Enhancing the teaching & learning environment

In the Professional Development office we coordinate and promote internal and external opportunities/resources to support the College. We help the professional development and growth of the individual and the institution.

Programs & Activities

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  • Academic Excellence Symposium

    The Academic Excellence Symposium provides a forum for intellectual discussion and presentation that demonstrates innovation in teaching and/or research, as well as expertise and creativity in faculty disciplines. The intent of the Symposium is to foster discussions on topics of interest in higher education, provide a day of faculty development, and showcase talented members within the Central Florida higher education community.

    Each year, a theme for the Symposium is developed in response to current trends and issues in higher education. A call for proposals is developed and distributed to all Daytona State College faculty and staff in addition to other institutions of higher education in the area. The Academic Excellence Symposium takes place on the first Friday of March during the spring semester each year.

    The Academic Excellence Symposium is organized by a committee which develops each year’s theme, distributes the call for proposals, reviews proposals, identifies keynote speakers, and supports the facilitation of the Symposium on the day of the event.

  • Cross Training

    Cross Training sessions are provided each Friday morning on a wide variety of topics relevant to the college community Cross Training sessions are provided in a face‐to‐face and online format (via Microsoft Teams). Previous Cross Training Sessions are archived and available on demand via the college’s document repository within the Enrollment Services folder.

  • Faculty Fellows

    The Faculty Fellows Program is a faculty designation that provides recognition of and a pathway for faculty leadership at the college through various peer-to-peer professional development programs. Currently, Faculty Fellows can earn credentials through the Faculty Innovation Center, the WAC/WID Program, and the Service-Learning Professional Development Program. Once credentialed, they are eligible to work as peer mentors. Faculty earning program credentials will also earn professional development credit for the purposes of continuing education, continuing contract, and promotion. Faculty Fellows are further eligible to earn a stipend or course release when they work as a peer mentor in the Faculty Fellows Program.

  • Fall & Spring Planning

    Planning weeks are offered prior to the start of classes during the fall and spring semesters. Traditionally, the President and members of the senior administration address the college community to launch planning weeks. Departmental and constituency meetings are organized during the remainder of the week, and special topic workshops are offered to inform the college community on a wide array of subjects. The Professional Development Department organizes the planning weeks and solicits presenters interested in leading workshops. The department also facilitates the evaluation of planning week activities.

  • On Demand Trainings

    The Office of Professional Development offers web based, self-directed learning opportunities available to all Daytona State College employees through Skillsoft’s Percipio platform. Percipio is an intelligent online learning platform that delivers an immersive learning experience through highly engaging content, curated into nearly 700 learning paths (channels), with access to over 2,500 courses on a wide range of topics.

    Percipio is a free resource for all Daytona State College employees.

  • LEAD Academy

    The LEAD Academy is Daytona State College’s leadership development program designed to equip the college workforce with the skills and knowledge to function effectively as leaders and positively impact the college and its students. The purpose of the LEAD Academy (Leadership Exploration and Development) is to develop employee competence in effective leadership through a program that emphasizes practical application of skills and knowledge and maximizes the participant’s ability to support the mission of Daytona State College.

    The LEAD Academy is a one-year, cohort-based program that is grounded in current literature and best practices. Program content is focused on how Daytona State College functions, how it fits into a larger system, and how decisions are made at the college.

    A call for applications is made each Spring semester for the start of the cohort in the Fall semester.

  • Opportunities Awards

    The Professional Development Opportunity Awards provide funding of up to $1,500 in support of significant professional development activities that directly support the employee’s contribution at Daytona State College. These awards are intended to support non‐compulsory professional development activities that are not funded through other sources.

    To be eligible to receive a Professional Development Opportunity Award, employees must be regular, full‐time, and not currently under a probationary period. Eligible employees will complete an application which includes a description of the professional development activity for which funding is requested and clearly articulates how participation in this activity will support the college’s mission and the outcomes of the applicant’s respective department. In addition, applicants provide a dissemination plan that clearly describes the strategy for sharing the knowledge gained from participation in the proposed activity with the larger college community. Employees are limited to one PDOA allocation per fiscal year.

    Professional Development Opportunity Awards applications are available via the college’s document repository. Once received, applications are reviewed by the PDOA sub-committee of the Professional Development Committee and scored using the PDOA rubric. Once scored, proposals are ranked and allocated funding as available.

