Faculty Professional Growth

In MCCCD, there are sponsored faculty professional growth programs available to residential faculty (FPG).  The intent of these programs is to promote professionalism and excellence in District faculty through supervised incentives.  Professional growth occurs through activities such as projects, coursework, conferences, and experiences that contribute to significant learning by the individual faculty member. 

Individual faculty may apply for funding of registration fees to conferences, workshops, seminars, and professional meetings related to their teaching field or other campus responsibilities.  In addition, individuals may apply for horizontal advancement on the salary schedule through academic or non-academic growth. Faculty must submit a statement to document and support requests for advancement, whether academic or non-academic. Academic requests include graduate and undergraduate coursework within or outside of the individual's teaching field. Undergraduate courses and courses outside the individual's teaching field require special documentation (see steps for academic advancement). Non-academic requests are activities that stimulate learning through professional experience. These include work experience, conferences, workshops, seminars, professional meetings, travel, Maricopa-sponsored activities, and other professional activities. Specific individual events may be eligible, as determined by the committee, based on supporting documentation and justification.

Faculty members on Sabbatical Leave are eligible to apply for FPG funds to pay registration, and travel expenses for conferences, workshops, and professional meetings for the purpose of professional growth.

District Faculty Growth Web Page

Types of FPG Hours

There are two types of "hours" when we're talking about Faculty Professional Growth for residential faculty: credit hours and clock hours. Credit hours are equivalent to academic credits, and are awarded if faculty take graduate-level courses (academic advancement). Clock hours are earned through non-academic work like workshops, events, conferences, etc. Eighteen (18) clock hours equals 1 credit hour. A residential faculty member needs to participate in 18 clock hours of non-academic work to be eligible for one credit hour of advancement.

Annual and Overall Maximums

There is only an annual maximum for faculty who are already at the doctorate level. In the past, faculty with doctorates were not eligible for FPG salary advancement, but starting in the academic year 2022-23 that changed. However, residential faculty with doctorates are only able to earn up to three credit hours (54 non-academic clock hours) of advancement per year for the first three years, maxing out at 9 credit hours (162 clock hours) of advancement. If the faculty member (with a doctorate) earns more than three credit hours of FPG in the first year of this new program (2022-23), the additional hours are banked and will count toward what they are able to earn the next year. Faculty without a doctorate do not have this limit, but there is an overall maximum of 57 credit hours that they can earn via non-academic FPG.

Residential FPG Representative
Matthew Bloom
(480) 423-6454
matthew.bloom@scottsdalecc.edu

The Maricopa County Community College District Faculty Professional Growth program is available for all Maricopa faculty. Faculty Professional Growth, commonly referred to as FPG, assists faculty in learning new and innovative teaching and learning ideas. These professional growth opportunities are non-academic courses, workshops, and events designed to help faculty learn more about teaching strategies, technologies, theories, etc., which helps improve the classroom experience for students.

The Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Program is administered by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation (MCLI) at the Maricopa Community Colleges. The program provides funding assistance on a reimbursement basis to adjunct faculty who attend external (outside of Maricopa County Community College District sponsored or offered) conferences, seminars, workshops and professional meetings that are directly related to, and will enhance/update the applicant’s teaching skills as well as enhance the learning of students for the class taught by the applicant for the Maricopa Community Colleges.

Detailed information can be found on the MCLI's Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Website. You must log in to the site with your MEID and password. Contact your Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Representative regarding questions you may have about the travel request process.

If you are interested in enhancing your practice, personal and professional development, and want to enhance your students' learning, consider the Adjunct Faculty Development Programs offered at MCCCD.

Adjunct Tier Progression Program

MCCCD's Adjunct Tier Progression Program allows up to a 10% increase in hourly pay after the completion of 50 hours of faculty professional growth. The 2022-23 Faculty Agreement describes the details of this program. Select professional development events are often developed by the Centers for Teaching and Learning at each of MCCCD's 10 colleges, or the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation. Visit the Upcoming Preapproved Internal Events page to find FPG opportunities.

Once earned, FPG hours are never lost. Approved hours remain with faculty members into the future and accumulate, whether a tier progression is earned or not. Completed FPG must be submitted by the faculty member through the Adjunct Professional Growth Form. The Adjunct Tier Progression Program calculates and applies earned FPG hours in June/July. Adjunct faculty are notified about their tier status, and tier increases are awarded once a year at the start of the Fall term. FPG hours above the Tier Two requirement of 25, but below the Tier Three requirement of 50 will roll over to the next year. Once earned, FPG hours are never lost. Examine the examples below to get a sense of how the program works.

