Committees

Professional Development Committee

Develops, coordinates, supports, and monitors the institutional and individual non-sabbatical professional development activities of faculty. To further collegiality and make good use of resources, this committee coordinates with both classified and administrative professional development committees.

Faculty Forum Professional Development Workshops

Join our next Faculty Forum on The Equity-Minded Syllabus on October 30, 2024. See details below.

Faculty Forums are designed to engage faculty in key issues and challenges facing our college, a place to learn and share equity and pedagogical practices and a place to build community with fellow faculty.  

  • We encourage our speakers to record the event for maximum accessibility. When the events are recorded, the recordings will be posted shortly after each meeting.
  • Recording of previous Faculty Forums are posted below. 
Faculty Forum meeting date Speakers & Topic

Wednesday October 30, 2024

12:45 pm - 2:15 pm 

Hyflex - Attend on campus at the EpiCenter (Media 104) or on Zoom.

 

Title: The Equity-Minded Syllabus

Presenters: Kat Trần Olvey, Briana Brickley and Steph Anderson from the Academic Senate Equity and Diversity Committee.

Description: In this workshop, we’ll explore how to transform your syllabus into a tool that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We'll review DEI fundamentals and the importance of equity-minded approaches, while offering practical strategies for making your syllabus more inclusive. Through hands-on activities, discussions, and a panel Q&A, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how your syllabus can support student success.

Join us on campus in the EpiCenter (Media 104) or on Zoom.

Join The Equity-Minded Syllabus on Zoom

 

 

Past Faculty Forum Events & Recordings

Faculty Forum meeting date Speakers & Topic

Thursday September 19, 2024

11:15 am - 12:15 pm on Zoom only

 

Title: Academic Senate & You 

Presenters: Senate President Jamar London & Dr. Vicenta Arrizon, Academic Senate President-Elect​

Description: Watch this session to learn about the Academic Senate, its role and functions, what it can do for you and your professional development. Get involved!

This event was recorded.

View Academic Senate & You 

 

April 26, 2024

Faculty's Role in Student Success

Speakers: Vicenta Arrizon, EdD from the Counseling Department

Come engage in an insightful discussion on faculty’s role in student success.  Learn action steps you can take to increase students' sense of belonging and retention in your classes.  Familiarize yourself with the wealth of student support resources and programs offered at SMC. This session will be a conversation and dialogue where faculty can gather to share experiences and learn from each other.

This event was recorded. 

View Faculty’s Role in Student Success Presentation Zoom

Slide deck from Faculty's role in student success presentation

December 1, 2023

Course Design for Inclusive Engagement

Speakers: Lea Hald & Jessica Krug

Please join the faculty EpiCenter leads in this interactive workshop on how you can design your course for greater engagement. 

Join Faculty’s Role in Student Success Presentation

Course design for engagement workshop slide deck

November 3, 2023

DE Committee Presents: Online Community Exchange: AI in your Syllabus

Speakers: DE Committee

This is the first in a series of Online Community Exchanges (faculty conversations) regarding teaching and learning in the online environments. AI in your Syllabus will be a conversation and share out about what we include or would like to include (or not) on our syllabi about Generative AI, and ideas about how to include it generally or with an eye toward specific assignments like discussions.

Generative AI Syllabus Statement Considerations Sample Guideline

This session was not recorded intentionally, but future conversations on this topic will be held. 

October 6, 2023

How can science fiction be a tool for shaping a more just world?

Speaker: Shannon Herbert, Chair of the Decolonizing the Academy Committee

Please join the Decolonizing the Academy Committee for the first Community Read of Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown’s Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements

The book is available for purchase in the SMC Book Store. It can also be accessed for free thanks through our wonderful co-sponsors at the SMC Library.

We will be discussing the “Foreword” by Sheree Renee Thomas and the “Introduction” by Walidah Imarisha

If you can’t make this discussion, don’t worry. There will be other opportunities to discuss these passages!

Recorded on September 1, 2023

Academic Senate - Call to Action

Speaker: Jamar London

Please join Academic Senate President Jamar London for our First Friday Academic Senate - Call to Action, workshop. During our time together we will discuss the role and responsibilities of Academic Senate, highlight some of our committees, discuss some hot topics, and finally inform faculty on how to get involved. 

