Accessing Professional Development Funds
SNHU recognizes the importance of professional development and supports such opportunities. This document attempts to explain how funds are distributed across the Divisions and how you, as an employee, can access funds for your own learning. The explanations are divided into two categories: availability of funds for employees whose positions are covered by the Master Agreement and those who are not covered by the Master Agreement. In addition to this funding, any employee of the institution can attend campus-wide programs sponsored by or coordinated by the Office of Training & Organization Development.
Employees Covered by the Master Agreement
Professional development funds are given to the covered faculty and professional staff at Southern New Hampshire University for the purpose of permitting and enabling recipients of such funds to keep current in their professional fields and improve upon their abilities to serve SNHU.
The amount of money available for Professional Development each year is set by the Master Agreement.
The VPAA’s Office manages the funds and their distribution to the Vice President of each division via the institution’s staff development line. [Note: Within the Division of Academic Affairs, the funds are further divided by the number of contracted faculty and staff in each school and are transferred to each Dean.]
In July, an advance of 1/3 is distributed based on funding allocations in the previous year. The remaining distribution is transferred after September employment counts are confirmed and is based on the total number of contracted employees in each division as of September 1st of that year.
Policy for the Allocation of Professional Development Funds
This policy governs how these funds will be distributed to the employee:
1. Contracted faculty and staff apply to the Dean or Division head for funds. Funds are allocated fairly (i.e. contracted employees share the same opportunity to apply for funds) based on the following criteria:
Faculty have approved Scholarly Activity plans
- Proposed activities support University/School/Department strategic initiatives
- Activities or purchases relate to involvement in professional organizations and associations – attending conferences, meetings, workshops, institutes, and symposia; payment of dues and subscriptions; purchasing books and media
2. In cases where requests for funds exceed the money available, contracted faculty and staff may be asked to prioritize their requests. Some requests may be partially funded but additional funding at the end of the year may be possible. After April 15 the Deans and Division heads will review all requests from the previous 10 ½ (9 ½ ) months that were not fully funded and consider awarding additional monies as funds allow.
3. This Policy for the Allocation of Professional Development Funds is reviewed annually by the VPAA and the Southern New Hampshire University Professional Employees Association (SNHUPEA) President and amended as needed.
Employees Not Covered by the Master Agreement
Funds for employees not covered by the Master Agreement are at the discretion of the departmental Supervisor and/or Vice President and are based on availability of funds built into a departmental or divisional budget. These funds must either be requested for staff development during the annual budgeting process or taken from other departmental budget lines.