Educational Aid and Continuous Learning - Human Resources Policy - 40130

The College is committed to providing educational aid and continuous learning opportunities for its employees.

Procedures for Educational Aid funding for credit courses offered at other institutions, either undergraduate or graduate credit that are part of a degree program or part of the employee development plan. 

2.1 Eligibility

a. Be a full-time teaching or full-time administrative faculty under contract at time of request and entire length of course.

b. Be a part-time teaching faculty member (adjunct) who has taught at least 8 credits during the most recent academic term.

c. Be a full-time staff or wage employee at the time of request and entire length of course.

d. Be a wage employees scheduled to work a minimum of 750 hours per year.

e. Receive a rating of at least Good (Faculty) or Contributor (Staff) on their most recent performance evaluation.

f. Have a current Faculty or Employee Development Plan that outlines requested course in the context of overall continuous learning goals.

g. Courses must be for credit. Non-credit courses are not eligible for educational aid.

2.2 Payment

a. Up to $550 per undergraduate credit hour and $750 per graduate credit hour will be paid for actual tuition and mandatory fees.

b. Payment for coursework is limited to nine credit hours per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

c. Upon approval of application for educational aid, a promissory note must be completed and submitted to receive payment.

d. Payments will be made directly to the employee and not to the institution to which they attend.

2.3 Subject to approval in advance by supervisor, employees may take a course during work hours. 

The following conditions apply:

a. The maximum time away from one’s workstation will be limited to three (3) hour per week.

b. Employees may either arrange to take accrued leave or arrange for a schedule adjustment to ensure time is accounted for.

c. Approval of requests to take courses during work hours will be contingent upon meeting the needs and requirements of job profile and assigned work responsibilities. Priority will be made to ensure that absence of an individual will not negatively affect the functions in a given area. Supervisors will have final authority for approval or disapproval of requests to take courses during work hours.

2.4 Application and Approval Process

The purpose of the educational aid must be clearly identified by one or more the categories listed on the Educational Aid and Continuous Learning Request Form.

a. Faculty and staff should submit a request and related documentation to their supervisor for initial approval.

b. Immediate supervisor should review requests carefully for eligibility and for appropriateness of the requested activity.

c. The Supervisor will forward the request and related documentation to the appropriate member of Cabinet who will review and if approved forward to the Human Resource Office.

d. The Human Resource Office will review and compile all eligible requests and forward to the President’s Office along with recommendations based upon available funding.

e. The President or designee will make a final decision on each request, based on recommendation of the supervisor and available funding

f. Upon disposition, a copy of the approval form will be sent to the employee along with a promissory note and check request form to initiate payment.

g. There are no provisions for payment or reimbursement of books, study materials, travel or other study related expenses.

h. Depending on available funding it may be necessary to cap the maximum at a lower amount in order to fund all requests at least partially.

i. Funding requests for dissertation research are limited to a maximum of 9 credit hours or 2 semesters whichever is higher.

j. Applications must be submitted four weeks in advance.

2.5 Proof of Course Completion

a. Successful completion of the course with a “C” or higher for undergraduate courses and “B” or higher for graduate courses is required to satisfy the promissory note.

b. Within 30 days of completion of coursework, an employee must submit proof of payment for the course and grade earned (unofficial transcript is acceptable).

c. The employee must notify the Human Resource Office if they fail to complete the course or meet the minimum grade requirement. Failure to notify the Human Resource Office of these events may result in loss of future educational aid eligibility.

d. Employees must meet the conditions of their promissory notes. If not, they will be required to reimburse the college for the amount paid.

2.6 In the event an employee leaves employment with Germanna Community College, prior to completing the course, they will be deemed ineligible and must pay back the advanced educational aid per the promissory note.

Procedures for Continuous Learning of credit courses offered at Germanna Community College to full- time and part-time college employees at no cost. The courses may be job related or non-job related.

3.1 Eligibility

a. Current full-time administrative, professional, and teaching faculty; full time and classified employees; may participate in continuous learning courses at no cost at Germanna Community College.

b. Adjunct faculty teaching a minimum of three credit hours in the current academic term are eligible.

c. Wage/hourly employees scheduled for 750 or more hours per year are also eligible.

3.2 Subject to approval in advance by supervisor, employees may take a course during work hours. 

The following conditions apply:

a. The maximum time away from one’s workstation will be limited to three (3) hour per week.

b. Employees may either arrange to take accrued leave or arrange for a schedule adjustment to ensure time is accounted for.

c. Approval of requests to take courses during work hours will be contingent upon meeting the needs and requirements of job profile and assigned work responsibilities. Priority will be made to ensure that absence of an individual will not negatively affect the functions in a given area. Supervisors will have final authority for approval or disapproval of requests to take courses during work hours.

3.3 Responsibilities

a. College employees enrolling in courses covered under this policy will be required to adhere to college admission procedures, student course registration timelines and procedures, course prerequisites or co-requisites, and all other student and academic policies as provided in college policies.

b. Employees are expected to complete class assignments and assessment activities in order to receive the maximum instructional benefits and to enable instructors to perform appropriate class management directives as required to earn a grade.

c. College employees who fail to meet class requirements or do not adhere to established student policies and procedures may become ineligible to participate in the continuous learning program.

3.4 Admission and Registration

a. To be eligible to register for GCC credit courses, college employees must be admitted to the college as a student by completing an Application for Admission to the Admissions and Records office. This is a one-time requirement for employees participating in the continuous learning program.

b. Employees, who meet the admission requirements of the institution, as well as any course pre-requisites, may be permitted to enroll in courses and pay no tuition or mandatory fees. The college shall bear the cost of tuition and required fees. There are no provisions for payment or reimbursement of books, study materials, travel or other study related expenses.

c. Continuous learning courses are not required to be job-related, but are intended specifically for personal and professional growth.

d. Employees may take continuous learning courses only at the community college where they are employed. Payment for coursework is limited to nine credit hours per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

e. Employees shall be required to register for continuous learning courses in advance and secure supervisor/manager approval using the designated college form. To request participation in a continuous learning course, the employee must obtain supervisor’s and president’s approval, and submit to the Human Resource Office a minimum of four weeks in advance.

f. Prior to attending class and after notification of approval of courses, employees will be responsible for enrollment into the requested continuous learning course(s). An employee who participates in the continuous learning program is required to adhere to classroom guidelines as well as all other student and academic policies.

3.5 Notifications

a. Employees, and their respective supervisor, will be notified by Human Resources, via e-mail, that their registration form has been approved and forwarded to the Admissions and Records office.

b. The Human Resource Office shall notify the college Business Office to waive the tuition and mandatory fees for the approved continuous learning course(s).

c. At the end of each semester, the Human Resource Office will provide a summary report of activity of the Continuous Learning Program to Cabinet and will include the data in annual Employee Report published annually.

3.6 College Business Office procedures. The college’s business offices shall develop internal practices and procedures to ensure that tuition and required fees are waived in a timely manner to avoid “back-out for non-payment” for continuous learning student/employees.

Educational Aid -  Funding for credit courses offered at other institutions, either undergraduate or graduate credit that are part of a degree program or part of the employee development plan.

Continuous learning courses -  Credit courses offered at Germanna Community College to full- time and part-time college employees at no cost. The courses may be job related or non-job related.

Promissory Note -  Legally binding agreement between employee receiving educational aid and the College.  Failure to meet conditions of agreement will require repayment of the education aid issued.

a. Department of Human Resource Management, Policy 5.10 Educational Assistance.

b. VCCS Policy Manual, HR Policy 3.10 Educational Assistance Guidelines and Policy 5.0 Educational Programs

c. Educational Aid Application

d. Continuous Learning Application

e. Promissory Note

Associate Vice President of Human Resource

Original-Approve by President's Council: August 27, 2001
Effective Date: August 27, 2001
Revision: August 28, 2002
Revision-Approved by President's Council: October 7, 2002
Revision-Approved by President's Council: October 28, 2003
Effective Date: November 3, 2003
Revision: March 10, 2008
Revision-Approved by President's Council: June 16, 2008
Revision-Approved by Leadership Council: February 24, 2022