Department Policy Number
110 002
Effective Date
January 1, 2004
Purpose
These guidelines set out the activities supported under the Excluded Professional Staff Professional Development (EPSPD) Fund, and the roles of Human Resources and the EPSPD Committee in administering the Fund.
Definitions
Excluded professional staff (EPS): staff members who are in a position classified as a professional A, B, C, or D and who are not covered by collective agreements. Term professional appointees with excluded contracts extending over one year will normally be eligible to receive funding.
Policy
Athabasca University recognizes that leadership is fostered through learning. Excluded professional staff members are encouraged to acquire and share knowledge necessary for the achievement of University objectives through participation in professional development activities. The EPSPD Fund is available to assist EPS members by reimbursing approved costs related to professional development activities.
Regulations
Permitted professional development activities include, but are not limited to, attending to present papers or to be discussants at professional societies' meetings and colloquia, participation in professional development workshops and seminars, pursuit of graduate studies, and other forms of professional development. It will be the applicant's responsibility to identify the benefits to be derived from the activity and the level of involvement of the staff member in the activity.
The EPSPD Committee comprises two excluded professionals and the Coordinator, Staff Development and Learning. The EPSPD committee receives and approves applications for funding and monitors EPSPD Fund disbursements and balances.
Eligible expenses include travel, accommodation, per diem costs, tuition fees, research expenses, and conference fees. The AU travel policy applies. Expenses that will not be covered by the Fund include payment of an individual's salary to attend or participate in a PD activity, entertainment, liquor charges, etc.
Procedure
A fund is set aside annually at April 1 to assist excluded professional staff members in pursuing their learning plan objectives and activities. This amount is reviewed and is subject to change in budget deliberations each year. Funding normally will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, up to $1,000 per activity. Unspent fund balances will normally carry over at year-end.
The annual budget is normally divided equally into four quarters as follows:
Requests for EPSPD funding must be submitted on the form entitled "EPSPD Application" and forwarded, together with supporting documentation, to the Administrative Assistant, Staff Relations & Development in Human Resources. Application forms are available on the AU web site at http://intra.athabascau.ca/forms or from Human Resources. Applications will be gathered by quarter and submitted to the EPSPD Committee for approval.
All applications to the EPSPD Fund should be complete and contain the following information as appropriate:
Expense claims should be submitted within 30 days after the activity, except for activities in the fourth quarter, in which case expense claims must be submitted by the end of the first week in April.
Approved By
President, February 12, 2004
Amended Date/Motion No.
Related References, Policies and Procedures
Applicable Legislation/Regulation
Responsible Position/Department
Coordinator, Staff Development and Learning, Human Resources
Keywords
Excluded Professional Staff Professional Development EPSPD
Excluded Professional Staff, Professional Development Fund (EPSPD) Application Form (pdf)
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L.
Gordon, Office of the President, February 2004
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