COD Awarded Grant Providing Professional Development for Faculty

This spring, College of DuPage is providing professional development for faculty through the Perkins Faculty Externship Pilot program.

Funded through a successful Perkins Grant proposal, the program provides stipends to faculty for spending time in industrial settings related to the disciplines in which they instruct. Geared toward the goal of honing their skills and knowledge of current trends in their respective fields, participating instructors will be shadowing professionals in their fields, serving as volunteers and providing pro bono services.

According to College of DuPage Dean of Business and Technology Donna Stewart, the response by faculty was exceptionally positive and based on the available budget, five proposals were approved including faculty members from the Accounting, Anesthesia Technology, Auto Service Technology, Human Services and Interior Design programs.

"Faculty members were selected based on their proposal statements identifying clear goals for their experiences and their commitment to share the outcomes of their experiences with their colleagues," said Stewart.

College of DuPage is an accredited community college that serves more than 29,000 students each term. The College, which grants nine associate degrees and more than 170 certificates in 100 areas of study, is the second largest provider of public undergraduate education in Illinois.