Professional & Scholarly Development Committee

Faculty and staff take pride in their role as professionals. In support of this, FPSE works to improve the ability of members to excel in their professions through collective agreement protection, through professional development activities and conferences, and through work on policy initiatives that give educators a role in shaping the teaching and learning environment. Professional development time release and funding have been ongoing bargaining issues for FPSE. The Professional & Scholarly Development Committee (formerly the Professional Development Committee) provides a forum for sharing information.

Committee Members

Chair	Alan Rice (acting)
Staff Rep	Steve Kwon
Local Reps
Local 1	Capilano University Faculty Association Bettina Boyle
Local 2	Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association Arleigh Bell
Local 3	Faculty Association of the College of New Caledonia Jacob Madjitey
Local 4	Douglas College Faculty Association Roy Zhang
Local 5	Kwantlen Faculty Association Kristie Dukewich
Local 6	College of the Rockies Faculty Association Jeff Quinn
Local 7	University of the Fraser Valley Faculty & Staff Association Karen Cooper
Local 8	Vancouver Island University Faculty Association Dan Baker
Local 9	Okanagan College Faculty Association Alan Rice
Local 10	Selkirk College Faculty Association Coby VanderGaast
Local 11	Academic Workers’ Union (Coast Mountain College) Vacant
Local 12	Camosun College Faculty Association Blair Fisher (to December 2022) Martha McAlister (from January 2023)
Local 14	Langara Faculty Association Vacant
Local 15	Vancouver Community College Faculty Association Vacant
Local 16	North Island College Faculty Association Ashley Blacquiere
Local 17	TRU Open Learning Faculty Association Virginia Jacklin
Local 19	Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees’ Association Vacant
Local 21	Education & Training Employees' Association Vacant
Local 22	Emily Carr University of Art + Design Faculty Association Vacant
Local 24	Quest University Faculty Union Vacant
Exec Liaison	Chris Jaeger (FPSE VP2) Sean Parkinson (FPSE Secretary-Treasurer)
NRFC Liaison	Vacant

Policy Statement

The Professional & Scholarly Development Committee shall assist FPSE locals to identify and assess the current and future professional and scholarly development needs of their members, and shall promote means of enabling FPSE members individually and collectively to develop their own professional and scholarly development activities.

Responsibilities

Develop a general long or short term plan of activities when requested or necessary and present this plan to the Presidents’ Council. Plan and arrange activities or projects dealing with faculty access to professional development, including bargaining and contract administration on professional development matters and the availability of funding, human, and other resources for professional development activities.
Gather and disseminate information to member locals on professional development needs and activities, which shall include a regularly updated survey of local professional development entitlements and appeal processes.
Maintain ongoing contact with each member local Professional & Scholarly Development Committee through each local’s designated PD representative.
Support designated PD representatives by facilitating opportunities for networking and sharing of experiences and ideas.
Designated PD representatives shall be responsible for informing the rest of the PSDC of local issues and concerns, and reporting back to their respective locals and local PD committee on the issues and activities of the FPSE PSDC.
Maintain contact with and cooperate in professional development programming with the appropriate Ministry and education agencies.
Work cooperatively with other organizations and institutions involved in professional development activities for post-secondary educators.
Encourage faculty to engage in research and other forms of scholarly activity that support teaching and learning.

Terms of Reference

Reporting: Reports regularly to the FPSE President and the Presidents’ Council.

Composition: Each local shall name a specific member as their designated representative to the Committee.

A member will be appointed by the Executive Committee, with voice but without vote, to act as liaison between the Standing Committee, the Executive, and Presidents' Council.

The Non-Regular Faculty Committee may appoint one person to the Committee.

Term of Appointment: Locals shall endeavour to elect or appoint representatives for a two year term.

Chairperson: The Committee shall elect a new Chairperson at the last meeting of the Committee held prior to the convening of the Annual General Meeting and Convention.

The Committee shall endeavour to elect a Chairperson who has served on the Committee a previous term as a local representative.

The Chairperson or designate shall have observer status at meetings of the Presidents’ Council with voice but no vote. The responsibility of the Chairperson includes attendance by the Chairperson or designate at the Presidents’ Council meeting immediately subsequent to a meeting of the Committee or upon request of the FPSE President.

The Chairperson shall attend the Annual General Meeting and Convention. The Convention shall provide orientation and planning opportunities for Committee Chairpersons and facilitate their meeting as a group.

The duly elected Chairperson of the Committee must be the designated representative of a local to continue being Chairperson.

Meetings: Such meetings as are required to fulfill its responsibilities, limited only by the funding allocated to the Committee. The Committee may substitute or include a workshop or conference for a meeting.

Observers: By invitation of the Chair.

Quorum: A majority of locals.

Voting: Positions adopted by consensus among designated representatives; otherwise by simple majority of those voting (By-Law #6).

Funds: As allocated in the annual budget.

Resources of Interest

PSDC has compiled information on the broad scope of professional development funds, language, leaves, etc. at FPSE locals into a large comparison chart. You can download two versions of that comparison chart below. The information is the same, just formatted differently.

PD&SA Comparison Chart Version 1 (634 Kb) (October 2015)

PD&SA Comparison Chart Version 2 (1048 Kb) (October 2015)

White Paper on Scholarly Activity (April 2009)

Refresh: Educational Technology & Professional Development (2017 White paper)