Professional Development - Outdated

Some of the programs which serve to assist faculty in advancing professional development and enhancing their chances of success at Cal Poly are outlined below. In addition to availing themselves of these opportunities, new faculty are particularly encouraged to consult with their departmental colleagues as well as their department head/chair regularly throughout their probationary period to ensure the highest likelihood of success in their academic endeavors.

The Grants Development Office (GDO)

The Grants Development Office (GDO) assists faculty in identifying and obtaining external funding for research and instructional projects, public service activities, fellowships, and other opportunities. It maintains and disseminates current information on funding through its web page at https://grants.calpoly.edu/; provides assistance in the development of proposals and budgets and completion of sponsor forms; ensures conformance with institutional and sponsor requirements; and obtains University and Corporation review and approval. The GDO represents the University in the negotiation of awards with sponsors, and identifies regulatory requirements and intellectual property issues. It also provides periodic reports on proposals and awards to the University. For more information please browse the GDO web page, or call 756-2982.

Statistics Consulting Service

The Statistics Department, located in Faculty Offices East (25-107D), provides a statistical consulting service for faculty, staff, and students to facilitate research design and data analysis in any discipline. Those wishing to avail themselves of this opportunity should bring a description of their research goals, collected data set and a description of how the data was collected. A consultant is available to lead seminars, group lectures or tutorials on requested topics and to offer advice on all aspects of statistical analysis including data collection, experimental design, analytic techniques, and statistical software. This service is not intended to supplant or be an adjunct to classroom instruction. Contact the Statistics Department at 756-2709 for information on walk-in consulting hours, which vary by quarter, or to make an appointment with the consultant. Additional information is also available on the Statistics web site at.

Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology (CTLT)

The Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) provides teacher/scholar support for tenure-track and tenured faculty, lecturers, instructionally related staff, and graduate associates. The CTLT interacts with colleges and departments; conducts workshops and classes; provides newer faculty orientation; facilitates faculty learning communities; offers grants; conducts individual consultations with faculty; conducts class observations and class video recording; communicates with faculty through the CTLT web site, newsletter, and e-mail; and coordinates the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program. The CTLT is a safe, supportive environment in which faculty and staff can receive assistance. CTLT interactions are not revealed to others without permission.

The mission is to enhance teaching and learning by providing an environment and resources to:

• Create opportunities for faculty and staff to improve their teaching skills and learning strategies
• Promote cross-disciplinary discussion and collaboration
• Sustain an interactive community of faculty and staff learners
• Encourage awareness of issues that affect both the academic community and its disciplines
• Help faculty and staff maintain currency in their chosen fields

Please visit the CTLT or call 756-7002 for any Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology related information.

Faculty Development Programs

The CTLT offers a variety of programs to help faculty and staff further develop their skills. For a complete list of current programs offered by the CTLT, visit: https://ctlt.calpoly.edu/programs-services.

Faculty and Professional Learning Communities

The CTLT annually awards grants of up to $4,000 to support the development of Faculty and Professional Learning Communities (FLC and PLC) comprised of six to ten faculty/staff members who engage in an active, extended program of study. For more information on Faculty and Professional Learning Communities.

Consultations

The CTLT offers a variety of teacher/scholar support and consultations to help individuals or groups of faculty and staff further develop their skills. To schedule a consultation, please call 756-7002 or email ctlt@calpoly.edu. For more information on available consultations, visit: https://ctlt.calpoly.edu/consultations.

Academic Technology

The CTLT is dedicated to assisting faculty in achieving Cal Poly's commitment to teaching excellence by incorporating technology into their course(s) as a component to enhance student learning and improve their role as a scholar. For more information about workshops related to academic technology, visit: https://ctlt.calpoly.edu/workshops.

Grants and Awards

CSU Forgivable Loan Program

The Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) seeks to provide loans to a limited number of doctoral students who are interested in applying and competing for California State University (CSU) instructional faculty positions after finishing their doctoral degrees.

State Faculty Support Grants (SFSG)

The State Faculty Support Grant program supports research, scholarship, and creative activities designed to help faculty members remain current in their disciplines, with the intent of strengthening California socially, culturally, and economically. Priority is given to tenure-track faculty and those in disciplines with few outside funding sources, as well as to projects likely to lead to the acquisition of external funding.

