Individual Professional Development

What is an Individual Professional Development Plan?
 An Individual Professional Development Plan begins with your thinking through short and long term professional goals, sharing these goals with your department and manager for feedback, and formalizing this on an IPDP form. This completed form is then filed in your work area and with the Human Resources Department.

Why complete an IPDP?
 The purpose of the IPDP is to not only help staff identify their professional development goals but also to help them think about and identify the resources and activities that they will need to achieve these goals.

The professional growth activities (including classes, workshops, conferences, online training, etc.) that you think you will participate in throughout the coming year should be listed on your filed IPDP. This provides you with a plan and keeps your goals in alignment with those of your workgroup and the organization. Also, this helps Human Resources manage professional growth dollars and determine what kinds of professional growth activities to offer.

How often should my IPDP be updated?
Because the IPDP is a great planning tool for the usage of professional growth funds and helps in the planning of SLTATC professional growth activities, employees should review and update their IPDP annually as they prepare their self-evaluation for their annual performance review. The updated IPDP will be used as part of the evaluation discussion.

What should be included in my Individual Professional Development Plan?
Professional goals related to the current and future individual, division, department and College need

  • Activities which provide direct and indirect benefits to the College and which will help you accomplish your goals
  • Resources needed to complete those activities
  • Time and/schedule adjustments needed to complete those activities

What should I consider as I develop my IPDP?

  • Categories of professional development activities –
    • SLTATC-sponsored professional development opportunities (courses, workshops, seminars, mentor/mentee activities, etc.)
    • Continuing education opportunities outside the SLTATC
    • State and national conferences and workshops
    • Community involvement
  • SLTATC Resources*
    • College, division, and department professional growth funds (see “Who Pays For What”)
    • Availability of time
    • Workload/schedule adjustments

* (Because of budget and time constraints, SLTATC may be unable to provide resources for all the activities you select.)

 

This Individual Professional Development Plan has been adapted for SLTATC use with the permission of Fox Valley Technical College.