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How to Apply for Funds

How to Apply for Professional Development Funds

Important Links

Peralta Community College District Professional Development

California Community Colleges Vision Resource Center

Please read and consider all of the information below before requesting funding.

Professional development monies could be used for:

  • Conferences
  • Courses related to your professional development
  • Professional association memberships
  • & More!

The Professional Development Committee can accept funding requests from faculty members (full or part-time) currently employed at Laney College up to a total of $1000 per academic year per person.

Please note that funding is not guaranteed, but contingent upon majority vote by the Professional Development Committee (at its regularly schedule committee meetings), based on the availability of funds and the committee’s determination of whether the item will further the individual’s professional development and contribute to the department or subject area.

It is imperative to allow for proper processing time to have your funding request reviewed. Funding for in-state travel should be requested at least 50-60 days prior to the desired date of travel.  Funding for out-of-state travel should be requested at least 60-80 days prior to the desired date of travel, as Board Policy 7400 requires that out-of-state travel be pre-approved by the Board of Trustees. No funding requests shall be approved retroactively.

Classified Professionals and other Staff:  PD Committee funding is currently restricted to faculty by the PFT union contract, but there may be other sources of funding available on campus for your professional development needs. Please contact your supervisor for possible funding sources.

All requests must be submitted to the committee chair (Heather Sisneros) on the Thursday before the next scheduled Professional Development Committee meeting. –The committee meets on 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month.

Steps to Apply for Professional Development Funding:

Fill out the Funding Request Form and required attachments.

Fill out the the Vendor Application Form  If you are already an approved vendor, meaning you have previously submitted this form, then you do not have to submit it again.  Otherwise, you DO need to submit this as well.

Send in emailed copies of the these 2 forms, along with all required documentation (see the Funding Request form for an explanation), to Professional Development Committee Co-Chair Heather Sisneros (hsisneros@peralta.edu).

When your funding request has been approved, you can make an appointment with PD Co-Chair Heather Sisneros to fill out the PCCD Travel Authorization Form.  hsisneros@peralta.edu

Deadlines/Lead-Time for Applications for Professional Development Funds

Funding requests need to be submitted well PRIOR to published start dates of any events, with a
ONE MONTH lead-time  for in-state travel/expenses and
longer (two months) if the request involves out-of-state travel, or if you are seeking advance payment or payment by the College directly to another institution or conference.

This lead-time enables the Committee to consider requests for approval during our twice-a-month meetings, and in time to advance these requests through other levels of approval. Out-of-state travel funding requires Board approval prior to the travel date, and their approvals only happen at Board of Trustees meetings.

Policies

  1. Awards for full-time and part-time faculty are limited to a maximum of $1000 per person in any academic year. All faculty are eligible.  Classified professionals are encouraged to contact your Classified Senate President for information regarding possible funding.
  2. Funds are allocated to defray in part costs associated with tuition, conference fees, travel, local mileage or public transportation, meals and lodging incurred by Laney College personnel.
  3. Funds are divided among fall and spring semesters.  If funding is still available, requests for summer activities will be considered at the last two spring semester meetings.
  4. Multiple applications to the same conference will be considered as a group and whenever possible should be submitted together.
  5. With limited resources, in our approval process we may consider the following factors:
    • the amount of money in the PD budget;
    • whether the person requesting funding has been funded before — and if so, how often and how recently;
    • whether the requester has been funded for the same, or similar, events in the recent past;
    • whether similar events or opportunities exist ‘closer to home’ or at less expense;
    • the nature of the event being related to the PD Committee’s goals and/or the PD priorities expressed in the department’s or program’s annual review;
    • the nature of the event being ‘distributive’ to students and/or colleagues vs. ‘personally rewarding’;
    • the number of department or program colleagues requesting funding for the same event — and whether there is a specific purpose for attending an event as a group.

Funds will not be allocated for:

  • Faculty on leave without pay
  • Part-time faculty who are not currently teaching at Laney for the semester
  • Travel or lodging expenses for invited guests