The April 14
th meeting began with an updated total for requested professional development. At the March meeting, it was reported that approximately $52,000 had been submitted for professional development funding. This left approximately $23,000 in unused funds. The currently reported total is now $73,015.88 in submissions. Paul Forrest and Cynthia Lafaso organized the requests by category:
| Category |
Number |
Amount |
| Conferences |
24 |
$19,421 |
| Continuing Education |
23 |
41,993 |
| Professional Memberships |
12 |
1,732 |
| Materials |
1 |
208 |
| Certification |
3 |
500 |
| Other |
2 |
3,348 |
| Total |
65 |
$73,015.88 |
In reviewing the professional development requests for the present academic year, several high-dollar requests stood out. There was no pre-existing cap to the amount a person could request, and the total amount requested was within budget.
A point was made that the average faculty member would not even consider making PD funding requests in such amounts, knowing that a large portion of the dollars requested would probably not be compensated. This was not viewed as an attempt to deny others the funding that may be needed with regard to their jobs, but it is an attempt to more strictly define what falls within the bounds of professional development.
The following questions were also raised:
- Should all classes taken by an employee, or all situations in which an employee is expected to take a class, be eligible for professional development reimbursement?
2. Should some classes and/or situations fall under a different funding category?2.
3. Should the amount any individual can receive from professional development funds be capped?