Professional Development and Training

Article 34. Professional Development and Training

34.01 Educational Assistance

An employee may be permitted to register for or audit one (1) University course in any semester, subject to the approval of the Department Head and notification to the Director of Human Resources, provided that the course is not available outside normal working hours. Such permission will not be unreasonably denied. The University will make its best efforts to ensure that employees who wish to take a course in accordance with
An employee may be granted financial assistance for approved courses of study or special training subject to the approval of the Department Head and the Director of Human Resources. The employee may be required to sign a written agreement covering the conditions under which the assistance may be granted.
The Employer recognizes that education is a continuing process. Accordingly, the Employer shall allow the Union to sponsor education functions such as seminars, workshops, lectures, et cetera, to be held on the Employer’s premises during the employees’ lunch period or following the regular working day.
An employee shall be granted leave of absence with pay to write examinations to upgrade the employee’s qualifications related to employment.

34.02 Professional Development/Job-Related Training

Employees will have the opportunity to avail of three (3) days or a maximum of twenty-one (21) hours professional development or job-related training. Such training will be in addition to the regular work hours in a year. Participation by individual employees will be on an optional basis and they will be compensated at straight time rates on an hour-for-hour basis (time off) for up to three (3) days to a maximum of twenty-one (21) hours in the academic year. If the eligible time is not utilized in the academic year for which it is requested, it will be removed from the employee’s professional development leave bank on April 30 of each year.

Courses offered by the CUPE Atlantic Region Union Development Workshop may be considered as suitable criteria for the above leave, subject to the mutual agreement of the Union and the Employer.

34.03 Professional Development Fund

A committee composed of the Local Union President plus two (2) Union representatives and a HR Advisor (as Chair) plus two (2) Employer representatives shall consider applications for professional development funding.

The Professional Development Funding Committee will set and maintain the guidelines used to determine the distribution of funds.

Successful applications will be forwarded to the Local Union President for final consideration and decision.

Effective April 1, 2009, the Professional Development fund shall be established at $50,000 per year and may be increased depending on an annual review of the demand for funding.

The chair shall ensure that a list is maintained of those members who were successful and the amount awarded.

The chair shall ensure that a website is maintained at mun.ca that lists up to date information on the following: