Professional Development Funds/Membership Dues Allowance
On July 1 of each year of the 2004 – 2008 agreement, a Professional Development and Membership Fund shall be made available to each AAU for the use by full-time members, including: sessional lecturers/sessional lecturers in Visual Arts; sessional lecturers in Nursing; ancillary academic staff (AAS) and Librarians, for payment of the costs of travel, accommodation and other related expenses incurred for attendance at learned or professional conferences, symposiums or for other authorized University travel and for payment of the membership dues of professional or learned societies, for academic journals and for professional development. For each AAU the fund amount shall be calculated as follows:
Requests for professional development and membership dues reimbursement may be initiated by the member, the Dean or Head, the University Librarian or Law Librarian. Requests initiated by the member shall be approved by his/her Dean or Head, the University Librarian or Law Librarian. If a member does not use his/her funds in a particular academic year, or has funds left over, the amount can be carried over by the member until June 30, 2011.
Requests for travel advances and travel plans shall be submitted to the Dean, or Head, University Librarian or Law Librarian as the case may be, at least fifteen (15) days before the commencement of travel. If the travel is cancelled or part of the monies advanced is not expended, the advance or part unexpended shall be returned immediately to the Dean or Head, the University Librarian or Law Librarian. A member may claim only actual expenses incurred and appropriate vouchers shall be submitted for such expenses. A travel expense form is available from the University; ask your Department secretary.
The Professional Development Funds/Membership Due Allowance is put in place for full time members, but there is nothing preventing Sessional members for applying to their Dept. Head for funding, and nothing preventing the Dept. Head from granting funding if the funds are available. The decision is in the hands of the Dept. Head.
More information on Professional Development Funds/Membership Dues allowance can be found under Article I in the Collective Agreement.