Purpose
This policy provides guidelines for eligible employees to access and utilize the Staff Development Fund.
Those Affected by the Policy
All non-exempt staff and certain exempt staff members classified as half time or more (at least .5 FTE or 1040 hours per year) with at least six months of service. Employees classified as temporary are not eligible. Faculty members and administrative staff who have access to development funds do not normally have access to this fund. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the appropriate Vice President.
Policy and Procedure
Eligible employees may apply for educational assistance via the Staff Development Fund by completing the Application for Staff Development Funds (Attachment A). Applications must be completed thoroughly and have attached any supporting documentation necessary as well as the amount of funding to process the application. All applications must be submitted well in advance of the intended training to insure consideration. (No funding will be provided retroactively.)
Berea College will provide financial support to promote, encourage and facilitate continuous learning and/or enhance or expand the work currently performed by the staff member submitting the request. Seminar content or learning activities should be aligned with and in support of the learning goals identified via the staff member's Feedback and Development Circle. Some examples of continuous learning opportunities that staff members might attend or participate in are provided on the Application for Staff Development Funds Form. Clarification of the types of activities that may be supported by the Fund may be obtained by contacting the Director, People Services.
Individual requests for more than $500 per year must receive approval by the appropriate Vice President or the President of Berea College. Requests for less than $500 will be submitted through the Office of People Services for processing by the director of People Services. Any requests for exceptions or unusual development opportunities will require approval of the appropriate Vice President. (International travel cannot be funded without the written approval of the President of the College and only under extraordinary circumstances. Employees approved for financial support of the request submitted must agree to remain with the College for a minimum of 6 months after completing the course, seminar or other learning activity.
Learning activities designed to reach groups of employees are encouraged and may be requested either by an individual staff member who heads up a team or group or by a supervisory level employee on behalf of a group. In such instances, a list of employees targeted to benefit from the request for funding should accompany the "Application for Staff Development Funds" and a statement should be attached to identify the learning goals for the group. The Office of People Services will also develop programs on topics and themes for groups of employees.
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