What is the FLEX Program?

 Date:   October 29, 2009 

To:       Full-Time Faculty
            Division Deans
            Instruction and Academic Affairs Office
            Professional Development

From:   Ms. Diane M. Fiero, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Human Resources 

Re:       FLEX obligation

We appreciate that 92% of faculty members consistently complete their FLEX hour obligation each year. However there are some faculty who have challenges completing their FLEX obligation. The purpose of this memo is to address this problem and advise you how the District intends to handle it. 

The FLEX hour obligation is 41 hours per year. In the past, when faculty members have not completed their FLEX hour obligation, they have been allowed to use accrued sick leave or Personal Necessity Leave (PN) time to account for the shortfall. However this is not an appropriate use of either of these leaves as set out in the collective bargaining agreement between the District and COCFA, or the California Education Code. Therefore, this practice will be discontinued starting in the 2009-2010 year.  

Sick leave is to be used for the employee’s illness or accident.  Personal Necessity may be used for a very restricted list of reasons which has been negotiated in the current COCFA collective bargaining agreement. [See, Article 10(B) (4), Personal Necessity Leave] The Agreement permits a faculty member to use PN only for the following reasons:  

a. Accident to person or property of unit member, or person or property of a member of the unit member's immediate family.

b. Health or well being of the unit member's immediate family.

c. Religious holidays, rites or ceremonies of the unit member's faith.

d.  Court appearance as a litigant or witness under subpoena or official order.

e.  Birth of a child for a unit member who is either a father or grandparent of the child.

f. The adoption of a child making it necessary for the unit member to be absent during regular assigned hours of service.

g. Imminent danger to the home of the unit member, occasioned by flood, fire, earthquake or similar serious nature which cannot be disregarded by the unit member.

h. Personal business (not involving employment or professional duties outside this contract from which it is intended or usual that income be derived) which, by its nature, could not be conducted before or after the teaching day.  

FLEX time is in lieu of instructional time. All faculty members are paid the 41 hours in advance assuming you will complete your obligation. Starting with the 2009-10 year, any hours that are not completed by the June 30, 2010 deadline will be docked from your October 2010 paycheck. Please note that docked hours are deducted from your annual STRS service credit. 

If you have questions about this change, please feel free to contact me at 661-362-3424.

What is FLEX?

FLEX at College of the Canyons

Faculty Obligation

Registration

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of activities are considered professional development activities?
The term professional development includes activities that increase knowledge in the discipline or which directly enhance teaching skills, but also activities which improve working relationships with students and staff in and out of the classroom as well as activities that enhance an individual’s physical and mental ability to perform his/her job. The Faculty Development Committee uses the following guidelines to evaluate activities for flex credit:

•The primary goal of the activity must be professional growth and achievement of the mission of the college, its vision, and the mission of professional development in staff improvement, student improvement, or instructional improvement.

•Accomplishment of the activity must be of sufficient benefit to justify the time spent.

•The activity must be designed to foster an analytical or reflective approach to professional development.

•You must not be compensated in any other way for this activity.

•The majority of the event must not be recreational or social.

•The activity must fall outside expected departmental and other contractual faculty duties.

• Complete and submit an Independent Project proposal form, available online at __________________.
• Obtain approval from the Faculty Development Committee PRIOR to beginning work on the project.
• After getting approval for your project, complete the project. *Projects that have not been pre-approved will NOT earn FLEX credit.
• Submit the project to the Professional Development Office by June 30th.
• Projects will be posted to the Professional Development website.

FLEX Guidelines

A FLEX workshop or activity must have, as its principal goal, one or more of the following:

·         The primary goal of the activity must be professional growth and achievement of the mission of the college, its vision, and the mission of professional development in staff improvement, student improvement, or instructional improvement.

·         Accomplishment of the activity must be of sufficient benefit to justify the time spent.

·         The activity must be designed to foster an analytical or reflective approach to professional development.

·         You must not be compensated in any other way for this activity.

·         The majority of the event must not be recreational or social.

·         The activity must fall outside expected departmental and other contractual faculty duties.