POLICY

As an educational institution, the University of North Florida strongly encourages its staff to pursue life-long learning opportunities for professional growth and development. To this end, the university has adopted the following employee education program.

(1) Full-time UNF faculty, A&P and USPS employees in good standing, who have been employed for at least six (6) months in a budgeted position, and who qualify as Florida residents for tuition purposes, are eligible to enroll in up to six (6) credit hours of instruction per semester at UNF. Part-time salaried employees (.5 FTE) in good standing, who have been employed for at least six(6) months in a budgeted position, and who qualify as Florida residents for tuition purposes, are eligible to enroll in up to three (3) credit hours of instruction per semester. This program is not available to OPS or temporary personnel. This program is also not available for Thesis, Dissertation, Internships, Directed Independent Study, non-credit courses, and sponsored credit program offerings. To participate, the employee must complete an Employee Education Form, obtain supervisor’s approval and process through the Office of Human Resources. Paper forms are also available through the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Human Resources. Visit the Records and Registration Web page for additional information about the Employee Education Program.

(2) A participating employee must be admitted to the University as a degree or non-degree seeking student. Courses taken in a non-degree seeking status may not apply to a degree program.

(3) To the extent possible, class attendance should be scheduled during non-working hours. If any University employee enrolls for a course during working hours, all time taken during that period, including time taken in traveling to and from classes, shall be charged to annual or compensatory leave or leave without pay, unless the work schedule has been adjusted to accommodate the class, subject to approval by the appropriate supervisor or administrator.

(4) The costs associated with noncredit courses and program offerings otherwise required as an extension of regular employee training are not covered under this program.

(5) Approval to participate in a course or program of instruction is contingent upon the unit's continuing ability to remain flexible in meeting its own workload requirements.

(6) Prior to registering or enrolling in a course, the employee must complete the designated University form and submit it to his/her supervisor or appropriate administrator for review and approval. The supervisor or administrator is responsible for certifying that the employee meets the employment requirements for participation and that the time used is covered by appropriate leave.

(7) Unless otherwise required by applicable law or regulation, the value of courses in which the employee has enrolled under the provisions of this program shall not be used to compute the employee's base rate of pay or regular rate of pay, however certain courses may be subject to taxes as defined by the Federal Internal Revenue Service.

(8) An employee shall not be permitted to use any state space, personnel, equipment, or supplies in conjunction with participation in or completion of these courses except as provided by the University as part of the course or program of instruction.

(9) As a precondition to approving an employee's request to participate in this program, the University will require the employee to enter into an agreement that requires the employee to do the following in order to enjoy continued participation in this program:

1. Earn a grade of "C" or above in all courses taken through this program as an undergraduate/post-baccalaureate student, or a grade of "B" or above in all courses taken through this program as a graduate student; and


2. Complete all courses taken through this program which the employee does not drop/withdraw before the expiration of the regular add/drop period. Designations such as withdraw (W), withdraw/passing (WP), withdraw/failing (WF), or incomplete (I) will not satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.


3. Failure to earn the required grade or complete the course as described in (a) and (b), above, will result in the employee's loss of eligibility to participate in the program for the subsequent semester.

(10) The University's fee petitions and fee refunds policies and procedures are not applicable to courses taken through this program.