The Concept

The Regional Professional Development Centers are dedicated to transforming the quality of teaching and learning in different areas of the country, leading to increased student retention and success at all levels.  Each development center will host four different faculty development institutes each year, as part of its commitment to transforming the quality of teaching and learning in Higher Education. An individual center has the opportunity to choose it own events; unique to the needs, culture, and individual goals of each college.  Area colleges are invited to attend each institute in order to bolster the collaborative relationships among neighboring colleges.

Pacific Crest supports each development center in marketing the event, by providing customized marketing materials for each event. Announcements of each event will also be listed on the Pacific Crest website.  Skilled facilitators,  handbooks, and journals for individual events are also provided by Pacific Crest.

Players

Four colleges will partner with Pacific Crest in 2006 and become Regional Professional Development Centers.  These schools are Hinds Community College (Mississippi), Brevard Community College (Florida), and the University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.).

Hinds Community College	Brevard Community College
Hinds Community College is a comprehensive two -year institution serving approximately 15,000 students each year. Headquartered in Raymond, Mississippi, Hinds has branches in Utica, Jackson, Rankin County, and Vicksburg.  The focus of Hinds’ Transition Program is to increase the retention rate of developmental students. This Transition Program was named an Exemplary Practice Award Winner in 2005 by the National Council on Student Development (NCSD).	Brevard Community College, is a two year institution situated on Florida’s Space Coast.  BCC has four campuses– in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay and Titusville – an aerospace program at the Kennedy Space Center and a Virtual campus.   BCC is one of the first community colleges in the country to offer the AA degree online. The total number of Associate degrees earned each year by students is in the top two percent in the nation.
University of the District of Columbia
The University of the District of Columbia offers post-secondary degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels. This historically black college, situated in Washington DC, is the only urban land-grant institution in the nation. UDC is particularly proud of its STEM program.  Funded by a National Science Foundation Grant, the STEM Center is designed to improve undergraduate student competencies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; to increase research involvement and proficiency of students in STEM disciplines.

The Professional Development Program

The Regional Professional Development Centers will host four events per year, choosing among more than twenty professional development institutes created by Pacific Crest.  These professional development institutes focus on teaching, instructional design, student success, technology, assessment, and institutional effectiveness.  Individual events are customized to meet the specific needs of each center hosting the event.