Faculty Development, Enrichment, and Service
Upcoming FLEX Events
Please sign-in at the events to receive credit. Adjuncts, please complete a timesheet to be paid at $25/hour. Submit to FEC mailbox when complete.
September 2019
6th: Office 365, 10am - noon, LRC 210
6th: COSAFA Brown Bag, 12pm - 1pm, Visalia Cafeteria
6th: Canvas Accessibility Walk-In Time, 8:30am - 9:30am, LRC 209
9th: Great Books Discussion Group, 4pm - 5:30pm, HR 133
13th: Advanced Excel, 9am - 12pm, Visalia Kern 719
20th: Advanced Excel, 9am - 12pm, Visalia Kern 719
20th: Canvas Accessibility Walk-In Time, 8:30am - 9:30am, LRC 209
23rd: Great Books Discussion Group, 4pm - 5:30pm, HR 133
27th: Copyright, 10am - noon, LRC 210
27th: Canvas Accessibility Walk-In Time, 8:30am - 9:30am, LRC 209
FLEX Time
As faculty members, we are dedicated to constant improvement and development as professors and professionals. FLEX time is a formal way to account for the various activities that we undertake throughout the academic year to grow as professionals and serve our disciplines and the college more broadly.
All full-time faculty members are required to earn 20 “FLEX hours” per academic year (between July 1 and June 30). Eight of these hours are earned from attending the COS-wide Convocations and Division Meetings held before the start of fall and spring semesters. The other 12 hours can be earned through a variety of professional and service-oriented “FLEX activities,” from workshops and conferences to research projects, from pedagogy discussion groups to participation in governance and division meetings.
Although adjunct faculty are not required to earn FLEX hours, the Faculty Enrichment Committee believes strongly in adjunct training and participation. Thus, adjunct faculty are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all FLEX activities. Adjunct faculty can earn a stipend for their work and participation in approved FLEX activities ($25.00 per hour), contingent upon funding.
For more information on FLEX time, see the COSTA and COSAFA Master Agreements.
2019 - 2020 Blanket Approvals
The following activities have been blanket-approved for FLEX for AY 2019 - 2020. To receive FLEX credit for any of the following activities, simply submit a self-documentation form or sign-in sheet (whichever is appropriate to the activity):
- AB 705-related work
- Curriculum
- Outcomes & Assessment (O&A)
- Library Liaison Meetings
- Division Meetings
- Committee Meetings
- Participation on full-time faculty hiring committees (up to five hours FLEX given per faculty member per committee)
FLEX hours may only be checked from ON CAMPUS at reports.cos.edu.
Click above image to open the PDF.
Flex Forms
Click below to be taken to the FEC website. Click FLEX Information on the left hand column of the page for more details. Scroll to the middle of the page to find the FEC forms and sign-in sheet.
For sign-in sheets, please print legibly and indicate the total number of hours in the far right hand column. If you do not need FLEX hours, please sign-in and write "0" in the total hours column.
Forms may be submitted to the FEC mailbox in Sequoia or scanned and emailed via the buttons below.
Vision Resource Center Updates
Read the update below from VRC
The Vision Resource Center update has been released. As we mentioned in our message to you recently, this update requires current users to reset their passwords, and there is a new login page.
To reset your password, visit the new login page https://cccpln.csod.com and select “Forgot Password? Click Here”. You will then receive an email with a link to reset your password.
Cornerstone may be accessed via the blue logos in MyGiant. Submit a Web Helpdesk ticket if you do not have access to these icons.
After you log in be sure to browse the new features on the Vision Resource Center:
- Redesigned Welcome Page - A fresh design and layout to highlight “in demand” information and content.
- “Essentials” Topic Pages - Informational pages about priority reforms in the system such as the Vision for Success, Guided Pathways, and AB 705.
- Stories from the Field - Quick videos of colleagues sharing stories about how they are getting work done at their campus.
- Professional Development Calendar - Look for upcoming system-wide professional development workshops and events.
Your college can also fully integrate with the Vision Resource Center platform and access even more features. Learn more about full college integration at our upcoming Integration Demonstration Webinar on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, 10:00 - 11:00 am. Register for the September webinar here.
Thank you,
The Vision Resource Center Team
Faculty Enrichment Committee Information
The Faculty Enrichment Committee (FEC) is a subcommittee of the Academic Senate. FEC coordinates the FLEX Program and strives to enhance institutional programs and services for student learning and success by offering a variety of activities designed to encourage and support professional excellence among staff and faculty in their endeavors.
The Faculty Resource Guide serves as a reference to important information and procedures relevant to instructional duties of faculty.
Meeting Times & Representation
FEC comprises representative faculty from all divisions. Check with your division chair for your FEC representative’s name—or to volunteer to be on the committee! FEC meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 1:10pm - 2:10pm in Lodgepole (Library/LRC) 210 in Visalia. Please contact the FEC Faculty Co-Chair, Dr. Joseph Teller, for more information at josepht@cos.edu.