Professional development is a key priority for the College and is an important component of each individual’s work life at Carleton and beyond. The College actively supports wide-spread participation in professional development as part of Carleton’s culture of continuous learning. The College is committed to attracting, selecting, and retaining a talented/diverse workforce and is fortunate to have a pool of experienced diverse staff. Staff also bring a widely diverse educational background to the Carleton workforce. When deciding how to support individual professional development Carleton’s professional development policies need to take into account factors such as the individual’s time and nature of job; the department’s need for training in a specific skill or content area; the relationship of the professional development activity to an office or other colleagues; the benefit of the professional development proposal to the College; the benefit of the plan for one’s professional development; and the impact of personal development on life-long learning. Professional development consists of staff training to acquire and improve job-related skills and knowledge. It also involves staff development with personal growth, expansion of job duties, or preparation for promotion.

The relationship that staff has to the College and to their individual department need to be taken into account for the staff and their supervisors to fashion development plans that mutually fit and that provide some level of benefit to the individual and the College. It is understood that professional development plans change over the course of time and should be reviewed at the annual performance appraisal session. Each department funds the individual’s professional development plan. The College strives to maintain budget flexibility to meet department and individual needs.