This session was recorded.

View recording of First Friday Session - Academic Senate - Call to Action  

Slide deck from Academic Senate Call to Action

June 2, 2023

ChatGPT Workshop

Speaker: Keith Graziadei

Please come join your colleagues in a discussion of all things related to ChatGPT. This session will be a conversation and dialogue where faculty can gather to share their experiences with ChatGPT.

View ChatGPT workshop

April 28, 2023

Join us for an interactive session with Ruben Canedo where you will get a chance to apply, actualize and take action on the ideas presented in the last workshop. 

The same session will presented once on Zoom in the morning and repeated again in the afternoon on Campus.  

The Zoom session was recorded up to the point that breakout rooms were started.  Unfortunately the time after the breakout sessions was not recorded.  

View Ruben Canedo's workshop

April 25, 2023
2:30 - 3:50 p.m.

Note: this event is on a Tuesday.

Academic Senate Town Hall

Speaker: Jamar London, Academic Senate President & Elisa Meyer, English Department Chair

Description: Join Academic Senate President Jamar London and Elisa Meyer, English Department Chair, for this Town-Hall to continue a conversation about concerns and praises regarding our college. Academic Senate Leadership will continue to use your feedback to engage Senior Staff and our administrative colleagues as we all work to continue make SMC premiere destination for folks pursuing career advancement and higher education.

This event was not recorded. Notes taken (with names removed from participants) will be shared shortly.

April 7, 2023
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Teaching the Student and Teaching the Material: Course Planning for Student Success

Speakers: Dr. Lauren Ford & Katrina Pantig Naval

Description: Faculty have a critical role at promoting equity in the classroom by preparing an engaging learning experience for students with different backgrounds and different levels of understanding. This requires developing foundational skills of course planning  (i.e.  backward design & scaffolding). In this introductory session, participants will be exposed to an approach that demonstrates how to develop an inclusive course planning process. Building on an asset-based framework, faculty will learn practices to develop students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes for academic success. 

This session is a repeat live Zoom version of the experience Hotep team facilitated on-ground during Professional Development Day (3/16). >

Note: This event was not recorded. 

Tuesday March 14, 2023
2:30 - 3:50 p.m.

Note: This event is not on a Friday due to a conflict with Departmental Flex Day.

Academic Senate Town Hall

Speaker: Jamar London, Academic Senate President & Elisa Meyer, English Department Chair

Description: Join Academic Senate President Jamar London and Elisa Meyer, English Department Chair, for this Town-Hall where faculty will have the opportunity to express concerns and praises regarding our college. Academic Senate Leadership will use your feedback to engage Senior Staff and our administrative colleagues as we all work to continue make SMC premiere destination for folks pursuing career advancement and higher education.

This event was not recorded. Notes taken (with names removed from participants) will be shared shortly.

September 2, 2022

Academic Senate Town Hall: Revitalizing The Center

Speakers: Jamar London - Academic Senate President, Dr. Erin Cue, Dr. Lea Hald and Dr. Jessica Krug

Please join us at the first in a series of town hall meetings intended to engage faculty in key issues and challenges facing our college. This session will focus on discussing revisioning Professional Development at SMC and the reimagining of The Center For Teaching Excellence.

View Recording of Faculty Town Hall First Friday

October 7, 2022

This event was for all employee groups and was repeated three times to reach the widest audience, once on Zoom and twice on campus.  The recording is from the Zoom session. 

Basic Needs Continuation of Conversation with Ruben Canedo from Fall Professional Development Day

Title: Transforming College Student Basic Needs: Micro to Macro Level Training

Speaker: Ruben Canedo

Please join us to continue to the conversation with Ruben about supporting ourselves and our students, basic needs, transformative justice and practice emergent strategies centered in love and wisdom.

View Recording of Ruben Canedo Workshop

November 4, 2022

I'm a college student with a disability. Stop treating me like a child.

Speakers: Eric Oifer, Nathalie Laille, Reginald Dunn (a current SMC student) and Ojen Shammasian (a former SMC and IxD graduate from SMC).

In this session, we will watch the short film I'm a college student with a disability. Stop treating me like a child, then engage in a collective conversation about it and what implications it has for how we educate and support students with disabilities.

