Principles

1. UVM BSAD is committed to building and sustaining the knowledge and capabilities of its faculty and staff.
2. UVM BSAD is committed to providing attractive start-up packages, typically including a commitment of professional development monies, for new faculty hires.
3. UVM BSAD is committed to providing professional development for its staff to assure staff can role model the business competencies we expect our students to develop.
4. We value transparency in the allocation of financial resources towards faculty and staff professional development and accountability for use of those resources.

Objectives/goals

We commit to seeking and allocating professional development funds in a manner that simultaneously supports depth of development and interdisciplinary application of specialized knowledge. Faculty members are expected to pursue an active program of research to support professional development outlays in excess of these levels of support. To that end, it is the goal of the school’s leadership to obtain financial resources at a level equivalent to providing adequate professional development opportunities.

Underlying funding mechanism

The funds available to support this effort are obtained through the formally-designated university provided Professional Development funds, school match of those funds (see current Bargaining Agreement). At the beginning of each academic year, monies shall be specifically allocated to accounts dedicated separately to faculty development.

Process

As part of the annual review process, each faculty member shall propose a plan of professional development for the coming year. This plan shall be accompanied by a written request for professional development funds. The proposed plan for professional development and funds request shall be provided to the dean in advance of the annual review meeting and shall include the following information for professional development travel:

• Destination; Purpose; Start Date; End Date; Estimated cost including Transportation, Conference Registration, Hotel, Meals, Other

For professional development activity not involving travel, the following categories of outlay are consistent with maintaining currency of knowledge and skills: journal subscriptions, professional memberships, and journal submission fees. Thus, faculty may propose support of these outlays as part of their request for professional development funds.

Once submitted, all requests for professional development funds shall be aggregated to determine the total amount of requests relative to the funds established to support those requests. The Dean shall then allocate funds in support of faculty requests using the following criteria:

1. Faculty evidences an active program of research and/or active pursuit of continuous instructional improvement
2. Proposed meeting destinations/venues are consistent with establishing a national or international reputation for the faculty member and the school

Where the total amount of requests exceeds the pool of allocated funds, request fulfillment shall be prioritized as follows:

1. Research active faculty with an intention to submit a paper to the professional meeting
2. Pedagogical active faculty with an intention to apply lessons learned in the classroom.

Faculty members shall be apprised of the allocation of professional development funds in support of their plan for the coming year as soon as possible after submission.

Requests for professional development support outside the formal process

Occasionally, a faculty member may be invited to participate in a professional development event or opportunity that was not anticipated during the annual review process. Where funds are available, such requests may be considered and supported by the dean. Said requests should be filed using the same request "fields" outlined above. The annual summary table shall be amended to reflect these requests and any provisions of professional development support.

Approved 2-27-09, Rev. 2012