Professional Development and UPPS No. 04.04.35
Educational Opportunities Issue No. 3
Revised: 10/25/2017
Effective Date: 04/20/2017
Next Review: 10/01/2020 (E3Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Assistant Vice President for Human Resources
01. POLICY STATEMENTS
*01.01 This document establishes the policies and procedures for four Texas State University-sponsored opportunity programs for faculty and staff education and training: 1) academic professional development activities, 2) non-academic professional development activities, 3) the Staff Educational Development Program, and 4) university support for GED certification attainment.
01.02 Texas State is committed to supporting and providing professional development opportunities under these programs to update the skills and knowledge of its faculty and staff to better prepare them to meet the teaching and workplace challenges of the future.
01.03 The purpose of providing professional development and educational opportunities is to:
a. carry out the university's commitment to increase the skills of the university workforce;
b. provide additional academic opportunities for employees that will foster their professional and personal growth;
c. develop a pool of skilled applicants for potential promotion;
d. retain the current workforce; and
e. serve as a recruiting incentive to prospective faculty and staff employees.
02. PROCEDURES FOR ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
02.01 The provisions of this section meet the requirements of the State Employees Training Act of 1969, as amended.
02.02 An academic professional development activity is the enrollment and participation in college or university credit courses.
a. Fees for Texas State University Credit Courses
Texas State will reimburse certain, but not all, fees for any of its employees enrolled in a Texas State credit course provided the employee is employed full-time in a regular position at the university and successfully completes the course with a passing grade of D or higher. Individuals in the Teacher Fellows Program are also eligible. (Reimbursements are only applicable to courses taken at Texas State.) These fees include:
1) Student service fee;
2) Designated tuition;
3) Computer service fee;
4) Student publication fee;
5) LBJ Student Center fee;
6) Bus fee;
7) Recreational Sports fee;
8) Library fee;
9) Medical service fee;
10) International education fee;
11) Off-campus course fee;
12) Student success fee;
13) ID Services fee;
14) Environmental service fee;
15) Athletics fee; and
16) Electronic course fee.
b. Staff Enrollment in College or University Credit Courses
1) The university may release full-time regular staff to take one course during regular work hours if the staff member’s department head determines that the release will not materially affect department operations. Such approval will be documented on the Release Time and Reimbursement for Academic Course Request Form that must be submitted to Human Resources (HR) by the twelfth class day for the fall or spring semesters and the fourth class day for the first summer term. If the department head denies a request, he or she will provide the staff member with written reasons for the denial.
2) Under this provision, the department may release a full-time staff member for up to three hours per week during each long semester and six hours per week during only one summer session.
3) The three- and six-hour release time limits apply to courses taken a) on the Texas State campus; b) at a location off campus; c) at another institution; and d) online or through distance learning. The employee must make up any time taken in excess of the allotted release time limits, including travel time to and from the classroom, by working additional hours in the same week or taking leave from an appropriate leave category.
4) Staff members may take additional courses outside regular working hours provided that attendance does not interfere with completion of assigned duties.
5) The university considers time away from work during regular working hours to attend academic professional development activities as training time if the activities are: a) directly related to the employee’s current or prospective job duties in the department; or b) part of a formal degree program for a bachelor’s or graduate degree. The employee should record this time as “class release time” on the employee’s timesheet and not as personal leave.
c. Faculty Enrollment in College or University Credit Courses
1) Faculty members may attend academic classes at Texas State or elsewhere provided that such enrollment does not interfere with the completion of assigned duties. If a faculty member requests a fee reimbursement for Texas State courses, the full-time faculty member must initiate the request on the Release Time and Reimbursement for Academic Courses Request Form and forward it to his or her department chair. The department chair will complete the approval portion of the form and forward it to HR before the faculty member attends any course under this provision.
2) If enrollment is related to current or prospective assignments, absence from campus is not considered a leave of absence, but rather a part of the faculty member’s regular university activities. Faculty members may also enroll in courses at Texas State or elsewhere for personal development provided that attendance does not interfere with the completion of assigned duties. In either case, the faculty member must notify the department chair in writing before enrolling in classes so that the chair can determine if any conflict exists.
d. Department funds may be used to reimburse tuition and fees (but not travel costs) for college or university credit courses at Texas State or other accredited institutions of higher education if the following three criteria are met:
1) the course relates directly to the employee’s current or prospective job duties in the department;
2) the employee’s department head or other appropriate approval authority approves both the enrollment and the reimbursement as documented with department account information on the Release Time and Reimbursement for Academic Courses Request Form. The employee’s tuition and fees will then be charged to the designated department. This form must be submitted to HR by the twelfth day of classes for the fall or spring semesters and the fourth class day for the first summer session term; and
3) the employee completes the course with a successful completion grade of D or higher.
02.03 Tax-free educational assistance benefits include reimbursements for tuition, fees, and similar expenses, books, supplies, and equipment. Education generally includes any form of instruction or training that improves or develops an employee’s capabilities. The reimbursements do not have to be for work-related courses or courses that are part of a degree program (IRS Publication 970 Chapter 11).
a. Education Below the Graduate Level – If the employee receives a reimbursement of tuition for education assistance benefits below the graduate level (including primary, secondary, or high school), it is a qualified tuition reduction, and therefore tax-free.
b. Education at the Graduate Level up to $5,250 –
1) If the employee receives a reimbursement of tuition for graduate level educational assistance benefits, he or she can exclude up to $5,250 of those benefits each year.
2) The university will not include those benefits with the employee’s wages, tips, and other compensation shown on their Form W-2, box 1.
