Directives

PURPOSE

To provide employees the opportunity to pursue College-approved academic, administrative, technical, industrial or other activities where such activities will enhance the employee’s knowledge and skills upon returning to the College.

SCOPE

All full-time employees

DEFINITIONS

POLICY

1. The purpose of a Professional Development Leave is to permit an employee to pursue College-approved academic, administrative, technical, industrial or other activities where such activities will enhance the employee’s knowledge and skills upon returning to the College.
2. The current OPSEU Academic Collective Agreement and the Terms of Employment for Administrative Staff permit the granting of Leaves for academic and administrative employees.  Requests of support staff employees will be considered on an individual basis.
3. The number of Leaves granted each year will be at the discretion of the President and based on resources available.  The minimum number of Leaves to be awarded to professors, as stipulated   in the Academic Collective Agreement, will be respected.
4. Professional Development leaves will normally be completed within a continuous twelve months period, commencing June 15^th. 
5. The salary paid to an employee on leave will be based on the following scale:   55% of the employee’s base salary increasing by five percent per year after six years of employment with the College to a maximum of 80% of the employee’s base salary after eleven (11) years.   If the employee receives payment for work from other sources during the leave, the sum of the College payment and payments from other sources will not exceed the amount of the employee’s base salary.
6. Employees are required to work at the College for at least one year after returning from a Leave. If employees cannot meet this obligation, they will repay the College all salaries and fringe benefits received while on leave.
7. To qualify for a professional development leave, an employee will have completed not less than six (6) years of full-time employment at the College.  Six years of full-time employment must also be completed between Leaves.
8. Appropriate activities during a Leave include
   8.1.  Development of new professional or technical skills through practical experience to reflect changes in the work force,
   8.2  Development of materials such as text, software, visual materials required of a specific course or courses,
   8.3  Retraining for skills required in a different department of the College or to teach in another discipline,
   8.4  Instructional, individual or directed research related to an identified need by the department or the College,
   8.5  Completion of formal academic studies.
9. In approving candidates for a Leave, immediate supervisors are to consider the following:
   9.1  The number of years of service the employee has worked without the benefit of a professional development leave.
   9.2 The link between the proposed activities and the functions of the employee upon returning to the College.
   9.3  The link between the proposed activities and the College Stratgic Plan and the department’s priorities.
   9.4  The feasibility of the professional development plan being completed in one year.
10.  Any changes made to the professional development plan once it has been approved must be  re-approved in writing by the immediate supervisor and the Dean or Director. 

 PROCEDURE

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendix 1         Professional Development Leave Request

RELATED POLICIES
None

RELATED MATERIALS

Academic Collective Agreement

Support Staff Collective Agreement

Administrative Terms and Conditions of Employment

HR 02: APPENDIX 1