Professional Development Leave A. Policy. Professional development leave shall be made available to employees who meet the requirements set forth below. Such leaves are granted to increase an employee's value to the University through enhanced opportunities for professional renewal, educational travel, study, formal education, research, writing, or other experience of professional value, not as a reward for service.
Professional Development Program (a) The parties agree to continue a Professional Development Program for the maintenance and development of the faculty members' professional competence and effectiveness. It is agreed that maintenance of currency of subject knowledge, the improvement of performance of faculty duties, and the maintenance and improvement of professional competence, including instructional skills, are the primary professional development activities of faculty members.
(b) Information collected as part of this program shall be the sole property of the faculty member. This information or any judgments arising from this program shall not be used to determine non-renewal or termination of a faculty member's contract, suspension or dismissal of a faculty member, denial of advancement on the salary scale, nor affect any other administrative decisions pertaining to the promotion or employment status of the faculty member.
(c) A joint advisory committee consisting of three regular faculty members who shall be elected by and are P.D. Committee Chairpersons and three administrators shall make recommendations for the operation, financing and management of the Professional Development Program.
Professional Development Plan Professional Development Plan (PDP) refers to plans developed by faculty members addressing the criteria contained in Article 22 and Appendix G.
Training and Professional Development 11.1 The Employer will develop and maintain an employee training and development plan and provide such plan to the Union upon request. Staff training is intended to provide an opportunity for classified staff employees for training sponsored by the University Training and Development and the UW Medical Centers Organizational Development and Training. Education/Professional Leave is intended to facilitate employee access to continuing education opportunities. Training and educational/professional leave may be used for the purpose of improving job performance, maintaining and increasing proficiency, preparing staff for greater responsibility, or increasing promotional opportunities within the framework of staff positions available at the University.
11.2 Any release time for training for employees accepted for such classes shall be in accordance with the Executive Order (currently No. 52) governing this matter. In the event that two or more employees request the same training period and supervision must limit the number of persons who may participate at one time due to work requirements, the selection will be made on a mutually agreeable basis within the department.
11.3 The training program is a proper subject for discussion by either departmental or University-wide Joint Union/Management Committees.
11.4 If the Employer requires an employee to receive training, reimbursement will be provided in accordance with the University travel rules. Employee attendance at Employer required training, either during or outside working hours, will be considered time worked and compensated in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
11.5 Employee attendance at training not required by the Employer and not covered by Executive Order 52, either on approved leave from or outside of working hours, will be voluntary and not considered time worked.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT A. The Board of Education agrees to pay the actual tuition costs of courses taken by a teacher at accredited colleges or universities up to three courses per two (2) year fiscal periods from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008 and July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010 respectively, except as follows:
1. No teacher may be reimbursed for courses taken during the first year of teaching in Vineland.
2. Teachers taking courses in the second and third years of employment in Vineland will not receive remuneration until tenure has been secured. The remuneration will then be retroactive and will be paid to the teacher in a lump sum within sixty (60) days after the teacher has secured tenure.
3. All courses must be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his designee subject to the following requirements:
(a) A teacher must provide official documentation that he/she has obtained a grade of B or better;
(b) Reimbursement shall be paid only for courses directly related to teacher’s teaching field which increase the teacher’s content knowledge and are related to the teacher’s current certification, as determined by the Superintendent or his/her designee in his/her sole discretion; no reimbursement shall be paid for courses leading to a post graduate or professional degree in a field other than education or teaching. Further, effective September 1, 2010, all newly hired teachers shall not be eligible for reimbursement until they are tenured, and they shall not be eligible for retroactive reimbursement upon gaining tenure for courses taken prior to being tenured.
(c) The maximum total payments to be made by the Board shall not exceed $130,000.00. Courses shall be applied for no earlier than the following dates: Summer Session - April 1 Fall/Winter Session - June 1 Spring Session - October 1 Courses must, as set forth hereinabove in this sub-article 18.A.3, be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his designee, prior to the teacher commencing the course(s); and
(d) Teacher taking courses shall sign a contract requiring them to reimburse the Board for all tuition paid for a course if the teacher shall voluntarily leave the employ of the Board within one (1) full school/academic year of completion of said course, except that reimbursement shall not be required when the teacher shall voluntarily leave the employ of the Board due to a significant, documented life change.
4. Tuition reimbursement costs shall be a sum not to exceed the actual cost of college credits charged in an accredited public State college/University of the State of New Jersey.
B. When the Superintendent initiates in-service training courses, workshops, conferences and programs designed to improve the quality of instruction, the cooperation of the Vineland Education Association will be solicited. Notwithstanding the above, the initiation of in-service training courses, workshops, conferences and programs shall be determined solely at the discretion of the Board.
C. One professional leave day may be granted to a teacher upon request, according to the following guidelines:
1. The professional day may be for attendance at a workshop, seminar or visit to another school for the expressed purpose of self professional improvement for the job.
2. The request shall arrive in the office of the Superintendent of Schools at least ten (10) working days prior to the date requested and shall be reviewed by the immediate supervisor prior to submission. The Board reserves the right to deny a professional leave day before or immediately following a holiday or on a day which by its nature suggests a hardship for providing a substitute.