Examples of Tier Progression

• Adjunct faculty member earned 32 hours the first year
  • 25 hours apply to Tier One, and 7 roll over to the next year to be added to hours earned next year. Faculty member receives a 5% raise in adjunct pay for completing Tier Two.
• Adjunct faculty member earned 15 hours first year
  • 15 hours roll over to next year to be added to hours earned next year. Faculty member receives no raise in adjunct pay because no tiers were completed.
• Adjunct faculty member earned 58 hours the first year
  • 25 hours apply to Tier Two, 25 hours apply to Tier Three, and 8 hours are unused as the maximum financial progression was met by accomplishing Tier Two and Tier Three in the first year. Faculty member receives a 10% raise in adjunct pay for completing Tier Two and Tier Three.

Additional Details

FPG earned and reported in the summer will apply to tiers in the subsequent academic year. Tiers earned are kept while employed at MCCCD. Adjunct faculty do not have to earn tiers every year to retain the pay increase. Submit completed FPG hours through the Adjunct Professional Growth Form. Have more questions? Consult the Adjunct Faculty Tier Progression Program FAQ.

View the Adjunct Faculty Tiers infographic.

Applicant Eligibility

• The applicant must be employed, currently teaching a course or be between courses, as an adjunct faculty for a credit course (at least one credit), or have a current service contract assignment for Library or Counseling adjunct faculty by one or more of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
• Applicants who are between courses must have taught as adjunct faculty in Maricopa for a minimum of four of the last six semesters, and be scheduled to teach in the subsequent semester, verifiable in SIS or through notification from the department/division chair.
• The applicant must NOT have previously been awarded funds in excess of the maximum individual funding level provided for the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).​

Maximum Reimbursable Amounts Per Fiscal Year

The maximum reimbursable amount is based on the total number of credits taught per academic year. Adjunct faculty members will only be reimbursed for actual eligible expenses, up to the maximum reimbursable amount.

• 3 credit hours or more — $750
• 2 credit hours — $500
• 1 credit hour — $250

Application Process

The application process is completely online. Please read over the step-by-step instructions prior to completing the new online application. There are many circumstances that can result in a delay of approval. The following are crucial to take note of and include:

• All applications are completed online via Maricopa’s Financial Management System (FMS)
• You must NOT include paid receipts. All attached documents must be invoices. Do not pay for activity related items PRIOR to approval. Items already paid for will result in an automatic rejection stating: pre-approval was not granted.
• In the comment/note section you must include a description of how the activity directly impacts student learning and your professional growth as a faculty member for the class you teach for Maricopa Community Colleges.
• Attach a copy of your teaching assignments in the attachments, and note your sections and credit load in the comment section.
• Make certain you have completed the Annual Travel Acknowledgement Form prior to submission.

Please note, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure approval status has been received prior to the activity start date. If not approved yet, check with the college AFPG Representative prior to travel. Reimbursement will not be given if the application is not officially awarded in writing to the applicant. Application packets are available online

For Assistance

Consult the MCLI website for information on the process. For further, more detailed questions, contact your representative below.

AFPG Representative

Pat Serrano    
(480) 423-6264    
pat.serrano@scottsdalecc.edu

Individual faculty may apply for funding of registration fees to conferences, workshops, seminars, and professional meetings related to their teaching field or other campus responsibilities.  In addition, individuals may apply for horizontal advancement on the salary schedule through academic or non-academic growth. Faculty must submit a statement to document and support requests for advancement, whether academic or non-academic. Academic requests include graduate and undergraduate coursework within or outside of the individual's teaching field. Undergraduate courses and courses outside the individual's teaching field require special documentation (see steps for academic advancement). Non-academic requests are activities that stimulate learning through professional experience. These include work experience, conferences, workshops, seminars, professional meetings, travel, Maricopa-sponsored activities, and other professional activities. Specific individual events may be eligible, as determined by the committee, based on supporting documentation and justification.

Faculty members on Sabbatical Leave are eligible to apply for FPG funds to pay registration, and travel expenses for conferences, workshops, and professional meetings for the purpose of professional growth.

District Faculty Growth Web Page

There are two types of "hours" when we're talking about Faculty Professional Growth for residential faculty: credit hours and clock hours. Credit hours are equivalent to academic credits, and are awarded if faculty take graduate-level courses (academic advancement). Clock hours are earned through non-academic work like workshops, events, conferences, etc. Eighteen (18) clock hours equals 1 credit hour. A residential faculty member needs to participate in 18 clock hours of non-academic work to be eligible for one credit hour of advancement.

There is only an annual maximum for faculty who are already at the doctorate level. In the past, faculty with doctorates were not eligible for FPG salary advancement, but starting in the academic year 2022-23 that changed. However, residential faculty with doctorates are only able to earn up to three credit hours (54 non-academic clock hours) of advancement per year for the first three years, maxing out at 9 credit hours (162 clock hours) of advancement. If the faculty member (with a doctorate) earns more than three credit hours of FPG in the first year of this new program (2022-23), the additional hours are banked and will count toward what they are able to earn the next year. Faculty without a doctorate do not have this limit, but there is an overall maximum of 57 credit hours that they can earn via non-academic FPG.

