Common use of Professional Support Clause in Contracts

Professional Support. 1. The parties agree there may be times when Associate and tenured faculty need additional support in the areas of teaching and learning, governance, student success, or other areas of professional responsibility. Probationary Committees will provide support for and address concerns about Probationary Faculty. 2. Except for extreme conditions, the supervising ▇▇▇▇, with notification to the Division Chair, will meet with an Academic Employee to evaluate concerns and develop a plan to resolve issue(s). Concerns may be related to any of the following: a. A pattern of student complaints or grievances; b. A pattern of complaints from industry partners or clinical worksites; c. A pattern of excessive student withdrawals; d. A pattern of excessive absenteeism, reoccurring failure to meet classes, or consistent inability to meet the parameters of the assigned class; e. A failure to fulfill governance responsibilities, e.g., committee assignments (refer to Articles IX and XXI); f. A failure to work cooperatively and professionally with peer faculty and/or staff. 3. Based upon the nature of the complaint/concern, the supervising ▇▇▇▇, the Division Chair, and the affected faculty member will develop an improvement plan that may include but is not limited to student evaluations, classroom visitations, peer faculty observations, a formal mentoring program, or other activities as deemed appropriate based on the presented concerns. The duration of the plan will be from one (1) to three (3) quarters, excluding summer quarter, depending upon the specific circumstances of the concern. 4. At the completion of the plan, the supervising ▇▇▇▇ and the Division Chair will draft an outcome report that will be provided to the affected academic employee, the VP of Learning & Student Success, and the Faculty Association President. The report will include a review of the developed plan, whether or not the plan activities were successful, and one of the following recommend actions: a. Closure of the concern/complaint and improvement plan based on successful resolution of the concerns by said faculty member. b. Recommend continuation of remediation if significant progress has not been made. 5. The complete report will be placed in the academic employee’s personnel file. 6. The development and implementation of an improvement plan does not obligate the college to continue to issue employment contracts to the affected faculty member. Employment contracts are based on instructional, student, and fiscal needs of the institution. 7. The college reserves the right to issue letters of reprimand and/or disciplinary action as a means of resolving the complaint/concern should the affected faculty member decline to participate in an improvement plan process. Should dismissal be recommended, the faculty member is entitled to due process as allowed in RCW 28B.50.863 and Article XXVI, D of the Negotiated Agreement.

Professional Support. 1. The parties agree there may be times when Associate and tenured faculty need additional support in the areas of teaching and learning, governance, student success, or other areas of professional responsibility. Probationary Committees will provide support for and address concerns about Probationary Faculty. 2. Except for extreme conditions, the supervising ▇▇▇▇, with notification to the Division Chair, will meet with an Academic Employee to evaluate concerns and develop a plan to resolve issue(s). Concerns may be related to any of the following: a. A pattern of student complaints or grievances; b. A pattern of complaints from industry partners or clinical worksites; c. A pattern of excessive student withdrawals; d. A pattern of excessive absenteeism, reoccurring failure to meet classes, or consistent inability to meet the parameters of the assigned class; e. A failure to fulfill governance responsibilities, e.g., committee assignments (refer to Articles IX and XXI); f. A failure to work cooperatively and professionally with peer faculty and/or staff. 3. Based upon the nature of the complaint/concern, the supervising ▇▇▇▇, the Division Chair, and the affected faculty member will develop an improvement plan that may include but is not limited to student evaluations, classroom visitations, peer faculty observations, a formal mentoring program, or other activities as deemed appropriate based on the presented concerns. The duration of the plan will be from one (1) to three six (36) quarters, excluding summer quarter, depending upon the specific circumstances of the concern. 4. At the completion of the plan, the supervising ▇▇▇▇ and the Division Chair will draft an outcome report that will be provided to the affected academic employee, the VP of Learning & Student Success, and the Faculty Association President. The report will include a review of the developed plan, whether or not the plan activities were successful, and one of the following recommend actions: a. Closure of the concern/complaint and improvement plan based on successful resolution of the concerns by said faculty member. b. Recommend continuation of remediation if significant progress has not been made. 5. The complete report will be placed in the academic employee’s personnel file. 6. The development and implementation of an improvement plan does not obligate the college to continue to issue employment contracts to the affected faculty member. Employment contracts are based on instructional, student, and fiscal needs of the institution. 7. The college reserves the right to issue letters of reprimand and/or disciplinary action as a means of resolving the complaint/concern should the affected faculty member decline to participate in an improvement plan process. Should dismissal be recommended, the faculty member is entitled to due process as allowed in RCW 28B.50.863 and Article XXVI, D of the Negotiated Agreement.