SUBJECT: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT - ATTENDING UNIVERSITY CLASSES DURING WORKING HOURS/FACULTY, STAFF, RETIREES, AND DEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

APPLICABILITY: ELIGIBLE FACULTY, RETIREES AND DEPENDENT

1. Purpose:

To provide regular University faculty and staff the opportunity to further their education or professional development or to improve their job skills, concurrently with regular employment; and to aid faculty and staff recruitment, development, and retention by providing opportunities for scholarships for eligible regular University faculty, staff, retirees, and their dependents.

2. Policy:

It is the policy of the University to encourage faculty and staff to pursue professional development and improve job skills by enrolling in, or auditing, courses at University of North Texas. While attending classes outside of regular working hours is encouraged, employees may be granted time off from work to attend classes during regular working hours provided the time off is made up or charged to compensatory time or accumulated vacation leave and the employee’s absence does not materially affect the effective operation of the employing department, unit or division.

It is also the policy of the University to provide educational scholarships to eligible regular faculty and staff members, retirees, and their dependents.

3. General Provisions:

3.1 Faculty and staff members who wish to enroll in courses at UNT must meet University admission requirements and application deadlines. Faculty and staff may audit courses at no charge provided space is available and the permission of the instructor is obtained.

3.2 Time off from work to attend class must be approved in advance by the department official who has the authority to approve absence from work. The department official who has this authority is the head of the department unless otherwise designated by the appropriate Vice President or the President.

3.3 Requests for staff members to enroll in or audit more than one course per semester during regular work hours must be approved by the appropriate Vice President or the President.

3.4 Enrollment in University courses during off-duty hours is at the option of the employee, as long as course loads do not interfere with job responsibilities and performance.

3.5 Employees may not work on homework for courses during regular work hours unless prior approval is given by the supervisor. If approved, the time used must be charged to vacation leave or compensatory time, made up, or docked.

4. Faculty, Staff, Retiree and Dependent Scholarship Criteria:

Faculty, staff, retirees and certain dependents may be eligible for scholarships, based on current criteria for scholarship eligibility. All eligibility requirements are maintained and administered by Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services.