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Institute for Professional Development (IPD)

Contact Us

Kate Green, Professor of Physical Sciences and IPD Chair
Email: kgreen@gwc.cccd.edu

IPD Office
Email: GWCIPD@gwc.cccd.edu
Telephone: (714) 895-8175

PURPOSE OF THIS COMMITTEE

The Institute for Professional Development (IPD) is a standing committee of the Academic Senate that helps faculty members to design, plan, and achieve their own professional growth objectives. IPD performs its functions on the basis of policies provided by the District Sabbatical Leave Committee, the Academic Senate, the college President, and the AFT/CCCD Agreement. The Academic Senate delegates to the IPD the following responsibilities:

  • Inform faculty of professional development opportunities, funding, and deadlines.
  • Recommend faculty requests for sabbatical leaves to the college President and Board of Trustees.
  • Review and recommend faculty requests for salary advancement, alternative methods projects, academic rank, and emeritus status.
  • Allocate conference/travel funds provided by the contract.
  • Coordinate campus and department workshops/retreats with Staff Development.

Eligibility

IPD provides professional development opportunities for faculty members represented by the Coast Federation of Educators (CFE). Services include:

  • Reimbursement for approved attendance of conferences, workshops, professional meetings, seminars, and classes for full-time faculty and part-time faculty assigned to a minimum of 7.5 LHE. 
  • Salary Advancement Credit (SAC) per SAC programs defined in the CFE contract, Sabbatical Leave, promotion in Academic Rank, Department Symposium funds, and Alternative Methods overload projects for full-time faculty members. 

District policy prohibits receiving IPD and any other District funds for the same professional development activity including Flex credit, IPD salary advancement credit or IPD Alternative Methods funding. 

CRITERIA: (per Article XXI. Professional Development Institute, Section 21.1. of the CFE contract). Attendance of a conference or other professional development activity must be related to a faculty member's discipline or teaching in the classroom. It must enhance the professional growth of faculty and their knowledge and skills, ultimately improving teaching, student learning, and college functioning. 


NEW 2025-26 FUNDING MODEL

Due to constraints in the projected IPD budget, the committee has revised its funding model for Conferences, Professional Development Classes, and Alternative Methods projects. These changes are designed to maximize the number of faculty the IPD can support during the 2025–26 academic year while maintaining equitable access to professional growth opportunities.

FUNDING AMOUNT:
  • $2,500 = The primary Annual Funding Allowance for eligible faculty members per academic year.  
  • This is a $300 increase from last year.
  • Academic year = July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 

WHAT'S NEW: Faculty may now use their $2,500 in only one of the following ways per academic year. You may not combine both options. 


Choose ONE option only:

OPTION 1 - Conference or Workshop
Submit a CAR (conference application) for up to $2,500 toward a single conference or professional class. If your initial conference or class does not use the full $2,500, you may apply for additional conference/class funding throughout the academic year, not to exceed the $2,500 annual funding limit and is subject to available funds.

OPTION 2 - Alternative Methods Project or Class
Submit an Alternative Methods application to complete a professional improvement project or class that earns an annual maximum of (1) LHE for (18) hours of work. The $2,500 in funding corresponds to the total amount charged to the IPD account, which includes the faculty overload pay (1 LHE = $_____) plus the additional payroll deductions (approximately $_____).

SUPPLEMENTAL IPD CONFERENCE FUNDING - subject to defined criteria

  1. An additional $150 in conference funding to faculty members presenting at the conference/PD activity. (Must submit proof of presentation such as the conference program when submitting for conference reimbursement).

  2. A separate $2,500 in funding to attend Academic Senate for California Community Colleges conferences linked here with priority given to Academic Senate, CCI and IPD committee members. All faculty are encouraged to attend ASCCC conferences! Apply at least six weeks in advance and the Senate Office will assist with prepayment of the registration fee. Based on available funds. 

  3. A separate $2,500 fund is available for faculty to attend one conference or class per academic year related to their GWC or District leadership role, committee or coordinator assignment, or by college/District request. This includes conferences of general relevance to the college’s educational program. Funding is contingent on availability and will only be used after the IPD Office confirms with the Office of Instruction that no other campus funds are available. (Example: Math Department Chair attending the CCEMC Dual Enrollment Conference)

ADDITIONAL CAMPUS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:

  • CFE - Will provide up to $300 in supplemental funding to eligible faculty members who have exceeded their campus annual conference funding on a SINGLE conference. For example, your total out of pocket expenditures totaled $2,900. You received a $2,500 reimbursement using IPD funds. Contact maria@cfe1911.org to request the additional CFE funding. 

  • SEAP - Faculty may submit a SEAP Conference Funding Request Form to the Equity Office to request funding through the Student Equity and Achievement Program. If eligible, SEAP funding can be used as your primary funding source or combined with IPD funds to fully cover pre-approved, eligible conference-related expenses. For example, if your total estimated conference costs are $3,500, you may request up to $2,500 from IPD and submit a SEAP request to cover the remaining $1,000. For more information, please contact the Equity Office at Equity@gwc.cccd.edu.
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