3) The employee will not include these benefits on his or her income tax return.
c. Education assistance benefit reimbursements do not include payments for the following items:
1) meals, lodging, or transportation;
2) tools or supplies (other than textbooks) that an employee can keep after completing the course of instruction; and
3) courses involving sports, games, or hobbies unless they:
a) have a reasonable relationship to the business of the university; or
b) are required as part of a degree program.
02.04 Procedures for Participation
a. All faculty and staff taking academic courses at Texas State or other accredited institution of higher education and seeking release time or university reimbursement of applicable tuition and fees, must submit the Release Time and Reimbursement for Academic Course Request Form to their department head prior to enrollment. The department head will complete the approval portion of the form and forward it to HR for employment eligibility verification.
b. The completed Release Time and Reimbursement for Academic Course Request Form must be received by HR by the twelfth class day of the fall or spring semester or the fourth class day of the first summer term. No reimbursement will be processed for any form received after that date unless approval has been routed through the employee’s Cabinet member and the vice president for Finance and Support Services (VPFSS).
c. Once the form is received, the assistant vice president for Human Resources (AVPHR) will notify Financial Aid and Scholarships (FAS) of the students applying to receive the reimbursement. The notification will allow FAS to adjust the potential recipient’s federal and other financial aid as required by applicable regulation.
d. Employees who terminate employment before the last day of all scheduled finals are not eligible for reimbursement.
02.05 Procedures for Reimbursement
a. Once the designated employees identified to HR by the requests received have satisfactorily completed the courses with a passing grade of D or higher, HR will forward the list to Student Business Services (SBS). This document will serve as the confirmation document for tuition and fees payments at Texas State. SBS will:
1) process a reimbursement to the student of only prior-approved Texas State tuition and fees within thirty business days after posting of grades. If the student still owes for past due charges or has a balance for the future term, the refund will be applied to the student’s account prior to any refund being sent to the student.
2) address any IRS requirements regarding employee tuition and fees payment.
b. The respective department may agree to reimburse the employee for courses taken at an institution other than Texas State through documentation on the Release Time and Reimbursement for Academic Courses Request Form when the course is directly related to the employee’s current or prospective job duties and the department head has submitted the account number from which reimbursement will be taken. The employee must attach evidence of successful completion with a D or higher grade and an itemized bill of tuition and fees to be reimbursed through Accounts Payable at Texas State.
03. PROCEDURES FOR NON-ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
03.01 Non-academic professional development activities are the enrollment and participation in professional development activities that are not college or university credit courses. Department funds may be used to pay registration and other similar fees, as well as appropriate travel costs, if the activity relates to the employee’s current or prospective job duties in the department and the employee’s department head approves both the enrollment in the activity and the payment.
a. The university considers time away from work during regular working hours to attend non-academic professional development activities that are directly related to employee’s current or prospective job duties as training time. Supervisors are encouraged to allow staff employees the opportunity to enroll in non-academic professional development activities that are related to the employee’s current or prospective job duties. For such activities, time away from the office should be recorded as regular work time.
b. The university supports the enrollment of staff and faculty employees in the non-academic training and professional development opportunities offered on campus by Professional Development, Instructional Technologies Support, Technology Resources, and Faculty Development, as well as other campus resource areas. The supervisor has final authority to grant time for employees to attend such workshops and courses dependent on adequate duty coverage.
c. Faculty members may also enroll in non-academic courses at Texas State or elsewhere for personal development provided that attendance does not interfere with the completion of assigned duties.
d. Supervisors are reminded that planning for annual training and development opportunities should be incorporated into an employee’s annual job performance appraisal.
04. PROCEDURES FOR STAFF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
04.01 The Staff Educational Development Program allows a maximum of seven staff members selected as undergraduate participants to earn from nine credit hours up to a maximum of 12 credit hours per fall or spring semester and from six up to a maximum of nine credit hours for graduate participants with tuition and fees reimbursed by the university.
In addition, the staff members’ work hours will be adjusted accordingly, but to no less than 20 hours per week.
04.02 Eligibility Criteria for the Staff Educational Development Program
Regular non-grant full-time staff employees who are U.S. citizens or resident aliens and who have been employed at the university at least one year and who are not students as a condition of employment are eligible to participate in this program.
04.03 Program Requirements
a. Each undergraduate participant is expected to enroll for a minimum of nine credit hours with a maximum of 12 credit hours per fall or spring semester. Graduate student participants are expected to enroll for a minimum of six credit hours with a maximum of nine credit hours per fall or spring semester.
b. Participants who drop below the approved minimum required semester credit hours prior to the end of the semester will be identified by the AVPHR and reported to the appropriate Cabinet member. The Cabinet member will determine eligibility to continue in the program including adjustment of workload and reimbursement of tuition and fees.
c. If an employee takes nine undergraduate credit hours or six graduate credit hours, his or her work hours may be reduced by ten hours per week. If enrollment is for 10 to 11 undergraduate credit hours or seven to eight graduate credit hours, his or her work hours may be reduced by 15 hours per week. If enrollment is for 12 undergraduate credit hours or nine graduate credit hours, his or her work hours may be reduced by 20 hours per week.
NOTE: The employee is authorized totake themaximumreduction of work hoursindicated above. However, ifan employee feelsthat they will not require the entireallocation, this reduction could benegotiated with their supervisor. Any such reduction must be initiated by the employee and not the supervisor.
d. Participants are expected to maintain a minimum 2.25 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) or 3.0 graduate GPA each semester that they participate in the program. The appropriate Cabinet member has the option to discontinue any participant who fails to maintain the required GPA.