Quality Improvement Project Commitment Proposal
Proposal submission date: _______April 2009_____________________________
Planned project kickoff date: _____April 2009______________________________
Target project completion date: ______June 2010___________________________
A. Title of Project
Strategic Professional Development
B. Description of Project
 The purpose of this project is to improve professional development at the college so that
individuals, functional units of the college, and the college as-a-whole are better able to
support the college’s mission and vision.
 Specific, measurable goals for the project are:
o Every employee will develop and implement an individual professional
development plan (IPDP).
o IPDPs will address professional development needs for the individual and his/her
functional unit as well as support college-wide goals and strategic initiatives.
 Professional development will be tied in with the employee performance
appraisal process.
o IPDPs will be reviewed annually by the employee and his/her supervisor. The
annual review will be documented and will include:
 A commitment for the following year.
 A progress report for the previous year.
o The budget for professional development will continue to be allocated and will be
spent.
o Adjunct Faculty gain the credentials needed to teach courses.
C. Key Quality Indicator(s)
Check all the Key Quality Indicators (below) that this quality improvement project will most
affect or impact. Identifying the primary Key Quality Indicators helps to prioritize this project.
(If this is an AQIP Action Project, making clear which of the nine AQIP Categories is most
related to the goals of your project helps you and others with similar interests to communicate.)
NC State Strategic Initiatives
□ Enrollment Development
□ Achieving the Dream
□ Workforce/Economic Development
X □ Academic Quality Initiative
□ Diversity
NC State Strategic Tasks
X□ Accreditation
□ Administrative Systems Implementation
□ Performance Evaluation System
AQIP
□ Helping Students Learn
Proposals are required for projects or activities a) that require budgetary resources beyond the sponsor's usual
operating budget, b) those that impact processes and people from more than one operational area, and/or c) those
that directly support the strategic plan/strategic initiatives of the institution.
□ Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives
□ Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders Needs
X □ Valuing People
□ Leading and Communicating
□ Supporting Institutional Operations
□ Measuring Effectiveness
X □ Planning Continuous Improvement
□ Building Collaborative Relationships
Achieving the Dream
□ Develop strategies to close performance gaps among students
○ Successful completion of remedial courses and progression to college-level courses
○ Enrollment in and successful completion of “gatekeeper” courses.
○ Productive grades (C- or better) in all courses.
○ Improve term-to-term persistence.
○ Improve graduation rates.
□ Use data to drive strategies, monitor progress and evaluate outcomes
□ Involve faculty, students, staff and communities in developing and implementing
□ Report data and outcomes broadly, both on and off campus; advocate for state and national
policy
□ Form partnerships with communities, local businesses and others
D. Project Relevance and Legitimacy
 AQIP Category 4 Valuing People with a focus on professional development was targeted
as an area for improvement through the “homework” done by the Strategy Forum Team
in preparation for the February 09 Strategy Forum. In addition, the HLC faculty
credentials audit is pending – the challenge is for the College to hire/retain qualified
adjunct faculty, especially with the launching of the AA and AS degrees.
 Research:
o From the Systems Appraisal Feedback Report –
 4P4b is an OO that states, “There is no comprehensive policy or
developmental goals that address professional development.”
 4P3c is an O that states, “Historically, the strategic planning process has
not encouraged high performance or empowerment for each employee.
 4P5 is an OO that states, “The College has an opportunity to accrue
immense benefits (e.g. satisfying critical needs) from using a more
evidence-based, inclusive process for creating professional development
plans. Without evidence professional development plans can be viewed as
uncertain and unclear leading to an environment without trust.
o Faculty Credentials:
 The HLC requires faculty teaching general education courses hold a
minimum Masters degree in the discipline. In 2008-09, 100% of full-time
faculty met requirements, 60% of adjunct faculty met requirements.
 Some programs have specific accreditation requirements related to faculty
credentials.
o Internal Surveys:
 A 2007 email survey on professional development expressed
dissatisfaction with professional development.
Proposals are required for projects or activities a) that require budgetary resources beyond the sponsor's usual
operating budget, b) those that impact processes and people from more than one operational area, and/or c) those
that directly support the strategic plan/strategic initiatives of the institution.