There are three types of support:

1. Mini-grants (maximum $5,000)
2. Assigned time (maximum WTUs allowed depends upon current WTU replacement value)
3. One-quarter leave (12 WTU) at full pay

An award may include both a mini-grant and assigned time, up to a total value of $9,000 (as of 2009-10). The deadline for SFSG proposals is usually in mid-January of each year. For the current deadline, guidelines and application forms and procedures, contact Office of Research and Economic Development (756-1508) or visit their web site at .

Extramural Funding Initiative (EFI)

Funds are made available annually by the Provost’s Office to support faculty in the development of proposals for extramural funding. Any project that has the potential to attract significant external funding and form the basis for a long-term effort will be considered. Priority is given to projects with the most potential for success and those that more closely align with major college/campus initiatives. EFI funding may be used for direct support of the development and submission of a proposal for extramural funding, or for preliminary work needed to support a future proposal (experimentation, data collection, etc.).

The deadline for EFI proposals is usually in March or April of each year. Requests made early in the academic year or prior to the start of the year will have a greater likelihood of approval. For more information, contact the Office of Research and Economic Development (756-1508) or visit their web site at .

Faculty Exchange Opportunities

Faculty exchange opportunities are initiated by the faculty member cooperatively with a colleague from another university, and must have the concurrence of the faculty member’s department head/chair and dean. A formal agreement is negotiated and must be approved by officials at both affected campuses. The faculty members each retain their position at their respective universities, and their salary and benefits continue just as if they were in residence at their home campus. Exchanges may be negotiated with faculty from other CSU campuses or other universities in the U.S. or abroad. Exchanges may be negotiated for an entire academic year or specific terms thereof. More information about and administrative support for faculty who have an opportunity for such an exchange may be obtained by calling Academic Personnel at 756-6570.

International Faculty Exchange Opportunities

There are numerous international exchange options available to faculty members that provide opportunities for travel, professional development, and a unique teaching experience. Cal Poly has faculty led programs in Australia, London, Thailand and the Cal Poly at Sea program in association with Cal Maritime. International opportunities may also include coordinating departmental exchange agreements with an overseas university, coordinating an extended field trip with students in within your department, serving as a resident director in one of the CSU International Programs sites, teaching overseas with University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), and teaching and research opportunities with the Fulbright Program. Faculty interested in participating in an exchange should consult with their department head/chair to inquire about both the college and department policies on faculty participation in international education, and with Academic Personnel regarding the paperwork necessary to document an exchange between a Cal Poly faculty member and a faculty member from an international institution (see preceding paragraph). For additional information visit the International Education and Programs Office.

Fee Waiver

Eligible faculty members can enroll in two (2) courses or six (6) units, whichever is greater, of work-related or career development courses per quarter. Tenured and probationary faculty unit employees as well as lecturers with three (3) year appointments pursuant to Article 12 of the collective bargaining agreement are eligible. Coaches with at least six (6) years of full-time equivalent service in a department may be considered eligible. Employees on approved leave of absence, if otherwise eligible, may participate in the program. Fee waiver forms and information are available from Human Resources.

Under current IRS regulations, fees waived for employee undergraduate or graduate coursework are nontaxable up to $5,250 annually. Fees for courses taken through Extended Studies can not be waived.

Faculty Dependent Fee Waiver Program

Eligible faculty members may transfer a partial fee waiver benefit to a spouse, dependent child, or to a certified domestic partner.  Eligible members of Unit 3 include all tenured and probationary faculty employees, as well as temporary faculty employees with at least six (6) years of full-time equivalent service in any one department. FERP employees are considered tenured faculty and are eligible for fee waiver only during the quarters when they are actively employed.

The fee waiver benefit entitlement consists of two (2) courses or six (6) units, whichever is greater in total units, per term. The program allows for a reduction of tuition fees based on statutory restrictions, CSU policy and collective bargaining agreements. For a summary of fees and calculations, go to Human Resource’s Dependent Fee Waiver Site for fee waiver forms and information.

A dependent child is:

1. Your child or stepchild who has never been married
2. A child living with you in a parent-child relationship who is economically dependent upon you (in accordance with IRS guidelines) and has never been married. Requires completion of the affidavit of Eligibility for Economically Dependent Children, Form HR 133e
3. Your child or stepchild who is incapable of self-support due to a disability that existed prior to age 23. Requires completion of the Disabled Dependent Benefit Form HR 133d

 

Fees waived for graduate classes are reported as taxable income; fees waived for undergraduate courses for spouse or dependent child are non-taxable.