  • Writing Across the Curriculum/Writing in the Disciplines (WAC/WID)

    The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) and Writing-in-the-Disciplines (WID)Professional Development Program at Daytona State College prepares and supports faculty to use writing to learn strategies as a critical thinking tool for disciplinary content and/or to teach discipline-specific writing strategies. The ultimate goal of the program is to equip students with the literacy aptitudes necessary for a world that demands strong communication skills in a range of disciplines, in myriad genres, and for varied audiences.

    There are four major components to the WAC/WID Professional Development Program. Each component is a separate professional development opportunity available to full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and/or staff.

    • Faculty Mentorship Program – During this one semester commitment, participants will work closely with a faculty mentor on assignment design and revision, classroom strategies, and introduction of college resources.
    • Online Program: Active Learning, Critical Thinking, and Writing – During this one semester commitment, participants read John Bean’s text Engaging Ideas and discuss the text in an online environment.
    • Teaching and Learning Retreat – During this one-week commitment, participants meet in a workshop setting during Summer Semester A to create and revise assignments.
    • Writing Fellows Program – Faculty can request supplemental instruction via a student Writing Fellow, a qualified peer tutor, who will attend class sessions and offer writing tutoring each week.

    Faculty who have participated in all segments of the WAC/WID program are eligible to be Faculty Fellows. Faculty Fellows act as peer mentors and facilitators for the WAC/WID Program and are eligible for a course release or stipend.

    Faculty interested in participating in any aspect of the DSC Writing Center’s WAC/WID program should contact Jessica.Lipsey@DaytonaState.edu

  • Service Learning

    The Service-Learning Professional Development Program is designed to assist faculty with incorporating service-learning into their courses. Research shows that including a service-learning component in course curriculum can positively influence student retention, persistence, academic progress, personal growth, and career opportunities. Topics to be covered will include types of service-learning strategies, their goals and benefits, available resources, and how to assess outcomes and effectiveness. The Service-Learning Professional Development program is a two-semester experience, beginning with a fall semester course, followed by a spring semester mentorship led by the Faculty Fellow in Service Learning. This program is open to all faculty, including Adjuncts. Faculty who have completed the Service-Learning Professional Development Program are eligible to serve as Faculty Fellows for Service Learning.

  • Sabbatical Leave

    Sabbatical leave is designed to provide full-time instructors who are on continuing contract with opportunities for professional renewal, formal education, research, writing, faculty development, certification, or other experiences of professional value with the goal of becoming more effective faculty and to enhance their service to the College. The sabbatical may vary in length from one semester to one full contract year.

    Requests for sabbatical leave will only be considered when they align with the following activities in accordance with the requirements of F.S. 1012.82:

    • Updating professional skills through participation in training or in-service education programs;
    • Formal academic research intended to produce results worthy of publication;
    • Structured professional pursuit not involving formal academic coursework including, but not limited to, writing with intent to publish, artistic endeavors, and technical projects.

    An employee is eligible to apply for a sabbatical if he/she has at least seven (7) consecutive years of full-time satisfactory service, has completed at least two (2) years on continuing contract, and has not received a sabbatical with pay within the previous seven (7) years. The application for sabbatical leave and additional details are available in the college’s document repository.

  • Staff Education Days

    Staff Education Days are designed to serve as a half-day of professional development and networking for all career employees, professional employees, administrative staff, and department chairs.

Professional Development Steering Committee

A college-wide steering committee has been established to plan, prioritize, and make funding recommendations for professional development. The committee provides guidance and support for the LEAD Academy, Fall and Spring planning activities, the Academic Excellence Symposium, and other professional development activities and programs.

Current 2023-24 Membership:

  • Rachael Dougherty, Director of Professional Development (Co-Chair)
  • Dr. Andrea Gibson, AVP, Division of Institutional Development (Co-Chair)
  • Christine Burnette, Professional Employees Representative
  • Sarah Desormeaux, Faculty Senate Representative
  • Dr. Shana Deyo-White, Faculty Representative, School of Business Administration
  • Rileigh Gherlone, Institutional Effective & Compliance Representative
  • Bill Harrison, Instructional Resources Representative
  • Dr. Margie Hensler, Faculty Representative, College of Education
  • Dr. Cheryl Koehn, Online Studies Representative
  • Tracy Martin, Career Employee Representative

Office of Professional Development

Contact Us

Rachael.Dougherty@daytonastate.edu
(386) 506-3888