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Berea College

The Berea College Community Strengthening Initiative (BCCSI) is a program meant to encourage Berea College staff to attend at least one on-campus event per month, if possible.

What is BCCSI?

Simply speak with your direct supervisor if you would like to attend an event, preferably a few days ahead of time. There are no special requirements for taking advantage of this program. If you are considered an essential employee, please submit an <a href="https://berea.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6RJUH5hffi9HadL">electronic or paper form</a> which you can find to print <a href="https://secure.berea.edu/staff-forum/docs/ACProp/BCCSIRequest.docx">here</a> to request time off a few days ahead of time.

Who do I talk to about joining this program? Are there any special requirements? 

The College’s Administrative Leadership Council (made up of the Administrative Committee, Associate Vice Presidents, and Directors) and Staff Forum leadership indicate that the top five requests for professional development from staff members are:
<div>
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Funds to attend or present at conferences and workshops;</li>
<li>Increased frequency and levels of technology training;</li>
<li>Certification training;</li>
<li>Job-specific skills training; and</li>
<li>Leadership skills development, including tools for running an effective meeting.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Do you want to request professional development funds from your Vice President for a conference, training, certification, etc.? If so, simply fill out the form <a href="https://berea.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_byhY7UzY7DXsZ7L" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.
Priority allocation for staff development funds is given to 1) strategic professional development of staff to ensure that employees with promotional potential receive training to prepare them for the next step in their career progression at the College; 2) staff with credentials that require continuing education; and 3) staff presenting at a conference; and 4) Technical skills training for new job related technology.

Instructions for Professional Development Proposals
Proposals should describe the activity, provide a budget, and indicate the amount of funding requested. Obtaining the support of your immediate supervisor is a required part of the application process. Awards are made on a first-come, first-served, basis and are subject to the availability of funds.
Travel Policy 
Please note that all who receive funds involving travel must adhere to the Berea College Travel Policy.
Report on Completion 
Staff who receive Staff Development Funding are to submit a report via email within 30 days of the completion of the project via email to a designated staff member within the Division (Staff members in the academic division are not required to complete a report after their project has been completed, but their requests initially are sent to Jim Strand).
Please note that your direct supervisor’s electronic signature is required on this form.
If you experience any technical difficulty with this form, please call ext. 3210.

How to request professional development funds?

There are two different ways to request utilization of BCCSI time from your supervisor if you are considered essential labor:
<ol>
<li>Electronically, using <a href="https://berea.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6RJUH5hffi9HadL">this Qualtrics form</a></li>
<li>Print and use the paper form, found <a href="https://secure.berea.edu/staff-forum/docs/ACProp/BCCSIRequest.docx">here</a></li>
</ol>

How do I request to utilize BCCSI time if I am an essential employee?

BCCSI Time may be used to participate in any of the following (note: some of these events last longer than an hour and many of them occur over the lunch hour and/or after 5 PM):
<ul>
<li>Events Hosted by the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, including:
<ul>
<li>The Appalachian Seminar &amp; Tour</li>
<li>The Appalachian Symposium</li>
<li>Dinner on the Grounds</li>
<li>Exhibits at the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center Gallery</li>
<li>The Celebration of Traditional Music</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Events hosted by the Carter G. Woodson Center, including:
<ul>
<li>The Civil Rights Tour</li>
<li>Conversations on Race</li>
<li>Diversity Peer Education Training</li>
<li>Exhibits at the Center</li>
<li>Kula Kusoma Luncheons</li>
<li>The February Film Festival</li>
<li>TRUTH Talks</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Events hosted by the Center for International Education, including:
<ul>
<li>Mundo Monthly Events</li>
<li>Think Globally, It’s Friday Luncheons</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Events, Exhibits, etc. hosted by Other Campus Locations, Departments, and Centers, including:
<ul>
<li>The bell hooks Institute</li>
<li>The bell hooks center</li>
<li>Campus Christian Center</li>
<li>The Berea College Theatre Laboratory</li>
<li>The Berea College Music Department</li>
<li>The Convocations Program</li>
<li>The Doris Ulmann Galleries</li>
<li>Hutchins Library</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Events hosted by the Title IX office, including:
<ul>
<li>IX &amp; Dine</li>
<li>Green Dot trainings</li>
<li>SafeZone Trainings</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Staff Development Workshops</li>
<li>Lunch &amp; Learn Luncheons, hosted by the Wellness Program</li>
<li>The Brushy Fork Leadership Summit</li>
<li>Participation in the President’s Walk/Run Club</li>
<li>Dean’s Reading Group Events</li>
<li>Berea College Athletic Events</li>
<li>Conferences hosted on-campus that present content pertaining to the Great Commitments and/or Mission</li>
<li>Other various events (especially events hosted by Centers and/or Departments on-campus) that allow for thoughtful discussion and/or exploration of content</li>
</ul>

What events can I attend on-campus as part of BCCSI?

The BCCSI will strengthen the Berea campus community in several ways, namely:
<ul>
<li>Supporting the Mission of the College</li>
<li>Supporting the Great Commitments (specific numbers are listed after each event in Appendix A)</li>
<li>Achieving many of the Workplace Expectations for College employees (specific numbers are listed after each event in Appendix A)</li>
<li>Directly improving student experiences with College staff, especially with staff who may or currently serve as labor supervisors for diverse groups of students</li>
<li>Strengthening the Campus Community by ensuring a visible staff presence at these events while also allowing faculty, students, staff, and community members to experience learning together</li>
<li>Encouraging or allowing staff to show support to student laborers and other acquaintances by attending their performances, presentations, and other activities</li>
<li>Adding a valuable staff voice to campus and community conversations</li>
<li>Developing a more inclusive community and workplace</li>
<li>Protecting the interests of and granting equal access to campus events for all staff</li>
<li>Investing in the continuing education of staff members</li>
<li>Making staff supervisors aware that these events are open to the larger campus community, including staff</li>
<li>Allowing for further personal and professional development of staff members</li>
<li>Making staff better “Bereans,” both on- and off-campus</li>
</ul>

Why is Berea working to strengthen staff participation in the larger campus community?

You can see the original proposal, as presented to the Administrative Committee, by clicking <a href="https://secure.berea.edu/staff-forum/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fstaff-forum%2fdocs%2fACProp%2fACProp.pdf">here</a>.

Where can I see the proposal for this initiative, as approved by the Administrative Committee? 

This program will be announced as part of the August 2018 Staff Forum Meeting. An email will also be sent to campus on behalf of the Administrative Committee in the coming months. To see a copy of the language sent to labor supervisors, please visit <a href="https://secure.berea.edu/staff-forum/docs/ACProp/BCCSIEmail.docx">this link</a>.

How will campus be notified about this program?

Staff supervisors who have questions/concerns about this program are encouraged to contact Steve Lawson, Associate Vice President of Human Resources.

What if I am a staff supervisor and I have questions about implementation of this program?

A survey will be sent to staff via Qualtrics after the end of each term to ask staff to report usage of this program.
After the Fall 2018 &amp; Spring 2018 terms, surveys were sent to staff, asking them to report usage of this program. You can view those results below.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://legacy.berea.edu/staff-forum/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/02/F18-BCCSI-Survey-Results.pdf">Fall 2018 Survey Results</a></li>
<li><a href="https://legacy.berea.edu/staff-forum/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/10/BCCSI-Spring-2019-Survey-Results.pdf">Spring 2018 Survey Results</a></li>
</ul>