Survey Monkey Questionnaire: Professional Development
Recently, your local union representatives requested all members to complete a survey on Professional Development (PD). The purpose of the survey was to initiate a conversation with Durham College management regarding several issues related to PD: fairness, transparency, approvals/denials, and any other general concerns forwarded to us.
A total of 171 people responded to the survey: this is a very solid response rate. Thank you very much and please continue to take the time to complete these surveys as they help us immensely in our meetings with management.
The question “Have you ever requested professional development” showed over 84% indicating yes and almost 16% no. The question “Have you ever been denied a request for professional development (as distinct from a denial of reimbursement for PD)? received a response of over 30% yes and almost 70% no. This is very important information, as the collective agreement clearly states, “The College shall allow each teacher at least ten working days of professional development in each academic year” (11.01 H 1). We will question management representatives regarding the process/conditions for denying faculty requests for PD.
The third survey question, “If you were denied a request for time for professional development, are you satisfied with the reasoning/explanation given for the denial of time?” The survey result was over 36% yes and 63% no. Again, this is a troubling result and will be discussed with management.
The fourth question, “Have you ever requested reimbursement from the college to assist you in your professional development?” over 65% of respondents indicated yes and over 34% no. The final question, “If you were denied a request for reimbursement, are you satisfied with the reasoning/explanation you were given for the denial of funds?” For this survey question, almost 35% indicated yes while over 65% indicated no. Clearly, this is another important result as it indicates some problems in the process for handing out funding for PD. Your local union representatives will question management regarding fairness, transparency, and process regarding PD and funding to support PD at our college.