What is Flex?

The Yuba Community College District participates in an alternate calendar and course scheduling program known as the Flex Program (also known as the Flexible Calendar Program). This program allows the district to replace actual classroom instructional hours with alternative activities. These hours are in-lieu-of regular instruction so faculty are obligated to complete the “in-lieu-of” hours with development activities focused in three distinct areas:

1. Staff Improvement
   Suggested activities include:
   1. Developing new programs (e.g., a workshop on designing curriculum/ programs)
   2. Faculty and counselor meetings to address areas of concern (e.g., academic advising, prerequisites, referring students for services)
   3. Faculty and staff (e.g., tutors, lab assistants) meetings to improve learning resource support services to students
   4. Workshops on how to mentor students or how to mentor faculty
   5. Orientation/education (e.g., new faculty; role of the academic senates; training students, staff, and faculty to serve on committees; changing role of technology in education)
   6. Student, faculty, and staff diversity (e.g., sexual harassment workshops, affirmative action conferences, cultural diversity seminars, multicultural activities)
   7. Meetings designed to improve a cohesive working relationship among members of the group (e.g., departments, divisions, committees, mixture of college constituencies)
   8. Workshops on how to write grants
   9. Workshops or individually designed activities to improve or enhance a person's skills or knowledge in his/her own discipline
   10. Wellness activities that assist individuals to be physically and mentally better able to perform their jobs (e.g., humor in the workplace, stress reduction, self‑defense, nutrition, exercise, weight reduction)
   11. Learning a second language to better communicate with the diverse student population
   12. Disaster preparedness (e.g., district procedures, first aid, review of facilities to determine areas of need)
   13. Improving or learning how to deal with computers and technology
2. Student Improvement
   Suggested activities include:
   1. Teaching a class in shortened format during a flex period
   2. Developing a new program to meet changing student needs
   3. Faculty and staff (e.g., tutors, lab assistants) meetings to improve services to students
   4. Review of learning resource materials to eliminate out‑dated items and make recommendations for additions
   5. Creating self‑study modules and/or computer‑assisted instruction
   6. Student advising (e.g., academic advising of students by faculty)
   7. Mentoring of students
   8. Faculty participation in student orientation programs
   9. Matriculation services (e.g., special orientation for ESL students, workshops in specific disciplines for students with undecided majors)
   10. Meetings (department/division/college-wide) specifically to discuss strategies for improving service to students
   11. Institutional research focused on meeting the needs of the students (e.g., job market surveys, transfer ratios, ethnicity data on students, gender equity, campus climate)
   12. Writing grants aimed to improve services to students
   13. Articulation to improve transfer processes
   14. Outreach for special projects (e.g., Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement [MESA] program)
   15. Conducting special workshops for students (e.g., understanding the college schedule, transfer requirements, setting academic goals
3. Instructional Improvement
   Suggested activities include:
   1. Attending workshops on teaching methods or techniques (e.g., classroom‑based research training; Instructional Skills Workshops (ISW); local, regional, national Great Teachers Seminars)
   2. Development or revision of programs, course curriculum, learning resources and evaluation.
   3. Developing a new course
   4. Modifying an existing course to comply with changing institutional or discipline requirements (e.g., changing theories in a discipline, articulation with transfer institutions, critical thinking, multiculturalism, writing across the curriculum)
   5. Significant modification of a course to address the learning needs of diverse students (e.g., creating self-paced learning modules)
   6. Developing student readiness programs specific to course disciplines
   7. Faculty and counselor meetings to address areas of curriculum
   8. Review of learning resource materials to eliminate outdated items and recommend additions
   9. Creating self-study modules and computer-assisted instruction modules
   10. Student, faculty, and staff diversity (e.g., sexual harassment workshops, affirmative action conferences, cultural diversity seminars, multicultural activities)
   11. Departmental or division meetings to discuss overall curriculum and program review
   12. Institutional research (e.g., job skill requirements, research on transfer ratios, ethnicity data on students and staff. gender equity, campus climate)
   13. Grant writing to secure funds for improvement of instruction

More details on the Flex Program and eligible activities are available in the Flex Guidelines.