Application Deadline | Friday, October 11, 2024 by 5:00 PM
No late submissions will be accepted.
Guidelines for Writing PG&D Proposals
Before you write your proposal, read Article 44 of the WVMFT, AFT 6554/District agreement.
If you still have difficulties in writing your proposal or need to make changes to your original application, please contact:
- Bickie Choy
- Counselor
- 408-741-2422
Compliance Reports Deadline | Friday, April 11, 2025 by 5:00 PM
No late submissions will be accepted.
If you have any further questions, please contact:
- Tina Leech
- Contact for West Valley
- 408-741-2653
- Ruth Nadig
- Contact for Mission
- 408-741-2061
- Sara Hernandez
- Contact for West Valley or Mission
- 408-741-2440
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you write your proposal, read Article 44 of the WVMFT AFT Contract, most questions regarding the PG&D process are addressed there. The questions here were collected from Faculty during the last Academic Year.
Fall Semester
See Article 44.2 of the WVMFT AFT Contract details. Faculty receive an automatic step increase each year until they reach Step 12. To continue advancing to Step 15 after 3 years, faculty must complete an approved PG&D project. If you have questions about eligibility, please reach out to Tina Leech or Sara Valencia, Faculty Specialists in HR.
The Deadline for submission of completed applications is the second Friday in October every year by 5pm. No late submissions will be accepted. You can find the application and submission link on the PG&D webpage on the HR website.
Segment A requires that faculty complete 3 units of coursework (lower division accepted), activities equivalent to 3 units, or activities approved and supervised by the President. Segment B requires 4 units of proposed activities from 10 allowable categories (see contract for the list). Applicants must state a central theme for their proposed project and how it will benefit their own professional growth, the students, College, and/or Community.
Yes, please list the courses and conferences you propose to take, and feel free to list a few other alternatives should the original proposal not work out for you. Change Request forms will not be required if you listed an alternative and your application was approved. If you are switching to a completely different activity or category, please submit a Change Request form to the Committee Chair.
@ONE Courses are sponsored by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, and they can count towards PG&D. You may apply @ONE Courses to Segment A or Segment B. There are two ways to receive credit:
- If using @ONE courses in the category of “Coursework,” you must dual-enroll in the course designated as equivalent from Fresno Pacific University (FPU) and pay a fee to get graduate level units and a transcript and submit the transcript with your Compliance Report in the year it is due. You can apply for Conference Leave Funds to cover the cost of the FPU equivalent course. More information can be found in the Funding Opportunities handout.
- If using @ONE in the category of “Activities” in Segment B, as per contract language, the PG&D Committee will award credit using the equation 48 hours = 1 unit. It is up to faculty to furnish proof of how many hours were spent on the activity/class and be able to verify the hours with documentation. Please include your documentation with your Compliance Report in the year it is due.
As per Article 44.4, to qualify for advancement to a growth step, a member must fulfill two requirements:
- Three (3) years of service as a contract or tenured faculty member
- Completion of a Professional Growth and Development Project
If you have been on any step for “years and years,” you have already fulfilled #1 for the two requirements above. Next, submit a PG&D Application and complete your project to advance to the next growth step. Once placed on the next growth step, faculty must fulfill the two requirements again with an additional 3 years of service and completion of another PG&D Project.
As soon as possible during the upcoming PG&D cycle in October! Once a faculty member has been placed on Step 12 or the next growth step, an additional 3 years of service is required for advancement to the next growth step.
Example: If a member has been on Step 12 for six years, the member may submit an application for PG&D advancement. Once the PG&D Project has been completed, the member is qualified for growth step advancement. Once the member is placed on the growth step, they need an additional 3 years to get to the next growth step. Having served six years on Step 12 does not qualify the member for two growth step advancements.
As soon as possible during the upcoming PG&D cycle in October! Once a faculty member has been placed on Step 12 or the next growth step, an additional 3 years of service is required for advancement to the next growth step.
Example: If a member has been on Step 12 for six years, the member may submit an application for PG&D advancement. Once the PG&D Project has been completed, the member is qualified for growth step advancement. Once the member is placed on the growth step, they need an additional 3 years to get to the next growth step. Having served six years on Step 12 does not qualify the member for two growth step advancements.
