activities that improve working relationships with students and staff in and out of the classroom
 Activities that enhance an individual’s physical and mental ability to perform his or her job
 Activities directly related to planning that are outside faculty professional obligations.
Note: Activities that are part of a faculty member’s professional obligations are not considered staff-development
activities. An example: Course assessment is a faculty obligation, as is the one-hour reporting requirement. If
reporting goes beyond one hour, or a department or division determines that additional time is needed for
assessment completion, the additional time can be considered a flex activity.
Tracking Flex Obligations: For accountability purposes, certain days are labeled “Flex Days” or “Institutional Days” on
the academic calendar. Attendance on these designated days is required. Faculty complete 24 hours of professional
activities in a fiscal year, submit their plans/goals for the period July 1 through June 30 annually, by the second Friday of
September, and submit completed activities and hours by the first Friday in May, via email, to crislynparker@redwoods.edu. Be sure to keep a copy of your goals and completed activities.
Satisfying Flex Obligations: The best way is through the required institutional days activities. If additional hours are
required, the obligation may be satisfied through a variety of professional activities, workshops, conferences, or programs
offered on or off campus during the academic year. Non-participation in the institutional days activities may result in an
absence for all or part of the day. Staff-Development credit may be earned during any non-duty hours (hours during which
you are not fulfilling your contractual or professional obligations) throughout the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Sick or Personal emergency on a mandatory day: If you cannot attend a mandatory on-campus day, it will be treated
as a sick day-just as though you were not teaching on that day, and you will be required to provide alternate activities to
meet the requirement.
“Staff-Development” for faculty on sabbatical leave or pre-retirement reduced work load: Staff-Development
obligation for a semester sabbatical is 12 hours for the year and no Staff-Development obligation for a year sabbatical.
Staff-Development obligation for a pre-retirement program is based on the percent of full-time load for the year.
Please visit the website at www.redwoods.edu/flex for more information on the California Flexible Calendar Program.
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