Employee Development

Procedure 50: Professional Development


This UCI Personnel Procedure is being revised.
Please contact your Human Resources Business Partner for guidance and
REFER TO POLICIES FOUND AT UCNET PERSONNEL POLICIES FOR STAFF MEMBERS.

Responsible Office: Human Resources
Issued:
November 2002

A. References


Personnel Policies for Staff Members

B. Authority and Responsibility


The department head is responsible for supporting and approving employee development as stated by this policy. Employees are responsible for their own individual career development and for communicating interest in development to their supervisors or department heads.

C. Definitions


Professional Development Programs may be classified as:

  1. Position-related: Directly related to the work assignments or conditions of the employee's current position.
  2. Career-related: Related to the development of skills, knowledge, and abilities which prepare an employee for additional assignments or positions which the employee can reasonably expect to attain within the University. Employees are responsible for communicating their interest in such development to their supervisors and/or department heads and for engaging them in consultation on development programs for achieving those career goals.
  3. Educational enrichment: Related to an employee's avocation or career talents outside the University. Not related to University positions for which an employee may, in the judgment of the department head, be an effective competitor. For example, courses such as a music course would, with few exceptions, be considered an educational enrichment program. A department head may approve an employee's attendance at such a program, but the participation shall not be counted as time worked.

D. Guidelines


  1. Employee development programs include on-the-job training, internships, courses, seminars, conferences, institutes, lectures, meetings, workshops, and participation in professional and technical associations.
  2. When determining the degree of departmental support for an employee's participation in development programs, the department head should consider the following, and communicate it to the employee:
    • Employee's need for training
    • Department's needs and resources
    • Advantages of one type of training over another type that is available
    • Training needs of other department employees
    • Effect on workload and on other employees

E. Procedures


  1. Requests for professional development should be submitted in writing to the employee's supervisor.
  2. Department heads should consult with Human Resources about granting professional development leaves.

F. Applicability


All staff members, except employees who are in a bargaining unit that has an exclusive representative (union) and are covered by the applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.