Employee Handbook - Staff Development and Training
Tuition Reimbursement
Regular full-time salaried employees who have at least one (1) year of service at the commencement of course work are eligible for tuition reimbursement subject to budgetary constraints and supervisor pre-approval.
Employees must be actively working at the time of course completion in order to be eligible for reimbursement. Voluntary or involuntary resignation or termination will automatically cancel the RAC’s responsibility for tuition reimbursement.
The RAC retains the right to determine whether a course is eligible for tuition reimbursement. All courses and programs of study must be pre-approved and taken for credit at a regionally accredited, degree-granting institution, college, or university.
For undergraduate work, employees must be enrolled in a degree program. Employees having an existing undergraduate degree must demonstrate that the undergraduate course work is job-related and will be beneficial in their current professional duties.
Graduate coursework or degree programs must be pre-approved, and will be reimbursed only if an employee and their supervisor can demonstrate that the program will enhance the employee’s performance in a significant portion of their current job.
Eligible employees may receive up to $8,000 in tuition reimbursement, including the cost of registration, books, and necessary supplies, in any fiscal year.
As set forth in the Internal Revenue Code, employees may receive only a set amount of tuition reimbursement from their employer on a tax-free basis. Any amount exceeding the IRS maximum amount will be reflected at the end of the year in the employee’s W-2 form. Therefore, employees who receive an excess of the IRS maximum may wish to adjust their tax deductions in order to accommodate this additional income.
Employees who wish to apply for tuition reimbursement should complete an application at least thirty (30) days prior to enrollment in an eligible course(s). Employees are expected to arrange classes that do not conflict with their regular working hours. Applications will be reviewed by the employee’s supervisor and Human Resources within thirty (30) days.
Reimbursement will be made only upon successful completion of the course and the receipt of a grade of B- or better. In those cases where the employee is enrolled in an approved undergraduate or graduate program, and a particular class is graded on a pass/fail basis, the employee must pass the particular course in order to receive reimbursement. In all cases the course must provide a grade.
Employees must submit to Human Resources, within sixty (60) days a receipt or evidence of such completion in the form of a transcript or a grade report and a Bursar’s receipt or other appropriate statements of payment from the attended school. The employee must submit copies of receipts for assigned books and necessary supplies in order for these costs to be reimbursed.
Professional Memberships
To encourage staff participation in professional organizations, the RAC will pay the annual membership/license fee for full-time and part-time employees in up to three (3) professional organizations related to the employee’s position, subject to budgetary constraints and RAC approval.
Conference Attendance
To promote professional development, the RAC encourages employees to participate in professional conferences, workshops, seminars, and meetings.
Permission to take advantage of this policy should be given according to the supervisor’s discretion. Factors that will be taken into consideration should include:
- Ability to staff reading rooms and ongoing business at the RAC
- Relevancy of the conference to the employee’s job duties and professional development goals
- Cost of the conference, workshop, seminar, etc.
- Attendance of the employee at other recent conferences
- Budgetary constraints.
Trainings and Educational Opportunities
Employees may participate in trainings and/or educational opportunities related to their current or anticipated work with the RAC. Examples of opportunities under this policy include attendance at seminars, training courses, webinars, podcasts, and other specific job-related training opportunities. Supervisory approval is required and must be obtained in advance, and all requests are subject to budgetary constraints. Opportunities under this policy should not conflict with an employee’s professional duties or job performance.
The RAC is committed to creating an organizational culture that encourages the awareness of racial and social disparities present throughout our communities. Under this policy, RAC employees may participate in educational and professional opportunities that support the advancement of social justice, anti-racism, and racial equality. Examples of opportunities may include participation in webinars or other trainings on anti-discrimination, viewing podcasts or documentaries, and purchasing books or other relevant learning material. Supervisory approval is required and must be obtained in advance, and all requests are subject to budgetary constraints. Opportunities under this policy should not conflict with an employee’s professional duties or job performance.