Employee Professional Development and Tuition Payment

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY

GENERAL TOPIC: PERSONNEL

DATE ISSUED: January 5, 2017

SUBJECT: Employee Professional Development Tuition Payment Policy

RESOURCE CONTACT: Human Resources

  1. As an institution of Higher Education, Pierce College finds the continued ongoing education of its employees to be valuable. This value is enhanced when employees take classes at Pierce College so that they can observe first-hand the Pierce College student experience.
    1. For permanent classified, part- and full-time faculty, and annually-contracted administrative exempt employees who are employed at least 50% of full time with Pierce College, the college will pay the tuition, building fee, comprehensive fee, technology fee, HEC COP fee, and student and activities fees for credit-bearing classes taught by Pierce College.
    2. Education provided under this policy must be in state-funded classes, and such coursework must be graded. Community and Continuing Education, Contract Funded, Self-support, or Grant Funded courses are not eligible for payment under this policy.
    3. The college will not pay for course- or class-specific fees, including but not limited to expenses such as lab fees, online fees, books, field trip expenses, and travel to teaching sites.
    4. Employees must qualify for courses in the same manner as any other student. Employees may not register prior to the first day of instruction each quarter. Employees may not be overloaded into classes that are at or above their enrollment cap.
    5. It is the responsibility of the Employee to obtain approval of their supervisor in order to schedule classes in a manner that does not disrupt the employee’s work and departmental schedule. Time spent in classes or doing other required class work shall not be considered part of the employee’s scheduled work time.
    6. In circumstances where the college requires that the employee takes a specific class, release time will be granted for the time spent in class. In this circumstance, the college will also pay all fees for the required class.
    7. In the event an employee withdraws from a class covered under this policy, any refunds due will be processed according to the standard refund policy; however, the employee only qualifies for refunds of the fees they personally paid, and Pierce College will receive the remaining refunds.
    8. In the event that the employee separates from employment with Pierce College during the first 10 instruction days of the quarter in which the employee is actively taking a class under this policy, the employee will be required to either withdraw from the class, or pay all tuition and fees as if they were a regular student.
  2. It is the responsibility of the Employee to follow the Employee Professional Development Tuition Payment Procedure.