Division Professional Development
electronic Performance Development Program (ePDP)
The electronic Performance Development Program (ePDP) is a communication program for staff members and supervisors to help them understand their roles, continue to learn, and participate in the improvement of Grand Valley State University. The program is completed annually via a multi-stage electronic process that includes an automatic flow of forms between staff and supervisor. The program starts with Annual Planning (staff) and Annual Planning Approval (supervisor) due before the end of September and is completed with a Final Assessment that reflects performance over the past year. For Administrative/Professional Staff, evaluations are also a basis for merit increases in salary.
The Division of Inclusion and Equity is committed to developing the knowledge and skills of each professional staff member. Grand Valley provides both formal and informal learning opportunities for growth. The process of selection should be thoughtful and intentional. Professional development plans should be regularly discussed between staff and supervisor and reflected in ePDP annual planning documents or graduate student learning contracts.
Division employees are encouraged to limit travel and entertainment expenses and to seek local or on-campus opportunities and must submit the Request for Travel, Per Diem/Entertainment, and Professional Development form. In addition to national conferences and associations, staff members might consider integrating the following local or on-campus opportunities in development plans: division meetings, division leadership team meetings (unit heads), division externship, shared professional development meetings, sprout trainings/workshops, faculty/staff affinity groups, professional support staff (PSS) development committee, Young Professionals of Color Conference (YPCC), NADOHE Standards of Professional Practice for Chief Diversity Officers, etc.
Division Externship Guidelines
The purpose of the Division of Inclusion and Equity externship is to enhance professional practice by providing the participant with experience in and exposure to another functional area of higher education in order to develop new professional skills. This exposure can come from practice in another unit/division at GVSU and/or from a project that expands experience outside of the staff members’ current practice and would provide benefit to GVSU.
Outcomes
The outcomes of the experience are designed to enhance the educational and/or professional goals of the staff member. At the conclusion, the participating staff member should contribute to the sponsoring unit and/or project in a meaningful way. The staff member should also articulate outcomes that would benefit the Division of Inclusion and Equity and/or their home unit.
Shared Agreements
The staff member’s supervisor will approve the externship experience based upon professional development plans and department needs. The externship is not an additional work assignment, rather a professional opportunity to complement and enhance approved professional development plans. All regular duties and responsibilities of the staff member must be fulfilled during the externship experience. The staff participant’s supervisor, the staff participant, and the host supervisor will meet to discuss and agree upon externship terms by creating a learning contract. The learning contract will consist of co-created outcomes, goals, schedule, evaluation methods, benchmarks, etc. As possible, outcomes should connect to the Division or University’s mission, vision, values and/or strategic priorities. Each host supervisor will then provide regular feedback (at least one time per month during the duration of the experience) based upon the learning contract and a written evaluation of the assigned externship staff member upon completion of the program. The learning contract will be a living document and will also be periodically assessed with all parties involved.
Schedule
Externships will take place during spring/summer, a semester, or an academic year, or other dates as determined. Each staff member should commit to a regular schedule of assigned office hours at the selected site and/or time committed to a project in consultation with their supervisor. Each staff member is expected to keep a log of time spent.
Evaluation
The staff member must complete the following: 1) a mid-way reflection on how things are progressing, and 2) a final written reflection that indicates the time spent during the externship, the experiences gained, lessons learned or benefits gained for support of the Division of Inclusion and Equity and/or their unit, and a summary of contributions. The host supervisor must complete the following: 1) provide verbal feedback to the staff member on a weekly basis 2) provide a brief mid-way written reflection on how the externship is progressing, and 3) a written evaluation of the staff member’s performance at the conclusion of the experience (this goes to staff member and their supervisor).