Professional Development Planning
Tools for Community College Administrators

STEP I - Identifying and Analyzing Your Institution’s Demographics

Examine the demographics of your institution. Reflect on the students you serve and the make-up of your faculty. How can professional development be designed to meet the specific needs of your institution? The following data resources from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board can provide you with a variety of demographic information for your institution.

College Profiles - Provides a one-page snapshot of summary statistics for each of the 75 Texas public community, state and technical colleges.
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ctc/ie/ctcprof/default.htm

Statewide Factbook - Contains general statistical information about public community, state and technical colleges in Texas.
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ctc/ie/ctcsf/default.htm

Data Resources for LBB Measures: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ctc/ie/ctclbb/default.htm

Data Resources for Perkins Measures and Standards:
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ctc/ie/perkdata/perkdata.cfm

Consider the following

• How many full-time and adjunct faculty do you employ?
  
• What is the average age of your student body? Could your faculty benefit from training that addresses the needs of a diverse, adult learner population?
  
• What percentage of your students are pursuing academic degrees? Technical degrees?
  
• What is the cultural diversity of your student body? Could your faculty benefit from training that would enable them to better meet the needs of minority students or those with cultural differences?
  
• Are your students academically or economically disadvantaged? Could your faculty benefit from training to address these “at risk” factors? (The Data Resources for LBB Measures cited above contains statistical information on at-risk populations.)

To help yourself plan discipline-specific professional development, determine what percentage of your total faculty teach in the following program areas. (Check with your institutional research office if you need a breakdown of faculty by teaching areas.)

• Liberal Arts and Fine Arts
  
• Math/Science
  
• Health Sciences
  
• Continuing Education
  
• Developmental Education
  
• Occupational/technical

Keep this profile close by as you complete Step II in the planning process, the Professional Development Analysis. Think about the implications your college’s demographics will have on your professional development planning efforts.