The AQIP Strategic Issues Survey Report May 2008 – professional
development was identified as a priority.
o Manager’s Advisory Council, Faculty Caucus, Staff Caucus, Planning Advisory
Council, President’s Staff, AQIP Steering Committee, Achieving the Dream
Core Team, Council of Deans supported Category 4 as the target for
improvement.
o Focus groups conducted by Foundation informally identified need for
improvement in professional development plan/processes
o New hires who will be replacing retiring faculty and staff will need orientation
and training. Data as of January 2009:
 New Hires Past 3 Years (does not include promotions or transfers)
(includes only full-time and permanent part-time positions):
* 2008 - 6 faculty, 12 staff and 1 administrator
* 2007 - 5 faculty and 12 staff
* 2006 - 4 faculty, 9 staff and 1 administrator
 Anticipated Retirements Next 5 Years (these are not confirmed and
merely speculation):
* Staff - 9
* Faculty – 19
 Current Vacancies:
Respiratory Care Faculty, Office Assistant, Technology & Workforce,
Early Childhood Specialist, Dean, Business & Education, Vice President
for Learning, OTA Faculty/Program Director, Special Assistant to the
President, HR Assistant, AIT Faculty, Tool & Die/Workforce Faculty
In addition:
o The University System of Ohio strategic plan directs community colleges to
serve more students, including those requiring remediation, and increase
retention and graduation rates.
o Professional development was identified as area needing improvement at the
annual Board of Trustees planning retreat.
o The Achieving the Dream Core Team discussed the challenge of professional
development from the perspective of 1) possible development of a faculty
development curriculum similar to the one at Brazosport and 2) the need for inservice professional development to help further the vision, mission and
institutional priorities of the college.
o Training efforts of the instructional technology/distance learning group have
extended into pedagogy and have identified a need for a more systematic training
and professional development for faculty.
E. Organizational Impact
 All employees of the college will be directly affected by this project. Students and area
stakeholders will be indirectly affected as the College becomes better able to meet its
mission and vision.
 Professional development will require the continued budgetary support of the College
and the attention of administrators and Human Resources.
F. Key Processes
Proposals are required for projects or activities a) that require budgetary resources beyond the sponsor's usual
operating budget, b) those that impact processes and people from more than one operational area, and/or c) those
that directly support the strategic plan/strategic initiatives of the institution.
The key organizational process that this quality improvement project will improve is the
professional development process. Key processes also affected are faculty union/administration
relations, employee performance appraisal, and budget/strategic planning.
G. Timeline/Milestones
 Documentation templates created by 4/24/09
 Web-based documentation/reporting process created by 6/09
 All-employee kickoff at spring quarter convocation by 4/24/09
 IPDPs submitted to supervisors by 6/09
 IPDP progress reports submitted to supervisors by 9/10
 Employee performance appraisal process will be modified to include quality assessment
of IPDP goals based on support of individual and functional unit needs as well as
college-wide goals and strategic initiatives by 9/09
H. Project Monitoring
To monitor the project:
 Supervisors will track and report to VPs -o IPDP participation rates by 7/09
o IPDP progress report rates by 10/10
 Vice Presidents will communicate and follow-up with supervisors.
 HR, Faculty Caucus and Staff Caucus will work together to make improvements in the
employee performance appraisal process.
I. Assessment
See Part B.
J. Other Information
None
K. Project Leader/Contact Person
Margaret Puckett, Faculty, mpuckett@ncstatecollege.edu, 419-755-4721
Date
Received
Planning
Advisory
Committee
Fwd
To
□ AQIP
Date
Sent
□
Date
Returned
□
□ AtD
□
□
□Assessment □
□
□ Curriculum
□
□
□ Other
□
□
Date
Received
from PAC
Date
Returned
To PAC
Recommended
By PAC?
□ Yes
□ No
Date:
AQIP
Recommended
To PAC?
□ Yes
Proposals are required for projects or activities a) that require budgetary resources beyond the sponsor's usual
operating budget, b) those that impact processes and people from more than one operational area, and/or c) those
that directly support the strategic plan/strategic initiatives of the institution.
Steering
Committee
Achieving the
Dream Core
Team
Assessment
Committee
□ No
Curriculum
Committee
□ Yes
□ No
□ Yes
□ No
□ Yes
□ No
Proposals are required for projects or activities a) that require budgetary resources beyond the sponsor's usual
operating budget, b) those that impact processes and people from more than one operational area, and/or c) those
that directly support the strategic plan/strategic initiatives of the institution.