"In this film by Samuel Habib, 21, and his father, Samuel seeks out guidance from America’s most rebellious disability activists. Because of his disability, 21-year-old Samuel Habib finds that people underestimate him. In this film, he seeks to chart how adults with disabilities build full lives — as a roadmap for himself and others.”

View Recording of I'm a College Student with a Disability Workshop

December 2, 2022

Equitable and Effective Hiring Practices

Speaker: Dr. Vicenta Arrizon

While the benefits of having a diverse and equity-minded faculty are well-researched, diversifying the faculty continues to be a controversial issue within higher education and little progress has been made. Learn more about what we can each do to take action to promote equity in the faculty search process.  Understand the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Multiple Methods for EEO that call for centering equity and diversity in recruitment, hiring, evaluation and the tenure review process.

View the First Friday on Equitable and Effective Hiring Practices

Slide deck from the presentation


Fall Professional Development Day 2024 Schedule


Faculty Professional Development Funding

Guidelines for Professional Development Conference Request for Faculty

Information

  • PDC Conference Request Applications are accepted for in-person and virtual funding opportunities
  • Full-time and adjunct faculty may apply for PDC Conference Requests.
  • To ensure a greater distribution of funds, SMC faculty are eligible to apply once per academic year for up to $1,100.00 of professional development funding for conferences or other professional development activities for full-time faculty, $1,300.00 of professional development funding for conferences or other professional development activities for part-time faculty. 
  • NOTE: Starting with applications submitted on October 14, 2024 or later the funding amounts will increase to $1500 for full-time faculty and $1700 for part-time faculty.  These amounts are for the 2024-25 academic year only and the amounts will be reevaluated the following academic year.  This video explains the changes to the funding. 
  • Funds will be allotted on a first-come, first served basis. Once the PDC Conference Request funds are depleted, applications will not be accepted until the next fiscal year.
  • The PDC is an Academic Senate Joint Committee that only meets during the fall and spring semester and does not meet during the intersessions. The PDC can receive conference funding applications dated before the start of the academic year, but since the committee does not officially meet until the fall semester, applications will not be reviewed or approved during the summer months.

Steps to Request Funding

Please read the form carefully to be sure that your proposed activity meets the guidelines established in AB1725. The application requires the approval of five signatures in total: the Department Chair, Vice President of Academic Affairs, PDC Chair, Vice President Human Resources, and the President/Superintendent. Therefore, we ask that the form be turned in at least 30 days in advance of the event.

 This 7-minute video demonstrates how to fill out the funding requestion form from start to finish.

Step 1: CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FACULTY FUNDING REQUEST FORM

Procedures for Claiming Reimbursement of Conference Expenses

  • Step 2: To request reimbursement of expenses, submit the Conference Reimbursement Claim Form
    • Reimbursement requests must be accompanied with original detailed receipts.
    • Submit the claim form with original itemized receipts to Accounts Payable (accountspayable@smc.edu) for all reimbursement items. The subject line of the email requesting reimbursement should read: “PDC Reimbursement Request.”

Policies

      • Arizona

Committee Members

  • Chair, Lea Hald
  • Vice-Chair, Kiersten Elliott
  • Jessica Krug
  • Llanet Martín
  • Esmeralda Martinez
  • Marissa Moreno
  • Brian Rodas
  • Scott Silverman

Email Address

AcadSenProfDev@smc.edu

Current Meetings

Time: Tuesdays - 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (Fall and Spring semesters only)

Location: Senate office - HSS 261 or the EpiCenter - M104 or (please see agenda), public participants can also join via Zoom, Zoom link is in agenda.

2024-2025 Academic year

Agendas will be made available prior to each meeting. Minutes posted after the meeting.

Meeting Date

Documents

September 3, 2024

September 3 - Agenda 

September 3 - Minutes

September 17, 2024

September 17 - Agenda 

September 17 - Minutes

October 1, 2024

October 1 - Agenda

October 15, 2024

October 15 - Agenda

October 29, 2024

 

November 12, 2024

 

November 19, 2024

 

December 3, 2024

 

December 10, 2024 - We may have an additional meeting this day.

 

Spring dates will be posted in 2025. 

 

Past Meetings

Meeting Archive

Agendas, Minutes, and Information