As per Article 44.7.2.1, Projects normally shall be completed within a three (3) year timeframe from the first Friday in June of the year of approval. Extensions to the timeline must be approved by the PG&D Committee.
Let’s say Alex is on current column/step: 14
Alex would answer - For which professional growth increment is this application intended? Column: 15
Yes, if you are serving as both a Club Advisor and a Faculty Mentor in one Academic Year, you can receive 0.5 units for each role for a total of 1 unit in Segment B under “Organizational Activities.” Max # of units in this category is 2 units.
Spring Semester
The deadline for submission of completed Compliance Reports is the second Friday in April by 5pm. No late submissions will be accepted. They should be submitted to HR via the submission link on the PG&D webpage.
Yes, read Articles 44.7.2.2.1 and 44.7.2.2.2 of the WVMFT AFT Contract for details. After reading the articles, you can submit a Change Request Form to the PG&D Committee Chair via email. Please note that the changes requested must be made before you make the change or within one month of making the change. Approval for minor changes is at the discretion of the Committee. The form can be found on the PG&D webpage
If there is no registration receipt, faculty still have to show proof that they attended the workshop. They may do so by asking the Workshop Facilitator or Institution/Organization to write a letter detailing proof of attendance, hours, Workshop title and description, and any other information that would help the Committee verify your attendance and the number of hours you are claiming for your PG&D project. In addition, Faculty may provide agendas, itineraries, programs, workshop material received to show proof of attendance with their letter from the Workshop Facilitator. We have worked with faculty to provide screenshots to verify the hours of their workshops/conferences.
Equations used for PG&D Activities
| Activity | Credit awarded |
|---|---|
| Conferences/Workshops | 4 hours = 0.125 units; 8 hours = 0.25 units |
| All other Activities | 48 hours = 1 unit |
| Continuing Education Credits (CEC/CEU) | 1 CEU = 1 semester unit |
| Organizational Activities (Committee work that is over and above normal duties, chairing a committee, and/or serving as a Major Officer, etc.). Max units in this category = 2 units |
1 unit = 1 year
|
0.5 units = 1 year
|
Lower Division Courses
The WVMFT, AFT 6554 agreement places restrictions on using lower division courses to satisfy the Segment B requirement. If you wish to take lower division courses in Segment B, an approval letter from the VPI or VPSS must accompany your proposal.
One unit of PG&D credit is given for 48 hours of work.
If you propose activities other than coursework, workshops, or conferences, divide the proposed activity into major components. Then provide an estimate of the number of hours you will spend on each major component. All activities proposed must have a Dean or Appropriate Administrator/Facilitator/Director/Coordinator Approval letter to support the need for your proposal and the benefit of the activities to your professional growth, students, college, and community for your proposal.
Units for Workshops or Conferences
The committee awards units for workshops/conferences in the following manner:
Days /Hours/ Units
1/2 day = 4 hours = 0.125 units
1 day = 8 hours = 0.25 units
Conference hours shall not include travel to or from conferences.
Travel
For travel to be a PG&D activity, the WVMFT, AFT 6554/District agreement requires a measurable outcome that will enhance performance in the discipline. What you learn from your travel is not a measurable outcome.
Slides, travel itineraries, receipts, or tickets are not measurable outcomes. Examples of measurable outcomes are: a series of slide presentations accompanied by appropriate scripts relevant to themes or concepts in a particular course that you teach; sets of handouts with written outlines for accompanying lectures; written outlines for a series of lectures. (Your compliance statement should specify how the travel will be incorporated into the measurable outcome that you propose.)
Contribution to the Arts/Authorship/Research/Work Experience/Other
Unit values for any of the above will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the PG&D committee. The information which you supply the committee will be used to determine the credit value, so be as specific as possible when writing your proposal. Authorship requires a letter of interest and/or contract from a publisher to accompany the proposal.
Paid Work Experience
You may receive outside compensation for related work experience if you can provide a rationale for it (such as industry practice or nondisclosure obligations).