3. No more than two teachers from any one elementary school or from any one department in the secondary schools may be granted a professional leave for a given day.
4. The teacher may be required to submit a report to the Superintendent of Schools, Assistant Superintendent, supervisor (s), principal and staff regarding the activity of the professional day.
5. Costs incurred by the teacher for the professional day authorized under this Section shall be the teacher’s responsibility.
6. A maximum of 90 professional leave days may be authorized for the school year which shall be apportioned as follows: elementary, 35; grades seven and eight, 20; and high school, 35.
D. If the Board initiates a teacher’s attendance at a professional workshop, seminar or visit, the expenses shall be the responsibility of the Board. Further, this day shall not be subtracted from the 90 professional leave days granted to teachers of the Association.
E. The Board agrees to pay the full cost of courses taken by secretaries related to skills and knowledge improvement when such courses are required and approved by the Board.
F. The Board and the Association agree that it is important to communicate when developing and implementing current and future learning technologies, including but not limited to distance and on-line learning.
Professional Development Fund Article 20
Contract for Professional Services of Physicians Optometrists, and Registered Nurses
Professional Development Funds 23.1.1 Two Professional Development Funds, a Professional Development Support Fund and an Education Leave Fund, shall be established to support professional development activities as defined in 23.2. On April 1st of each year, the College will allocate an amount equal to no less than 0.9% of total faculty salary (exclusive of severance payments) to the Professional Development Support Fund, and an amount equal to no less than 0.6% of total faculty salary to the Educational Leave Fund. Any unused balances in these funds shall carry over to the next budget year.
23.1.2 The College agrees to provide the Association with the authority to administer the program on behalf of the College for those activities approved by the College in accordance with 23.2, 23.4 and 23.5.
23.1.3 Nothing in this Agreement prevents the College from funding professional development activities in addition to those activities supported through the Professional Development Funds (23.1.1) in accordance with the procedures described in this Article.
Clinical Trials The studies, tests and preclinical and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, the Company, or in which the Company has participated, that are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional and scientific standards for products or product candidates comparable to those being developed by the Company and all applicable statutes, rules and regulations of the FDA, the EMEA, Health Canada and other comparable drug and medical device (including diagnostic product) regulatory agencies outside of the United States to which they are subject; the descriptions of the results of such studies, tests and trials contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus do not contain any misstatement of a material fact or omit a material fact necessary to make such statements not misleading; the Company has no knowledge of any studies, tests or trials not described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus the results of which reasonably call into question in any material respect the results of the studies, tests and trials described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or Prospectus; and the Company has not received any notices or other correspondence from the FDA, EMEA, Health Canada or any other foreign, state or local governmental body exercising comparable authority or any Institutional Review Board or comparable authority requiring or threatening the termination, suspension or material modification of any studies, tests or preclinical or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, the Company or in which the Company has participated, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no reasonable grounds for the same. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any violation of law or regulation by the Company in its respective product development efforts, submissions or reports to any regulatory authority that could reasonably be expected to require investigation, corrective action or enforcement action.
Leave for Union Activities Upon request by the Union, leave without pay will be granted to any employee duly authorized to represent employees of this bargaining unit at:
a) Executive, Council meetings or Conventions of the Union and Labour Education Seminars. A written request for such leave shall be submitted at least twenty (20) days in advance. Such leave shall be limited to a total of four (4) employees at any one time, and to a maximum aggregate total of four hundred and fifty (450) working hours in any calendar year. The maximum leave for any individual Union official shall not exceed sixty (60) hours and one hundred (100) working hours for an Executive Officer. The Company will consider reasonable requests from the Union to increase the individual and/or aggregate maximum. Such leave shall not constitute a break in continuity of service in seniority, severance pay, or other benefits under this Agreement.
b) In order to attend the CEP National Convention every other year (or every third year) up to four (4) employees will be released and the maximum aggregate total of working hours may be increased by an additional one hundred thirty (130) working hours, exclusive of the individual limits in above to attend the CEP National Convention. The Company will be advised of the convention dates as far in advance as possible. A written request for such leave will be submitted to the Company at least sixty (60) days in advance.
c) It is understood that operational requirements may prevent the release of particular employee(s) under this Article and in such case the Local Union shall be allowed to name the alternate(s), however such requests for leave will not be unreasonably denied.
d) An employee on unpaid Union leave under this Article shall be compensated at his/her regular rate for the leave by the Company. The Company will then invoice the Union for reimbursement of such compensation which shall be paid by the Union within fifteen (15) days of the date of the invoice.
e) In addition, up to one (1) employee may accept a full-time elective position with the Union or an official labour body for a period not exceeding two (2) years. Any additional yearly periods may be granted at the Company’s discretion upon receipt of a written request from the employee and the President of the Union. The Company may hire temporary employees to fill the vacancies created by such leave of absence. During the employee’s leave and subject to the limitations of the various benefit plans, the employee may continue to participate provided the employee prepays all premiums and contributions. During such leave the employee shall not accumulate seniority for the purpose of annual leave credits and severance pay.