Residential FPG Representative 
Matthew Bloom 
(480) 423-6454 
matthew.bloom@scottsdalecc.edu

The Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Program is administered by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation (MCLI) at the Maricopa Community Colleges. The program provides funding assistance on a reimbursement basis to adjunct faculty who attend external (outside of Maricopa County Community College District sponsored or offered) conferences, seminars, workshops and professional meetings that are directly related to, and will enhance/update the applicant’s teaching skills as well as enhance the learning of students for the class taught by the applicant for the Maricopa Community Colleges.

Detailed information can be found on the MCLI's Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Website. You must log in to the site with your MEID and password. Contact your Adjunct Faculty Professional Growth Representative regarding questions you may have about the travel request process.

If you are interested in enhancing your practice, personal and professional development, and want to enhance your students' learning, consider the Adjunct Faculty Development Programs offered at MCCCD.

MCCCD's Adjunct Tier Progression Program allows up to a 10% increase in hourly pay after the completion of 50 hours of faculty professional growth. The 2022-23 Faculty Agreement describes the details of this program. Select professional development events are often developed by the Centers for Teaching and Learning at each of MCCCD's 10 colleges, or the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation. Visit the Upcoming Preapproved Internal Events page to find FPG opportunities.

Once earned, FPG hours are never lost. Approved hours remain with faculty members into the future and accumulate, whether a tier progression is earned or not. Completed FPG must be submitted by the faculty member through the Adjunct Professional Growth Form. The Adjunct Tier Progression Program calculates and applies earned FPG hours in June/July. Adjunct faculty are notified about their tier status, and tier increases are awarded once a year at the start of the Fall term. FPG hours above the Tier Two requirement of 25, but below the Tier Three requirement of 50 will roll over to the next year. Once earned, FPG hours are never lost. Examine the examples below to get a sense of how the program works.

Examples of Tier Progression

• Adjunct faculty member earned 32 hours the first year
  • 25 hours apply to Tier One, and 7 roll over to the next year to be added to hours earned next year. Faculty member receives a 5% raise in adjunct pay for completing Tier Two.
• Adjunct faculty member earned 15 hours first year
  • 15 hours roll over to next year to be added to hours earned next year. Faculty member receives no raise in adjunct pay because no tiers were completed.
• Adjunct faculty member earned 58 hours the first year
  • 25 hours apply to Tier Two, 25 hours apply to Tier Three, and 8 hours are unused as the maximum financial progression was met by accomplishing Tier Two and Tier Three in the first year. Faculty member receives a 10% raise in adjunct pay for completing Tier Two and Tier Three.

Additional Details

FPG earned and reported in the summer will apply to tiers in the subsequent academic year. Tiers earned are kept while employed at MCCCD. Adjunct faculty do not have to earn tiers every year to retain the pay increase. Submit completed FPG hours through the Adjunct Professional Growth Form. Have more questions? Consult the Adjunct Faculty Tier Progression Program FAQ.

View the Adjunct Faculty Tiers infographic.

• The applicant must be employed, currently teaching a course or be between courses, as an adjunct faculty for a credit course (at least one credit), or have a current service contract assignment for Library or Counseling adjunct faculty by one or more of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
• Applicants who are between courses must have taught as adjunct faculty in Maricopa for a minimum of four of the last six semesters, and be scheduled to teach in the subsequent semester, verifiable in SIS or through notification from the department/division chair.
• The applicant must NOT have previously been awarded funds in excess of the maximum individual funding level provided for the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).​

The maximum reimbursable amount is based on the total number of credits taught per academic year. Adjunct faculty members will only be reimbursed for actual eligible expenses, up to the maximum reimbursable amount.

• 3 credit hours or more — $750
• 2 credit hours — $500
• 1 credit hour — $250

The application process is completely online. Please read over the step-by-step instructions prior to completing the new online application. There are many circumstances that can result in a delay of approval. The following are crucial to take note of and include:

• All applications are completed online via Maricopa’s Financial Management System (FMS)
• You must NOT include paid receipts. All attached documents must be invoices. Do not pay for activity related items PRIOR to approval. Items already paid for will result in an automatic rejection stating: pre-approval was not granted.
• In the comment/note section, you must include a description of how the activity directly impacts student learning and your professional growth as a faculty member for the class you teach for Maricopa Community Colleges.
• Attach a copy of your teaching assignments in the attachments, and note your sections and credit load in the comment section.
• Make certain you have completed the Annual Travel Acknowledgement Form prior to submission.

Please note, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure approval status has been received prior to the activity start date. If not approved yet, check with the college AFPG Representative prior to travel. Reimbursement will not be given if the application is not officially awarded in writing to the applicant. Application packets are available online

Consult the MCLI website for information on the process. For further, more detailed questions, contact your representative below.

AFPG Representative

Pat Serrano    
(480) 423-6264    
pat.serrano@scottsdalecc.edu